Category: Children/ Ministry/ /Leadership

New Year. New Opp’s

I’m pumped about the idea of “NEW” in a new year.  What an opportunity!  Opportunity to pray and plan.  Opportunity to grow personally.  Opp’s for best ministry practices to come to fruition.  I want to embrace all the NEW a new year has to offer.  Clean out the old and ring in the new.   Although it’s deep into winter now, spring will come.  That’s why farmers have decided on their seeds now to  before their fields are touched.   They are busy planning for harvest even in January.   Take a lesson from the farmer (hey it’s biblical too). Take time while this year is brand new to get your seed ready to sow.  Don’t just keep doing what you’ve always done. Your calendar may run away with you with the same old same old again this year if you don’t.   New opportunities are here in 2015 to reach kids and families with the Good News.  Are you planning for a great crop season?

What seeds do you have in hand?  Seed is first!   Most forward motion requires thought and challenges personally and in ministry. God loves it when we use what we have to see more come about.   The farmer is not dreading the difficult plowing and sowing time ahead because he is thinking about a great harvest.  The farmer is not afraid of hard work and you should make a note of that. Ministry is hard, but so worth it.   What are your harvest plans in 2015?    Like the farmer, you will be SO glad you worked and cultivated ministry when you see the harvest come in.

Four questions to help you plan for a harvest in ministry to kids and families.

What will you do differently to reach and grow your volunteers?   Be a learner on how to engage people to serve.  Start talking more, equipping more and asking more of your volunteers.  They are pretty amazing when in their sweet spot of serving and will show up!

What will you do to better partner with ALL parents in your church?  What about the “edge” parents who are distant? What about the invested parents?  Family ministry is  much more than just a family day event or fall festival.  It’s more than a paper handout recapping a service. Do you have a  master vision plan for your field of families?  Farmers do.

How can you  plan to better align kids’ ministry as a church?  Do you regularly meet and plan together as leadership team, or are you all farming your own field?    In the new year there is a bigger harvest opportunity when you team up.  Put away the ego’s and think TEAM in 2015.

What do you need to stop doing (ouch) so you can lean in and start something else that’s more effective?  (this may hurt a bit, but you will be glad you did).

Love to hear how this is processed by teams.  Happy farming.

 

Heavenly Rewards

Are you part time as a ministry leader?  I was for a season.  I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to be a part time ministry leader when my kids were younger.  There are a lot of ministry leaders juggling work/home. But I’ve come to a conclusion.  For those passionate to reach kids, there’s really no such thing as part time.  You eat, breath and think ministry.

You take things home. You wake up at night thinking how to make a lesson plan even better.  You go to a store and see an item that you could use in your small group time.  You strive to grow your volunteer team. You send texts, notes and pray for team members.  My hunch is that most of this isn’t done while at church.  You search for insights to help improve and develop yourself as a leader. You are nothing short of  full time in the effort you make as you do ministry part time.

Here’s the key to keep before you.  You have a great King you report to who equips you to do much more than you thought  In fact, you can do ALL things through Him (Phil 4:13) All things includes ministry too.  It’s all His anyway.  All your gifts, strengths and leadership.  Draw your strength from Him.  Stay close in prayer. And never stop striving to grow as you lead.

 

Keepin’ it Real on Easter

Spring flowers means only one thing for those in the trenches of ministry to kids… EASTER!

Easter is generally when everybody and their brother tries a little church. We’ve all been gearing up long before April hits to chk programming and somehow anticipate numbers of volunteers needed. But, let’s get a bit personal for a moment, eh? I have been through that weekend and never took time for a moment to embrace what is was to me. I was in leader mode- that Mary and Martha conflict deal. I tend to be a doer, so I can get an A in action and an F in being still. The sad part is that we do it to ourselves… like we have any power to do anything apart from His grace. Not a good place to be.

To all the Martha’s out there…

Carve out time now before the weekend is in full season and ponder the meaning of the cross. Reflect on His graciousness to you. What the resurrection means to you as a follower of Christ, not a ministry person, but a kid of the most High. Read the story for yourself of the account of Jesus’ death and resurrection. It is from Him, through Him, to Him.

Our church has a good Friday experience. The church is open all day, so many can come at their convenience. Their are “stations” if you will , of personal memory for you to experience. It’s accompanied by some great worship. I love that it is kept minimal, but so powerful for leaders and volunteers as they prep to serve. Makes me reflect. Makes me a better leader.