RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

I arrived in Orlando late Sunday afternoon. We went to Downtown Disney Sunday evening. Here are a few things I jotted down as takeaways.

-We ate here Sunday night.















Lots of people watching the Super Bowl. The Steeler's fans were really cheering it up.
Takeaway...create a place where people will want to share special times together.

-There is an awesome new restaurant called T-Rex. Here are a couple of pictures.





























Notice the sign.
Takeaway...is your children's ministry a place where families can have an adventure together...where they can explore together...where they can make discoveries together?

-Funny thing...one of the "L's" was out on the big rotating Planet Hollywood sign. It turned the sign into "Planet Holywood." What a cool name for a children's ministry environment. Takeaway...I was surprised they would let that get by...a major sign...surprised it wasn't fixed. Even the best sometimes miss big details or delay taking care of them.

-My wife loves to collect Disney figurines. We were making a purchase in the Disney store. The cast member who was the cashier was very friendly. He even took time to ask my name and find out about me.
Takeaway...Never lose the personal touch in your children's ministry. Call kids by name...call families by name...if you can't remember them all, then make sure you are using name tags so you can call them by name. Never let your ministry get so "big" that you lose the personal touch. I love this logo.."Large enough to serve you...small enough to know you."

-Mickey...he's everywhere.What a great job they do at branding. He's on everything here...hats, coats, glasses, flooring, t-shirts, toys, and on and on and on. You can take a shirt that would normally cost $15, put Mickey on it, and suddenly it's worth $30. One of our staff members works at Disney part-time. He said admissions is not where they make their money...it's in the merchandise and food they sell inside. Part of that is again because of great branding.
Take away...use your children's ministry logo to the max...put it on everything. Kids and families should instantly recognize it...and by the way...when they see it...they should know it stands for excellence in ministry.

That's it for day one. I'll post about Day 2 soon.