Monthly Archives: August 2011

You Are Doing Too Much

How do I know? Because I’m just like you.

I like to say yes to everyone’s requests. I tell myself I’m saying yes to a good thing. Even a God-Thing. I’m saying yes to something that could make an impact for eternity.

Sometimes that is true. Most times, though, it’s a lie. The real reason I say yes is because I want people to like me. I want to make them happy (as though I can control someone else’s happiness). I want them to tell others what I did for them. And they do. Which leads to more requests and more “stuff” until my load reaches my limit.

I don’t just do this to myself. I do it to my ministry too.

I say yes to that event idea because I know it’ll get some parents off my back. I say yes to that new program because people will think we are going “deeper” (whatever that means). I say yes to _______________ so our ministry looks busy and being busy is good, right? That’s what everyone else is doing.

But today is different. Today I am saying no to more. I am saying no to getting people to like me. Today I am saying no to trying to control another person’s happiness. Today I am saying no to all of this (and more) so I can say yes to what’s important.

Today I am saying yes to dinner with my wife, without the phone on.

Today I am saying yes to taking a nap on my day off.

Today I am saying yes to a quiet time that has nothing to do with my lesson for this weekend.

Today I am saying yes to leaving the office on time (and not bringing any work home).

Today I am saying yes to doing a few things really well.

Today I am saying yes to not add anything else to my schedule.

Today I am saying yes to thinking differently about my time so it can be remarkable:

The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does… – Isaiah 8:11 (NLT)

I hope you’ll join me.

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4 Jobs Every Children’s Pastor Must Make a Priority

Being a Children’s Pastor means wearing a lot of hats. There’s the curriculum hat. The budget hat. The supply organizer hat. The graphic designer hat. And many more.

But if you and I were to narrow it down to the essentials, what would they be? What are the three or four hats that, if I spent most of my time there, would make my team and me most successful? Here are the four I landed on:

Connector
Being a good Children’s Pastor starts with being a good connector. I need to make sure I’m having weekly group and one-on-one meetings with my team. I need to keep my boss in the loop about what’s happening. I must make connecting with parents, volunteers, and kids throughout the week a priority. They are the reason I do what I do. Most importantly, I need to connect with God throughout the day, every day.

Communicator
I don’t mean being a good teacher. While that’s certainly important, my communicating shouldn’t stop there. Other people can teach, but as the lead Children’s Pastor my focus needs to be wider. I need to make sure the lines of communication are open between us and parents, us and volunteers, and me and my team. The #1 secret to powerful communication: Never assume anyone knows anything.

Coach
Coaching is two-fold: training and correcting. I need to provide the tools my team needs to succeed. I also need to gently and lovingly point people back on the right path. Sometimes that’s a kid who needs to apologize. Other times it’s helping leaders work through conflict. And other times it’s pointing out a blind spot that is causing pain. Coaching is helping people get better every day, rather just when they mess up.

Caregiver
Above all, a Children’s Pastor needs to give care. Maybe that’s a band-aid to a child who scraped their knee. Or thank you notes to your volunteers who went to summer camp. Or spontaneously taking your team out to lunch just because. Have systems in place to make sure everyone is cared for in a meaningful way.

Your job as a Children’s Pastor isn’t to do everything. Your job is to make sure everything gets done. Build a team to help.

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How to Take Your Blog to The Next Level

Blogging has been one of the most rewarding and stressful activities I’ve ever undertaken. It’s great to see my growth as a writer. I’ve loved interacting with my readers online. But sometimes it frustrates me to no end.

Sometimes my posts don’t come out so great. And the ones I really like don’t always get the feedback I had hoped. So what do you do when you feel like your blog is stuck in a rut? Here are three tips that have helped me take my blogging to the next level:

1. Start Slow
When I first started I felt I had to write paradigm-altering posts every day. I quickly realized this is not realistic. Guys in my field like Sam Luce, Jonathan Cliff, and David Wakerly make it look easy, but it’s a lot of work. The best way to start is to start slow. Here’s a great tip from Jon Acuff on the #1 reason blogs die (and how to make sure your blog doesn’t):

2. Know What You Want Your Readers to Do
The point of your post should be action. Your readers should be better at something you’re good at because of your post. Every post should answer one of these two questions:

Every person SHOULD_______________________because of/for______________________
Every person CAN___________________________by______________________________

Beginning with the end in mind will help you write posts people will actually read. If you do this people will keep reading your posts. They’ll like your writing so much they’ll start telling their friends about it. And they’ll start telling THEIR friends. Click here for a template to help you write more focused posts.

3. Write Headlines That Will Interest Them
If your headline isn’t remarkable nobody will ever know what a great writer you are. Headlines are what make us want to read what you’ve wrote. Chances are that’s why you’re reading this post now. Here’s a simple headline writing formula I learned from Jeff Goins:

Number/Trigger word + Adjective + Keyword + Promise = Awesome Headline

Hopefully these tips have been helpful to you. What other tips can you recommend for someone to take their blog to the next level? Post them in the comment section below!

PS – For more blogging tips check out How Get More Traffic to Your Blog by Seth Godin

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5 More DOS and DONTS of Teaching Kids

Last year I did a post on 5 DOS and DONTS of Teaching Kids. As I’ve taught since then I realized there were a few tips I missed. Here’s 5 more:

6. DO take make time to prepare
A lot of times when I hear people give advice about time management they say to “take” time for certain activities. This is misleading. You have to MAKE time for them. If you don’t, they’ll never get done. I make time to practice aloud in the room I’ll be teaching in the days leading up to the weekend. I also time myself so I don’t go over when I do it for real.

7. DONT forget HOW you teach is just as important as WHAT you teach
This is something people who teach in the church forget about. A lot. Here are six factors to be mindful of when presenting God’s Word to kids:

  • Inflection: Raise and lower your voice at appropriate times.
  • Body Position: 60 – 80% of all communication is non verbal.
  • Cadence: Vary the speed of your voice and delivery.
  • Demeanor: What is your face saying?
  • Smile: It’s the least expensive way to improve your looks.
  • Humor: The shortest distance between two people is laughter.

8. DO pray beforehand
We can have the best curriculum money can buy, a killer worship set, and the coolest videos. But if God doesn’t show up souls won’t be transformed. Make space in your schedule to listen to God. Soak your preparation and your presentation in prayer.

9. DON’T read from the curriculum
This is a HUGE pet peeve of mine. This screams you’re not prepared. This communicates what you have to say isn’t very important to you. If it doesn’t matter to you, why should it matter to your kids? God’s Word deserves better than that and so do the kids in your ministry.

10. DO get honest feedback afterwards
No matter how well you teach there is always room for improvement. Ask other teachers who are good at what they do to give you feedback. I usually wait a day or two so I can be more objective. Tape yourself and watch it later during the week. This will help you notice weak spots and improve next time.

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1 Super Simple Tip To Grow Your Kidmin

Visiting kids on their turf may be one of the best ways to grow your Children’s Ministry.

Jesus tells us to “GO and make disciples.” So why is it we almost exclusively ask people to COME? Why do we expect the lost to come to us? Why should they, especially when we don’t much of an effort to go to them?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for Come. Come is good. We have lots to offer. Lots of cool programs, events, and people ready to love and serve. But Go is better. Go is what Christ commanded. Go is what shows people we really care. Go is what helps people want to come.

So how can we Go as children’s leaders? How can we Go without looking like a creeper? Here are a few suggestions to get us started:

1. Go to a child’s game, recital, or play.
Let me start by saying you don’t have to go to every single activity that every kid in your ministry is involved in. That would be insane. Rather, focus on a few kids who you know and who know you. Ask their parents for what they’re involved in and if it’s OK to go to an event. They will be so jazzed you showed up (kids aren’t used to seeing us outside the church). Take a volunteer with you. Let this mindset spread to your whole team.

2. Visit them in the hospital.
Kids get scared when they’re sick. Especially when they’re sick in the hospital (that goes double for their parents). Visiting them in the hospital shows them and their family you’re not just there for the good times. You’ll be there for the tough stuff too. Bring them a favorite toy or snack. Bring handwritten notes from their friends and leaders. Pray for them and their family. Offer to schedule meals for the family when they get out of the hospital. Being there shows you and your ministry are willing to go the extra mile.

3. Volunteer at a school.
Pick the school that most of your kids go to. Offer to help with an after school-tutoring program. Throw a banquet for the teachers once or twice a year. Ask if you can be a teacher’s aid a few times a week. This one’s a little tougher to do, but worth the effort if you can make the time.

4. Help coach a team.
Kids can learn a lot about life by being a part of a team. Why not help with that journey by being their coach. If you have a parent in your ministry who coaches their child’s team offer to help. It can be as simple as bringing snacks at games and practices. A little can go a long way.

REMEMBER: Ministry doesn’t just happen in an office. It happens where people are.

What are some other strategies for Going?

PS – For more tips on how to connect with kids click here, here, here, and here.