I think my church has the best nursery coordinator in the world. K.G. is organized, detail-oriented, AND gracious, loving and super good at relationships. I really admire her! AND, these days? I’m extremely grateful for her re: our littlest, wonderful, fun, strong-willed and NOT so good at relationships love bug, Ella.
Yes. Yes. Our beloved, not-quite three year-old daughter, Ella, continues to have some serious “issues” in the nursery and I have to say, one of my first emotions in response is embarrassment. Not quite mortification (“to cause someone to feel embarrassed, ashamed, or humiliated”) … but kinda close. Moving in that direction. You know, embarrassed. No one likes to have their kid disciplined or reprimanded in classroom / nursery settings.
But even given my slight Fear of Man (Prov. 29:25) response, my overwhelming emotion is one of hopefulness. I have great hope that God is at work in the life of my daughter and He will never give up on her. I likewise have great hope that my church family will never give up on her. After all, this is the vow they took at her baptism:
“Do you as a congregation undertake the responsibility of assisting the parents in the Christian nurture of this child?”
“We do.”
That’s why, when we got home from church on Sunday and I was tempted to dwell on our current, um, challenges, Fred could confidently and lovingly exhort me to remember that:
“This is why we take vows.”
They to us and us to them. We’re in it for the long-haul and we’re in it as family.
May God be glorified as we share “not only the gospel of God but our lives as well” (1 Thessalonians 2:8 )!
Blessings and joy,
Tara B.
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About Tara Barthel
Tara Klena Barthel formerly served as the Director of the Institute for Christian Conciliation, a division of Peacemaker Ministries. As such, she oversaw hundreds of conciliation cases (including conflicted church interventions) through the Peacemaker Ministries staff as well as its international network of trained conciliators. Tara also provided oversight and leadership for all advanced conciliator training. Currently, she serves her family as a homemaker while occasionally accepting cases as a mediator, arbitrator, and conflicted church intervention team member.
Tara consults with businesses and ministries on the legal risk management issues attendant to conflict; designs and presents custom training on biblical conflict resolution for churches, missions agencies, and parachurch organizations; speaks frequently at women’s conferences and retreats; and is an active member of her church’s Peacemaking Team.
Tara is the author of the Peacemaker Ministries’ women’s study video series (Living the Gospel in Relationships) and co-author of Peacemaking Women—Biblical Hope for Resolving Conflict (Baker Books, 2005), and Redeeming Church Conflicts--Turning Crisis into Compassion and Care (Baker Books, 2012). Prior to moving to Billings, Montana to join the staff of Peacemaker Ministries, Tara worked as an attorney and business consultant in Chicago. Tara earned her law degree and M.B.A. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and her B.A. in psychology from Augustana College (Illinois). Tara serves as an Adjunct Instructor and is a Certified Christian Conciliator with Peacemaker Ministries.
