RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

I am currently mentoring a college student in our ministry who is an up and coming children's ministry leader.  He has the calling of God on his life and is eager to grow and learn.  He's just started in a part-time staff role and I believe down the road will be the director of one of our campuses.

This summer, we are focusing on three key areas of growth for him.  These are essentials that I would encourage any young or new children's ministry leader to focus on.

Leading Volunteers and Building Teams
I believe one of the keys to success in children's ministry is building and leading volunteers.  Successful children's ministry leaders are first and foremost team builders.  We will be reading and discussing the book "The New Breed:  Understanding and Equipping 21st Century Volunteers."  He will also be getting hands on ministry experience enlisting, equipping and empowering volunteers.

People Skills - Specifically Conflict Resolution and How to Have Hard Conversations
Ministry is all about people.  If you want to be successful in children's ministry, one of the best things you can do is sharpen your people skills.  This will help you effectively talk with parents, resolve conflict between volunteers and know how to respond to criticism.  We will be reading and discussing the book "How to Have That Difficult Conversation You've Been Avoiding."  

Communication Skills with Kids
He's going to work on his teaching skills and learn how to better capture kids' attention and communicate effectively with them.  He will be reading the book "The Fabulous Reinvention of Sunday School: Transformational Techniques for Reaching and Teaching Kids."  He will also be getting hands on teaching experience and I will give him coaching and feedback.  New children's ministry leaders should constantly be sharpening their communication skills by learning effective techniques and getting feedback.

I am excited to see how he grows this summer.  If you're new to ministry (or even an old-timer like me), I would encourage you to spend time on these three areas.  It can help you become an effective children's ministry leader.

Your turn.  What other areas would you encourage a new children's ministry leader to focus on?  Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

There are a lot of things that will come demanding your attention in children's ministry.  There's never a shortage of "stuff" to work on.  But these 4 are what you should primarily focus on.

The Big Needle
As the leader of the ministry, you are the person responsible for setting the vision, direction, and philosophy.  Focus on pointing the needle in the right direction.  Know where the ministry should be headed and bring alignment.

Forward Motion Steps
It's not just enough to point the needle.  You've also got to put steps in place that create forward motion toward the goal. 

Raising Up Leaders
Successful leaders' primary focus is not on doing the work of the ministry.  Their primary focus is raising up leaders to do the work of the ministry.

Yes, it's easier to do the ministry yourself, but in the long run, it's not as effective.  You'll soon hit a lid if you take this approach.  You must reproduce yourself.  You can go faster alone, but you can go farther together. 

Addressing and Resolving Issues No One Else Wants to Talk About
Your job as a leader is to address the elephant in the room and bring resolution.  This takes knowing how to effectively lead through conflict and discomfort.  In this post, I share some simple secrets about leading in these situations.

Okay.  Your turn.  What else do you think Children's Ministry Leaders must focus on?  Help us grow in this area by sharing your thoughts in the comment section below.  We value your input and ideas.