RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

In my quiet time this week,  I read this verse in Joshua 1.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1

Here's the context.  Moses, the man whom God had used to bring the Israelites out of Egypt and to the entrance of the promised land, has passed away. 

His assistant, Joshua, has now been called by God to lead the Israelites forward and into the Promised Land.  It was a huge leadership task and Joshua was feeling the weight of it I am sure.  

Do you ever feel the weight of leading a ministry?  You wonder if you'll make it through another year, month or even week.  I know I do at times. 

When you feel this way, you can grab hold of the same promise God gave Joshua.  He says to be strong and courageous.  He promises us that He will never leave us.  He will never forsake us.  He will go with us and bring us into the right path.  

But for this to happen, we have to take a step of courage.  We have to be willing to trust Him and venture with Him into unknown territory.  

Courage.  Do you have it?  

Courage is stepping out in faith even when your knees are knocking.  

Courage is making the hard choices even when it doesn't make sense.

Courage is going toward new horizons even when you've lost sight of your comfortable shore.

Courage is launching out into the deep when it's safer in shallow waters.

Courage is not the absence of fear.  Rather it is moving ahead in spite of your fear.

J.R.R. Tolkien , one of my favorite writers said, “it is not the strength of the body that counts, but the strength of the spirit.” 

Another great example of courage is the story of David and Goliath.  While everyone cowered in the shadows, David had the courage to step up and challenge Goliath.  The language he uses as he faces Goliath reveals that He was trusting God for the victory.  Look what he says.  His words reflect His desperate dependence upon God. 

"David said to the Philistine, 'You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.  This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head'."  

David trusted God.  If he would step out in faith, God would give him a victory and outcome that no one besides David would believe until it actually became reality.  

I'm not sure what you are facing today?  Perhaps it's a lack of volunteers.  Maybe it's being weary in well doing.  Or is it being discouraged because the ministry is not growing.  Maybe it's the feeling you are in way over your head in a new position.  Perhaps it's financial pressure.  You are barely surviving from paycheck to paycheck.  

Today, I want to leave you this one word.  Courage.  Ask God for it.  Trust in His promises.  Ask Him to increase your faith so you can do the crazy but courageous thing God is asking you to do.  Take a step forward, even if it's a baby step.   

And then watch as God steps in to strengthen you and give you the courage you need to accomplish the seemingly impossible. 

If you lead a ministry, then a big part of your role is to inspire staff and volunteers to work toward a common goal.

Look at history and you'll see that great leaders had this in common.  They had the ability to inspire others.

Think about Martin Luther King, Jr. and his speech in Washington, D.C.  Or Abraham Lincoln's speech at Gettysburg.  Or J.F.K's "ask not what your country" speech.  Or Winston Churchill's "finest hour" speech.  All of these were "drop the mic" talks that made a significant impact in history.

Yes, some of the ability to inspire people came from talent they were born with.  But the good news is this, even if you weren't born with innate charisma, you can still inspire the people you are called to lead.  Let's look at 5 keys you can use to inspire the people on your team.

VISION
Inspiring leaders have a vision that they are leading people to.  A vision that is challenging and causes people to stretch. 

People want to be part of something that is bigger than themselves.  Something that will enable them to leave a legacy.  Something significant.  

If you want to be an inspiring leader, then begin championing the ministry's vision.  Think big.  Talk about the vision when you meet with your team.  Tell stories about how the vision is being fulfilled.  Challenge people to stretch for the vision.  Be a walking, living billboard for the vision. 

TENACITY 
Inspiring leaders inspire by their commitment to complete the tasks before them.  Rather than whining when things get hard, they push on with a determination that won't let them quit. 

They simply don't give up until they've accomplished the task.  They use every failure as a stepping stone toward the vision.

COURAGE
All of the leaders I mentioned at the beginning of this article had something in common.  They faced significant challenges that required them to lead with courage.  You see, inspiring people usually doesn't happen when things are going well.  It happens when a leader has the courage to face challenges and uncertainty head on.

A great Biblical example of this is David.  He had the courage to step out and face Goliath when no one else would.  His courage that day inspired the entire nation.

EMPOWERMENT
Yes, people are inspired when the leader accomplishes his or her goals.  But people are even more inspired when the leader empowers them to complete their goals. 

You inspire people when you empower them to do things they never thought they could do.

You inspire people when you push them out of their comfort zone.

You inspire people when you pick them up when they fail and empower them to try again.

You inspire people when you believe in them and tell them so.

You inspire people when you help them become great at what they are good at. 

AUTHENTICITY
We live in a day when many leaders' walk doesn't match their talk.  The #MeToo movement has exposed leaders who were not authentic in the business world, entertainment world, political world and even the church world. 

Like never before, the church needs leaders who will be the real deal.  Leaders who will put safeguards in place that will keep them on track.  Leaders who will open up their life and invite people to hold them accountable. 

Remember, it only takes one incident to undue a testimony that you spent decades building.  There is a well-known leader who is experiencing this now.  He is a man who inspired me over the years with his books, his teaching and conferences he held.  He was the pastor of one of the largest, most influential churches in the country.  And yet, now he has blown his testimony...his credibility...his ability to inspire others, because he wasn't authentic in some areas of his life.

What you hide will eventually be exposed.  Make sure you live an authentic life so there is nothing that needs to be exposed.

Focus on these 5 things and over time, you will gain the credibility to be a leader that people follow and are inspired by. 

Your turn.  What are some other traits of an inspiring leader?  Who is a leader who has inspired you?  Share your thoughts and insight in the comment section below.  

Moses is at the end of his life.  He has led the children of Israel up to this point.  Through the Red Sea and across the wilderness.  But he will not be taking the people into the promised land.  Why?  In the wilderness, he had disobeyed God by striking the rock for water rather than speaking to it as God had commanded him to do.  Since it was very public disobedience, God had to publicly punish his sin.  He is commanded Moses to turn over leadership to his assistant, Joshua.

Put yourself in Joshua's place.  You are being asked to lead in a very precarious situation.  You're following an incredible leader in Moses.  You're bound to be compared to him.  How do you fill those shoes?  You're being ask to lead a group of over 600,000 grumbling, complaining people.  You're being ask to lead these people to conquer a land that is filled with walled, fortified cities and ferocious warriors.  Think you'd be nervous?  Think you'd be wondering if you had what it takes to do this?  I know I would.

But Moses has a special message for Joshua.  Look what he says to him.

"Then Moses called for Joshua, and as all of Israel watched, he said to him, 'Be strong and courageous!  For you will lead these people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors He would give them.  You are the one who will divide it among them as their grants of land.  Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you: He will neither fail you nor abandon you'."  Deuteronomy 31:7-8 

We all have times when we face situations that cause us to be afraid, full of self-doubt and hesitant to move forward.  Perhaps you even find yourself in that situation now.  Perhaps you've been asked to take on a new role.  Perhaps you're facing sickness.  Perhaps you know you need to have a hard conversation.  Perhaps you are being challenged to step outside your comfort zone.  Perhaps you're pondering starting a new business.  And you seem frozen.  Unable to take the step forward.

God has a word for you.  It's the same word He delivered to Joshua.  Be courageous!  In I Corinthians 16:13,  He echoes this by saying this.

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.

In the charge to Joshua, we find three reasons why we can be courageous.

#1 - You can be courageous because of the PRESENCE of God.  Look what Moses says.

"The Lord will personally go ahead of you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you."

You can be courageous because you are not going to do this alone.  God will be with you.  The Holy Spirit indwells you and will fill you with His power.  He will never leave you nor forsake you.  You don't have to walk in your own confidence.  You can walk in Godfidence...knowing He has your back.  He will win the victory through you.  The battle is His.  Where He guides, He always provides.

Life is uncertain at times, but you can be certain that God is with you.  Even in the tough times.  When the sea is not calm, He can calm you.  You see, courage is not the absence of pain.  It is the presence of God.  Even when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He is with you.

#2 - You can be courageous because of the PROMISES of God.  Look at what else Joshua is told.

"After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant.  He said, 'Moses my servant is dead.  Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them.   I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you'."

You can be courageous because you can stand on the promises of God.  Your knees may be knocking, but take the step anyways.  God's promises will sustain you.  Is there a new path God is calling you to?  Don't hesitate.  Paths are made for walking, not waiting.  You can't be comfortable and courageous at the same time.  It's not about getting a chance, it's about taking a chance.  And with God's promises, you can move forward with courage. 

#3 - You can be courageous because of the PEOPLE of God.  You can see this stated in verse 2.

"When Moses had finished giving these instructions to all the people of Israel, he said, 'I am now 120 years old, and I am no longer able to lead you.'  The Lord has told me, ‘You will not cross the Jordan River.  But the Lord your God himself will cross over ahead of you.  He will destroy the nations living there, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua will lead you across the river, just as the Lord promised'."

Joshua could be courageous because he wasn't going to be doing this alone.  He had the people of God to help him.  Together they would march around the walls of Jericho and see them come crashing down.  Together they would win victories.  Together they would claim the land.

You are not alone as well.  Surround yourself with the people of God.  They can stand with you.  They can pray for you.  They can encourage you.  They can have faith for you when your faith is running low.  They can infuse you with courage when you're nervous about taking that next step.

What are you facing?  Be courageous.

What is the challenge ahead of you?  Be courageous.

Have past failures caused you to hesitate?  Be courageous.

Sometimes the smallest step of courage ends up being the biggest step of your life. 

Are your volunteer numbers declining?  Having a hard time getting new volunteers?  You're not alone.  Recent stats show that volunteerism has declined nationwide in the last 10 years.











But here's the good news.  Your ministry doesn't have to be part of that stat.  Many churches are seeing record numbers of people volunteer.

Look at it this way.  If less people are volunteering nationwide, that's just more people who are available to volunteer in your ministry!

It just takes the right approach to get people to say "yes."  Check out "10 Simple Secrets to Building a Great Volunteer Team" for some tips.

Lisa is one of our newest staff members.  She was nervous when she started because she wasn't sure she could bring new volunteers on the team.  But she spent time with God and He gave her the courage and passion she needed to begin asking people.  One at a time, she begin inviting people.  In the last 2 months, she has personally brought over 80 new volunteers on the team!

Don't listen to that voice in your head that says, "No one wants to volunteer."  People are ready...they're just waiting for you to ask them.

I just finished Marty Sklar's book "Dream It! Do It!"  Marty spent over 50 years as a creative director for Disney.

His book is filled with great insights and ideas you can use in your Children's Ministry.  This week I'll be sharing them with you.  Enjoy day 1.

• There are two ways to look at a blank piece of paper.  It can be the most frightening thing in the world, because you have to make the first mark on it.  Or it can be the greatest opportunity in the world because you get to make the first mark - you can let your imagination fly in any direction and create whole new worlds.

• Curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.  We're always exploring and experimenting.

• It takes courage to accomplish things.

• When we go into a new project, we believe in it all the way.

• One of Walt's strengths was that he let the talent always know he cared for them.

• Walt had a way of seeing a little bit beyond what you had done.  He would say, "That's kind of interesting.  What if..." and you would leave the room more inspired than when you came in.  That's leadership.

• Walt emphasized the team concept by his own actions.  Everyone was equal in a story meeting - He just rolled up his sleeves and he was one of the group.

• Walt's genius was his ability to plus an idea.

• Colors play an important role in a guest's experience.

• Disney makes many mistakes.  Who doesn't?  But when he flies, he flies.

• Guests taught Walt and his staff many lessons. 

• Mediocrity will stunt anyone's career growth.

• Walt never hesitated to interweave age and experience with youth and exuberance.

• Disneyland was designed to have family appeal.

• Disney always had one foot in the past, because he loved the nostalgic, and one foot in the future.  He was constantly seeking and integrating new technologies that improved what he did. 

• We made sure we watched the faces of our guests. 

• We didn't think small. 

• Create great stories...present them in unique ways...make it entertaining and fun. 

• It's not a "I" business...it's a "we" business.  So many hands touch a project that no one can say "I did this." 

• The most important thing that goes into creative success is having people who can come up with the great ideas.  But the next most important thing is often overlooked: having people who will enable those great ideas and support those creative people. 

• Imagineers are driven by the success of the project rather than their ego, stature, and future contract negotiations.

Join us tomorrow for more ideas and inspiration for your children's ministry from Disney.