Sean Buckout
Chief responsibilities:
Children’s Ministry
Bio:
I grew up the youngest child in a combined family of ten. My Mom and Dad were divorced when I was about a year and a half old. My mom remarried when I was four. She had four children and my stepdad had six so we were kind of like the Brady Bunch!
My first recollection of going to church, other than a Catholic mass, was when a friend of mine took me to the Sparkies club at his church when I was in the first grade. I remember having to memorize verses but not really understanding what they meant. But God was busy planting seed in my heart through His word.
That same friend invited me to go to the Junior High youth group some years later. That is when I first began to understand the message of the Bible, and a desire to have a relationship with God began to stir in my heart. One night at youth group we were talking about the parable of the sower. The leader asked us what kind of soil our hearts were. I knew in my heart that I was the soil where the weeds were choking out the seeds that had been planted. I was aware of sin in my heart, but I didn’t fully understand the grace of God in Jesus Christ.
My 8th grade year the church got a new youth pastor who happened to move right next door to us! Tom bought me my first “real” Bible (my first Bible was a Gideon Bible I took from a hotel in Reno). His friendship and example had a huge impact on me. While I don’t recall a specific day that raised my hand to receive Christ, I do know that I came to know in my heart through God’s truth that I was truly saved. As Paul describes in 1 Timothy 2:4 “coming to a knowledge of the truth.” At some glorious point I knew that I was His and He was mine. The vinedresser was in my heart pulling out those weeds by the blood of Christ!
Towards the end of highschool, I was at a summer camp, when God called me into ministry (that’s a whole other beautiful story!) After I graduated from highschool, I went to Calvary Chapel Bible College . Then when I came home from school I married my highschool sweetheart, JuRita. She is absolutely my best friend and help-meet; a true virtuous woman! We now have four beautiful children (Elijah, Lydia, Elizabeth, and Jason) whom God uses daily to show me the beauty of His father-love toward us His children.
I love doing Children’s Ministry! Not only because it is so much fun, but also because of the huge impact that it can have on young people’s lives. As small as my time of memorizing scripture as a first grader may have seemed, God’s word does not return void.
“Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.” John 4:35-38
What a blessing to serve Him!
Pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send labourers into the fields!
Prayer Requests
Pray that I and my family may stay strong in the Lord, abiding daily in Christ. Pray that God would be a covering over my wife and children. Pray that our times of prayer, study and worship would be rich and meaningful. Pray that my children would grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. And pray that God would pour out His vision for this children’s ministry. I don’t ever want to be disqualified from being fit for the Master’s use. Pray that my heart would be like soft clay in His hands.
Goals in Ministry
To see families growing in their love for the Lord and eachother. To see kids raised up into awesome servants of the Lord. To be available and come alongside families who are stuggling or need encouragment. To see kids have a heart to worship God with all their heart, soul and strength. To have kids so grounded in the truth of God’s word that they are not shaken by this world but are shaking the world for Jesus!
Favorite Bible Verses
Colossians 2:6,7
Acts 20:24
Psalms 29:1,2
John 14-17
The book of Genesis
The book of Isaiah
The book of John
The book of Hebrews
I love to read my Bible form cover to cover. When I finish, I just start right over again! God is always faithful to speak no matter what book I am in.
Favorite Bible Study Tools
The Bible!
I always tell people to read through the entire Bible if they haven’t before. Even if you don’t understand everything you read, it is so important to get the whole scope of scripture and it adds so much depth to your study.
Read the Bible in a Year Plans
When I want to get down to the “nitty gritty” I will print off a passage and do and inductive bible study:
about Inductive Bible Study
I also enjoy word studies which I usually do with
Blue Letter Bible
Hobbies
I love reading my Bible, and hanging out with my family. I love to work in my yard doing gardening, especially when my little critters are out there. I like reading, building stuff and being in the outdoors. Anything that has to do with God’s creation! It’s fun to ride my scooter to work but not on a morning when it’s freezing outside. I like to sit outside on a summer morning and sip coffee with my wife. Some day I would love to travel and see more of the world.
Email:
sean@calvarycorvallis.org
