10 Traits of Highly Successful Children's Ministers

Here are 10 traits you will find in highly successful Children's Ministers.  The good news is all of us can learn and acquire these traits.

They lead from the inside out.  Their leadership flows from their relationship with Christ.  They guard and protect this above all else.

They are lifelong learners.  They know they will never arrive and are constantly reading, asking questions, and seeking to grow.

They know how to cast vision.  They can rally people behind a common cause.

They are loyal.  They are loyal to their Pastor, staff, volunteers, and other church leaders.

They know how to lead up.  They make a difference not only in Children's Ministry, but in the entire church.

Longevity.  They avoid moral pitfalls that would cause them to forfeit their ministry.  They maintain a sustainable ministry pace that allows them to go the distance.

Humility.  They are confident, but not cocky.
 
They are team builders.  They know how to build a thriving staff and volunteer team.

Passion.  They have passion that is contagious.

They lead adults well.  They are just as good with adults as they are kids.

What other traits do you believe help a Children's Minister succeed?  Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Children's Ministry Staff Retreat Agenda (free download)

Each summer, our Children's Ministry staff gathers for a two day retreat.  It's a time of reflection, team building, evaluation, fun, spiritual growth, leadership development, and planning for the next year.  Here are the agendas from last week's retreat if you'd like to see the flow.

Do you have a staff retreat?  What do you do at your retreat?  Would love to hear your ideas in the comment section below.
GK Staff Retreat 07.31.2012 - AGENDA
Strategic Planning Meeting Day 2 08.01.2012 - AGENDA

The Number You Should Be Counting

 
Have you ever seen a church attendance board?  Back in the day, churches would put these at the front of the church.  Everybody would watch to see what number would be posted each week.

I believe the number we should focus on is not how many people are attending our church.  Instead, we should be focusing on the number of people who are not attending our church. 

The point is not how many people are currently attending your church.  Rather it's how many people in your community are still lost and need Jesus.  That's the number that matters!  It doesn't matter if you have 50, 500, or 5,000 people attending...take a look outside the walls of your church.  You are surrounded by people who need Jesus!
 
The current world population is over 7 billion.  That's over 7 billion people who will die in the next 100 years.  Jesus sees them. They are His focus. He is not willing that any should perish, but that everyone should come to Him.  He wants to have a life-changing relationship with every single one of those 7 billion people.
 
Let's keep our focus outward instead of inward.  Our motivation should not be to see how large our church can get.  Our motivation should be the people in our community who have no clue about Jesus.

Top 15 Most Popular Children's Websites

Here are the top 15 most popular children's websites.  Check them out and think about these questions as you look at them.
  • What is drawing kids to this site?
  • What content formats does this site use?
  • What color scheme is this site using?
  • What makes this site so kid-friendly?
  • What can my Children's Ministry learn from this site?

nick.com
4,800,000 unique visitors per month


pbskids.org
4,600,000 unique visitors per month


nickjr.com
4,500,000 unique visitors per month


clubpenguin.com
4,400,000 unique visitors per month


cartoonnetwork.com
4,300,000 unique visitors per month


kids.yahoo.com
4,100,000 unique visitors per month


poptropica.com
2,750,000 unique visitors per month


moshimonsters.com
2,700,000 unique visitors per month


webkinz.com
2,600,000 unique visitors per month


stardoll.com
2,520,000 unique visitors per month


funbrain.com
2,500,000 unique visitors per month


coolmath-games.com
1,950,000 unique visitors per month


neopets.com
1,800,000 unique visitors per month


primarygames.com
1,400,000 unique visitors per month


fantage.com
550,000 unique visitors per month

A Sneak Peak Inside Volunteer Training

Do you face the challenge of getting volunteers to show up for training?   I do.  People's lives are crazy busy and they're not looking for one more thing to add to their schedule.  But training and growing volunteers is a vital part of Children's Ministry.

There is a key opportunity for training each week that many Children's Ministries overlook.  That's right before you open the doors for the worship service / class time.  A pre-service huddle with your volunteers can be a very effective time to do training.  

Here's an inside look at a pre-service huddle and the elements incorporated.