What You Can Learn From The Most Engaging Children's Show Ever

Blue's Clues is a children's television show which aired on Nickelodeon from September 8,1996 until 2006.  The main character was an animated dog named “Blue” and the show's host who was a man named Steve.  It has been called “one of the most successful, critically acclaimed, and ground breaking children's television series of all time.”  

Malcom Gladwell, in his book The Tipping Point called the show “perhaps the stickiest television show ever.”  By sticky, he means irresistible and involving.  It became the highest-rated show for preschoolers on commercial television, and received nine Emmy awards.

Within 18 months of it's premiere, virtually 100% of preschool parents in America knew about Blue's Clues.  In 2000, the show had generated over $1 billion in licensing products.  More than 10 million Blue's Clues books were in print by 2001 and over 3 million copies of CD titles had been sold.  By 2002, 13.7 million viewers tuned in each week.

There is much we can learn in Children's Ministry from Blue's Clues.  Here are some “clues” from Blue's Clues that will help you be more effective.

Children connect with stories.  Children's educational shows before Blue's Clues had used a magazine format made up of a variety of segments.  Blue's Clues changed all that by telling one story in a narrative format from beginning to end.  The camera moved left-to-right like reading a story book. Transitions were as obvious as turning a page in a book.  

• Creatively tell the stories of the Bible.  The way you present the story is important.  Make it engaging and exciting.  The Bible contains the greatest stories ever told.  Tell them in a great way! 
• Use stories to communicate truth.

Use children's everyday activities and places as the background for your teaching.  The settings and scenes for the show were simple things that were part of children's everyday lives.

• Use places and things that children are familiar in your lessons.
• Use everyday objects as teaching tools.  Jesus did this when He taught.  He used birds, flowers, coins, gates, sheep, etc.
• Keep it simple and age-appropriate.

Use active participation instead of passive viewing.  The premise behind the show was to have children be intellectually and behaviorally active during the show.  Up until the time the show was created, children's educational television had presented their content in a one-way conversation.  But Blue's Clues asked questions directly to the children who were watching and paused to let them think and respond.  The creators believed that if children were more involved in the action of what they were viewing, they would stay engaged longer.  They were right!  

• Use active learning.  Get kids actively involved in every part of the class time including the teaching time.
• Ask lots of questions.  Give children time to respond.
• Kids learn more by “doing” than “listening.”

Kid-test your programming.  Every episode was field tested three times before it aired.  Producers would have groups of children watch the show.  They would make notes when children looked away which meant they were disengaged.  They then went back and adjusted those parts of the show to make them more engaging.

• Look through the eyes of children when planning.  Make sure elements are age appropriate.
• During class, watch for when children become restless or start looking around.  Adjust these parts of the programming to be more interactive and engaging.

Repetition is a key to retention.  The same episodes aired daily for five days before showing the next one.  Children's attention and comprehension increased with each repeated viewing.  Repetition was also built into each episode.  For example, in one episode the host says some variation of the word “predict” 15 times.

• Less is more.  Decide what basic, must know truths you want children to know and focus your teaching on those truths.
• Repeat the main lesson point multiple times during the class time.

Get the right people on your team.  Characters and voices for the show were very carefully chosen. Steve Burns, the host, was chosen out of over 100 auditions and months of research.  Tracie Paige Johnson was cast as Blue's voice because her voice sounded the most like a dog.  Don't just fill holes. 

• Find people who are gifted and called to the roles in your Children's Ministry. 
• Get the right people in the right seats on the bus.

Children enjoy problem solving.  Steve, the host, presented the audience with a puzzle that involved Blue.  The audience then worked through a series of games which were mini-puzzles that were all related to the overall puzzle.  At the end of the show the clues were brought together to discover the answer.

• Bring problem solving into your lesson.
• Challenge children to think.  Move beyond simple “yes” and “no” questions.  Pose questions that will spark dialogue.
• Guide children to DISCOVER answers instead of being TOLD answers.

I would encourage you to rent or buy a set of Blue's Clue's DVD's and watch them for more clues on how to effectively communicate to children.

Posted by Dale Hudson

Read More

Why Your Preschool Ministry Is An Indicator of Your Church's Health

Your preschool ministry is a barometer of the health of your church. A healthy church is reaching young families.
I am thankful for our senior citizens. I personally look to them for wisdom, insight, and encouragement. Our churches should be ministering to senior citizens as well. A healthy church will reach all generations. But if your church is primarily gray, then the barometer indicates things are not healthy.

In Florida, we have a lot of senior citizens...especially in the winter months. The snow birds migrate down for the warm winters. The semi-trucks full of cars start arriving. They are the cars of the snowbirds. That's when you start seeing the silver alerts on roadway signs. A silver alert means a senior citizen driver who is causing major safety issues in traffic is on the road. The make and model of the car flashes on the sign.

Look around your church. Is there a silver alert? Is all you see gray hair? Are there a good percentage of young families with preschoolers? How do you increase the health? 

Be willing to change. 
All across our country there are small churches made up of a few older families who are unwilling to change. They are not reaching young families because they are determined to keep a church culture from the 1960's. I have served in churches that were full of young families. I have had conversations with some of the older members. How did they adjust to the loud music? How did they handle the change over the years? I always got the same response. “It's not about us. It's about reaching the next generation of families.” Wow! No wonder their churches were healthy and full of preschool families. 

The Senior Pastor and Leadership must be committed to reaching young families. Everything rises and falls on leadership. They must be willing to appeal to young families. The top two reasons people pick a church are: How friendly are you? What do you have to offer my kids? 

The church must make preschool ministry a top priority. Finances, resources, and staffing must walk this talk. 

Church greeters and ushers should include preschool parents. When preschool parents walk in the doors of your church, who are they greeted by? Are any of them people their own age?

Sit down with your team and rate the health of your church based on the percentage of preschool families that attend. What does the barometer say? Do you need to formulate an action plan to increase the health?

Posted by Dale Hudson

Read More

How to Build Trust With Parents

I cringe every time I read of a child that was severely injured or abused in a church or school. I don't know how I would react if if were my child...I don't even like thinking about it. I constantly remind our staff of the great responsibility we have to not only God, but to the parents who entrust their children with us. They are trusting us with the most precious thing on earth to them...their children. 

We must go the second mile to build trust with parents. Here are some ways to build the trust factor...

• Keep the rooms clean. I once went to a home to eat and the entire home was covered with roaches...literally. I quickly lost my appetite and made excuses about not being hungry. Just couldn't bring myself to trust the food. It's the same way with your church rooms. When parents look inside the room, they quickly access if it's clean. If it's untidy, cluttered, or dirty, their trust factor will evaporate. Keep toys clean and disinfected, throw away or repair damaged furniture, keep the floor vacuumed, and the trash emptied.
• Let parents know every volunteer has been through an orientation process which includes a background check and screening. Put it in writing and regularly remind parents.  Knowing that you have done due diligence to only have approved volunteers in the room will build trust.
• Let parents know your safety rules such as no adult is ever alone with a child.
• Do things with excellence. A commitment to excellence lets parents know you are worthy of their trust. This will be shown not by what you say, but by what you do.
• Follow proper ratios. Nothing will deplete trust quicker than a parent looking into a room that is too crowded or understaffed.
• Have a secure check in/check out system. This is critical to build trust. Parents must know that their child cannot be picked up by someone else.
• Issue pagers or use numbers on the screen to notify parents when they are needed. This will give parents a sense of security and will help them feel more comfortable entrusting their child with you.
• Communication. Regularly communicate with parents through newsletters, email, phone, text, Facebook, etc. Direct communication about their child's experience at church instills trust. Parents want to know...they want to be involved.
• Fill out incident reports. Kids are going to fall down, they are going to get bumps, scratches from other children, etc. Hardly a week goes by without it happening. The key is how you respond and communicate with parents. Have incident reports. Anytime there is an accident, bump, scratch, etc. fill out an incident report. Write down exactly what happened. When the parents come to pick up their child share the incident report with them and have them sign it. This will build trust. Trust is depleted if they go home and discover a bump or scratch and were not told about it.

Trust must be earned and remember...it only takes seconds to destroy it. Be diligent to earn parent's trust week in and week out. With each passing year, their trust in you and your team will grow stronger as you lead with integrity.

Read More

Are You Making These Mistakes In Your Children's Ministry?

Here are 7 mistakes you can't afford to make if you want to see your Children's Ministry impact kids and families.  

Having too many programs. 
Are you trying to do too much?  Are you spreading your volunteers too thin?  Are you trying to keep
ineffective programs propped up?  Are you doing a lot with mediocrity or a few things with excellence?  
Trying to get volunteers through pulpit and bulletin announcements.
Public pleas for help can push people away from serving instead of drawing them toward serving. 

Not following volunteer-to-child ratios.
If you are consistently violating volunteer-to-child ratios, you are making a mistake.  The band-aid you are putting on a bigger issue such as lack of space or lack of volunteers is hurting instead of helping.

Not maximizing the first 8 minutes.
People decide in the first 8 minutes if they are going to return to your church.  If you're not working hard to make those first 8 minutes the best experience for new families, you are severely limiting how many will return.

Not having a security system in place.
If you don't have a check-in / check-out system in place, you are putting children at risk.  

Not running background checks on everyone who serves.
You can't afford not to run background checks on everyone who serves with children.  If you are not doing this, you are endangering the children and setting your church up for a lawsuit. 

Having training that no one attends. 
Why are you continuing to hold training meetings that only a small percentage of your volunteers are attending?  Is it time to adjust your training and try something new?

Posted by Dale Hudson

Read More

Disney Is Training Super Bowl Customer Service Teams

The NFL is looking to Disney this year to train their Super Bowl custmer service employees.

Frank Supovitz, senior vice president of events for the NFL, said, “Nobody’s better at it in the world than Disney. You see that any time you go to their theme parks. They’re very customer-oriented."

The NFL is taking cues from Disney to help them implement Fans First. Fans First is an initiative  designed to improve the fan experience – from airport, to parking lot, to stadium seat and back. They want to make Super Bowl fans feel like VIPs by training all of their employees to be on the same page and have the same customer-focused goal.

Here's an inside look at some of the costumer service skills the NFL is learning from Disney in preparation for the Super Bowl.

Extraordinary Service

• Know who guests are and understand what they expect when they come to visit.  
• Use both demographics (mainly describe the physical attributes of a group and often compromise quantitive data) and psychographics (offers clues to what a guest needs, what they want, and what emotions they experience) as your two major kinds of information.
• Clues include: needs, wants, stereotypes, and emotions.
• Meet expectations and then exceed them…that is the WOW factor.
• Imagine an animated film…twenty-four frames per second, each a still portrait of that fractional moment, must come together to create an entire story…that is same with creating a guest experience.
• Hire the very best people to make the guest experience happen.
• Pay fantastic attention to details.
• Remember, everything speaks.
• Create specific behaviors that help you achieve the promise.  At Disney, their standards are safety, courtesy, show, and efficiency.

Extraordinaire Employees

• The employees provide the first impression to the guest.
• Equip the employees so they can deliver a magical experience.
• Don’t underestimate the power of a good orientation program to create a portrait of the organization and its culture in the minds of new employees.  A good orientation includes these elements: history and traditions, values, educational experience, academics, student life, courtesy, and efficiency.
• Guidelines for guest service should include: make eye contact and smile, greet and welcome each and every guest, seek out guest contact, provide immediate service recovery, display appropriate body language at all times, preserve the “magical” experience, and thank each and every guest.
• Build a performance culture by: keeping it simple, making it global, making it measurable, providing training and coaching, soliciting feedback and ideas from the team, and recognizing and rewarding performance.

Extraordinaire Setting

• Everything, animate and inanimate, speaks to guests.
• You can’t change people.  But if you change the environment that the people are in, they will change.
• The components of setting include: architectural design, landscaping, lighting, color, signage, directional design on carpet, texture of floor surface, focal points and directional signs, internal/external detail, music/ambient noise, smell, touch/tactile experiences, and taste.
• Use these elements to create magic: know your audience, wear your guest’s shoes, organize the flow of people and ideas, create a visual magnet, communicate with visual literacy, avoid overload-create turn-ons, tell one story at a time, avoid contradictions-maintain identity, for every ounce of treatment provide a ton of treat, and keep it up.
• The setting should appeal to all five senses.
• Make sure the backstage and onstage areas are always separate.

Extraordinaire Processes

• Processes are a series of actions, changes, or functions that are strung together to produce a result.
• Factors that affect guest perception of wait times: access, respect, and information communication.
• Every one of these factors must be addressed for an enhanced guest experience.
• We must always improve outdated processes.

When it comes to making families feel welcome, there is so much we can learn from Disney.  Service...Employees (volunteers)...Setting...Processes.  These are four great areas to work on in 2012. 

Posted by Dale Hudson

Read More

What's Sucking the Life Out of You? (Pt. 2)

The leech has two suckers that cry out, "More, more!"  There are three things that are never satisfied--no, four that never say, "Enough!"

Proverbs 30:15

Yesterday we talked about this verse.  In Bible times, horseleeches were a common problem.  It was a parasite that lived in water.  Horses would pick them up when drinking from pools of contaminated water.  The horseleeches would lodge in the horse's throat, nose, or nostrils and begin draining it's very life blood.

A leech is something that seeks to suck the spiritual life out of you.  It's goal is to rob you of your ability to effectively serve the Lord.  It is patient.  It drains you a little at a time until one day you wake up and like Samson in Judges 16:20, "When he woke up, he thought, "I will do as before and shake myself free." But he didn't realize the LORD had left him."  His power to serve was gone and it happened so subtlety he never knew it took place until it was too late.

We talked about 6 leeches that have their sights set on a slow kill.  Today let's look at how to prevent the drain. The tips are listed in blue.

People.  Our ministry is people.  But be careful about people who attach themselves to you and begin to constantly drain you.  It may be someone who is always negative.  It may be someone who repeatedly calls you on your day off and demands the time you have set aside for your family.  It may be someone who instead of following the Biblical counsel you give them would rather just lean on you as an emotional crutch.

1. Surround yourself with positive people.

2. Set boundaries and let people know your day off is reserved for your family.

3. When you are with your family, don't feel like you have to answer your pbone. Better yet, turn off 

    your cell phone.

4. If someone continues to ignore the counsel you give them, draw a line in the sand and let them 

    know you can no longer counsel them until they get serious about wanting help.

5. Remember you are responsible TO people but not FOR people.

Problems.  In ministry, there are always problems that arise.  You can probably think of 3-4 right now that you are dealing with.  And dealing with them can suck the very life out of you.

1. Realize problems are part of forward movement.  The only way to not have any is to do nothing 

    and be nothing.  

2. Deal directly and quickly with problems instead of avoiding them.  Ignoring them won't make them 

    go away.

3. Don't try to solve them alone.  Always get advice from someone you respect and trust.

4. If you have problems weighing heavily on you at bedtime, write them down on a piece of paper with 

    some possible solutions before you try to go to sleep.  It will make it easier to fall sleep.

5. See problems as opportunities to grow.  Face them with purpose instead of self-pity.

Pressure.  The pressure can be a constant life drainer.  Paul reminds us of this in 2 Corinthians 11.  I chuckle when I read it.  He starts off by talking about all he has endured including beating, shipwreck, hunger, prison, and more.  At the end of the list he says, "Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches."

It's like he is saying the toughest part of ministry is the pressure.  We all feel it.  It can come from our leaders but normally it comes from within.  We are driven.  We want to reach the world.  We constantly are striving to get more done and make a bigger impact for Christ. 

1. Realize you can't save the world...you just work for the Person who can.

2. Have hobbies, sports, and other outlets that take your mind off ministry.

3. Act don't react when the pressure rises.

4. Learn to prioritize and organize your time.

5. Remember sometimes 85% is good enough.  The pressure to make it 100% may not be worth it.

Pace.  Ministry can take over your entire life.  It can consume you.  It can easily grab all 7 days of your week.  There is always someone else who needs you...another lesson that needs to be written...a phone call to make...an email to respond to...a family to follow up with...a hurting person to pray with.  You keep telling yourself it will slow down.  But it never does.

1. Find a pace that you can sustain for the long haul.

2. Take your day off...every week.

3. Use your vacation time...all of it.

4. Realize there are times when you have to operate in the red rpm zone.  But make it for short 

    periods and get out.

5. When you are home...be home.  Leave work at the office.

Pain.  Prolonged physical pain can drain you.  Whether it's a bad back, ongoing illness, medical condition, or complications from a surgery...it can suck the joy and vitality out of your life.  I had a friend who had back issues.  It got so bad that he had to quit work.  The bills begin to pile up.  It sucked the life out of him to the point that he committed suicide.
 

1. Have a doctor that you know and trust.

2. Take your time when recovering.  Trying to jump back in too fast can cause you to lose more time in 

     the long run.

3. Don't be too "tough" or proud to ask for help.

4. Have someone you can talk with.  Someone who will really listen.

5. Lean on God's grace.  

Personal sin.  Sin will suck the joy, anointing, and power out of our ministry.  That hidden sin is doing far more damage to your spiritual life than you may know.  The horseleech couldn't be seen on the surface.  It attached itself inside the horse...out-of-sight.  Unforgiveness, lust, pride, anger, bitterness, jealousy and other hidden, personal sins will eventually take you down if not dealt with and forsaken.

1. Yield yourself each morning to the Holy Spirit's control and guidance.

2. Have close friends that hold you accountable and ask you the tough questions.

3. Set protective boundaries around yourself. An example would be not riding alone with a member of 

    the opposite sex other than your spouse.

4. Focus on your relationship with God more than you do on your work for God.

5. Spend time daily in God's Word. Jesus defeated the devil's temptations by quoting Scripture.

For years, I allowed some of these leeches to suck the life out of me to the point where I almost lost my ministry.  This post tells my story and what I learned through it.

Posted by Dale Hudson

Read More

6 Things That Can Suck the Life Out of You!

The leech has two suckers that cry out, "More, more!"  There are three things that are never satisfied--no, four that never say, "Enough!"

Proverbs 30:15

In Bible times, horseleeches were a common problem.  It was a parasite that lived in water.  Horses would pick them up when drinking from pools of contaminated water.  The horseleeches would lodge in the horse's throat, nose, or nostrils and begin draining it's very life blood.

A leech is something that seeks to suck the spiritual life out of you.  It's goal is to rob you of your ability to effectively serve the Lord.  It is patient.  It drains you a little at a time until one day you wake up and like Samson in Judges 16:20, "When he woke up, he thought, "I will do as before and shake myself free." But he didn't realize the LORD had left him."  His power to serve was gone and it happened so subtlety he never knew it took place until it was too late.

What is sucking the life out of you?  Here are 6 leeches that have their sights set on a slow kill...and you may not even know it's happening.

People.  Our ministry is people.  But be careful about people who attach themselves to you and begin to constantly drain you.  It may be someone who is always negative.  It may be someone who repeatedly calls you on your day off and demands the time you have set aside for your family.  It may be someone who instead of following the Biblical counsel you give them would rather just lean on you as an emotional crutch.

Problems.  In ministry, there are always problems that arise.  You can probably think of 3-4 right now that you are dealing with.  And dealing with them can suck the very life out of you.  

Pressure.  The pressure can be a constant life drainer.  Paul reminds us of this in 2 Corinthians 11.  I chuckle when I read it.  He starts off by talking about all he has endured including beating, shipwreck, hunger, prison, and more.  At the end of the list he says, "Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches."

It's like he is saying the toughest part of ministry is the pressure.  We all feel it.  It can come from our leaders but normally it comes from within.  We are driven.  We want to reach the world.  We constantly are striving to get more done and make a bigger impact for Christ. 

Pace.  Ministry can take over your entire life.  It can consume you.  It can easily grab all 7 days of your week.  There is always someone else who needs you...another lesson that needs to be written...a phone call to make...an email to respond to...a family to follow up with...a hurting person to pray with.  You keep telling yourself it will slow down.  But it never does.

Pain.  Prolonged physical pain can drain you.  Whether it's a bad back, ongoing illness, medical condition, or complications from a surgery...it can suck the joy and vitality out of your life.  I had a friend who had back issues.  It got so bad that he had to quit work.  The bills begin to pile up.  It sucked the life out of him to the point that he committed suicide. 

Personal sin.  Sin will suck the joy, anointing, and power out of our ministry.  That hidden sin is doing far more damage to your spiritual life than you may know.  The horseleech couldn't be seen on the surface.  It attached itself inside the horse...out-of-sight.  Unforgiveness, lust, pride, anger, bitterness, jealousy and other hidden, personal sins will eventually take you down if not dealt with and forsaken.

So how do you deal with the leeches that are sucking the life out of you?  How do you avoid waking up one day like Samson?

Tomorrow I will share my personal story of allowing leeches to suck the life out of me to the point where I almost lost my ministry.  I'll share what I learned through it and how I dealt with them.  Join me as we talk about how to effectively deal with the things that are draining us.

Posted by Dale Hudson

Read More

Amp Up Your Preschool Ministry with the "Adopt a Room" Strategy

You've seen it on the highway.

And if you're looking for a strategy to keep your Early Childhood rooms clean and prepped, it can work for you as well.  One of our preschool leaders came up with the idea of "Adopt a Room."  Families adopt a preschool room.  Then they come in each week and clean, wipe down the toys, and prepare the room for the weekend services.  Here 's a picture I took of one of the rooms a family has adopted.

Posted by Dale Hudson

Read More

10 Leadership Tips for Children's Ministry

Here's 10 tips from 22 years of asking questions, making mistakes, observing, and grappling in Children's Ministry.  Hope they help.

1. Who you are is more important than what you do.
2. Make people skills one of your priority growth areas.
3. People don't follow a title...they follow someone they love and respect.
4. There will always be someone who is not happy with your decision...accept it and don't try to appease everyone.
5. It's not what you can do, it's what you can empower others to do.
6. Learn from everyone...everywhere...everyday.
7. When hiring...look at what someone has done in the past.  Location doesn't change people. Past performance usually indicates future performance.
8. Take your day off and use your vacation time.  Your future in ministry depends on it.
9. Your greatest ministry is at home.
10. Details done well make the plan gel.

What are some other general tips you have seen, heard, or experienced?  Would enjoy seeing your thoughts in the comment section below.
 
Posted by Dale Hudson

Read More

Using YouTube in Children's Ministry (Pt.2)

Yesterday we talked about using YouTube video clips in lessons or discussions.  Today let's talk about using YouTube to encourage and equip your volunteers.

Volunteer training is extremely important and a necessity.  But let's face it...with people's schedules it can be difficult to get them to come to training.  So why not take the training to them?  Make it easy for them to access the training anytime...anywhere.  That's where YouTube can be a huge help.

Here's some tips for using YouTube to help encourage and equip your volunteers.

Grab a video camera or webcam.  Many computers have a built-in webcam. 

Record a short training video.   I would recommend making your video 5 minutes maximum.  If it goes longer, people tend to not finish it.

Go to YouTube and set up a free account and channel.  Setting up a channel will allow you to place all your training videos in one location so volunteers can easily access them.  Here is a video that shows you how to do this. 

  
Upload your video to YouTube by clicking the upload button.  If you want to add things like text, music, etc. you can edit your video first with a program like Windows Movie Maker (pc) or iMovie (mac). 

Share the video with your volunteers.  Here are several options...
   -Email them a link to the video.
   -Embed the video directly into the email you send.
   -Create a Facebook page for your volunteers and embed the video directly into the page (click for
    sample).
   -Create a free training blog site for your volunteers and embed the video into the page (click for
    sample).

I still recommend meeting in person with your volunteers at least one to two times a year.  Video training is a great tool, but it's also important to cast vision and disciple face-to-face. 

What are some other tips for using YouTube for training?  Any other tech tips?
How have you used YouTube to train volunteers?
What are the positives of using video training?
What are the negatives of using video training?

Would enjoy seeing your thoughts in the comment section below.

Posted by Dale Hudson

Read More

Using YouTube In Children's Ministry (Pt.1)

Video clips are a great way to illustrate a truth in a lesson or jump start a discussion about a topic.  And if you're looking for video clips to use, YouTube can be your best friend.

YouTube was founded in early 2005 by three ex-PayPal employees: Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim.  The beta version of the site launched in May 2005.  48 hours of video are uploaded every minute, resulting in nearly 8 years of content uploaded every day.

Here's some tips if you want to use YouTube clips... 

Start with the truth or topic you want to illustrate or discuss. 

Type the topic in the search line on YouTube.  An example would be the word "faith."  Thousands of options will come up.  If you want to narrow it down, you can type in something more specific such as "faith of a child."

If you are going to use the clip in PowerPoint, Media Shout, Pro Presenter, or some other presentation program, you will want to download the clip to your hard drive.  Here are some great programs that will allow you to save the video file directly to your hard drive. 

• KeepVid
• KeepTube
• Savevid

Preview the entire clip before you show it.  You don't want to be embarrassed or in trouble later because you didn't.  I had a friend who pulled a clip and didn't preview it completely.  Later when he was showing it, there was a curse word in the clip.  Talk about awkward.  Thankfully it didn't cost him his job...but it could have.

Stay balanced.  Using too many video clips can weaken the impact.  Variety is important when teaching.  Use hand held object lessons, pictures, kids acting out stories, sound effects, and other methods just as much as you use video clips.

Today's kids are growing up immersed in a video world.  Instant access to video content is available 24/7 via cellphones, game systems, Facebook, tablets, television, laptops, and more.  It only makes sense to illustrate truth using a venue that is part of their everyday life.

What other tips do you have for using YouTube when teaching or leading a discussion?
What are some ways you have successfully used YouTube to connect kids to truth?
How often do you use YouTube clips?

Would enjoy seeing your thoughts in the comment section below.

Tomorrow I will share how to use YouTube to encourage and equip volunteers. 

Posted by Dale Hudson

Read More

12 Ways to Help Kids Become Generous Givers

Here are 12 ways to help children develop a generous heart for giving their time, treasure, and talent back to God. 

Make it one of your core values as a ministry.  Show kids that giving is something you live, not just something you do.  Show them by example that generosity is a lifestyle. 

Teach lessons about giving.  Teach kids the "why" of generous giving.  Teach kids that we are stewards of all God has entrusted us with.  Teach kids that God loves a cheerful giver.  Teach kids that it is better to give than to receive.  Teach kids that giving is an act of worship.  Teach kids that giving is an investment in eternity.

Make giving a weekly part of your Children's Ministry.  Set aside a time in the service or class to take an offering.  Make it a key component instead of an afterthought.

Take time to share a short thought about giving before the offering each week.  Read and explain a verse about giving or share an example of someone in the Bible who had a generous heart.

Give kids opportunities to give toward outreach projects.  Some examples would be participating in a special Christmas offering, supporting missions, sponsoring a child in a needy country, etc.

Let kids earn prizes at church...for other people.  There has been a running debate about rewarding kids for spiritual disciplines.  Have you considered rewarding them...but the prize is something they earn to give to someone else?  You can see how we do this through our Five Loaves and Two Fish Gift shop each week.  

Provide concrete, hands-on opportunities for kids to give.  Kids love to give tangible things like canned goods, toys, clothes, etc.  I will never forget last year when we were encouraging the kids to bring shoes for kids in Haiti.  One girl came in, saw the sign, immediately took her "Sunday dress shoes" off, put them in the shoe bin, and walked out barefooted.  Wow...we were blown away! 

Get kids involved in giving toward building campaigns.  Building campaigns are great opportunities to teach children to be generous givers.  Many times God can use kids to lead the way.  At one church I served at, we were raising money to build a new children's building.  We challenged the entire church to give generously...including the children.  One of the 3rd graders went to his parents and asked if he could forgo vacation that summer to Sea World and instead give the money toward the new building.  God used his generous heart to inspire the entire church. 

Teach kids to give of their time.  Teach kids that financial giving is just one aspect of generosity.  It is also about giving of your time to serve others.  

Give kids opportunities to give of their time.  If we are going to teach kids to be generous givers of their time, then we must provide them with opportunities to serve.  Too many kids were told to "sit still and be quiet" at church and that's what they are still doing now as adults...sitting still and being quiet!  And we wonder why we can't get them to volunteer!  Get kids involved in serving and they will grow up to be adults who serve.  We have a strategy that we use to get kids involved in serving.  Feel free to contact me at daleh@cftoday.org if you'd like a copy.

Teach kids to be generous with their talents.  Teach kids that their abilities are on loan from God and were given to be used for His glory. 

Give kids opportunities to be generous with their talents.  Can they sing?  Have a kid's praise team.  Are they a people person?  Have them greet at the doors and welcome new kids.  Are they good at sports?  Teach them to be a great example for Christ on their team.  Can they play an instrument?  Have them play at church.  Be intentional about helping kids find ways they can use their talents to bring glory to God.

Just think about how much the kingdom of God can be advanced now and in the years to come if the kids in our ministries become generous givers.  They are ready...they are willing...they want to make a difference.

Below is a short video story of a girl in our Children's Ministry who gets it.  Generosity has become part of her DNA.  God is using her generosity NOW to impact others...and I can't wait to see what He is going to do through her generous heart in the years to come.  

Posted by Dale Hudson

Read More

Join Me at Children's Pastors Conference

I am excited about Children's Pastors Conference 2012!  Under the leadership of the new executive director, Michael Chanley, the conference is poised to bring a fresh, new level of training, networking, and encouragement to children's leaders.

If you have been thinking about attending a Children's Pastors Conference, this is the year to go.  One of the best investments you can make is to get off the speeding ministry train for a few days and be poured into.

If you're attending, I'd love to connect with you.  Here are the sessions I will be facilitating.

Orlando (January 11-14)

Pre-Conference Church Tour

Join me as we visit Cornerstone Church, Northland Church, and Summit Church in the Orlando area.  We will travel by bus. 

Children’s Ministry Leadership That Lasts: How to Go the Distance

Greatness in ministry is not measured in years, but in decades.  If you are going to go the distance in ministry it will not happen by accident.  There are pitfalls you must avoid and spiritual disciplines you must follow. Discover how to not only survive, but thrive in ministry for a lifetime.

Magnetic Ministry: How to Draw Kids and Families to Your Church

You cannot minister to empty seats.  Learn how to create an irresistible ministry that will draw kids and families to your church.

Your First Five Years in Children’s Ministry: the Do’s and Don’ts

Get off to a great start in children’s ministry by learning from the mistakes, wins, failures, successes and experiences of someone who has been there.  You will discover things everyone in children’s ministry wishes they had heard when first starting out.

San Diego (February 27 - March 1)

Pre-Conference Church Tour

Join me as we visit Friends Church, Rock Harbor Church, and College Avenue Baptist Church in the San Diego area.  We will travel by bus. 

Children’s Ministry Leadership That Lasts: How to Go the Distance

Greatness in ministry is not measured in years, but in decades.  If you are going to go the distance in ministry it will not happen by accident.  There are pitfalls you must avoid and spiritual disciplines you must follow.  Discover how to not only survive, but thrive in ministry for a lifetime.

Your First Five Years in Children’s Ministry: the Do’s and Don’ts

Get off to a great start in children’s ministry by learning from the mistakes, wins, failures, successes and experiences of someone who has been there. You will discover things everyone in children’s ministry wishes they had heard when first starting out.

Posted by Dale Hudson

Read More

25 Traits of The Ultimate Children's Ministry

1. Ran by volunteers who are equipped and empowered by staff.
2. Gives guests the royal treatment.
3. Provides parents with tools to disciple their children that are actually used.
4. Shows up at the hospital.
5. Notices and responds when a child is absent.
6. Impacts the entire church.
7. Takes care of details with excellence.
8. Knows it takes prayer and preparation.
9. Knows WHY it is teaching what it is teaching
10. Constantly evaluates and stops what is not working.
11. Has a calm nursery.
12. Has elementary services that are quiet at times and loud at times.
13. Works very closely with student ministry.
14. Has stories about entire families that were reached through the children.
15. Knows what it does well and focuses on it.
16. Is clean.
17. Keeps kids safe and secure.
18. Teaches application just as much as information.
19. Provides serving opportunities that help kids grow in their faith.
20. Cares more about building THE kingdom than it does about building ITS kingdom.
21. Has clear, spiritual growth steps for children to take.
22. Has every child connected into a small group where they are known, loved, and cared for.
23. Grows by reaching unchurched families instead of transfers from other churches.
24. Has kids lining up to get inside the doors and crying when have to leave.
25. Doesn't think it's the ultimate Children's Ministry.

I don't think any of us have arrived there yet, but it's something we should be striving for.  What are some other traits you think the ultimate Children's Ministry would have?  Would enjoy seeing your thoughts in the comment section below.

Posted by Dale Hudson

Read More

Great Leaders in History and What KidMin Can Learn From Them

Time Life magazine recently listed Great Leaders Through History.  Though you or I may not agree with some of these leaders in certain areas of thought, there is much we can learn from them about leadership.  They are listed below with one of the things I believe they can teach us about leading in Children's Ministry.

Ghandi, Pioneer of Nonviolent Protest

Learn to use respect to win people over, instead of using power to bend people to your will.  As a leader, it is a very simple matter to leverage on your position or your authority to coerce people to bend to your will.  However, it is your true strength as a leader that can persuade and convince people to follow you with their hearts. 

Vince Lombardi, Legendary Coach

You cannot bypass hard work.  Most people would like  to convince you otherwise but the truth is, there is none other.  Show your team the value of hard work by example; and as you lead by hard work, your team will follow.

Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd President

Great leaders are visionaries.  They have an instinct for the future, a course to steer, a port to seek. Through their capacity for persuasion, they win the consent of their people and call forth inner resources.

Steve Jobs, Apple

Be innovative.  If you want to maintain your leadership, you have to create new ideas, new initiatives, all in the spirit of moving your organizational mission forward. 

Nelson Mandela, Prisoner turned President of South Africa

Remember not everyone will support your vision.  No matter how ideal your vision is, the fact is that a vision means change for people.  Not everyone wants to change because change is uncomfortable.  For some, change is outright painful.  Don’t expect everyone around you to rally behind you.  Expect some people to stand against you. 

  

  

Golda Meir, Prime Minister Israel

Make complex issues appear simple and express your views in plain but emotional terms.  Even when she spoke to an audience of thousands, it could sound as though she was speaking in her living room."

Dr. M.L King, Civil Rights Leader

Engage the heart.  While logic may compel the mind, stories and metaphors move the heart.  This is the difference between offering information and inspiration.

Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister

Accumulate experience.  One may say that success is the result of good judgement, that good judgement is the result of experience and that experience is often the result of bad judgement.






 

Douglas MacArthur, U.S. General

Have confidence derived from conviction.  Quote - "Duty, Honor, Country - those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be.  They are your rallying point to build courage when courage seems to fail, to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.”

Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady and Social Reformer

Be optimistic.  Optimism is a key to leadership and Roosevelt was a great optimist.

Captain Kirk, USS Enterprise

Take action.  When faced between doing nothing, and taking action, Kirk always chose the latter.  When necessary he would leap in before looking and improvise along the way, adjusting his actions as necessary.

Oprah Winfrey, Media Mogul and Humanitarian

Be a great listener.  As an interactive leader, Oprah is deeply aware of the feelings and emotions of those around her.





What other leaders in history have you learned from?  Would enjoy seeing your thoughts in the comment section below.

Read More

The Power of a Grandparent's Legacy

LeCrae is an award winning artist who is making an impact in the lives of young people around the world.  As I was watching him share his story in the video below, I was reminded of the godly example a grandparent can be for their grandchild.

He starts off with...
"I remember when I was 17 and a lady asked me, 'Are you saved?'  I didn't have any idea what she meant.  What is 'saved?'  The best thing I could think through was maybe she means, 'Am I like my grandmother?'

Soon his grandmother's prayers would be answered as LeCrae found Christ and his life was transformed.

As you seek to partner with parents...don't forget the power of a grandparent's legacy.  The compounded spiritual influence of a parent and grandparent in the life of a child can be profound.

And in many cases, the grandparent is raising the child.  A recent report shows that 4.9 million children are being raised by a grandparent in the U.S.

Here's 6 questions to think about...
1. How can I leverage the spiritual influence of grandparents in the life of their grandchild?
2. How can I be more intentional about involving grandparents in their grandchild's spiritual  
    milestones?
3. What can I do to encourage grandparents who are raising their grandchildren?
4. How can I involve grandparents in serving in their grandchild's environment at church?
5. How can I connect our Children's Ministry to the Senior Adult Ministry in our church?
6. What tools and resources can I give grandparents to help disciple their grandchildren?

Posted by Dale Hudson

Read More

Storytelling...Disney Style!

A story is simply a communication tool.  And when it is well done, it will grab people's attention and convey the message.  There is something about stories that draws us in.  Jesus knew this.  He used a lot of stories (parables) to communicate truth.

Have you ever noticed when you are teaching that everyone focuses in when you begin telling a story? And when the story is over, you can sense they pull back some of their focus?  It's a natural reaction.

Disney is good at connecting with kids and families because they are good at telling stories.  Watch this short video and see how to tell stories..Disney style.  After the video, I list 4 key components of great storytelling that I've learned from them.

Great storytelling involves...

Great content.

We have the best content ever written...the Bible.  It contains the most exciting, challenging, and relevant stories every penned.

Great creativity.  The best stories deserve the best presentation.  Let's stop droning and start delivering.

Great characters.

Talk about a cast of "A" listers.  We've got it.  David, Esther, Jonah, Moses, Ruth, Paul, Joshua, Mary, and more.  Choose storytellers who will do them justice.

Great costumes.

Make your great cast of characters come alive by using costumes.  Telling the story of David and Goliath?  Make sure you have a slingshot.  Sharing the story of Jonah the whale? Wrap some seaweed around your shoulders. 

What are some other components of great storytelling that you use?  Would enjoy hearing your ideas in the comments section below.

Posted by Dale Hudson

Read More

Leadership Lessons I've Gleaned From Dr. Ronnie Floyd

Dr. Ronnie Floyd is one of my heroes and mentors in ministry.  He has been a pastor for over 35 years.  Since 1986, he has served as the Senior Pastor of
Cross Church.  Under his leadership, the church has grown to minister to thousands of people each week.  He has authored 20 books that have been used to equip believers around the world.  His books Our Last Great Hope, The Power of Prayer and Fasting, and 10 Things Every Minister Needs to Know are must reads for those in ministry.

I had the honor of serving on his staff team for 7 years as Children's Pastor.  A few weeks ago, Cross Church
celebrated his 25th anniversary as Senior Pastor.
I had the joy of going back to be part of honoring him and sharing how he has impacted my life.  What he has taught me by word and example over the years has made a huge difference in my life.  Here are some leadership lessons I have gleaned from his life and ministry.

Faithfulness. For two and a half decades, he has faithfully lead Cross Church.  Remain faithful to God's call on your life.

Integrity.  Who you are is more important than what you
do.  Lead from the inside out.  

Passion for the lost.  He has a great passion to reach his area, America, and the world for Jesus Christ.  It permeates his life.  Live the great commission.

Family.  He has been a loving husband and caring father.  His most important ministry has been his wife, Jeana, and their two sons.  Both of his sons are serving Christ full-time.  Home is where ministry begins.

Prayer and Fasting.  He has taught us to make walking with God a priority in our lives.  Our public ministry must be a reflection of our private time with God.

Legacy.  There are leaders around the world who are part of his legacy because he has been intentional about pouring into others.  Invest your life in helping others succeed.

Children and Student Ministry.  He has made reaching the next generation a high priority in his ministry.  He invests heavily in these areas.  He opened the door for Bruce Barry of Wacky World to build the first animated children's worship environment in the nation.  Bruce found Christ under his ministry and has gone on to create children's worship environments in churches across the nation.  Below is a picture that Bruce drew to celebrate Pastor Floyd's 25th anniversary at Cross Church (Bruce - left, Pastor - middle, me - right).

Thoughtfulness.  He takes time to express appreciation to those around him.  Those who have served with him can attest to this.  I have many hand-written thank you notes he has given me.  Be intentional about saying "thank you" to the people you serve with.

Encouragement.  On a number of occasions he has told me, "I believe in you."  Those words have brought encouragement and confidence.  Use your words to speak life and blessings into those around you.

Thank you, Pastor, for your impact and investment in our family.  We will continue to pass along what you have taught us to others.

Here is a short clip of what I shared at the 25th anniversary service.

Read More

How to Get Kids' Attention Back When You Are Teaching or Leading a Class

Do you ever lose children's attention while you are teaching or leading a class?  It happens to all of us at times.  In this short video, I share 7 simple ways to re-engage children when you lose their attention.

Posted by Dale Hudson

Read More

Christmas Idea #5 for Children's Ministry

This week I am posting Christmas ideas for Children's Ministry.  Idea #5 is taking the kids to sing out in the community.  There are many places looking for children's groups to sing Christmas songs during the Christmas season.  We have sung in malls, retirement homes, city Christmas tree lighting ceremonies, festivals, and more.  When you lead the kids to reach out to the community at Christmas...

• It is obeying the Great Commission to go into the world and share the good news.
• Children grow in their faith by serving others.
• You have the opportunity to invite families to visit your church.
• You are serving your community.
• You are partnering with parents.  Parents will get involved and help when their children have these type opportunities.

There are lots of opportunities for the kids to make an impact in your community at Christmas.  Be intentional about looking for those opportunities and then ask to be part of them.

Posted by Dale Hudson

Read More