Monthly Archives: June 2011

5 Questions to Ask Before Your Next Kidmin Video

Christians have a bad rap for making lousy videos.

Desiring to shatter the stereotype I recently meet with our communications director. I wanted his insight so we didn’t make a cheesy video. After an hour we came up with five elements every video needs to be awesome. Here they are:

1. PURPOSE: What do I want my audience to KNOW and DO?
Do I want parents to sign their kids up for a small group? Do I want people to start serving in Children’s Ministry? Do I want kids to invite their friends to our next big outreach event? You’ve got to settle the why before you can jump into the how.

2. PARABLE: What is the story I want to tell?
Everyone is drawn to a good story (I talk more about the importance of story here). Do you want kids to jump into a story about starting a relationship with God? Do you want volunteers to dive into a story about changing the course of the next generation by serving every week? Do you want to galvanize the congregation into telling a story of reaching and teaching the lost by building a space for kids they can call their own? Clarifying your story will help you communicate in a way that resonates with your audience.

3. PEOPLE: Who will make this a reality?
Don’t buy into the lie that you can consistently deliver high-quality videos all by yourself. You can’t. Neither can I. Identify the people in your church and community who can act, film, direct, edit, and distribute a video you can be proud of. Do what only you can do and find people whose gifts and calling match the rest.

4. PLACES: Where will this be filmed and shown?
Where you do what you do matters. You’ve got to cater to your audience. The feel of a video you make for 5th graders should be different from the one you make for their parents. Keep these factors in mind when filming at your location(s):

a) Time required to set up equipment and to break down equipment.
b) Space requirements for equipment, personnel, and lighting.
c) Electrical power requirements.
d) Location agreements, shooting permits, and releases may be required.
e) Parking and transportation.
f) Access (disabled entrances and ramps–equipment is often rolled in on carts).
g) Ambient noise (sounds we routinely ignore can be annoying on recordings).

5. PROPS: What tools do we need?
Make a checklist of everything you need before you film (cameras, costumes, lighting, editing software, etc.). Remember this adage: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.

(Video Planning Form)

What tips would you add to this list to create incredible Kidmin videos?

The Secret to Powerful Communication

Never assume anyone knows anything.

When I first started out in Kids’ Ministry I was naive. I thought stating my expectations once or twice was enough. It wasn’t until two years later, when I had a leader tell an inappropriate story in front of a group elementary kids from his days in the Vietnam War, I realized I needed to do more than just communicate. I need to over-communicate.

This sounds like I think people have the attention span of Dori from Finding Nemo. That’s not what I’m trying to say. The truth is people are busy and need to hear an idea over and over again so it’ll stick.

Here’s what this looks like in Children’s Ministry:

1. Never assume your boss knows about the big change you’re going to make.
He’s got a million other changes on his plate to think about. NOTE: Here’s a few tips on leading up with your ministry supervisor.

2. Never assume church staffers care as much about Kids’ Ministry as you do.
They never will. They’ve got their own ministries to be passionate about. Tell them stories of how God is moving in kids’ lives (especially if it’s a story about their kids). Let them know how important their ministry is to you.

3. Never assume your team can see their blind spots.
That’s why they’re called blind spots. Sometimes it’s hard to see the forest for the trees.

4. Never assume your team’s love tank is full.
I’ve never heard anyone say, “You’re encouraging me too much!” REMEMBER: You should give 5 encouragements for every 1 criticism.

5. Never assume your volunteers hear your vision for Kids’ Ministry enough.
They are busy people doing children’s ministry on top of their full-time jobs, full-time families, and full-time lives. They need an infusion of your passion weekly.

6. Never assume kids have heard the plan of salvation enough.
You never know when someone new is going to walk through the door. Today might be their day. NOTE: Here’s a post I did on 5 DOs and DONTs of Teaching to Kids that may be helpful.

7. Never assume parents have your ministry calendar memorized. 
Their refrigerators are full of calendars. Parents lives are busy and loud. You are screaming at a rock concert.

8. Never assume parents have enough help raising their kids.
Parents need all the allies they can get.

9. Never assume your friends are going to call.
You make the effort. Be the kind of friend you want to have.

10. Never assume you’ve spent “enough” time with your family. Ever.

Over-communicating is tough. It’s not easy and it’s rarely fun, but when you and I never assume anyone knows anything it’ll help us communicate in a way that gets everyone playing off the same page.

What are some ways we can over-communicate in new and fresh ways?

11 Ways to Make Your Kids’ Ministry Baptisms Awesome

Drops Of Water

This weekend I got to baptize over a dozen kids and parents at my church. I love being a part of this spiritual milestone in a family’s like. From time to time children’s ministry workers from other churches will ask me how I make our kid’s baptisms so cool. Here’s what I usually tell them:

1. Teach a class that parents need to attend with their kids.
I can’t tell you how many kids and parents love this. We’ve had whole families accept Christ as a result of making this a pre-requisite for kids to get baptized. Use the contact page on my blog and I’ll email you all our materials for free.

2. Follow-up the class with one-on-one meetings.
Every child who wants to get baptized at High Desert Church has a meeting with one of our leaders and one of their parents. This helps us help them make sure they’re ready to take this next step in their faith. Here are some of the questions I’ll ask: a) What is sin?  b) Do only some people sin or does everybody sin?  c) Who is Jesus?  d) What did He do for us? (and afterwards, “Did He stay dead?”)  e) When should someone get baptized?  f) Does getting baptized wash away our sins or get us into Heaven?  g) When should someone get baptized (before becoming a Christian or after)?

3. Give families a behind-the-scenes tour.
People are often down on what they’re not up on, and that goes double for kids. I always let kids walk in our baptistery (without water) so that they can see what it’s like. I show them how high the water will be, how to plug their nose, and we’ll do a mock baptism to get a feel for the day.

4. Pray with families the morning of.
Kids aren’t the only ones nervous. So are mom and dad. I always make sure to pray with families beforehand to remind them everything is going to be great.

5. Let kids know it’s OK to be nervous.
I have yet to baptize a kid (or adult) that wasn’t a little nervous. Acknowledge the fear. Be fun and silly to help them relax.

6. Practice what you’re going to say before you say it.
There’s no magic to these words, but here’s what I usually say: “[Insert child's name], because you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior and want to put him first in your life I baptize you now in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Buried in the likeness of Jesus’ death [dunk them and bring them back up] and raised in the likeness of his resurrection to walk in a new life.”

7. High-five/Hug kids immediately afterward.
I get more compliments on this from people afterwards then just about anything else I do. People love to see how much you care.

8. Have someone take lots of pictures and email them to parents.
This allows parents to enjoy the moment and still have pictures to remember the day.

9. Give kids a certificate.
Just another way to help kids feel special and mark an important spiritual milestone in their life.

10. Write a handwritten note to them afterwards.
Kids love getting mail and this shows them (and their parents) that you are invested in their life for the long haul.

11. Send parents a list of next-steps.
Most parents don’t know what to do after their child is baptized. Sending a short one-page list of programs you offer and potential resources to invest in will help them be more intentional about their child’s spiritual development.

How do you make baptisms awesome for the kids in your ministry?
Post your tips in the comments below.

Stuff Kids’ Pastors Like #5: “Playing 4 Corners to Stall When the Senior Pastor Goes Over”

tempeimprovsign

Any Kids’ Pastor worth their weight in goldfish crackers has been there. It’s the end of service. Kids and volunteers are ready for pick-up. Everything’s good to go until you look at the clock and realize the senior pastor is going to go over. Panic suddenly begins to set it.

In my current role I’m not as hands-on as I used to be, but when I was the guy on stage here’s the thought process I would go through:

1. OK, looks like _____________ is going into extra innings. Here we go.

2. Let’s send a volunteer to find out what point he’s on like Noah sent doves out after the flood until there was dry land.

3. What?! He’s on point 5 of 17? You have GOT to be kidding me.

4. OK, OK, calm down Jeff. Calm down. Let’s just think this through. You went to Bible College for crying out loud. There must have been a class or something you can pull from. Think it through.

5. I never had a class about “Keeping Children From Staging a Coup Against You When Your Senior Pastor Goes Over on His Sermon.” Maybe I missed it that semester I took bowling.

6. If I ever became a Bible College Professor this is the course I would want to teach.

7. Does thinking that make me the shallowest Children’s Pastor on the planet?

8. Focus Jeff. Focus. Everyone’s looking to you for a brilliant, spontaneous, and perfectly timed idea that will not only keep the kids occupied but somehow tie into the lesson in a relevant and meaningful way. What can we do with zero prep that will accomplish all of these things.

9. Four Corners. Brilliant! Let’s do this thang.

10. So far so good. My money’s on corner #3.

11. Is it wrong to bet on the outcome of a Sunday School game? It should be OK so long as I tithe off of my winnings.

12. Nevermind that now. Time to send another volunteer to check on service.

13. Please let this one come back with parents like that one dove brought Noah back an olive leaf after he sent it out to find dry land, but not like the one that ditched him and never came back because it was finally free.

14. Five more minutes for a spontaneous altar call? Seriously?!

15. I shouldn’t be mad about that. This is a good thing. This is a good thing.

16. God please don’t revoke my pastor card because I got mad about an altar call, OK?

17. Finally, here come the parents. Woo Hoo!!! I am so going to take a nap on the couch in the middle of the day, grandpa style, the second I get home.

18. Would anyone recognize my handwriting if I filled out an anonymous comment card suggesting that they make any speaker who goes over do a physical challenge on stage from the old Double Dare show on Nickelodeon?

19. I really need to have a back-up plan next time.

20. This should be a Stuff Kids Pastors Like post.

How about you?

What goes through your mind when your pastor goes over?

What stall tactics do you use to keep kids from staging a coup?