In this podcast with my friend, Brandon Maddux of Children's Ministry Live, I share keys to enlisting new volunteers.
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May 25, 2012
May 24, 2012
Top All-Time Grossing Kids' Movies
WALL-E (2008)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $230 million
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $268 million
Cars (2006)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $267 million
Toy Story (1995)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $279 million
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $320 million
Toy Story 2 (1999)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $327 million
Bambi (1942)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $332 million
Aladdin (1992)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $343 million
Finding Nemo (2003)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $409 million
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $421 million
101 Dalmatians (1961)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $437 million
The Lion King (1994)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $486 million
The Jungle Book (1967)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $614 million
Mary Poppins (1964)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $650 million
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $1.3 billion
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $230 million
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $268 million
Cars (2006)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $267 million
Toy Story (1995)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $279 million
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $320 million
Toy Story 2 (1999)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $327 million
Bambi (1942)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $332 million
Aladdin (1992)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $343 million
Finding Nemo (2003)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $409 million
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $421 million
101 Dalmatians (1961)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $437 million
The Lion King (1994)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $486 million
The Jungle Book (1967)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $614 million
Mary Poppins (1964)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $650 million
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Domestic Gross (adjusted): $1.3 billion
May 23, 2012
The Amazing Story of the Angel in the Gap
This past week, 85 year old Don Ritchie passed away. Hundreds attended his funeral. What made this man so special?
Don lived just yards from the Gap, the notorious Watson Bay cliff, where people go to commit suicide. For over 50 years, Don kept a voluntary watch from his bedroom window for people entering the gap...hopeless people who had come to end their lives.
When he saw someone entering the gap to end their life, he quickly went to them and helped them reconsider. He saved over 160 people from suicide. He was known as the "Angel of the Gap."
Don's story of "standing in the gap" inspires me. God wants to use you and I to stand in the gap for kids and families who need Him. He wants to use us to bring hope and encouragement to those who have none.
Ezekiel 33:20 says, "I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one."
Do you want to be a person who stands in the gap? Here are some lessons we can learn from Don.
Don lived just yards from the Gap, the notorious Watson Bay cliff, where people go to commit suicide. For over 50 years, Don kept a voluntary watch from his bedroom window for people entering the gap...hopeless people who had come to end their lives.
When he saw someone entering the gap to end their life, he quickly went to them and helped them reconsider. He saved over 160 people from suicide. He was known as the "Angel of the Gap."
Don's story of "standing in the gap" inspires me. God wants to use you and I to stand in the gap for kids and families who need Him. He wants to use us to bring hope and encouragement to those who have none.
Ezekiel 33:20 says, "I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one."
Do you want to be a person who stands in the gap? Here are some lessons we can learn from Don.
- Go where people are. Don set up shop where desperate people are. Get out of the Christian bubble. Jesus was called "the friend of sinners." The gap probably won't be found sitting in your comfortable church office chair. C.T. Studd said, "“Some people want to live within the sound of mission bells, but I want to run a mission, a yard from the gates of Hell.”
- Keep your eyes open. Don intentionally watched for people who needed help. Ask God to give you discernment to recognize those who need His help.
- Know rescue happens through relationship. When Don first started trying to save people from suicide, he would physically try to restrain them from jumping. He soon realized the best way to save people was to talk them into moving away from the cliff and inviting them to come to his house for a cup of tea and conversation. Over the years, many of the people he rescued became life long friends.
- Be faithful. For over 50 years, Don faithfully stood in the gap. The longer you stand in the gap, the greater your impact will be.
- Don't worry about who gets the credit. His daughter said at his funeral, "He was a great mixture of strength and compassion...an everyday person who did an extraordinary thing for many people that saved their lives, without any want of recognition."
May 22, 2012
How Many Children's Ministry Staff Should a Church Have?
I am often asked how many Children's Ministry staff members a church should have?The optimal ratio is one full-time staff member for every 100-125 children with a minimum of one for every 150-200 children.
The foundation of a great Children's Ministry is it's volunteer team. But everything rises and falls on leadership. It's vital to have solid staff leadership in place to enlist, equip, and encourage the volunteer team for the work of the ministry.
May 21, 2012
The Simple Secret to Creating Ministry Ideas That Kids Love
In 1984, two cartoonists wanted to create an idea that kids would love. They sat down and made a list of what kids were into. After creating an extensive list, they narrowed it down to the top three.
1. Ninjas
2. Turtles
3. Mutants
They combined these three into one idea that started a craze that has generated billions of dollars....Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 31 years later, kids are still enjoying it. In fact, a new movie is in the works and is scheduled to be released in December 2013.
Here's the simplistic beauty of what they did. They made a short list of things kids love and combined it to create an off-the-hook idea that kids gravitate toward.
You can take their simple secret and apply it to your ministry.
1. Create a list of hot items for kids.
3. Adapt one or more to...
1. Ninjas
2. Turtles
3. Mutants
They combined these three into one idea that started a craze that has generated billions of dollars....Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 31 years later, kids are still enjoying it. In fact, a new movie is in the works and is scheduled to be released in December 2013.Here's the simplistic beauty of what they did. They made a short list of things kids love and combined it to create an off-the-hook idea that kids gravitate toward.
You can take their simple secret and apply it to your ministry.
1. Create a list of hot items for kids.
- Go to a toy store and ask them what is hot.
- Google "Most popular toys" or "Current Kid Culture."
- Ask kids what they are into.
3. Adapt one or more to...
- Use as an object lesson
- Create a lesson series theme
- Brand a big event
- Use in a game
- Have a contest
- Create a skit
- Produce a video
- There are so many possibilities
