RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

A vision that is not communicated properly is like an airplane sitting on a runway that never takes off.

If you want your vision to become reality, here's 5 keys to communicating it effectively. 

CLARITY
People won't follow a vision they don't understand.  Make it very clear.

CONCISENESS
If you want people to remember the vision, then communicate it concisely...ideally in one sentence.  Less is more when it comes to wordsmithing a vision.

CHALLENGE
People want to be part of something bigger than themselves.  The vision should challenge people to step out of their comfort zone.  If it's not challenging, then it's not big enough. 

CHAMPION
People will only get as excited about the vision as the person communicating it.  You must be the person championing the vision.

CONTINUATION
Communicating a vision is not one and done.  It's a continuing process.  Vision leaks and must continuously be refilled.

Package your vision with these 5 keys and you'll have a vision people will follow.

The key to effectively leading change or new initiatives is to get "buy in."  In other words, you need people to stack hands with you and say, "Yes, let's do this."

The challenge is people's natural reaction is to hesitate or resist when faced with change.  Through lots of mistakes and miscues, I have discovered the best way to get buy in.  Here it is.

When people have things pushed down to them without being part of the creative and planning process, they may comply, but complying is not the same as buying in.

People own what they help create.  When people help build something, it takes engagement to a whole new level.

Here's some real time examples.

Example #1
You're thinking about introducing a new curriculum.  Instead of just purchasing one, you get samples of 3-4 curriculums, let the teachers review it and help make the decision.  You'll get buy-in for the new curriculum because you involved them in the decision.

Example #2
You're thinking of changing the name of your children's ministry.  Instead of just coming up with one yourself, you ask team members to come up with 10 possible names.  You then take those 10 and have everyone vote on the new name.  You go with the name that gets the most votes.  People are excited about the new name because they had a part in creating it.

Example #3 
You are leading in a multi-site church.  You're trying to think of some ideas that will help guest families have a better experience during their first visit at the campuses.  Instead of trying to come up with the ideas by yourself, you ask the campuses to send you their best practices and ideas for welcoming guest families.  From those, you choose 2-3 that can be implemented across all campuses.  People receive the new ideas and are excited about implementing them because the ideas came from the campuses.

Bottom line - Good leaders get compliance by creating and distributing...great leaders get buy in by empowering and involving.

The language you use helps shape the culture of your ministry.

Jim Wiltens, who teaches a program for gifted and talented children in Northern California schools, emphasizes the power of positive language.  You will never hear him say, “I can’t.”

He uses more constructive words like “I could if I…” He even promises to pay his students $100 if they ever catch him saying, “I can’t.”

When Cathie Black took over as president of Hearst Magazines, she noticed that negative speech patterns had cre­ated an environment hostile to new ideas.  So Black told her team that every time they said things like, “We’ve tried that already” or “That will never work,” she would fine them $10.

After enforcing her rule just a few times, Black effectively wiped those expressions from the office vocabulary.  The result?  New creativity and growth.

Three of the best words you can say when faced with a challenge are “How might we…?”  

The “how” suggests that improvement is always possible. The only question remain­ing is how we will do it.

The word “might” suggest a breakthrough is possible.

And the “we” establishes team own­ership of the challenge, making it clear that it will be a group effort.

Fine tuning the words you use can help diminish negativity and spark creativity.

Happy volunteers last.

How do you know if they're happy?

ASK THEM. 

Ask them when they join your team and you're helping them find their place of service.

• Ask them what their passion is?
• Ask them to take a personality test.
• Ask them to take a spiritual gifts test.
• Ask them what their "dream job" is in children's ministry?

Ask them one month after they start serving if they're happy in their role.

• If they're not, then help them try another role.
• The goal is to help them find their sweet spot.  A volunteer in his or her sweet spot is a happy volunteer.
  

Ask them each year if they're still happy with their role.  

• Ever been stuck in a job with no opportunity to be promoted?  You realize there's more inside you.  You become restless and unhappy over time. 
• Your volunteers are the same way.  They want to be challenged.  Pour into them.  Invest in them and help them grow as ministry leaders.
• Give them the opportunity to take on more responsibility.  If they feel they're stuck in a ministry rut, they will begin to lose interest.

If you don't ask them if they're happy, most of the time they won't tell you...until it's too late.  It will be when they're quitting.

Be proactive.  Know the pulse rate of your volunteer's happiness.