RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Yesterday, I shared the first 3 sessions from our recent children's ministry staff retreat.  If you didn't get a chance to read it, I would recommend going back and reading that first to give you the context for sessions 4 & 5.  You can read the first 3 sessions at this link.

Our theme for this year's retreat was "Thirsty" based on Isaiah 44:3 where God says, "I will pour water on him who is thirsty."  The theme was to stay thirsty to see God move in our personal lives and ministry.

Here are sessions 4 & 5.

Session 4 - Thirsty for Discipleship

Chris Yount Jones
Executive Editor of Children's Ministry Magazine

• Keep some mystery in your lessons.
• Be creative.
• Make the kids feel heroic.
• Our goal is for kids to not just know about God but to know God personally. (Job 42:5)
• Get kids thinking critically and grappling with what you are teaching.
• You have an epic calling.
• Are we doing ministry to kids or are we allowing kids to do ministry with us?
• Give kids opportunities to serve.
• You don't have to have the answer to everything.
• Be unpredictable - change things up.
• Create positive peer pressure.
• Kids need firsthand faith.
• Create lessons that cause kids to figure things out for themselves.
• Call kids to the Great Commission.
• Focus more on relationships than function.

Session 5 - Thirsty for God 

Dale Hudson
Director of Children's Ministries at
Christ Fellowship Church

• Think about a time when you were extremely thirsty physically. 
• When was the last time you were extremely thirsty for God?  To know Him..to see Him do something fresh and new in your life and ministry?
• We must stay thirsty...hungering for God and His presence in our lives.
• How thirsty are you for God and His presence?
• Psalm 42 - As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.  I thirst for God, the living God.
• Psalm 63 - O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly, my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
• Moses on Mt. Sinai - Then Moses said, "If You don't personally go with us, don't make us leave this place.  How will anyone know that You look favorably on me - on me and on Your people - if You don't go with us?  For Your presence among us sets Your people and me apart from all other people on the earth."  The Lord replied to Moses, "I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name."  Moses responded, "Then show me Your glorious presence."  
• Paul in Philippians 3 - I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead.  I want to suffer with Him, sharing in His death.
• Matthew 5:6 - Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
• Isaiah 44:3 - I will pour water on him who is thirsty.
• God's power and presence in our lives is what makes the difference.
• Example of D.L. Moody
• born in 1837
• raised by single mom 
• moved to Boston at age 17
• goal was to be rich
• worked in a shoe store
• Sunday School teacher named Edward Kimball came to shoe store and led Him to Christ
• moved to Chicago at age 19
• started Sunday school for kids
• parents of the kids started attending - grew into largest church in Chicago
• heard man say, "The world has yet to see what God will do with and for and through and in and by the man who is fully consecrated to Him"
• determined to be that man
• 1871 - two ladies in his congregation begin telling him they were praying for Him to be anointed with God's power 
• he told them to pray for the people instead
• they told him he needed the filling of the Holy Spirit
• he thought he had power - he had the largest church in Chicago
• a deep thirst for God's power came upon him - he began to cry and pray for it constantly
• one day when he was walking down the street in New York City, the power of God fell upon him
• he will filled with God's power - when he went back to preaching, hundreds and thousands were converted
• led millions to Jesus

Twice a year, I take our children's ministry staff on a retreat.  One is held in January as we prepare for a new year of ministry and one is held in the summer as we prepare for the fall season of ministry.

We just finished up our 2016 summer staff retreat last week.  The word God had given me for this retreat was "Thirsty" from Isaiah 44:3 that says, "I will pour water on him who is thirsty."
We talked about staying thirsty for God to move in our personal lives and in our ministry.

The retreat featured 5 sessions plus a fun team building activity in the afternoon.  Today I'll share the notes from the first 3 sessions and share the final two tomorrow.  

Session 1 - Thirsty for Personal Growth

James & Lisa Duvall
(James is the the Executive Director of Ministries at our church and Lisa is the Director of Women's Programs)

• Take care of yourself physically.  Your physical body is connected to your spiritual body.  If we are not physically strong, we will be emotionally and spiritually weak.
• Read - leaders are readers.
• Stay curious.  Ask why.
• Just like Jesus kept growing, we need to keep growing. (Luke 2:52) 
• Spend more time on your character than on your gifts and talents. 
• Be the best version of yourself instead of trying to become someone else.
• Nothing changes if nothing changes
• Grow in your favor with others. 
• Be a note taker.
• Growth is painful but always worth it.
• If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.  Not planning is a plan itself. 
• Don't become complacent in your comfort zone. 
• Stay teachable. 
• Make peace with people right away. 
• Expect pain.  It's part of growth. 
• Work on being likeable.
• Strive to be a peacemaker. 
• Become good at being a conversation starter.
• Grow in favor with God through reading His Word and prayer.
• Work on your spiritual disciplines. 
• Challenge yourself daily.
• Commit to excercise. 
• Don't take offense at every little comment. 
• Learn to be still. 

Session 2 - Thirsty for Volunteers

Frank Bealer
(Director of Ministries at Elevation Church)

• Follow up with volunteers when they miss and let them know you missed them.  This includes when you know they are going to be gone (example - vacation).
• High retention of volunteers is centered on making it personal.
• Have your coordinators take snacks to the volunteers in the room.
• Take good care of staff and volunteers' kids. 
• Contact at least 3 volunteers a week.
• Communicate the ministries' values to volunteers and have them memorize them. 
• When the lines between staff and volunteers is blurred, you have become effective. 
• Identify leaders you can call up to lead other volunteers. 
• Provide every volunteer with a clear job description.
• Encourage volunteers individually.
• Schedule random times to thank volunteers.
• Give your volunteers a voice.  Provide them with ways to give you feedback.
• Embrace your limitations.
• Your core values should guide your decision making.
• Thank your volunteers when you don't have to.
• Get to know your volunteers personally.
• People want to be known and loved. 
• Meet with your volunteers when you don't need anything from them. 
• Help your volunteers see why they are doing what they are doing. 
• Send your volunteers a text message to let them know you are thinking about them and don't ask for anything. 

Session 3 - Thirsty for Outreach

Allyson Evans
Next Gen Director at Life Church

• Make sure you are personally reaching out to people and inviting them to church. 
• Keep a commitment to excellence.
• Tell stories.  Develop a story-telling culture.
• Keep your relationship with God fresh.
• Treat every weekend, every service, like it's your first. 
• Don't seclude yourself.
• Stay refreshed in Jesus.
• Put people over tasks by giving the tasks to people.
• Every weekend is your Super Bowl.
• Remember why and when God called you into ministry.
• Our role is to put people before ourselves.
• No matter how large your church is...it's just a micro percentage of the number of people who are still lost.  Be a micro church with a mega vision.
• Keep your eyes open to people's needs. 
• Write down what God is teaching you and reflect on it. 
• Pay attention and listen to what God is doing around you.
• Replace yourself.
• Walk slowly through the crowd and connect with kids and families.
• Be intentional about finding and telling stories. 
• Identify what you can give away.

Stay tuned for sessions 4 & 5 tomorrow.  Have a great day.