5 Skills Every Children's MInistry Leader Needs

Recently, I was talking with a young children's ministry leader and he asked what skills he should work on improving.

I encouraged him to work on skills needed to lead adults.  You see, the ironic thing about children's ministry is that it's about working with adult volunteers just as much, if not more, than it is about working with kids.

You can be excellent with kids, but if you don't have the skills needed to lead adult volunteers, you will have a difficult time.

That being said, here are 5 skills you need to be effective in children's ministry.

1. Leadership.  Children's Ministry is about leadership...rallying people behind a common vision and making it become a reality.  Everything rises and falls on leadership.

2. Communication.  Communication is such an important part of children's ministry...written and verbal.  You can have a great vision, but you must be able to communicate it to see it materialize. 

3. Emotional Intelligence.  Emotional intelligence is “a type of social competence involving the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use the information to guide one’s thinking and actions."  It is essential in building and nurturing relationships with parents, volunteers and staff.

4. Team Building.  The success of the ministry depends on the strength of the volunteer team you build.  Instead of being a skilled "doer," learn how to become a skilled "equipper."  

5. Problem solving.  Effective children's ministry leaders know how to fix things.  Instead of just bringing problems to the table, they bring problems and solutions.

Read everything you can about these skills.  Learn from other leaders who are good in these skills.  Track your progress in these skills.

The floor is yours...
What are some other skills every children's ministry leader needs?  Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.