Who Is Wayne Stocks?

This post will introduce you to Wayne Stocks, one of the new contributors here at Ministry-To-Children. We hope his story and personal mission statement will encouragement to you.

Let me begin by saying that it is an honor to be writing here on Ministry-to-Children.com.  I have been a fan of this website for a long time, and when Tony Kummer asked me to write for this site, it was an opportunity I couldn’t resist.  That said, before I jump into the wide wide world of Children’s Ministry (insert thrill of victory…agony of defeat joke here), I thought it prudent to spend just a moment and introduce myself.

My name is Wayne Stocks.  I have been married to my wonderful wife for a little over ten years now.  I have four children aged 2, 7, 9 and 16 – three boys, one girl.  I am passionate about my relationship with Christ, about being a family man and about my work in children’s ministry.

I started earnestly blogging a little over a year ago at Dad in the Middle.  That blog began as a means of gathering my thoughts while doing various bible studies.  I tend to write out my thoughts during study in order to organize them, and I decided that I would share those notes in the event that they might help others.  Much to my surprise, people started to read it!  Over time, I began to write more and more about the things that occupied my mind and my heart.  In large part, that meant writing about working with children.  The more I work with children, the more passionate I become about reaching kids for Christ and discipling them in God’s Word.

It is quaint in Christian circles to use the phrase “God has a plan for me,” but the truth behind the statement is profound.  We are all ultimately here to accomplish God’s will for our lives.  More than a plan though, I prefer to think of it as God has put me here on a mission.  In order to accomplish that mission, it is important to define exactly what it is.  Mission statements are all the rage in the business world and the church world, and for good reason.  Without a clearly defined mission, it is easy to get off track.  When it comes to doing business, getting off mission might mean losing some customers or even bankruptcy.  When it comes to our lives though, living outside of God’s mission will ultimately lead to frustration and fruitlessness.

My Personal Mission Statement

So, in order to stay on mission, it is important to define what the mission is.  When I think about my work as both a parent and in working in God’s children’s ministry, this is my mission:

I desire to teach children the love God both through instruction and by example and to help them to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  Furthermore, I wish to instill in them an appreciation for, and excitement about, the Word of God and help them to develop the ability to live their lives in accordance with a biblical world view.

That is my mission, and I hope that in some small way writing here on Ministry-to-Children.com will further my pursuit of that mission.  So, what will I write about here?  I will write about anything that lends itself to that mission.  Sometimes, that means practical advice on working in children’s ministry like how to prepare a lesson or games that you can use in ministry.  Other times, that will mean a more thought provoking look at issues and trends affecting children in general or children’s ministry in particular.  Tony has done a great job in growing this site and providing an invaluable resource to the children’s ministry community.  My hope is that through my involvement in this forum we can all grow in our efforts at reaching kids for the Kingdom of God.

P.S. – For those who may be wondering, I will continue to write articles for Dad in the Middle as well though I suspect the frequency of posting at that site may diminish somewhat.  I am looking forward to interacting with you all.

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