126: Balancing Work, Family, & Volunteering At Church | with Bill Gunter

Today’s guest has been serving in children’s ministry for decades and keeps coming back for more. 

Listen in as Bill Gunter shares a bit of his ministry journey including church transitions, how he balances a volunteer position with a full-time job, and what keeps him inspired to keep on serving.

Connect with Bill Gunter:
smallchurchkidmin.com 

Rate, Review, & Follow Laurie on Apple Podcasts

"I love Laurie and The Small Church Ministry Podcast!!" << If that's like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps Small Church Ministry support and reach more people -- just like you -- in small churches! Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then, let us know what you loved most about this episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. This is the best way to stay updated on the new episodes we release weekly. If you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on future episodes. Follow now!

Follow Us:
Website: https://smallchurchministry.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallchurchministry/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smallchurchministry
Creative Solutions for Small Churches Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallchurchministry
Small Church Network:  https://smallchurchministry.com/membership/

Get the Ministry Bundles here!

Transcript

Laurie Acker: 0:01

Hey, this is Laurie Acker. Welcome to the small church ministry podcast. Hey, welcome back to another episode of the small church ministry podcast. Invariably as people find us and join our community, they'll qualify things they're talking about, like in the Facebook community, they'll say, Well, I'm in a really small church, and I just want to shout, yeah, we all are. Or people will say this, they'll say, I'm just a volunteer, and I just want to scream because I don't think there's just a volunteer. Part of the reason I started this, this business in small church ministry is because the volunteers like power the churches, and most of the resources out there, first off, there's hardly anything for small churches, but if there is, most of them are for the pastor's. It's a little more theological or a little more motivational or leadership oriented. But it's really focused on the pastors. And if you're in a small church, which I'm betting you are, if you're listening to the podcast, most small churches have one pastor, maybe two. But there are dozens of volunteers who keep everything running. There are more volunteers in any small church, just think about it, then there are pastors, and that's why we exist is to equip and help volunteers. And not just like, encourage you to keep going but to give you more skills and more tools so that we can be excellent volunteers because volunteers really do power the church globally worldwide. It's quite amazing. So today, we're going to hear from a special guest, Bill Gunther is joining us. And Bill, do you want to say hey, and let everybody know where you're from?

Bill Gunter: 1:40

I'm from Pennsylvania. I grew up in intercalation, Maryland without meant anything to anybody. And I wouldn't starboard give trucking industry. And was since I graduated, basically high school and things of that nature. I'm Mercer as a volunteer, senior children's ministry, I was told that I would probably grow out of Windsor with children in North. Obviously, that isn't the case. What am I versus I became a moon years ago through the Awana circles as community bill. So if you've ever built a community build that net, that's me. And about seven years ago, six years ago or so grass, walk around, and I started looking for encouragement for people starting in small churches and children's ministry especially. And I personally small blurb on my Facebook page. Got a lot of people raise a little bit less. Like I said, I've got to do something. So I started small church Kidman years ago. Now, sadly, it hasn't grown through, I would like it to because I have a full time job. And it's for help. You start off doing that direct learning resources for small churches. And years ago, I wrote a blog post how to write resources for small churches, whether the people or larger churches reading resources to kind of help out. But there's nobody in small churches, because, like myself, it's a time factor at working a full time job taking care of your family and looking things and certainly ministering, you don't have time to develop those things. And so what you don't realize is you filled that void that I saw a mutual years ago when you create a small church ministry.

Laurie Acker: 3:32

Well, Bill one, when we started this, I looked you up right away, because you're you're one of the few people that is out there into small churches. So that's how I found you. Do you remember how we got connected or the first time you spoke at a conference because you've been a big part of our community? I spoke

Bill Gunter: 3:47

at the first conference will contact the will and it will go through Jim Klein. That's my guess. Okay, Claire, she, um, you in I had a thought need disappeared. This.

Laurie Acker: 3:59

But that's all right. I happen to me all the time. Okay,

Bill Gunter: 4:02

no better looking fish. I've been in Facebook groups. Yes. The only small churches in big church planters. You know, how do you do this while I'm on Foursquare to check your social aspect when you understood I've got an elementary school teacher who will be teaching or and so that was a really, that needs to be filled. Because that was just moved out. And keep people feeling alone.

Laurie Acker: 4:30

Yeah, I love that. You said like in Facebook groups, you know, we look for answers and we get big church answers. Right. So before we got connected and started, you know, this entire, you know, all the communities that we have going on and there's like spin offs, like Pam Yates is running one for, you know, worship leaders, and you've got yours that was around before mine. But it is interesting when we're asking for answers and we get big church answers, because that does something to us in small churches. It's pretty deflating because it's like, that's not going to work for us. But it also reminds us that we're small and Sometimes that comparison game starts going, but let's talk about your church and what you do. Because you, you do a one is and I was under the impression because you have an awareness group, which is like a midweek program, if you all aren't familiar with one is, and I was under the impression that you were probably in a larger small church in order to even having a wellness program. But that is not the case. Do you want to tell them about your church and what your setting is like in children's ministry right now, you know, mixed ages or what that looks like, like you said,

Bill Gunter: 5:28

with a water and sick, it's gonna be a big structure and all that kind of stuff. And reality is it doesn't have to be discharged with the way the future church. In my current situation? Well, the history is outstanding, the church of hundreds with an unwanted club of 100 thirds, 30 volunteers. And they started the church on that now. And they said you were to help them with Awana. So I went from a church with 100 kids, and I wanna say, a dozen kids, maybe many people's basements to begin with, and currently have a to some turn only had 50 People in service, adults, kids, everybody combined, led for kids. And we're preschool, elementary. And for one of those past year, we had three copies, which are similar for the roads, with tumors before kindergarten, we had three sparks, which are kindergarten through second grade. And we're at 22, and t, which are third through sixth grade. And yeah, that's our Illumina club. And I'm in a Formula One, a missionary not too far for me, I served with me. When we went to a small church, he realized that he was kind of lacking in good answers to churches with small clubs. You know, okay. And when he was in a small church, he goes, Wow, what I was saying doesn't work in this context.

Laurie Acker: 6:48

You don't know until you've been there, right? Like you think the big church if you're in a big church, and you're trying to speak to small churches, like you cannot do it until you've been in that context, right,

Bill Gunter: 6:56

a non toboggan trying to help out another church. And so my hair Surplice was trying to start in the One A club there. And contractible so I can't get people to volunteer. It was a snap charts a little trouble. With tier two good luck with sparks direct to the company director. You know, again, person like this talk people wrestle how many kids you expect, look them up. And work whoever structure we can't get out to break church we came from, we might be here for those positions should remind you of how things need to be put into the big church, how black churches handle things, it doesn't always work that way.

Laurie Acker: 7:36

Well, Bill, I just love your you're just you model really well for people. And I love how you really do get the small church. The beauty of small churches, which you've talked about at our conferences before, too. But let's talk about just volunteering in a small church in general when you have a full time job. So people listening right now might be pastors, they may be involved in the worship ministry. And one of the things that happens is we think we don't have time because we have a full time job. And by the way, if you're listening, most people involved in our communities coming to our conferences, have full time jobs, they just have a passion to make a difference in their churches to So Bill, what has that look like for you because you have a highly responsible full time job. Like you have to think I know you work outside of the regular hours. So how does how does volunteering in in your church? How does that work with your with your full time job?

Bill Gunter: 8:30

First off, I've got I've got a passionate group of kids. And so right back on the phone, the first part back to Awana. It's working a lot of hours. Before it started, I was similar dream lady took a nap. But when the kids come in just energized me. It's a bit the energy for the kids. And it's one under feed into their lives. Now, one key thing is when you have a burglar at work, it's gonna be a rough night of ministry, whatever ministry that you do, it's hard to kind of sneak off to him quietly and say God helped me to focus on the work go away for a while. But it comes down to time management and realizing why you're doing what you're doing. God's football Judo full time job to help you meet your family's needs. And he's provided us ministry opportunity to reach in my case, the kids, the children in the church, however many like big and that's where I'd been in my context. Currently. There are some Sundays Well, we only have one child that shows up. Well, we start through children's church COVID adapted to them, and others which are doesn't like to say to say hey, I'm putting the songs to the side. You know, those kinds of things and kind of making that connection. So it's just managing time learn that when you have free time when we put some military stuff and know that you can vote your vote on the week. So it's not a crunch time. It just kind of playing your time out the best you Yeah,

Laurie Acker: 10:01

yeah, yeah, I know you have a passion for kids. And that kind of that kind of flips our brains over right when we're excited to do something. But I love that you said, you know, if you've had a long day, it is hard. Like, it's not always easy. It's not like you're always like, oh, whoo, let's go. But you said, when you get in there that something happens and you get energized, it's

Bill Gunter: 10:22

just a kid emoji. And you receive that commercial that they had with you. I mean, the small church, you make those connections with the kids, because you spend a little time with them that just kind of saying hi in the hall and passing them off to somebody else. That way, you can look those connections. And that will because we're gonna swear glue, I do my best to get the kids talking about anything, just to put them at ease, so that when you get to the serious stuff that used to talking already, you're not shying away. Those kinds of things. Yeah.

Laurie Acker: 10:53

Yeah. So I was reading online last year, I was looking up all the benefits of volunteering, because I love to talk about how volunteering is good for us. Like it's not just pouring out like it's actually good for us. It's good for us physically, it's good for our bodies, like volunteers live longer and are happier, you know, all these kinds of things. But for you practically Bill, what has volunteering, given you like, how do you think you benefit from volunteering?

Bill Gunter: 11:19

That's a good question. And who thought about that? And I'm gonna divert a little bit because somebody posted a question around well, children's ministry know that posts with that. Nobody does something for nothing. Ribery for something. So why do you serve? Okay, none. Like, I don't start to get anything out of it. That's a byproduct. I serve because I want to reach kids. You know, I enjoy being a bartender, but girls bar today allows me to be creative. Okay, what's a kid that's a publicist, volunteering with church, I wouldn't be creative. With technology we have today, I can be fully creative, and a nice little puppets and different things. Here's a secret. I'm a kids by Mila poco ventriloquism. So I can have a puppet and be an amateur ventriloquist. Dummy with general practice, perfect. That's better. Because if I'll call the public, let's go if I can do it live that way. Yeah. It allows me to cooler tivity. And the connection with the kids that I wouldn't normally have.

Laurie Acker: 12:35

Yeah, yeah. So good. You know, I think sometimes for people and this might not be true of you or for your job. But I've heard people even talk about like, I have this job. And it's stressful. And I don't feel as meaningful in my job as I do when I'm serving at church. Like it's almost like there's a little bit of just deeper meaning and significance sometimes in serving in church. Have you felt that before? Like, even with the relationships with the kids? I'm sorry, but you've done ministry for a long time. Have you had younger kids grow up and come back and visit you? What

Bill Gunter: 13:07

come back come visit me? Well, that isn't talked about this. Actually, today. I love meeting at church. Those, I'd hoped start this church. And when I left for five years, okay, so as younger kids were there, so church, youth and youth age, okay. I was long for that time. And I came back and came back one of those kids that I had from the kindergarten up through middle school or whatever, was getting married, while intimate wedding vows or guest lists, which I didn't realize. And I think, Okay, I've been gone for five years, I'm not going to get an invitation because most of the invitations have already been sent. Yeah, but I got an invitation to her wedding. And it's because it was only people that had an impact on the lives that were important. And I realized from our small church, there were only like two other people that were invited. One that performed the ceremony, and the current pastor. And then my, so it was a small group that touched me because as I'm watching me walk down the aisle, just like a dog did, you know, I'm seeing a young girl that missed him. Sparks was, you know, was, you know, kindergarten, first grade, when we started the church, and now she's a young woman getting married. It was just kind of neat to have that connection. And, yeah, and that's what I tell people you're sending attorneys in the industry can be tough because you lose to the fruit of what you've done because kids grow up to move away. You never look at how God might be using that. Eleanor then I think God gives us a glimpse like that, to encourage us and keep us going.

Laurie Acker: 14:50

Yeah, yeah. I love it. All right. So you are a man serving a children's ministry and so you're in a pretty female dominated area. Yeah. Generally speaking, we talk About this, the last Kidman conference and Kurt Nelson was on talking about, you know, getting men to volunteer and and how they've done that. But can you talk about the difference? That that is, or maybe some things that could be tips on how to help include men more or maybe invite in a different way?

Bill Gunter: 15:18

Well, I remember when we started with me, so that's self doubt one of the guys but it's, it's giving them a purpose and doing it not just kind of sitting on the sidelines. Because they have gotten scouted, or speech or things of that nature, because they feel like you're saying, but feel like you're doing something, it's achieving something, it's something besides just work. So to get more prevalence and give them some comfort, again, in today's culture, where men are found guilty before, you know, from the rings, and just because the man suddenly just afraid to serve, because of any potential accusations that might come your way. And signature on there are safeguards in place, you know, hey, we've got things in place so that, you know, you're below with kids. And if you know, there's a witness for everything that happens, basically. So it's a comfort level because they claim in most fabulist Amendment work all day they come home when the kids are there just heard from school, maybe everybody's tired. What about the interaction that the moms to some moms at work or things of that nature, but you know, down the swing interaction, maybe know how to handle kids that way. So it's Kindler comfort level that they can do it. And like I think he said, other people say that they have gifts, he talks about it through a firefighter having come you talked about that. And connect that to the Bible. Things that nature. So yeah, yeah. They make up the emotions. wrongs.

Laurie Acker: 16:55

Don't make them do what notions to the

Bill Gunter: 16:57

songs. Oh.

Laurie Acker: 17:02

Oh, that's so fun. I just love it so much. And how why do you feel a commitment to volunteer in your church? Because you said, You've been serving in churches since you know, even high school ish. So where does that commitment come from, or that desire come from? All

Bill Gunter: 17:19

that concern is between God. And that seems like the good Christian he. The church I grew up in. When I came back from college, I was needing to kids in the youth or whatever, at that time, and then, like minutes, I'm going out to Vacation Bible School of different things. I was just, like, legit was starting out. Sadly, after a couple years, I was done. I don't need this left wing to a medium sized Church, which is the church started this church. My plan was, it was politic, you could get to know people from one. The Boogie lips, you could get lost if you wanted it my own is to get lost.

Laurie Acker: 18:01

Again, apparently that didn't work didn't work

Bill Gunter: 18:03

out well. But there's just no one and my kids really wanna my daughter was trying to pass all these sections and wasn't able to do it. So I said, so is it because you forget when you get there? There's not enough time not? Nope. Lena knows. And he was right means this, you know, he said, there's not enough looters. And I could, I couldn't not steal away, you know, so I had I had to move out. I had to join and let God be connected with Alana. And that led to where it is now.

Laurie Acker: 18:35

All right, so you're not in your 30s anymore, Bill. And I know you. You've even even mentioned that people said you would outgrow children's ministry? And you still haven't? How do you respond to that? Or how would you respond to somebody who says Been there done that I put in my time? How do you respond to that?

Bill Gunter: 19:25

It's just that in eternal revenue generation, they need some wisdom and guidance and looking out for it. Because kids are always looking up to people. Can you go ahead and can you look me up the elementary age kids and working with the same body and you can share a little bit you can show me Listen, if you don't want to ever week, you can stop doing while. Real times I feel like I've done that time. No.

Laurie Acker: 19:53

That was my next question. I was going to ask if you've ever felt like that or even considered like, Oh, I'm done or, or my seasons almost done.

Bill Gunter: 20:02

And the truth is, I think about that a lot. Because statistics, statistics telling you that your church becomes like two people the platform. Okay. And so I will be turning 62 this summer. And I sit back and look. It was still a time when you need a younger face. But my passion wasn't there. But so titled The Moody younger face to Blue now much more comfortable coming in those kinds of things. So I wonder if I still have the energy. And this goes back to Otto many, many years ago, 15 years ago, so you ever sit within the lowest cost on the floor? Okay, yeah, you should go, I would do that. Because I'm six foot four, shorter cable seven units, you're on towering over them. So I would stay on the floor. And I would wait until all the kids left before I tried to get up. Any struggles?

Laurie Acker: 21:08

Oh, my gosh. So how do you keep going, when you have thoughts of maybe my seasons done or things like that? What keeps you going?

Bill Gunter: 21:16

I sort of took my place. It's sort of like, it's just a passionate religion, kids, and it was special. Now in a small church. I have no problem matching one child if they show up. And not everybody has that mindset. And so it's learning that when you're in a small church, we're not in the big church. And I talked about it like said today, in a meeting at church, or churches have ebbs and flows when you've got like a small group or a group of kids like a bubble that goes through. Yeah, right now, I told him that a lot of churches have a boom, preschool explosion. Because it's like CDOs, you have to COVID It's all those behaviors. Those kinds of things. end up building will move through the church, mom, and she knew that and move at the booth husband was a few kids, there'll be times when maybe have 10 kids, and just thankful for whoever's there, and you reach them. And so trying to find my, with that mindset, I'm like, you're ready to take over? And what kid will sit upstairs today? You know, yeah, those kinds of things? Yeah,

Laurie Acker: 22:30

well, I know you are making a huge difference in your church and in the lives of those kids that you're with. Because just even hearing your heart is pretty amazing. Just to just to be with you, Bill, like when you're speaking at our conferences, and even your responses on in your Facebook community and stuff like that. It's you're just making a huge difference. And it's such a great, I guess, role model or example. For others like to keep your heart in it. And you know, you work a full time job, join the club, you know, we still can help you know, power the church. So I love it. So I'm going to go ahead and move

Bill Gunter: 23:05

on mistake one. So like the Rwanda conferences, so I have set up online and I came to that, so I'm glad like Welcome to the club. He was dragging him about, well, what's good? Yeah, it can be tough at times, but you work through it.

Laurie Acker: 23:25

Hey, before we run out of time, let's talk about a couple uniquenesses in small churches, it isn't too often that you know, we have like, you know, small church experts that we can learn from and sit at your feet a little bit. So let me throw a few questions out there at you. Is that okay? Sure. Some common ones? Okay. I have this is a common question we get I've got three kids in Sunday school and two of them are my kids. How do I teach them they're all mixed ages. I'm at a loss curriculum isn't working. Alright,

Bill Gunter: 23:57

so that's a different mix. Your curriculum isn't working. That's a whole different issue. Okay. Because that might be why the kids aren't attentive. Now usually the kids initially who are homeless are hearing they're like you practice home at home don't do that. I had my kids okay, it was a baby boomers reason why my kids won't want to club again, elementary aged kids and you'll be talking about die would say I had no I don't do that. No, those kinds of things. But click on the sign you teaching surf, there are three kids I want you on, we're that way. And a lot of that is just it's getting them into school and mindset that rubber shows up. We're going to have our lesson form and look at your kids and if you can you find a little job with people to help you out. So you don't have to be there the whole time teaching the whole time. That way. As a curriculum is not working. These notes are harsh but if two of this one kids of yours are thrilled that their kids are good when your kids are like marchex that will connect with your kids and they'll connect with the kids as well. That way at least that for Sunday mornings or whatever your ministry time really is change not the same thing at home is it is a church that way. Does that make sense?

Laurie Acker: 25:16

Yep, absolutely. Can Another common question in the smaller churches are we have a real struggle maintaining safety ratios to in a room you know all that kind of stuff. How do you and I know you are yours you're safe guy you have had mentioned already that, you know, men even are, you know, nervous to volunteer because of accusations because of safety issues. So what do you do on a small church to maintain safety ratios or safety procedures?

Bill Gunter: 25:44

Well, the situation once were had many years ago, I'm pretty screwed up through six schooling. And so what we did was, again, 20 minutes, where was my wife and myself, set the password lotion, Moonstone, just the only two adults. And so we had a third person there. And what we did was, I think, a big room, small club, small group we could accommodate it said later on, once we put a good thing together, they broke up into the elementary age and the preschool age. And she did the principal thing on the side, the Mustang room, but I'd let the elementary which kids on the other side, in the same room with a third person that could no keep, you know, make sure things were appropriate and things of that nature as the as the safeguard. That way somebody look at the spills you have and make adjustments and accommodations, as you need to that way.

Laurie Acker: 26:40

Yeah. And that's such a that's a creative solution, right? Well, we don't have two people in each room. So we'll be in the same room, right, and we'll break into small groups in the same space. And so so

Bill Gunter: 26:49

we're gonna do recently was we didn't have any motion which killed but we're a couple and a few preschool kids. So we put the preschool kids in one grocery. So if we had an infant column one, we could have one nursery worker. So the two were if you never know, when the preschool teachers could hold the baby loaded on the lesson that way. So you know, adapt, and combined and you're able to,

Laurie Acker: 27:14

yeah, and this is that thing that small churches don't have to look like big churches, and they're not supposed to, you know, we can do these creative things and still maintain safety standards. So I think it's, it's so important. Okay, another question is you work full time and you volunteer significantly in your church, you're not just showing up now. And then you actually run the wellness program, you volunteer significantly, how do you stay encouraged, so that you don't get burnout?

Bill Gunter: 27:40

Write down literally watch overtime on my full time job, which can be stressful and so years ago, but I tried to do was a Friday night, have a fire in the fire pit. And then Saturday at noon, got into kayak on the way. I haven't had time to do that lately, that I'm very conscious about where I'm at, mentally with my mental state, especially with the stress of my full time job. And, you know, there are times when I'm when I'm only average. You know, recently I told my boss, I said, Look, I'm not coming tomorrow, I'm gonna be out on a weekend to kayak and meet a day away just to de stress. And so you know, the Sabbath rest, that it could be tough working full time jobs, so little ministry, responsibilities that you have, in Sofia can have like an emu in the morning or an afternoon or something. You take breaks when you can. And you make sure that you keep tabs on yourself where you're at. The other thing I did was roads working lots of overtime. You know, I made sure that during that time, Friday nights, I took my wife out to dinner. That way, she wasn't forgotten, it was a time to again just to relax, and not worry about things that way. So it's been like so as you can just that mental blow to de stress and kind of refocus in prayer and things of that nature. Don't always kind of calming things out what your blood, other physical things are, you know, things family wise to things that need to make sure you take care of.

Laurie Acker: 29:15

Awesome. Okay, last question. What if somebody has been teaching Sunday school for decades, let's say going on 25 years, and they are exhausted and they are burnt out and there is no one to take their place? What would you advise them to do?

Bill Gunter: 29:31

Take a break destinies because nobody's going to show your position. If you need a break, you need a break. We're gonna human. And I firmly believe that if God's coming to a railway with us to rest or something, he's gonna fill that position, we will always allow you a creative way to take care of that he's gonna provide I think you said it before, you know. The Bible's not I say it all the time. No, the Bible says that God will provide your needs and in ministry, that's finances, space and people. And if he's not providing those needs, they will you shouldn't be doing it. Whether he's providing me with that I really need your wants and how you would want things to be

Laurie Acker: 30:19

so I'm so glad you said take a break because we see this happen right when people stay beyond their capacity. They get burnt out if you're teaching kids and you are exhausted, um that is not good for the hits. Like, if you are teaching beyond your capacity, you get crabby, you get stale, and you're not doing anyone any favors. And so I love, love, love that you just said, if you're at that place, take a break, because God will provide a solution, he may not provide a teacher, he may not because we see that happen. Sometimes those classes, you know, they the kids get, you know, kind of melted into worship for a time or there's something else happening going on, like you said, a creative solution. He may not provide another teacher, but he will provide something.

Bill Gunter: 31:03

And I saw that because, again, sadly, because of experience, the church Rosalie want to commend you for 100k to know, there is a time where it became burdensome, burdensome. And as ever back once I talked about which I knew I was leaving, and being part of this church about now. I had a piece. And I looked back, and I realize I was there a year longer than I should have been. Whatever reason because that last year, who had time, it wasn't productive for me, because I wasn't in a good place. And it wasn't. And it flowed down to the club that way. And once you got the split back, you nothing's revitalized. So, yeah, you need to take breaks when the time comes.

Laurie Acker: 31:51

So well, how would you tell somebody that you know, you need a break when, because like you said, sometimes we're just tired. You know, you had a long day at work, and you don't really feel like doing a one is that night and you go anyway, or we're kind of in a tough season and we kind of persevere How do we know when it's really time or even past time, like we really need to take a little break

Bill Gunter: 32:12

loose like before, I didn't have to after the fact but now I can look at it and just my stress levels. Again, mainly from your full time job, but their stress levels when I'm much more sensitive to things that things bother, bother me a lot longer than they should when one little word. And just basically it I'm tired. But it's like my body's telling me hey, you gotta slow down take it easy. That way. Yeah. So we'll be physical films and don't just mentally you will move over to Celtic, you know, your only age or kind of sense it and that's when you don't ignore it. And you address it. And like I say, emotionally, you take off for a season and like be like, You need to get up to like a kayak for you know, a couple of hours. To make sure we've been on the lake and my wife says targeted now. This is my distressing time. I'm not talking about anything. I'm just relaxing, you know?

Laurie Acker: 33:10

Yeah. Yeah. So take care of yourself. Wherever you're listening from this is from me, it's also from Bill, you're gonna take care of yourself. If you're gonna be serving in ministry, and everyone is serving in ministry, if you're a Jesus follower, like I really believe we are all called influence. We are all in positions where people are watching us and we need to take care of ourselves. Because when we get reactive, and we are we're we're watching ourselves act in ways that we're like, wow, that's, that's not even how I want to be. I think it's a really great sign to take a break. All right. So Bill before we totally run out of time, do you have any fun stories of Fun, fun kid stories, you want to share some fun things that have happened? Or you know, maybe one hilarious moment or, you know, alright.

Bill Gunter: 33:51

Lots of fairy kid stories, but I'm a big kid. So here's the physical ever an adult story? That will be comical because of kids ministry. Okay. Awesome. So in the church, people are talking about the vacations, how they go, like math is boom, they good and better be sure that I was nervously free to just kind of relaxing, awesome places. And so I'm sitting back thinking, Okay, that's it. Don't ask me because I looked at children's ministry. And so I like road trips. And so he took a road trip. He stopped at different places along the way to find and so they asked me, Well, where do you guys go horribly corrosion? It has been so well. I work at children's ministry, I like to do things that were connect with them. And so we're stopped by a Fudge Factory in Spokane, in Missouri. It's turned directorate planet. So Mehbooba to edit this out, I don't know. It's yours forge factory.

Laurie Acker: 34:53

I'm not going to edit that out. That's hilarious.

Bill Gunter: 34:58

on their faces, when I say we went to the management factory, you know, I don't have fun with that. Obviously, it's a tourist trap, route 66. And it's just those kinds of things that people can't relate to because they're not in children's ministry. Now, other places, we've been like that have gotten I get out of whole card. Because we were in Michigan at a children's ministry conference at a Mexican restaurant. Somebody said, Hey, we got to go get ice cream somewhere. So Good evening let me find a place called the screen a toilet that sells ice cream. Trailers truck caught help Michigan had some ice cream

Laurie Acker: 35:47

oh, Phil, you're fine. Thank you so much for being with us today. And thanks for being such a great just member of our community. In the small church network. I know you add a lot of wisdom in there in our free Facebook community and just being being on hand at our conferences, speaking and moderating we do value you and what you bring to the community and I think your church is so blessed to have you. Love your leadership. Love your volunteering. So thank you for being with us today. Thanks for having me. All right, everybody. Until next week, be light