RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Did you know that guests decide if they are going to return to your church in the first 8 minutes of their visit.

What you don't want is for guests to have to spend those 8 minutes trying to get checked in. 

A smooth, easy check-in process is vital if you want to see guests return. 

Guests are already a little on edge as they try to get checked in. 

For many of them, this is the first time in a long time that they are visiting a church. 

Here are some tips to make your check-in process easy and smooth. 

Have a separate check-in area for guests.   

You don't want guests to spend valuable time standing in a long check-in line.  Have your guests check-in area clearly marked and adequately staffed. A big part of giving them a VIP experience is having an area designated just for them to check-in.

Don't require them to give you their entire life history when checking in.  

Just get their basic information. Child's name, age, and birthday. Parents' name, address, phone number, and email. Any allergies.

Always walk them to their classroom. Never just point or give verbal directions. We tend to forget how challenging it can be to navigate a building as a guest.  Personally walk them to their room.  This also gives you a few minutes to talk with them and make friends with them on the way to the classroom.

Explain your safety and security process.  

This is a huge deal. Parents want to know their child will be safe in your care.  

Volunteers have all had background checks done. 

No one is every alone with a child.   

Parents or guardians must present their security tag to pick up their child. 

These are the big 4 things you want to master. Get these four right and you will see guests return for a second visit. 

Here is a text message I recently received from a guest.  

"I thought your registration process was so well done. Everyone was so friendly, helpful, and the organization of it was amazing. I really appreciated how well organized and secure the whole process was."  

Due to this, they returned for a second visit and I believe they will become a part of our church.  

BTW - don't forget you only get one opportunity to make a great first impression. Make it count. Families returning hinges on this. 

Have you read my new book "Be Our Church Guest?" This book contains many more tips and trainings on how to make your check-in process go smoothly. You can order it at this link. Many churches have ordered this book for their entire volunteer check-in team. 

I could tell when he walked in that he was going to be a handful.  

"Defiant" is a nice way to say he didn't want to listen to what I or any of our volunteers had to say.  

He got into trouble several times during his first visit.  

He was very insecure and went to desperate measures to get our attention and feel important. 

He called several kids names and even uttered several "curse" words.  

This past week, I had several parents complain to me about him. Their kids were the ones he had called mean names.  I understand where they are coming from.  I can't allow kids to bully or call other kids names. Of course, I agree with them. It will not be tolerated.   

Some kids are simply not easy to deal with.

I get it.  

But....there is something else at play in this situation.  Something that trumps my tolerance level.  Something that trumps banning the child from coming back. 

It's the fact that Jesus loves this kid. 

It's the fact that God calls us to love the unlovable. 

It's the fact that God wants us to be a place where kids who are broken can come and receive the love that comes from our Heavenly Father. 

It's the fact that every kid matters...including the ones that don't fit into our little box of correct behavior. 

I spoke with the child's father this week.  He shared with me that they have tried church after church after church...looking for a place where he would be loved and accepted.  They haven't found that church yet. 

I want to be that church for them.  I want to be the children's ministry that every child can come to and know they are loved and accepted.  I want to be the children's ministry that cares for children...even the ones who are hard to "manage."

I am reminded of the one lost sheep found in Luke 15.  

Ever thought about it like this.  The sheep that got lost had wandered away from the rest of the sheep.  It was the sheep that was a troublemaker.  It was the sheep that couldn't seem to follow rules like the rest of the group. It was the sheep that gave the shepherd anxiety.

But the shepherd didn't give up on this sheep. He went out and found Him. He spent whatever time it took to find the sheep.  He went to where the sheep was.  Yes...it cost the shepherd some extra hours.  It was inconvenient to go and find the sheep.  The sheep had to have individual attention.  The sheep was frustrating at times.  The sheep caused the shepherd to lose sleep.

Why couldn't the sheep be like the other sheep?  Why couldn't he follow the rules and stay in the pen with the other sheep?  

This causes me to think about my commitment to reaching the one child who is like that sheep.

Am I willing to go outside of my comfort zone to help this child?

Am I willing to invest my time to help this child?

Am I willing to do whatever it takes to rescue this child?

Am I willing to travel down the second mile to reach this child?

Back to the phone call with the father.  

I shared with him that we loved his son and would be there to help them.  We want his son to be part of our children's ministry.  He will only be able to attend every other week due to shared custody.  

I look into the future and see this kid accepting Jesus into his life one day.  I look into the future and see this kid as a committed follower of Jesus one day.  I believe God has plans for this kid. I don't know yet what that plan will be, but I will be there to help him find God's plans for his life. 

I have a feeling that as you have been reading this, a child's name and face came into view.  You have a child like this in your ministry. Yes...he or she has to have extra attention.  Yes...he or she gives you anxiety at times.  Yes...he or she disrupts the class on a regular basis. 

Don't give up on that child.  God wants to use you to change the course of that child's life.  Get a vision for what that child can be one day through God's grace.

The kid that no church wants to deal with...be the church that opens your arms wide to embrace this child. One day soon the child will be grown and will share how God used your love and acceptance to make the difference in their life.

It is an exciting time when a child starts asking about baptism.  It can also be a challenging time.

How do you know if the child is ready?

How can you make sure they understand the decision they are making?

Have they truly invited Jesus into their life?

Is there a minimum age for a child that wants to be baptized?

Let's talk about these questions.

A child needs to have made a clear salvation decision before they are baptized.

This is where it should start.  Can the child clearly tell you about asking Jesus into their life? 

One big thing that helps with this is having two separate classes. One class should be about what it means to follow Jesus/salvation.  The second class needs to cover why we should be baptized. 

You should involve parents.   

No one has more influence in a child's life than his or her parents.  I believe that parents should lead the way, while you provide resources, tools, and support.  You should never baptize children under 18 without the consent of their parents or guardians.

FYI - I have seen some parents who push their child to get baptized.  Their child is 5-years-old and the parents are asking for them to be baptized. That is not what God has called us to do. 

The flip side is parents who hold their children back from being baptized. Their child is 10-years-old and they are asking their child to wait until they are 13 or older. 

God has not called parents to push their children. He has also not called parents to hold their children back.  I believe God has called parents to walk along side their children. Have Gospel conversations with their child.  God does the work.  He draws kids to Himself.  As parents walk alongside their children, God will draw them to himself.

There is not a set age of accountability.

It is different for each child.  But I have found that around the age of 7 1/2-to-8 years old children start grasping the truths of salvation and baptism.

Want to versus need to.

There is a difference. "Want to" says "I want to get baptized because my friends are and it looks fun." "Need to" says this is something I know I need to do. See the difference?

Help kids understand that baptism in the Bible was always done when the person was old enough to understand and make the decision for themselves.  This is why we do not baptized babies.

If a child continually brings up their desire to be baptized, it is a good sign that God is working in their life. 

Another thing you can do is have children write down why they are wanting to be baptized.

Read this and make sure it lines up with what the Bible says about baptism.

I have two great resources for this.  One is called "Starting Point" and covers what it means to become a follower of Jesus.  You can get more information at this link.

The second class is called "Baptism for Kids" and covers what it means to be baptized. You can get more information at this link. Hundreds of churches across the country are using these resources.

As a children's pastor, I was able to see over 430 kids and dozens of parents go through these classes and get baptized in one year.  

Seeing kids and parents come to Christ and then follow Him is the most important thing that we do.  As we are faithful to share the Gospel we will see kid's and families' lives changed. 

This means it is extremely important that you lead well.  

How are you doing leading the volunteers God has brought your way?

Let's look at the word VOLUNTEERS and see how we can lead them well.

If you would like a free copy of this info-graph, you can download it at this link.

This past weekend,  I was serving as a volunteer in the children's ministry of my home church.

Before the children's service starts, we have about 20 minutes of free time to connect with the kids.

I noticed a new little boy that came into the room. You could tell he was nervous.  He didn't know any of the other kids.

As I walked up to greet him, he looked at me and said, "Can someone play with me?"  I responded by saying "Yes...I would be glad to play with you. What do you want to play?  Puzzles?  Lite Brite?  Connect4?  Crafts?  Corn Hole? Hula Hoops?"

He looked at me and said, "Can we play that?"  It was a Jenga game.  I said, yes...let's play.  So I got down on the ground and we stacked the Jenga blocks way up high.  

While we were stacking the blocks, I was able to talk with him and find out more about his life, family, school, hobbies, etc.  It was one of the most important things I did yesterday as a volunteer.  

When he asked "Can someone play with me?"  he was asking for someone to be his friend.  

He was asking if anyone would care about him?  

He was asking this to see if he was going to "fit in?"         

He was asking to see if this was a place where he would feel love and accepted?

He was asking if someone would let him in rather than pushing him out?

Thankfully, I was able to help him get acclimated and plugged in. 

This weekend, a new boy or girl, will walk into your children's ministry for the very first time.

Make sure there is someone there to play with them.

Stand by the exit door of your children's ministry area and you will hear parents ask their child the big question.

"Did you have fun today?"

If the child responds by just shrugging his or her shoulders, then it was probably boring.

The biggest telltale sign is this- the child will come right out and say - "It was boring!"

First, let's clarify what the parents are really asking.  When they say "did you have fun today" they are really asking their child...

Did they capture your attention?

Did you see any of your friends?

Was the lesson relevant to your life?

Did the volunteers take time to talk with you? 

That being said...here are 10 reasons why a child will say church is boring.

They were made to attend an adult service.  

You don't send an 8-year-old to college.  It's not age appropriate.  The same applies for children at church.  Most of what they will hear in the adult service is not age appropriate for them.  

Should children be separated from their parents during the worship service and have their own service? Yes...I believe the pros outweigh the cons.  

Let me also say this. I believe once a child hits middle school they should move into the adult service. In the adult worship service this past weekend, I looked over and saw a boy that grew up in "children's church." He is now in 6th grade and attends the adult service.  He was ready for the move. It is now age appropriate for him and he is engaging with it.

Many people believe children should be in the adult service from day one. While there are benefits of this, I believe if you weigh out the two options, you will see that children need to be placed in age-appropriate environments until they reach a certain maturity level and can benefit from the service. You can read more about this in my article - 6 Reasons Why Children Should Not Be in the Adult Worship Service.

They constantly hear "sssssssshhhhh...be quiet."

Children are wired to talk.  They are wired to ask questions.  Little children are wired to cry and make noise.  

If you attend a very small church, it may be acceptable to have the kids attend the adult service.  I find that most people who want to make sure children are in the adult service are part of a small church where it is the norm.  Once you get into a church with a minimum of several hundred attendees, you begin to see that some of the approaches you take in a small church doesn't translate well in a larger church...both logistically and practically.  

A child that is placed in an environment where they are not allowed to talk or express themselves will leave saying the church service was "boring."   

They are made to sit still.  

Kids are wired to move, move, move.  Don't ask them to sit still for long periods of time or you may find them crawling under the pews.  Get them in an environment where they can move freely and be a part of active, hands on learning.

The teaching was over their head and they didn't learn anything. 

Just as you wouldn't expect a child to learn anything in a college classroom, don't expect children to learn from sermons that are meant for adults.

You lectured them for more than 5 minutes at a time.  

Today's kids have very, very, very short attention spans.  They won't engage with a typical adult sermon.  They need to be in an environment where there is engaging, creative, learner-based lessons.

They don't have any friends at church.  

Children are like adults in this way. They want to have a friend at church.  If they end up having to be a loner in the class, they will often say it was boring.  Church is meant to be done with other people.  Bring icebreakers and games into your lessons that give kids the opportunity to get to know other kids in their class and make friends. 

You didn't play any games in the class.  

Kids love games.  Bible verse games.  Review games.  Team games.  Make sure you bring some games into your lessons.  

It was too "babyish."   

When your songs, lessons, games and music are geared for a young audience, older kids will check out and say this is boring.  This is true when you have several grades of kids together.  

Here's a little secret. 

When you are teaching multiple ages together, always aim for the oldest boy in the room.  If you engage him, you will engage everyone.  Cool rolls downhill.  Younger children look up to older children .  That's who they want to be...an older kid.  So when they see the older kids actively engaged, they will follow suit. 

Another little secret. When you have multiple ages together, have the older kids sit up front.  Why?  Because the younger kids can now see the older kids engaging and they will engage as well.  But if you put the older kids in the back, they will be turned off and will not engage as well.

No volunteers took a personal interest in them.  Kids want to be known.  Kids want to be missed when they are absent.  Kids want to be prayed for by name.  Kids want to have a friendship with the volunteers. When this happens, kids look forward to going to church to see Mr. Mike or Mrs. Mary.  

They didn't get to be part of a small group.  Kids need the opportunity to be a part of a small group where they can establish friendships.  Small group doesn't mean one volunteer with 15 kids. That's not a small group.  A small group is a volunteer with 6 to 8 kids max.  Check your ratios.  If kids are saying your services are boring, it may be because they feel lost in the crowd.

I have met many people who say, "I'm not going to church because I was made to go as a child."  Think about this...you don't have to make someone go where they enjoy being.

I've never heard anyone say, "I'm not going to Disney World because I was made to go as a child." 

The reason they say they hated going to church as a child is because they were placed in an irrelevant, boring service or class.   

I challenge you to take a hard look at your services and programs for kids. What about their experience at church?  Are they saying things are "boring?"  Maybe they are saying it is boring because it is. 

Your turn. 

Why do you think kids get bored at church?

How can we do a better job at making church a place where kids love to come?

Do you believe kids should be placed in adult worship services? Why or why not?

Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Volunteers. Without them...there is no children's ministry.  

I believe that your most important job as a children's ministry leader is to enlist, equip, empower and encourage a team of volunteers. 

It is amazing to watch volunteers come on board and then grow and impact kids and families as a result of their service. 

Here is something important to remember.  Inspiring your volunteers is not a one and done.  Inspiration leaks.  You must continue to inspire your volunteers on a regular basis.  That being said...here are 3 ways you can inspire your volunteers.

THANK THEM. 

Volunteers get inspired when you thank them for serving.  I make sure every weekend I say these words to the volunteers at my church.

"Thank you for serving and making a difference."

65% of volunteers say they never hear the words "thank you."  Don't be that leader.  Thank them on a regular basis.  

Thank them with a handwritten note.  Thank them with a text.  Thank them with a social media post.  Thank them with a quick phone call.  

When you say "thank you," it inspires volunteers.  Inspired volunteers will go the distance with you. 

PAY THEM.   

Pay them?  If you pay them, they are no longer volunteers, right?  Volunteers serve for free.  That is true.  But there is another way you can pay them that goes far beyond money.  

You pay volunteers by showing them the stories of children and families whose lives have been changed through their influence.

Volunteers don't serve for the income.  Rather they serve for the outcome.

Tell them about the 4th grader who got baptized last weekend.

Tell them about the 1st grader who has started reading his or her Bible at home.

Tell them about the 3rd grader who accepted Christ into their life last weekend.

Tell them about the 3-year-old who has started bring her "Jesus money" to church.

Tell them about the parents who have started praying with their 2-year-old at bedtime. 

They will be inspired when they see God at work through their life and ministry. 

TAKE THEM back to the why.

Remind them on a regular basis about why they are doing what they are doing.  

Remind them that the vast majority of people come to Christ before the age of 14. 

Remind them that we only have a short window of time to disciple children.

Remind them that we are doing this to reach kids and parents with the Gospel.

Remind them that they are not baby-sitting. Rather, they are making an impact at the most important time of a person's life.

The what is important.  But more important is the why behind the what.  

Do you have a copy of my book "The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams?"  It has been called the best book ever written on the subject. Get your copy today in paperback or ebook this link. 

One of the most important things we can do is to teach kids how to pray.

As we teach kids how to pray, we are setting them up for a lifetime of passionately following Jesus. 

Let's look at some key things we can do to help kids learn how to pray.

Help kids understand that prayer is simply talking to God. 

Prayer is also listening to God.  God speaks to us through His Word.  Teach kids these things about listening to God:

Before you read the Bible, ask God to speak to you through His Word. God never fails to speak to us as we read His Word.  Write down one thing that He said to you.

Teach kids that God will never tell us to do something that goes against His Word.

God also speaks to us through the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit.  This is demonstrated through the story of God speaking to Elijah in the cave.

"After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave."

Teach kids how to pray.  Share these elements with them. 

Pray for forgiveness for your sins. 

Spend time praising God for His goodness, mercy, provision, etc.

Tell God how great He is and thank Him for His blessings in your life.

Ask God for His provision.

Ask God to use your life for His glory.

Ask God for wisdom to make the right choices.

Pray for your family.

Here is a practical way to help kids pray...this works especially well with younger children. 

Have the child hold up his or her hand. 

The thumb represents praising God for His glory. Think about how good He is.  

The pointer finger represents thanking God for how He has blessed you and your family.

The middle finger is about praying for others.  Pray for people you know who are sick.  Pray for people who need Jesus in their life.

The ring finger is about confession.  Ask God to forgive you and cleanse you for any sins you have committed. 

The pinky finger is about asking God for His daily provision in your life. 

Help kids understand that prayer is not some ritual that they must go through.  Rather, it is a way to connect with your best friend...Jesus.  It's about spending time with Him.

Help kids understand that there is power in prayer.   

We know that nothing of eternal value happens without prayer.  Prayer is the way we see God move and do miraculous things in our lives and in the lives of those we are praying for.

Lead by example.  

Be a prayer warrior yourself.  

Let kids hear you praying out loud.  

Pray before you eat your meals and thank God for His provision.  Do this at home and in public restaurants.

Share with them prayers that you have seen answered.  

I have personally seen the power of prayer and how God answers the prayers of children.

A few years ago, I was invited to speak at a conference in Indonesia.  Indonesia is 85% Muslim.  But in the heart of Jakarta, Indonesia there is a church that ministers to over 12,000 people each weekend.  When I got to the church I had to be cleared by a medal detector and had to walk past a security man who was holding a machine gun.  

I wondered why this church had grown so quickly and reached so many people?  It wasn't the staff.  There where only 2 staff members for the entire church. 

I was soon to find out the reason for their growth and blessings.  During one of the services they took me to a room that was underneath the auditorium.  In this room, there were dozens of kids who were on their faces, asking God to bless the service and to move in the heart of the people who needed Him. 

It quickly became clear why God was blessing this church in the middle of a Muslim country.  

It was the power of prayer!

Let's be committed to seeing kids pray at home and at church.  When we do this, God will respond and use our ministries for His glory.

Do you need more volunteers?  You are not alone. I've never talked with someone who didn't need more volunteers in a local church setting.

That's why I am really excited about the upcoming live webinar "Building the Volunteer Team That You've Always Dreamed About."  

Four proven leaders will share how they build and lead volunteer teams.  

Brian Dollar, is a veteran children's ministry leader at First Assembly of God Church in Little Rock.  

Brian will be sharing how to lead volunteers. It takes strategic leadership to not only build a team, but to keep volunteers engaged and growing for the long-term.  

Bryan Cheney leads the children's ministry at Willow Creek Community Church.  He will be sharing how to lead and built a volunteer team even in post-turbulence.  Just like the rest of us, Bryan has led through some turbulent times in the last few years.  Like the majority of ministries, Covid caused some of his volunteers to step away from serving.  But through this Bryan and his team have continued to build their volunteer team and enlist people to serve in the days of post-turbulence.

One of the big factors in expanding your volunteer team is building up volunteers who can lead other volunteers.  This is the next level and can be a challenge to see happen.  Heidi Hensley, a veteran children's ministry leader, has led in some of the greatest churches in the country.  She will share how she creates layers of volunteer leaders which is a big key in seeing your team grow.

I will be sharing three small tweaks that you can make that will help you build a great volunteer team. These are tweaks that I used to build and lead a volunteer team of over 2,000 in a local church.  These three tweaks can be a game-changer for you and your ministry.

And yes...there will be Q & A time in each session so your specific questions can be answered. 

We have churches joining us from across the country and from several other countries.  Register today and save your spot.  

Can't make it for the live webinar due to a schedule conflict?  No worries.  When you register, you will receive access to the webinar on demand so you can watch it whenever you want. 

As an added bonus, I am giving everyone who registers a copy of one of my books - The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams or 52 Devotions for Children's Ministry Leaders. 

You can register at this link.  Join us for this great time of equipping and empowering.

A new year of children's ministry has begun.  Hopefully, you have your calendar for 2023 planned out. 

Successful children's ministries are very strategic and purposeful when they plan their calendar.

Let's look at some ways you can maximize your ministry calendar this year. 

Plan out your calendar at least one year in advance.  I actually planned out my children's ministry calendar a year and a half in advance. 

Here's a tip:  Get a large desk calendar.  Bring the key leaders of your team together.  Go through and put down your events and programs on the calendar.  Once you have that done, transfer it to an electronic calendar.

Sync up with other ministries.  Ideally, you will plan out your calendar with the other ministries in your church.  This will help you avoid any calendar conflicts.  An example would be this - you don't want to have a mother & daughter event on the same night the church is having a Bible study for mothers.  Collaborate and work with the other ministries so families don't have to choose between programs and events. A well planned "master calendar" will help ministries align and have maximum impact. 

Be flexible.  There will be times when other ministries add something last minute or change some key dates that affect your ministry.  Often this is out of your hands. When this happens, don't pitch a royal fit.  Be ready to adjust as needed.

Remember less is more.  When I first started out in ministry, I was taught that "the more lines you have in the water" the more fish you would catch.  In other words, have as many ministries as you can and you will reach more people.   

Over the years, I realized that the opposite is true.  

You can do a few things well or you can do a lot of things mediocre.

Something else to remember is that families are only going to give you so much time.  An example is this, if you have an event on Saturday, many families will consider that their "church time" for the week and will not show up on Sunday.  Make sure your calendar is leading people to what is most important and to what can have the biggest impact in their lives.

Sometimes the best thing you can put on your ministry calendar is eraser marks.

Your ministry calendar should reflect your vision and strategy.   Your ministry calendar should be a pathway to your ministry goals.  Here's an example.  If discipleship is one of your key areas of focus, then your calendar should be a pathway to discipleship.  Don't just put random events and programs on your calendar.  

Start with the end in mind.  What do you want kids to know at the end of the year?  What Bible knowledge do you want the kids to have by the end of the year?  How do you want to partner with parents and empower them to raise their children to follow Jesus?  Your calendar should be steps forward in your areas of focus.

A well planned and managed calendar helps ensure you’re being strategic, efficient and effective with your time.

The goal is to see them return for a second time and become a part of your church.  

This is not always an easy task.  Stats show that only 7% of guests return for a second time.

That is where I was at.  We were seeing lots of guests come each week, but we couldn't seem to break that 7% return barrier. 

So I decided to put more effort and resources into our guest return strategy. 

We decided to give every guest a gift when they returned.  The gift was a nice t-shirt with our ministry logo on it.  

Here was the strategy. 

Each guest had a personal volunteer who helped them check in.  As the volunteer checked them in and walked them to their classroom, he or she would ask the guests questions like "how did you hear about the church" or "where did you move from" or "what school are you attending" and other small talk questions.

After the volunteer has helped the family get to their rooms, he or she will write out a personal note to the family.  As they write the note, they will mention something specific that they learned about the family.  An example would be a family who moved from Pittsburgh.  The volunteer will mention that in the note. This helps guest families see that the note is specifically for them and not just a standard letter that is used for everyone.

The handwritten postcard also has a return invite and says if they return the card the next time they attend, the kids will receive the t-shirt. 

Once we did this, our percentage return rate went from 7% to 38%.  The investment we made started paying off as we saw a lot more children and families return and get plugged into the church.  Many of the kids wore their shirt to school which helped spread the word about our ministry. 

This strategy can be used not only for church services but events like fall festival, family events, summer programming, etc. 

I want to encourage you to take a look at what percentage of your guests are returning.  

Put time and effort into implementing a strategy that will increase your percentage. I believe you can double the number of guests who return.

Your turn. What strategies do you use to encourage guests to return?  What is your percentage?  Share your thoughts and insights in the comment section below.

I was recently listening to a children's pastor talk about his church volunteering at a local elementary school.  

When it came time for the school to announce its annual volunteer of the year award, they chose his church.  

That is so awesome!  What a testimony for a church that is committed to reaching out to their community.  

It epitomizes being the hands and feet of Jesus to those in your community.  

It reminds me of this quote.

Preach the Gospel. Use words when necessary.

Those who serve their local elementary schools are building bridges instead of putting up walls. Like never before, it's time for churches reach out and share the Gospel with the children and families in their community.  And there is no better place to start than local elementary schools. 

Here are some ways your ministry can serve the elementary schools in your area. 

Start an after school Bible club.  There are several organizations that can help you with this.  Check out Ignite316, Child Evangelism Fellowship and Partner with Schools just to name a few. 

Volunteer as a mentor or tutor.

Be a chaperone for a school field trip.

Volunteer at school events.

Be part of a parent organization.

Donate supplies.  The start of a new school year is a great time to do this. You can provide backpacks with school supplies in them.

Provide a breakfast or lunch for teachers.

Pray for your local schools' teachers and administrators.

Host a prayer walk at the beginning of the school year.  A few weeks ago, I was part of a prayer walk at one of our local elementary schools. The assistant principle came and we were able to pray over her as well. 

Volunteer to be a crossing guard at the school.

One of the best things you can do is this...  

Reach out to teachers and administrators and simply ask, "How can we help? We are here to serve you."

Organize volunteers from your church to help with tasks like landscaping, painting, cleaning, etc. 

Start small if needed.  Start with one class. One grade. One teacher rather than the whole school. 

Attend PTA meetings to stay on top of school issues and demonstrate to the principle and parents that you care. 

Provide snacks for the teachers' lounge occasionally throughout the year. 

These are just a few of the ways you can be the volunteer of the year for your local school.

Stop complaining about how bad your local school is and be the person or ministry who makes the difference. Let the light of Jesus shine through you to your local schools. 

Check out this verse. 

“You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” James 4:2-3

What do you need for the ministry you lead?  Budget increase?  More volunteers? A new building?  More staff members?  

If you need any of these things, it starts by making the ask. 

The reason you may not have what you need for the ministry, may be because you simply haven't made the ask. 

The verses go on to say that you may not have what you need because you have wrong motives.  You are asking because of pride or competitiveness or the need to feel important. You want to have the best children's ministry facilities in your city for bragging rights. You want to reach more kids so your self-esteem can be boosted. You may want to feel validated.

Get past the wrong motives and you have unhindered access to a Heavenly Father who loves you and wants to provide your ministry needs and even dreams.  

So, if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!  Mathew 7:11

Why haven't you made the ask yet for the dream God has placed in your heart?  

What is holding you back from making the ask?  Fear of rejection?  Lack of trust in God?  Believing it's not important enough to make the ask?  

My dear friend...I want you to know today that God is ready to answer your prayers and give you what you need so you and your ministry flourish. 

Around 25 years ago, I was a young children's pastor in my early 30's (that's young when you are now 55) The ministry I was leading was growing. In-spite of being in an old, dark room that was used for funerals, we were packing the room out with kids. 

During this time, God placed a dream in my spirit to build a new children's ministry area.  I was very, very nervous about making this ask. Would the Pastor and elder board say "yes?"  Would they dismiss my dream?  Would they see children's ministry as a valuable ministry that they were ready to invest in?

A meeting was set for a Wednesday night.  I remember how nervous I was walking into that room of older, wiser men.  I took a big breathe and shared with them the vision God had placed in my heart. I had a folder for each person in the room that explained the vision and what I believed God could do if we pursued this.

After I finished the presentation, the chairman of the elder board stood and said he had to leave early for another appointment he had.  Besides the pastor,  he was the most influential person in the room.  He paused at the door as he was leaving and said, "I believe we should do this."  

That "yes" was the beginning of a great ministry adventure as we begin reaching new families for Christ and saw the ministry grow exponentially. 

I felt overwhelmed with joy and appreciation.  I was so glad that I had made the ask...even when I doubts about it. 

I told you that story to tell you this.  

Make the ask.  

I know it seems like too big of an ask.  But make the ask anyways. 

I know you are hesitant to make the ask because you are afraid your vision will never come to pass.  But make the ask anyways.  

I know you are afraid to make the ask.  But remember you serve a great, big God and if He is in it, don't let anything stop you from making the ask. 

I know you feel stuck in a rut and wonder if you will ever get out.  Make the ask.  It may propel you forward.   

Don't let the reason the ministry didn't move forward be due to a lack of asking.  

One final thought.  As the verse says - make sure you are asking for the right reason.  Make the ask for God's glory.  Make the ask for building His kingdom.  Make the ask with the end result being people coming to Christ. 

Ask.

Ask. 

Ask.  

You have a great God who will hear and answer you.  He's just waiting for you to make the ask.

The words you use with children are very important. 

The tongue has the power of life and death.  Proverbs 18:21

While kids learn mostly by our actions, our words also play a huge part in children's spiritual and personal formation.

The words you speak to children will last long after you are gone and in heaven. The words of encouragement and empowerment you speak to them will continue to echo in their heart for the rest of their life.  

Think about your experience growing up.  To this day, you can remember words that were spoken to you as a child.  You can remember both positive and negative words.

Your words will become their internal dialogue even after they are adults.

What does it mean to speak life?  Speaking life means that you are speaking love, growth and other positive words that a person needs. 

A gentle tongue is a tree of life. (Proverbs 15:4)

Using our words wrongly can break the spirit of a child (death).

Here are some examples of words you can speak to a child that can change their life and give them the confidence they need for the rest of their life.

I believe in you.  

God has a special plan for your life.

I am so proud of you. 

You got this. 

God loves you and so do we.

Learn from your mistakes. 

Be you. God wants to work through your life, not you trying to be a second-rate version of someone else. There is only one you in the world, so be yourself. 

You matter.  

You are strong in the Lord! (Ephesians 6:10) 

You make me smile.

You are loved – no matter what.  There is nothing you can do that will change that. (Romans 5:8)

God is working in your life.

You are a gift from God. 

I always look forward to spending time with you.

There is only one you in the world, so be yourself. 

You are a gift from God. (James 1:17)

You are strong because God gives you strength. (Ephesians 6:10)

I’m thankful for you.

You are worth it.

You can be a difference maker.

I will never leave you.  I will always be there for you. 

You were created by God to do great things. He made you in such a way that you are equipped with everything you need to be amazing.  (Ephesians 2:10)

The words we speak to children have a role in determining their confidence, abilities, happiness and well-being. Show kids you believe in them by using words of encouragement on a daily basis.

Kids will become what you tell them they will be.

There are a lot of voices vying for the attention of today's kids. In the midst of all the noise coming their way, there are three key voices that we need to teach children to recognize and tune into.

The voice of the Holy Spirit.  I believe the Holy Spirit wants to guide and lead children.  I am not talking about a vocal voice, but rather the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit who speaks into their life.  

A great example of God speaking to a child is Samuel.  He heard the voice of God when he was just a child living in the temple.

Teach children about praying.  Teach them about talking with God.  But don't stop there. Teach them that prayer is also listening for the Holy Spirit to speak to us. 

Here's one way you can effectively teach kids to listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit.  Have the kids get still and quiet.  Heads bowed.  Eyes closed.  Give them a minute or so to individually talk with God in the stillness of the moment.  

Then have them start listening.  Have them ask God to speak to them in the quiet.  Give them a minute or so to do this as well. 

Then have some of the kids share with everyone what the Holy Spirit was saying to them. You will be amazed at the responses they will share. 

Remind the children up front that the Holy Spirit will never tell them something that goes against God's written Word, the Bible. 

Oh, how we need children who will rise up to be prayer warriors.  Children who will live in sync with the plan God has for them.  Children who will know and recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit.

The voice of their parents.  Several years ago, I took my youngest son to a parent/child camp in Northern California.  It was a wonderful experience.  The entire camp was set up for parents and their child to attend together.  Each day we would do activities like rope climbing, hiking, riding the white water rapids and many other fun things.  In the evening, we had classes and worship services. 

One afternoon, they took a group of us to an obstacle course.  When we got there they pulled the parents aside and told us this. 

"We are going to blindfold your child.  After they are blindfolded, you will stand beside them and whisper three things into their ear."

1 - I love you. 

2 - Always listen to my voice. 

3 - I will never leave you.

After we told our children these 3 things, we started guiding them through the obstacle course with our voice. 

"Take 5 steps that way."

"There is a boulder in front of you that we have to climb over. I will guide you through it."

"We are coming up on a tunnel.  We need to get down on our knees to get through it."

About half way through the obstacle course, the camp staff motioned for us to quietly come away from our children.  

The camp staff then stepped in and started whispering directions to our children.  If our child listened to their voice, they would run into a tree or go down a side path or end up at dead end. 

After doing this for a few minutes, they had us (parents) step back in and guide them to the end of the course. 

After we got to the end of the course, they reminded our children how important it is to listen to the voice of their parents.  Other voices will try to speak into their lives. Voices that are contrary to their parent's voice.  Don't be misguided.  Stay tuned into your parent's voice. 

It is important to teach kids to listen to the voice of their parents.  Look what God's Word says in Proverbs 13:1.

"A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not respond to rebukes."

Reminding children how important it is to listen their parents is a great way to partner with parents and reinforce the role God as placed them in as their child's primary influencer. 

The voice of a caring leader. Yes, parents are the number one influence in their child's life.  But I have also found that God will send another voice into the child's life to reinforce what their parents are saying.  It might be the voice of a caring leader.  It might be a children's pastor.  It might be a caring volunteer leader.  It might be a godly man or woman in the congregation. 

Over the years, I am thankful for people that God brought into my life to help me follow Jesus.  One was a godly deacon.  One was my youth pastor.  One was a businessman.  All of these leaders showed that they cared for me and my spiritual journey. 

If you are reading this and you are a volunteer leader who is investing in children, be reminded of how important your voice is in the children's life.  Your words will make an impact.  Your words will encourage children to follow Jesus.  Your words will help children stay on the right path.  Your voice matters...a bunch.  I believe it only takes one leader speaking into a child's life to see them follow Jesus.

3 voices.  The Holy Spirit.  Parents.  Caring leaders.  

If we can help children listen to these 3 voices, we can see them love and follow Jesus for a lifetime.

This past weekend, I was with the children's ministry team at Church of the King in the New Orleans metro area.  

Their heart for kids and families inspired me.  Children and family ministry is a high value in the church and you can see this reflected in their children's ministry facilities.

Here is an inside look at their children's ministry areas.