Finally! Another Post!

Hi, everyone-
I'm so sorry that I've been so negligent in keeping this blog up. I've decided that's going to change. I've been inspired by all my friends who blog. But I have appreciated hearing from all of you who have posted on this site. It's been fun to correspond with you and hear what you are thinking and saying about Children's ministry.

Let me tell you what I've been up to the last few months. I left my job at Colonial Church at the end of Dcember, 2004. And after spending about a month in Florida (why stay where it's cold if I don't have to??)I stuck my fingers into a few different pies. A lot of travel and speaking kept me busy through the latter part of the winter and the spring. In February I traveled to the Emergent Convention in San Diego where I led a Children's Ministry forum (and watched my books sell at the Zondervan store), then it was off to Kansas City for Children's Pastor's Conference and then to Seattle for a few days on Bainbridge Island with friends and, then, board meetings for Mars Hill Graduate School. From Seattle I headed to NYC for a speaking opportunities on Postmodern Children's Ministry at Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims in Brooklyn and at Walnut Creek Community Church in Connecticut. In March I spoke, again, at CPC in Atlanta and May brought the Nashville Emergent convention where I led a forum, a book club, and a seminar on Postmodern Children's Ministry.
Something all this speaking has shown me is the hunger that exists out there for a new way of thinking about Children's Ministry and the spiritual formation of children. I continue to be amazed at the comments and questions I get from people who have read the book.

And in the midst of all of this I've incorporated my own business, Soul Shepherds, Inc. The primary plan for this business is to assist churches who are searching for Children's Pastors and other Christian Education professionals. From my calculations there are at least 50 churches in the US of over 1000 in attendance who are looking for Children's Ministry professionals. I offer services ranging from helping the search committee organize and profile the candidate and the position and screening resumes to full scale searches where the church simply turns the search over to me and I provide them with 3 or 4 qualified candidates. The other piece of the business is writing, speaking, and consulting. As a Children's ministry consultant I offer program evaluation, coaching for Children's Ministry leaders, and consulting around issues of the spiritual formation of children. If you are interested in finding out more about any of these services you can e-mail me through this website, or at ivy@vtlsearch.com.

Hope your summer is going well. And I do intend to post more pieces talking about children, spiritual formation, and emerging church issues. Thanks for your patience.