RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Do you want to see your ministry grow and impact more kids and families?  

Do you want to add more volunteers to your team?

Do you want to equip parents and help them become the primary spiritual influence in their child's life?

Do you want to dramatically increase the excellence factor of your ministry?  

Do you want to uncover factors that are holding you back from growing?

Good news. I can help you. 

In one weekend, I can help you increase your impact. 

Here's how...

Friday Night Parent Seminar

• A one hour seminar that will equip parents to be the spiritual leaders of their children. 

• Practical, hands on training that will encourage parents and give them practical parenting tools.  

• A great opportunity to set your ministry up to successfully partner with parents. 

 Saturday Volunteer Training

• Bring your volunteers together to be equipped and empowered to take your ministry to the next level. 

• Volunteers will be encouraged and recharged to serve kids and families. 

• Your volunteers give a lot...use this time to give back to them and invest in them.  

• I will work with you to tailor fit this time of training to meet the unique needs of your volunteer team. 

Sunday Consultation

• I will observe your ministry in real time on Sunday morning (secret shopper). 

• I will meet with a group of your parents to get their feedback and input on how you can improve the ministry (focus group). 

• Sunday evening - I will create a detailed list of ways you can improve your ministry based on my observations and input from parents.

• Monday morning - We will talk about the list and together brainstorm for ways you can improve the ministry.

This opportunity is available for all sizes of churches.  I am committed to helping your ministry thrive and grow. I do not have a set fee for this. I can work with your church no matter what your budget is. I have a 36 year proven track record of growing ministries and leaders.

Ready to increase your impact?  You can reach me at dale@buildingchildrensministry.com. I will then contact you for a free consultation and talk about how I can serve you and your ministry. 

What are you waiting for? One weekend can be a difference maker for you and your ministry. Increase your impact in one weekend.

Volunteers. I believe they are the most important part of your ministry.  

At times, they may get tired. 

At times, they may get discouraged. 

At times, they may forget why they are serving. 

At times, they may even feel like quitting. 

As the leader of the ministry, it is important to remember that it's your job to encourage them. 

We all need encouraging at times.  

We all need a pat on the back at times.

We all need someone to bring a smile to our face when we are tired or discouraged.  

With this in mind, here are 10 ways you can encourage your volunteers. 

Send them a text message. 

A text message with an encouraging word will brighten their day and remind them that you appreciate them. FYI - 95% of text messages get read so you know you can use this to connect with them. 

Send them a personal, handwritten note.

In the days of digital communication, a personal handwritten note is gold. You might even include a gift card for coffee.   

Give them a copy of my book "52 Devotions for Children's Ministry Leaders." 

This book will encourage them and help them renew their commitment to reaching the next generation. You can get your copy at this link. You can also get great discounts when ordering 5 or more copies.

 

Say "thank you for serving and making a difference" to them each time they serve.  

Did you know that 65% of volunteers say they have never had anyone thank them for serving? Don't be that leader.

Shepherd them well. 

You are a shepherd for your volunteers.  Be there for them.  Help them grow spiritually. Visit them in the hospital. Pray with them. 

Give them a copy of the book "Legacy...Leave Your Mark on This World.

This book will remind them that they can leave a legacy.  They can leave their mark on this world as they serve in children's ministry. They can be a difference maker.  You can get the book at this link. Discounts are available for orders of 5 or more. 

Show them a video clip from the movie "Wide Awake."  

This clip is phenomenal to encourage volunteers. You can get it at this link on YouTube. 

Show them the video "Now and Later."

This video is a great minder of the impact volunteers make when they serve. Great for volunteer training, appreciation, recruiting, and more.  You can get it at this link. 

Have a volunteer of the month. 

Highlight the volunteer and share how they are making a difference. 

Your turn. How do you encourage your volunteers?  Share your ideas in the comment section below.

It is very important to consistently pour into your volunteer team. Remember...the success of your ministry will rise and fall on the strength of your volunteer team. 

One of the ways you can pour into your volunteer team is to take them to children's ministry conferences. 

The only downside is this can be nearly impossible due to the costs involved. Think about the cost of having to buy plane tickets, hotel rooms, food, etc. for a group of volunteers. Most ministries simply can't afford to do this. 

But here is the good news. You can still pour into all of your volunteers by bringing the training to them.  The wonder of technology is you can bring live training to your team. All you need is an internet connection and a screen or TV.  Bring all your volunteers together at your church or ministry and you are ready to go.

Here's how I can help you.  I can bring top level training to all of your volunteers for only $99.  Yes.  You read that correctly.  Not $99 per person.  $99 total for all of your volunteers.  This live, one hour training includes handout notes, interactive teaching with time for Q & A, and Powerpoint slides.

I have trained hundreds of churches using this method and it works.  Your volunteers will come out of this training inspired, equipped, and empowered to serve well in your ministry.  The cool thing is this.  I will work with you ahead of time to decide what teaching and topics will be most beneficial for your team.  The training will be custom made for your team's needs.  Here are a few examples of topics we can bring for your training. 

• Gen Beta...How to Reach the Newest Generation
• Becoming a Master Teacher Like Jesus
• 10 Things Your Nursery Should be Doing
• How to Reach Today's Kids
• Leave a Legacy Through Children's Ministry
• If Disney Ran Your Children's Ministry
• Be Our Church Guest...Pursuing Excellence in Guest Services
• How to Lead a Small Group Well
• Excellence in Children's Ministry
• How to Avoid Burn-out in Children's Ministry
• 10 Ways to Make the Bible Come Alive for Kids
• Family Ministry...How to Minister to the Entire Family
• 10 Keys to a Great Preschool Ministry
• 10 Keys to Seeing Kids Remember Your Lessons
• 10 Ways to Get Your Ministry Out of a Slump
• The Most Effective Way to Teach Children
• 5 Ways to Help Kids Share Their Faith
• How to Reach Parents With the Gospel
• 10 Ways to Connect With Today's Kids
  

There is something very valuable about bringing in someone from the outside to reinforce and re-emphasize what you have been saying to your volunteers. Your team will be strengthened and encouraged.

So...what are your waiting for?  Don't miss this opportunity to take your volunteer team to the next level and challenge them to be committed to the mission of your ministry. 

You can get more information about an online training for your children's ministry at this link.  Dale will then speak with you via phone to set up a training.

Have you set your volunteer training dates for the upcoming months?  

One key element that people sometimes overlook is time for some fun games at their training.  

Here are 10 games you can use at your upcoming training events.  The purpose of these games is two-fold:

1. Get to know each other better.

2. Laugh and have fun together. 

Look

Get everyone in circles of 6-8 people.  Have them face each other.  Have everyone bow their head and close their eyes. When you say, "Look" each person must look up and look at someone else in their circle. If 2 people are looking at each other, they are both out.  Keep playing until there is only one person left. 

p.s. As groups get smaller, combine them. 

Make the point that every week our goal should be to look kids in the eyes and give them personal attention.

Sticker Stalker

Purchase a pack of stickers.  Give everyone one sheet of 5 to 10 stickers (or less, depending on the size of the party). 

This game works best at a party where everyone is mingling.  Each person must discreetly place all their stickers on other party guests; the first to use all their stickers wins. 

If they get caught "stickering" someone, they must accept a sticker. At the end of the evening, you can laugh about how sneaky some people are—and wonder how you ended up with stickers all over your back without even noticing. 

Camera Hot Potato

Pick a phone to pass around the group. Set it to self-timer mode—10 seconds is best—and use regular photo mode, not selfie mode. Pass the phone around, with each person holding the phone up for a moment, posing for the camera. Pass until the photo is taken, then repeat. At the end, take a look at the (probably undignified) photos. 

20 Questions

Pick one person to go first. That person will think of an item, animal, movie, public figure, etc. Everyone else will ask yes-or-no questions about what or who they are; they have 20 chances to guess, or the other person wins. Whoever guesses correctly can win a prize, or be the next to answer questions. 

Remind team members of the importance of asking the kids questions so they can get to know them better.

Minute to Win It Games

If you've ever seen the TV game show, these are funny physical or mental challenges that people have to complete in under a minute (great for a lot of laughs). Think picking up Cheerios with a toothpick (and their mouths), reciting the alphabet backwards (without any mistakes!), sorting a big bowl of M&Ms or Skittles by color, or bouncing ping-pong balls into an egg carton.

Name That Tune

Simply turn on a song (nostalgic childhood tunes are always a hit) and see who can guess the name of the song the quickest. Keep score of who guesses the most right and hand out prizes to the top guesser at the end of the night. 

Two Truths and a Lie

One person has to give three statements about themselves to the rest of the group. The trick is: all of the statements won’t be true—two of the statements given should be and one should be a lie.

After you’re finished, everyone should guess which statement they think you made up. Once everyone has made their guess, reveal which statement was your lie.

Charades

This is always a fun game to play.  Divide everyone up into teams.  Each team will send up one person to draw something or act out something. The person's team must guess what they are drawing or acting out in 60 seconds or less to win.  Play as many rounds as time allows.

Heads or Tails?

Make one side of the room heads and the other side tails. Tell people to choose which side they want to be on and then go to that side.

Flip a coin. If it lands on tails, those people are out.  If it lands on heads, those people are out.  Keep going until only one person is left. That person is the winner. People can choose which side they want to get on before you flip the coin each time.

Would You Rather... 

Pick one person at a time to play.  Ask them two questions.  Which would they choose to do?  Make up silly, gross stuff for each question. The crazier the better.

I pray God's blessings on your volunteer trainings.  Bring the fun factor in and your volunteers will want to come back again.  

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. 

I know...it's still hot outside. We are right in the middle of summer. 

I get tickled when other ministries say summer is a "slow season" for them. 

If you're in children's ministry, summer is one of your busiest times of the year.  You have VBS, camps, family events, volunteer enlistment and more. 

Then...with little to no break, you jump into a busy fall season of ministry. 

The fall ministry season is fast approaching and you have to be ready.  

Here are 10 steps you need to take to be ready for the fall ministry season. 

1. Plan out key dates for fall events, programs and outreach.  

I suggest you plan your calendar at least a year in advance.  But if you still have some key dates you need to finalize, now is the time to take care of that and get it on the ministry calendar.  

Don't do this in a silo. Make sure your events and programs are going to gel with what other ministries are doing.  An example: you don't want to have your fall training on the same day as a men's ministry outreach event.  Be proactive about this and partner with the other ministries in your church so you can have a calendar that works for you and not against you.

2. Re-engage families. 

Families have been out of town on vacation.  Many have been sporadic in their church attendance.  With school starting back, families' schedules will be "back to normal."  Reach out to families and encourage them to get back into a consistent church attendance flow.  Use direct mail, phone calls and social media to touch bases with them. Let them know you have missed seeing them and look forward to re-connecting.

3. Enlist new volunteers.  

Use the fall as a key time to bring new volunteers on board. In my book, The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams,  I share how you can reach out to people who served at VBS, camps or events and invite them to join your team on a full-time basis.  Do this well and you can see lots of new volunteers join your team going into the fall.

4. Train your volunteers.  

It's important to host a volunteer training as you are going into the fall season.  The purpose is to get everyone on the same page, cast vision, motivate and equip volunteers.  If you need a speaker for your training, feel free to contact me.  I have one or two openings available in the next few months.

5. Have a high attendance day push.  

Get kids excited about bringing their friends to church on that day.  Give them invite cards they can use to invite schoolmates, team members, neighbors, etc.  Ramp everything up and make it a great day. I suggest doing this a week or so after school has started back up so kids can have time to invite their friends.

6. Have a one day staff retreat.

This can be for staff and/or high level volunteers.  Take key leaders off-site for a day of brainstorming, encouraging and investing in them.  Don't forget to carve out some time to eat together and have fun together as well.

7. Amp up communication.

Keep parents, volunteers and staff in the know.  Use social media, texting, email and other forms of communication to keep everyone in the loop on what is happening in the fall ministry season.

8. Look for ways to partner with other ministries.  

Can you partner with adult ministries for a family fall festival?  

Can adult small groups each sponsor a trunk for trunk or treat?  

Can you partner with adult ministries to do a parenting class?

Can you partner with student ministry to see students serve in children's ministry?

Can you partner with men's ministry to do a father-son camp-out?

Can you partner with women's ministry to do a mother-daughter event? 

There are lots of possibilities when you get out of the silo mode and into the partnership mode.

9. Bless local elementary schools.

Provide a breakfast for the teachers. 

Provide teachers with supplies that they would normally have to buy out of their own pocket.

Help with any cleaning, maintenance, repairs, etc. that is needed.  

Do a prayer walk around the schools in your area (obviously not when school in session).

10. Pray over your volunteers.

Take time each week to pray with your volunteers before they serve.  Whatever it takes to make it happen...do it.  Those 5 minutes will set the tone for their serving experience and will bring God's blessings and power upon your team.

Your turn. What else are you doing to prepare for the fall ministry season?  Share your thoughts and insights in the comment section below.

According to the Cambridge Edition Dictionary a "Kidult" is an adult who likes doing or buying things that are intended for children.

A Kidult is also said to be "A person who has a great fondness for his or her favorite cartoons, superheroes and collectible toys that remind him/her of his/her childhood.  They also buy clothes or accessories that have a design that is aimed primarily at young teenagers."

Believe it or not, the "kidult" demographic of consumers is the largest driver of growth in the toy industry. They account for nearly $9 billion in sales each year. 

“We know that this generation does take their jobs very seriously, but at the end of the day, they also want to have fun,” said Josh Shave, senior director of marketing for Razor.

Many of you reading this are kidults.  I confess...I am one.  I'm just a big kid.  I have a video game system right here beside me and I often play it.  I also frequently play games on my cell phone.  Look around the next time you are in a waiting area (like a doctor's office). You will see adults playing games on their cell phones.

I remember my wife in the early days of our marriage, would have to tell me to shut down the video game system because it was time for bed.  I would often say the famous words "I will be there in a minute...just let me finish this level."  It would sometimes be after midnight before I finished playing the video game "level" I was playing. 

I still love playing some of my favorite games from when I was a kid.  Donkey Kong.  All things Mario. Wii games. Madden football. Pac Man. Galaga. Dig Dug. Frogger.  The list could go on.

My boys (who are now 33 and 29) still love to play some of the video games they grew up with. Minecraft.  Runescape. Lego games. Mario and many more.   

Toy companies are realizing this trend and are creating toys that are tied to nostalgic for adults. Toys and video games like Harry Potter, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Star Wars and Marvel superheroes are big sellers for kidults.

Often you will also see kidult parents and their children playing games together.  From video game systems to board games to outdoor games, parents and their children love the shared experience of playing together . This is a good thing.  It's a win anytime you get kids and parents spending time playing together.

79% of parents believe that play is an important form of self-care for children and 77% use toys to help with learning.

Covid kick-started the upswing of parents and their children playing together.  Families were huddled in their homes with lots of time to spend together.  In the last year, toys and games targeting kidults represented 60% of the financial growth in the toy and game industry.  

Based on this information, here are some key thoughts about how we should respond to this as children's ministry leaders.

1. Use play as a learning method when you teach.  But don't play games just to be playing games.  Make sure every game reinforces the main teaching point you are trying to communicate. 

Here's an example.  At my home church, we are currently in a series called "The Enormously Gigantically Big Game Show." (click to see more)

The series teaches kids how big God is.  We use games throughout this series to reinforce the main point.  Last week, we were teaching the kids how powerful God is.  The Bible story came from Elijah telling the king it would not rain for 7 years. When the rain returned, it started with a small cloud in the sky.  It was a spectacular display of God's power.  

Right after the story, we played a game to reinforce it.  The kids had a cotton ball (represents the little white cloud in the Bible story).  Each child had a straw and raced to see who could use the straw to blow the cotton ball (cloud) across the finish line.  This reminded the kids about the cloud in the story moving in because of how powerful God is.

2. Create shared experiences for kidults and their kids at church.  Parents are looking for ways to create great memories with their children.  There are lots of ways you can do this.  Milestones work great for this. Some other ideas are a family show, Easter egg hunt, Fall Festival, VBS family night, Christmas services, father-daughter dance, camp outs and more.

3. Create shared experiences for kidults and their kids at home.  A family discussion about the week's lesson.  A prayer guide for kids and their parents.  Take home papers that kids and their parents can do together.  Online games and activities that kids and their parents can do together at home.

4. Always be thinking about how you can engage Kidults. How can you encourage them to invest in their children spiritually?  How can you equip them to lead their children spiritually?  How can you create resources that they and their children will study and play together?

God can use kidults in a great way in children's ministry.  Make yourself available and watch what God does in and through your life.

p.s. Have you registered for the upcoming webinar entitled "Build the Volunteer Team You've Always Dreamed About?" It's going to be amazing.  Don't miss this opportunity to help build your volunteer team.

Here's more info. and you register at this link.

 

I know you are always looking for ways to improve your ministry.  

Sometimes this involves making big changes.  But it can also mean making some small changes that result in a big difference. 

Here are 10 little tips that can make a big difference in your children's ministry.

Tip #1 - When parents drop off their babies in the nursery, ask them this. 

"If your baby starts crying, how long do you want me to wait before contacting you?"

This takes the guess work away.  You don't have to worry about the parents getting upset because you didn't call them or you called too early.

Tip #2 - Hand the take home paper to the parent instead of the child.  Tired of seeing take home papers on the ground in the parking lot?  During pick-up time, instead of handing the child the take home paper, hand it to the parent.  And say this when you hand it to them.

"Here is what your child learned today. Here are some follow-up questions, activities, etc. that you can do with him or her this week to reinforce it."

Tip #3 -  When making a decision about something that is considered "edgy" for your context,  go with what the average family thinks about it. 

You have three groups of parents in your ministry.  

• Very conservative parents.  
• Average parents.  
• Anything goes parents.

The very conservative families will always be the loudest in your ear - telling you to not try something outside the box.  Don't follow their pathway.  Go with what the average family will get on board with.  This will get you the biggest impact.

#4 - Have back-up security tags ready in case your check-in system goes down.  Most check-in systems are web based.  If the internet goes down on a Sunday morning and you don't have a back-up plan, then you are out of luck.  Be prepared for this.  Always have an extra set of matching name tags prepared and ready to go.

#5 - Have your check-in team write out your guest cards.  After they have checked a guest family in and walked them to their classroom, have them write out a "thanks for being our guest" card.  

Have the check-in team members put something in the handwritten note that is specific for that family.  An example would be a family that just moved to your area from another city.  Make mention of that in the note. This will mean a lot to guest families when they get a note that is specifically for them.

Plus, your check-in team members will love being able to have a part in seeing a new family return.

#6 - Give children "invite cards" on a regular basis.  Encourage children to live out the great commission by inviting their friends, school mates, team members, etc. to come to church with them so they can hear the Gospel.  If you will consistently emphasize this, you will see kids bringing guests on a regular basis.

#7 - Do you want team members to show up for your pre-service huddle?  Let new volunteers know that you have a pre-service huddle each week and part of their "job description" is to be at this meeting.

I know it can be a struggle at time to get volunteers to show up for the huddle.  But if you set the expectation up front, you will see them attend.  Then work on getting your veteran volunteers to attend.

#8 - Create a monthly "kid-connect" paper for your volunteers.  Include things that are relevant and popular with children.  What movies are they watching?  What video games do they like?  What TV series are they into?  What songs are the most popular with them?

Your volunteers can use these as talking points with the children before service starts.

It's so important to have regular times of training and encouragement with volunteers. 

Remember...vision leaks.  Passion leaks.  Motivation leaks.  Encouragement leaks. 

We know this, but it's been difficult to do this during Covid-19. 

Here's where I can partner with you and provide you with a great volunteer training online. 

There are two options:

#1 - Bring your volunteer team together and bring the live training to them as a group. 

#2 - Volunteers can watch the live training at home.  

 You also get...

• training handout with notes
  

• 40 min. of training and 20 minutes of Q & A