RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

This past week Dave Anderson came and spent a day teaching our staff about leadership.

Dave is the founder and president of LearnToLead, an international leadership training and consulting company.  He is the author of twelve books and has appeared in hundreds of publications including The Wall Street Journal and US News and World Report.  He is a frequent guest on MSNBC's television show "Your Business."

Dave is a committed believer and also invests in church leaders.  He shared so many great leadership lessons.  Here are the top 20 that I came away with.

What got you where you are won't take you where you need to go.  Don't let your role outgrow you.

Do ordinary things extraordinarily well.

Vision is a daily thing.
 
A great dream with the wrong team is a nightmare.

Mediocrity talks about credentials.  Greatness talks about accomplishments.

Don't just hire people you like...there are a lot of likeable losers.

Culture is never done.  It's like a garden.  You have to weed, feed and seed it.

Excuses make you ordinary and average.

Excuses are the perfume that lazy people spray to cover their laziness.

Award stepping up not just showing up.

Mediocrity is a choice.  You won't find it on anyone's birth certificate.

The minute you say you are not complacent...you are.

6 Unteachables:

1. character
2. drive
3. energy
4. passion
5. talent
6. attitude

You attract into your organization what you are, not what you want.

You can do a lot of things mediocre and leave a blur or you can do a few things well and leave a mark.

Culture determines behavior and behavior determines results.

You can help people become more than they are, but you cannot help people become something they are not.

Core values are non-negotiable behaviors that broadcast what you expect from your employees and are unwilling to compromise on.

Core values establish your organizations DNA.  They determine what you stand for and what you're not willing to settle for.

If you want great performance, then you must define it.

Have you best people building stuff instead of fixing stuff.

Ready to see your children's ministry transformed?

A transformed children's ministry comes from transformational leadership.  Transformational leadership is when a leader raises team members to higher levels of motivation and effectiveness.

Transformational leaders create an inspiring vision.  An inspiring vision comes from...

• clarifying your purpose - why you do what you do
• core values that the team will be committed to
• creating a picture of what can be
• communicating the vision

Transformational leaders motivate people to buy in and own the vision.

• talk about the vision...often - remember vision leaks
• tell the stories of kids and families who are being impacted by the vision
• teamwork - show people the part they play in making the vision a reality
• thank people on the team - encourage them, praise them, appreciate them

Transformational leaders develop plans to make the vision a reality.  They take the next step and deliver the vision.

• lead through changes that need to be made
• lay out goals that will take you to the vision
• let people see your commitment and persistence to overcome difficulties and roadblocks

Tramsformational leaders build ever-stronger, trust-based relationships.

• find out your team members' personalities, love languages, developmental needs and goals 
• focus on helping them grow, meet their goals, and achieve their dreams
• feedback - create a culture where feedback is not only received, but asked for
• face-to-face, personal time with your team members
  

In conclusion...everything rises and falls on leadership.  The natural overflow of transformational leadership is a transformed children's ministry.

Has it happened in your ministry?  If not, it probably will one day.

A volunteer posts something inappropriate on Facebook.

It may be a vulgar word, an inappropriate picture, or something that doesn't line up with your ministry's core values.

What should you do?

Be preventative.
As part of your on-boarding process, have every potential volunteer sign a social media agreement.  This involves three things.

First, ask them if they currently have anything on their page that would be offensive, inappropriate or a stumbling block.

Secondly, explain why their social media content matters.  It is an open testimony of their spiritual life and if they join your team...of your ministry's character and integrity.

Thirdly, ask them to sign an agreement that they will not post anything that is inappropriate or goes against the ministry's core values.

Be personal.
When you find out that one of your volunteers has posted something inappropriate, then talk with them face-to-face.  Bring the post to their attention.  Then remind them of the "why" behind the guideline.   Ask them about the post.  Have access to it so you can bring it online or have a print out of it.

Be pastoral.
Speak the truth in love.  Many times, you will find that they didn't even realize the post was inappropriate.  Look at it as an opportunity to help then grow as a Christ follower.  Come with grace and love instead of condemnation and judgment.
 
Be persistent.
Ask them to take the post down.  If they agree, check back and make sure they did.   If they still haven't taken the post down, then have another face-to-face.  Let them know at this point if they do not take it down it,  it will jeopardize their involvement on the team.  If they are resistant, then you probably don't need them on your team.

Your turn.  Has this ever happened to you?  How do you respond?  Any tips on how to handle the situation?  Share your thoughts with us int the comment section below.

If you want to set new volunteers up for success, then make sure you have a new volunteer orientation.

This should be a key component of your on boarding process.

Here are some important elements to include in an orientation.

• Fun, "get to know you" icebreaker.
• Vision - share the "why" of what you do.
• Core Values - share "what" you are committed to.
• Principles that guide your ministry.
• Expectations.
• Safety and security procedures.
• General policies and procedures.

Here is the opening video we created for orientation.  Our orientations are held during weekend services and last for an hour.

Okay. It's your turn. Share your questions or thoughts about orientations in the comment section below.