Uncategorized – Here Comes Sunday http://herecomessunday.com Conversations leveraging leadership experiences in children's ministry Wed, 30 Sep 2020 06:02:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.25 New Year. New Opp’s http://herecomessunday.com/2015/01/new-year-new-opps/ http://herecomessunday.com/2015/01/new-year-new-opps/#respond Fri, 02 Jan 2015 21:38:34 +0000 http://herecomessunday.com/?p=544 Continue reading "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.

 

]]>
http://herecomessunday.com/2015/01/new-year-new-opps/feed/ 0
2015: Better & Smarter http://herecomessunday.com/2014/12/2015-better-smarter/ http://herecomessunday.com/2014/12/2015-better-smarter/#respond Sun, 21 Dec 2014 13:44:51 +0000 http://herecomessunday.com/?p=536 Continue reading "2015: Better & Smarter"]]> Who is pumped about a new year?!  It’s a new start.  It’s a new beginning.  And the best part is that with Jesus the future always looks bright, no matter what’s on your calendar.  We have hope.  We have peace.

Leading kids ministry is hard.  We don’t know what the new year will bring.  Plan ahead and take a moment to consider 5 things that can help you win as you lead Kid Ministry in 2015.

1. Reflect: What do you wish you had  a “do over” in ministry in 2014?   We all have “those” moments to recall.  Use reflection to re- think and learn from 2014.  Joys and sorrows count.  Reflect on the faithfulness of God.

2.  Be still:  Stop letting the ministry lead you. Where can you prioritize family and your time with the Lord?  Margins are to help us run the race we are in.   Prayer and devotion time carved out  is the only Source where you will gain strength from.  You are on a borrowed journey of leading ministry.  Remember this isn’t yours. Ask for a new vision for what you are to do in 2015.

3. Push:   God is all about using you as His conduit.   Dare to make changes you know need to happen.   Dare to cast vision and push for your community. How can you focus on those who have yet to come to your church? Set your ministry up so that ALL parents –wherever they are on their spiritual journey,  can WIN with their kids at your church.  Status quo won’t cut it anymore.  If you know there are changes you need to bring: go for it.

4. Organize:   Put people to serve in their strengths.  Do that and you can ask for a bigger commitment.  Get stuff OFF your plate  and allow others to lead in their strength.  Create a safe place for kids to come and give them the gift of a full time small group  volunteer to be in their life. Once a month volunteers are great, but don’t give them a role that a full time volunteer needs to be in.   Organize your team for a win in 2015.

5. Alignment:  Organize ministry service times so that student ministry doesn’t compete with a serve time for teens.  Sundays are “GO” time for youth to be used and valued in living out their faith by serving.   It IS ministry when a teen IS serving.  Mentor your teens and work WITH your student ministry team to create serve opp’s.    Kids LOVE teens.  Don’t miss out.

]]>
http://herecomessunday.com/2014/12/2015-better-smarter/feed/ 0
Your Own Curriculum http://herecomessunday.com/2014/10/your-own-curriculum/ http://herecomessunday.com/2014/10/your-own-curriculum/#respond Fri, 24 Oct 2014 15:52:02 +0000 http://herecomessunday.com/?p=526 Continue reading "Your Own Curriculum"]]> I have the pleasure of connecting with leaders from all over the US and Canada who want to reach families in the local church. Trust me, there are some amazing people are out there doing what you do every weekend.  You are NOT alone in wanting to draw kids and families to Christ, and help them grow in Him.  Sometimes a leader can feel isolated doing what they do.  That’s why connecting is important!

Once in a while I run in to the “we write our own” leader. They talk with buttons bursting about how their team is  “super” creative.  Having been in your shoes, I want to give you some things to consider.  There is a lot riding on that.  And what’s more, people get tired.  What if you could re-focus that amazing talent, and tons of your time spent creating your own curriculum?  What might happen?

Sometimes those who write their own lessons might need to check the ego. Writing your own ministry curriculum is great. I did it for years at a big church.  My ego was also great at letting people know how proud I was that we did that. (Like we had the market corner for what really needed to be shared). That’s ego.  It’s also a spinning plate which is exhausting after awhile (and I am a creative).  I was not open to consider how much time was going in to that process.  I never really took time to learn from others on what might be working as they used curriculum.  If we could sit down and talk I’d ask what you could do with those hours to elevate your volunteers or families instead.   You have such limited hours with kids and families.  Is that the best focus? Check the ego.

The other challenge I want to talk through are teams who compartmentalized their curriculum by service time. A bigger strategy would be to align your service times around the same theme.  With limited time you have, you are handing off a bigger opportunity to parents with consistency. Not repeating a same service time over again, but adding to the monthly theme.  Bigger win.

Be open-minded in this process.  We never bothered to really seriously consider how to customize a published curriculum to make it our own for Sunday mornings.  Again, I think pride and not budget was the source.  When I heard about Orange and how I could customize and edit lessons to fit our DNA of our church, I was intrigued.   Everything was online and doc’s were editable.  My creative flair, and ministry focused values could be added in.  Salvation messages, Biblical content,  and more could come alive.  Video’s were available that would engage kids that our team just could never produce quality wise.  Media helps engage kids.  We could also program multi service times with a common thread.  That’s strategy. And with extra time I could then turn my focus to building IN to my team.  We could  promote the entire application to help families.  I could attract volunteers with a clear guide for them of curriculum (and option for their own flare being added).  My energy came back.

How could using curriculum and customizing it help you be a better leader to your team and families?

 

]]>
http://herecomessunday.com/2014/10/your-own-curriculum/feed/ 0
It’s Opening Day Orange 2015 http://herecomessunday.com/2014/10/be-there-or-be-square-opening-day-orange-2015/ http://herecomessunday.com/2014/10/be-there-or-be-square-opening-day-orange-2015/#respond Thu, 09 Oct 2014 15:43:58 +0000 http://herecomessunday.com/?p=506 Continue reading "It’s Opening Day Orange 2015"]]> Every phase of a child’s life brings challenges.  Every stage is opportunity for Jesus to shine.  Who better than the church to partner with kids and families in each stage of a chid’s life? That’s why we’re super excited about the 2015 ORANGE CONFERENCE!  A family ministry conference like no other on the planet.   Make big plans to bring your ministry leaders.  Early bird gets the worm… aka best prices!  Be a budget hero and snag the opening day price!   Mark your calendar for opening day of registration TODAY,  THURSDAY October 09 with best pricing.  Let this be YOUR year to bring your team to a worldwide ministry gathering of people who love the Lord, and want to impact kids in the little time we have with them.   Each phase in a child’s life is amazing.  DO you lean in ?  Join thousands of leaders from all over the globe gathered to lean in to “It’s Just A Phase” to reach families at Orange Conference 2015.   See you there!   theorangeconference.com

]]>
http://herecomessunday.com/2014/10/be-there-or-be-square-opening-day-orange-2015/feed/ 0
Network Age Parents http://herecomessunday.com/2014/10/network-age-parents/ http://herecomessunday.com/2014/10/network-age-parents/#respond Tue, 07 Oct 2014 13:00:55 +0000 http://herecomessunday.com/?p=501 Continue reading "Network Age Parents"]]> I’m always looking to learn from leaders who lean in to culture to help reach families, aren’t you?!  I viewed a recent interview on Inc magazine’s site by Reid Hoffman.  He had a lot to say about culture and websites and learning.   I’m always looking to learn from leaders who lean in to culture to help reach families.   The author made a  great point church leaders need to pay attention to.  Hoffman said, “We live in a network age. What are your plans for being found?”

It’s a  great question for your church to both consider and act on.   Your parents at your church are of a new breed with being wired. Everyone is communicating via a plethora of social media choices.   HOW are you leaning in to these amazing tools?    What are your plans for being found as a ministry that partners with parents?

Parents are on the go. They are pulled in many directions, and need info stat.  As with any mission field, you first look at how best to lean in culture you are reaching, right?!  So… if you want to reach parents in your church and community  connect using their language: social texts, emails or social media?  You should.  If you want to attract families,  enter their world to partner with them.

How about your website (gulp)?   Now more than ever, parents are most likely visit your website before visiting your church.  Is the first impression you give filled with outdated dissertation, doctrinal statements or elder photo’s (yikes)?   It really only takes about 10 seconds  to get a first impression of how important partnering with families in your church is.  What’s at first glance for parent to see? Is it outdated? Is it filled with  insider info?

Here are some key helps for a great parent friendly site.  Best church websites make it super EZ for a parent to gain info.

Keep it simple.  Lose the churchy words. Keep the site and info updated.  Simplify!  Phrases like: we love kids, or,  your kids will LOVE it here.  We have fun learning about God and His ways.

Your family ministry team needs to unite crib to college w/ a social media plan. What are your plans for being found?

]]>
http://herecomessunday.com/2014/10/network-age-parents/feed/ 0
You need an assistant http://herecomessunday.com/2014/09/you-need-an-assistant/ http://herecomessunday.com/2014/09/you-need-an-assistant/#respond Wed, 17 Sep 2014 12:49:30 +0000 http://herecomessunday.com/?p=496 Continue reading "You need an assistant"]]> I still believe there are no part time leaders in ministry.   If I know you, you are ALL in with more than 20 hours of commitment in what you you do.   If only there were someone else to lend with the limited time you have.  You want to help both your team and your parents WIN!

A brand new tool might be your new BFF!  Affordable for all church budgets and sizes and models.  Seriously, this is quite a piece of work!   Take a moment to see how you can use this tool Orange has developed to help you expand your hours.  It doesn’t matter what curriculum you use in your ministry area. This is to help YOU and your team win and simply work smarter!    This tool even has a  weekly to do list to help you win as you do ministry. Be inspired and fueled with the resources.   Check out GoWeekly.com  created with YOU the ministry leader in mind.

 

]]>
http://herecomessunday.com/2014/09/you-need-an-assistant/feed/ 0
Time to reThink Handouts http://herecomessunday.com/2014/09/time-to-rethink-handouts/ http://herecomessunday.com/2014/09/time-to-rethink-handouts/#respond Sun, 07 Sep 2014 11:40:10 +0000 http://herecomessunday.com/?p=478 Continue reading "Time to reThink Handouts"]]> Re Think Your Handouts

 

A new day has dawned for the church handout paper.  The name says it all.   Hand “outs” not Hand “in’s.  Years ago the odds of a child coming every Sunday to church was in fact a possibility.  Back then, volunteers might ask to return a handout for a prize or a star.  Those days are gone.  Stop!  The average full time attendance for a family is 2 x weeks a month.  Custody issues are as high as 40% in your ministry so many kids can’t be there each week.   With that in mind, you’ve got to re-think the strategy of a paper handout.  It is simply a Cue for parents (like a baton hand off in a team relay) to know what was covered in their child’s ministry area.  It’s a tool for parents to continue conversations as they do life.

 

What’s driving parents today?  Life.  Work.  Finances.  Pressure.  Relationships. Wait, that seems like the same things as 50 years ago!  Yes, parents today deal with a lot of the same issues as generations past.  What’s in their heart? Love for their kids.  I believe all parents want the best for their kids. Like generations past, someone at church took the time to give parents a prompt to talk more too.   I say we give the copy machine a rest.  It’s been through a lot in the past 50 years.

 

Let’s re-think about HOW we HANDOUT.  You want impact. Think about HOW it’s delivered.  For most paper handouts, they are lovely décor additions to their back seats where they stay.  It’s time to re think  how to get this info to parents to help them influence their child’s heart.   Leaders today now have a gold mine of ways to share info with parents to be partners with them as families do life.

 

Handouts 2.0

I give you the Smart phone. Send them an encouraging reminder as they start their week to look for great opportunities to talk about Sunday’s lesson.    Text parents during the week with some encouragement!  Share the Parent Cue app as resource for your families. Its an amazing tool for those who use Orange.   Parents can have everything at their fingertips-  wherever they go-  to talk more about Sunday.  Those moments can happen at any moment.  That’s the beauty of the power of the smart phone.   Parents can use the dentist office waiting room, or waiting to be seated in a restaurant, or bedtime and use the Parent Cue app.  (Check out doministrybetter.com for some great tools to customize that app for your team to  impact parents and equip your small group leaders).

Lean in to the influence of Social Media.  Your parents know this and are savvy!     Set up a monthly social media plan (on the the 252 Basics Blog each month) to help parents and kids.  Texts can be a ministry tool once or twice a week.  Use the tiles for you’re your church Facebook page.    Super EZ.  Super beneficial.  Point parents to your church website.  Is your site simple and EZ?  Lose all the fancy wording about your ministry.  Focus on impact as they visit your site.  And post quick helpful info please for those busy parents. .  Post handouts and devotionals there each week.  Gather practical helps and ideas right where they are in the pressures of parenting.   That’s partnership.   That’s Handouts 2.0

 

 

]]>
http://herecomessunday.com/2014/09/time-to-rethink-handouts/feed/ 0
Heavenly Rewards http://herecomessunday.com/2014/09/heavenly-rewards/ http://herecomessunday.com/2014/09/heavenly-rewards/#respond Thu, 04 Sep 2014 02:28:25 +0000 http://herecomessunday.com/?p=472 Continue reading "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.

 

]]>
http://herecomessunday.com/2014/09/heavenly-rewards/feed/ 0
As Easter Hops Your Way… http://herecomessunday.com/2014/04/as-easter-hops-your-way/ http://herecomessunday.com/2014/04/as-easter-hops-your-way/#respond Sat, 12 Apr 2014 13:00:32 +0000 http://herecomessunday.com/?p=454 Continue reading "As Easter Hops Your Way…"]]> Ministry Leaders know that Easter weekend requires all hands on deck.  Kids are pumped about the day’s plans. Parents are planning the food fest following church and joining relatives for more fun. And I know as a leader  you have the challenges of  volunteer schedule conflicts regarding their own family travels and plans. You may even be planning your own family event of Easter at your place!  My pulse is increasing as I write this just thinking about it. I recall the frenzy the week prior both as a Mom of 4, and a leader of CM.

If you’re not careful the day will get away from you.  I recall as a ministry leader thinking late one Easter Sunday evening that I had pretty much lost the meaning personally with all that was really mean.  I had gone through the motions.  With God’s help all was done on the list (and none perished).  But I totally was void of personally taking time to say thank you to my Resurrected Savior.  I believe it happens to way more of us that we’d like to admit.   I call it the  “So busy serving we forget what the serve is about” blues song.  It will wear you out and drain your joy faster than anything.

Smart leaders who carve out personal time to say thanks and rejoice at what the Cross means regarding Easter will have longevity.   I’d recommend doing this before Easter.  Make a date with God.  Maybe it’s Good Friday.  May its great Saturday.  Maybe it’s early Easter morning, but make a date and purpose to be still.  The Hebrew word Selah means to pause and calmly think about in Psalms.  It’s great advice thousands of years old, but in 2014 for a  Ministry leader heading in to Easter it can be a breath of saving grace- the Cross kind you need to do Easter as a ministry leader. It’s all His in the first place.  Draw your strength from the Master to serve families as your church.   Happy Easter.

 

 

 

 

]]>
http://herecomessunday.com/2014/04/as-easter-hops-your-way/feed/ 0
Volunteer Tips for CM Leaders http://herecomessunday.com/2014/03/volunteer-tips-for-cm-leaders/ http://herecomessunday.com/2014/03/volunteer-tips-for-cm-leaders/#respond Wed, 19 Mar 2014 22:01:57 +0000 http://herecomessunday.com/?p=432 Continue reading "Volunteer Tips for CM Leaders"]]> Do you need volunteers?  Welcome to Children’s Ministry leadership.  I work with church leaders everyday. I’ve never heard one mention to me that they have enough volunteers.  Never.   Mega church to home church models.  The one thing they have in common is the need for volunteers.

Here are a few helpful ideas to consider:

Ask with Vision

It’s not a one time a year vision (yuck!)  No, it’s just not a cross it off the list vision share Sunday.    It’s the daily vision that comes from your senior pastor on down about serving.  It filters through your church.  There’s nothing like it.  God using you to serve others.  It’s in everyone’s DNA (how cool is that?!) And it’s vital to our growth as a Christ follower.  Be that  CM leader who runs with that baton and shares vision for kids and parents of what God has in mind for families at every opportunity.   Look for ways to help connect the power of using one’s gifts and serving kids in that vision.   The books Playing for Keeps and Lead Small by Reggie Joiner are great  tools to use to consider key things that matter , and how a volunteer can impact a child’s world. I highly recommend these two reads!

Ask without Apology

I’m pretty sure the disciples were busy guys. We are today too.   Everyone is busy. But don’t apologize for asking a busy person serve with you.   Ask with compelling vision- through stories from volunteers and parents help people see the WHY and WHAT in serving.  Stories matter. It makes the connection. Do you share great stories of what’s happening in your ministry with your parents? Parent win stories?   Compelling vision to busy people allows you to ask BIG asks.    I believe there is something deep inside people to want to be used and add value.  Put volunteers in the roles they are designed to serve in.  (YOU as a leader must find out what the sweet spot is) and they will serve with a smile.  Don’t apologize for asking busy people to get in the game of serving. They are awesome at what they do.

Tap on the Shoulder

One volunteer asking another person to serve has been one of the biggest accounts of wins from leaders I speak with.  One person sees gifts in another person, taps them on the shoulder and does a personal invite. They drop phrases like  “This is so life giving.  If I can do it, you can do it.”  Personal serving stories from one to another wins!

Start encouraging your current volunteers to tap a shoulder.   Challenge them to share their serve story.  Be sure and tap on teens shoulders.  They are gold!  They need to be serving and learning their gifts and how God wants to use them now, not later.   Don’t be the church that holds back teens from serving. Disciple them. Include them.  They are much cooler than you and relate to kids even better!

Different Levels for Different Serves for Volunteers

If you want to impact kids, you want consistent leaders.  Stop the weekly change of a person leading a small group.  That’s just a small group with a person in it.  Discipleship is relationship building is at the heart of leading a small group.  It takes a consistent leader.   Consistent people as your live story teller for large group creates relationships. Carve out those key serve positions as more than monthly serves.  By all means use a once a month or occasional volunteer in other capacities, but some roles won’t fit because of how vitally important they are for a consistent leader.   Don’t compromise.

 

Growing volunteers is always on your plate as a CM leader.  Try adding the above criteria as you attract more volunteers to serve  It can make a difference!

 

 

 

 

 

 

]]>
http://herecomessunday.com/2014/03/volunteer-tips-for-cm-leaders/feed/ 0