RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Is your children's ministry in a slump?  Perhaps attendance is dipping or volunteers are tired or there is a lack of energy and excitement?

If that's the case, then be encouraged.  You can bring your ministry out of the slump.  Here's 7 steps that will help you get back up to full speed. 

Step #1 - Acknowledge it.  You're not alone.  Ministry has it's ups and downs.  We've all been there.  The Bible even talks about being faithful "in season and out of season."

But sometimes our insecurities will cause us to stick our head in the sand and ignore the slump.  We tell ourselves that the ministry is fine and nothing needs fixed...while in our hearts we know it's not doing well.  I think we all struggle at some level with our self-worth being tied to how healthy the ministry is and the temptation is to tell ourselves it's not in a slump to preserve our self-esteem.

First of all, resist the temptation of your self-worth be determined by how the ministry is doing.  Remember your self-worth is not based on what you do, but on whose you are.  You are priceless because you are a child of king Jesus.  Your standing with Christ is not based on the health of the ministry you lead.

When you realize this, it gives you the freedom to be open about the health of the ministry and acknowledge when it is not doing well.

So the first step to getting out of a slump is having the courage to say, "The ministry is in a slump.  It is not as healthy as it should be.  I see it and acknowledge it and want to lead us out of it."

Step #2 - Talk about it.  This doesn't mean you go around whining to everyone about how bad things are or discourage everyone by acting like Chicken Little.  What it does mean is you gather some key leaders around you and get their perspective on the situation.  Approach these conversations with a positive, pro-active attitude.  You can't fix this alone.  You will need others around who can help bring you bring the ministry out of the slump.

Step #3 - Find out why.  Step 2 leads us into step 3.  Access the situation.  Find out what is causing the ministry to be in a slump.  Identifying the why allows you to fix it.  Write down the reasons.  Some may be out of your control.  But usually most of the reasons can be fixed if you identify them.

Here's an example.  A few years ago at one of our campuses, the children's ministry attendance was flat.  We simply weren't growing.  We acknowledged it and sat down to talk about why this was happening.  We soon realized that we were simply maxed out at one of the service hours.  There was no more room to grow.  This allowed us to make the decision to add an additional service hour.  Once we did that, we were able to get out of the slump and start growing again.  We were able to fix it because we identified it. 

Step #4 - Have the courage to change what is causing the slump.  It may mean changing an ineffective program that is draining the ministry.  It may mean letting a volunteer go who is negatively impacting the ministry culture.  It may mean replacing an event that you've always done with something else.  Tradition is good...unless it is causing a slump.  Mission must always trump methods.

I have found that some of the hardest things to change are not things that someone else started, but things that I started.  Are you the same way?  We like change...unless it effects our pet idea or program.  But we must hold the ministry with open hands and be willing to change anything that is causing the ministry to slump...including our own ideas.  Just because something worked yesterday doesn't mean it will work today, right?

Step #5 - Find a way to bring the excitement back.  What can you do to bring back the energy and excitement?  Several months ago, we began to sense that our children's ministry was in a slump.  It started with some of our campus pastors noticing that the children's ministry's energy level at their campus was down.  As we talked with them, we realized they were right.  In recent months, the children's ministry had kind of fallen under the radar and wasn't the life-giving, momentum-bringing force that it had been in the past.

So we decided to find a way to change that.  We decided to have a big weekend where we would highlight the children's ministry church-wide.  The kids lead worship in the adult service, prayed for the offering, we showed videos about what was coming up in children's ministry and much more.  A few weeks later, we had a big day for children's ministry where our kids went all out to invite their unchurched friends.  It was a big success with over 220 first-time families coming that weekend.  You can read more about that here.  We also upped our social media presence big-time with more posts on Instagram and Facebook.  We also began to be more intentional about sharing the stories of kids and families whose lives are being impacted.  We have felt the excitement and energy level shift back up and there's a buzz in the air.

Step #6 - Go back to your primary motivation.  We talked last week about how the natural tendency is to shift our focus to the what instead of the why.  If the focus remains on the what and the why is marginalized, people will begin to just go through the motions.

The why is your mission statement.  It's why you do what you do.  Keeping people's attention on the why will help keep you out of a slump. 

Step #7 - Bring new volunteers on board.  I have found that new volunteers bring fresh energy, excitement and passion.  Think about your ministry like a football team.  You need the veterans.  But you also need the rookies.  They not only breathe new life into the team, but they help keep the veterans on their toes as well.

My wife works as a heart monitor tech in a local hospital.  A big part of her job is watching the patients' pulse rates.  When someone's pulse rate drops she has to bring it to the nurse's and doctor's attention so the person can be stabilized.  As a children's ministry leader, think of yourself as the heart rate monitor for the ministry.  Your job is to monitor the pulse of the ministry and when it starts to drop, be there to help stabilize it and get it back on track.

Happy monitoring! 

Do you limp into weekend services?

Do you find yourself struggling to get one foot in front of the other on Sunday morning when you know you should be running?

Do you enter the weekend with your energy tank on empty when you need it to be full?

Here are some things that may be causing you to limp into the weekend.

Doing too much. 
When I first started in ministry, I was taught to get as many "hooks" in the water as possible.  The rationale was the more ministries you have, the more fish you will catch.  I have found the opposite to be true.  Trying to do lots of things will leave you limping into the weekend and result in less fruit.  

In this post, I share how to determine what to say "no" to. 

Mid-week programming.
About a year ago, we went to 6 services on weekends.  For us, that was the tipping point for ceasing mid-week children's programming.  We knew we couldn't do 6 weekend services coming off of a mid-week program.  Let me rephrase that...we could...but we would be limping.  And we couldn't afford to limp into the most effective thing we do.

Big events.
I love big events.  And I've done a lot of them over the years.  The problem...in the past, I did too many in a year.  And the weekends suffered because of it.  What I had hoped would be a boost for the weekend, ended up being a drain on the weekend.

Now I only do two big events each year.  A Fall Festival in October and a 1 night family experience in the summer.  That's it.  Do I miss all the big events?  Yes...but I don't miss the limp they caused.  And our weekend services are much stronger because of it.

Not taking your day off.
I know...you've got too much on your plate to take your day off.   Been there...done that...and limped into the weekend too many times to know that you can't afford NOT to take your day off.  You think you are getting more done by working on your day off, but in actuality you are getting less done.  You will be more productive over the course of the week if you take your day off.

I take off Fridays.  It helps me catch my breath and go into the weekend rested instead of exhausted.

Not using your vacation time.
Again, by experience, I can tell you that not using your vacation time will not only cause you to limp into the weekend, but can take you out of ministry completely.  You can read more about that here.

When you pull away, it helps you return refreshed, strong and ready to conquer weekends.  Along those lines, it's important to include being away for the weekend when you are on vacation.  Being off for a weekend makes you better when you come back to it.

Working too many hours during the week.
It's hard not to chuckle when someone asks what you do all week.  As if all the programming, volunteers and avalanche of details magically appear on the weekend.  I know if takes a lot to pull the weekend off, but don't spend so much time getting ready to pull the weekend off that you don't have any energy left to actually pull it off.  Make sure you balance your time.
 
Poor calendaring.
Do you carefully plan and space out the items on your ministry calendar?  If not, you can find yourself with back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back events and activities that cause you to limp into the weekend.  

Stress
Stress during the week can drain you and leave you empty when the weekend rolls around.  There is going to be stress...it's part of life.  But you can manage it and keep it from causing you to limp.  One way is to exercise during the week.  Exercise is a great stress reliever.  Another way is to have a hobby or other outlet that takes your mind off what is stressing you.

It's also good to avoid stressful conversations or conflicts going into the weekend.  Of course, things pop up that are out of your control, but as much as possible deal with the ones you know about early in the week.

Not getting enough sleep.
Lack of sleep causes limping.  Get a good night's sleep going into the weekend. 

A crazy summer schedule.
Up until the last few years, summer was our busiest time of the year in children's ministry.  We did lots of stuff.  The stuff we were doing was good...but it was causing us to limp into the weekends of the Fall season.  The Fall is one of our most important seasons of growth and reaching new families.  It's hard to bring your A game in the Fall when you've spent all your energy during the summer months.  We've slowed down our summers so we can be ready to run hard in the Fall.  I talk more about this in this here.
 
Each weekend is the super bowl for children's ministry.  Don't go into it with a limp.

You spend weeks or even months planning and preparing for a big event, program or day. 

It finally arrives and everything goes well or even exceeds your expectations.  In spite of that, you wake up the next day and instead of feeling great joy, you feel like quitting.  You are emotionally spent.  You feel like you have nothing more to give.  And you wonder what's wrong...you wonder why you are feeling this way.

Don't worry and don't quit.  What you are experiencing is normal.  Here's five things to know about why you crash.

You're experiencing an emotional let down of going from an exciting, challenging, pressure-filled situation to one that’s less demanding.  When you are in the midst of preparing for the big event, your adrenaline is pumping.  Once the event is over, the sense of urgency and adrenaline rushes you felt slow down or even stop.  This causes a withdrawal.

What to do?  Be aware that this is going to happen.  It will help you understand what you are feeling.

You feel like you are going from exciting work back to a "boring" routine. 

What to do?  Fight this by establishing an ongoing growth routine that will keep you challenged, even when you don't have a "big event" going on.

You are experiencing a form of burnout.  Pulling off a big event takes lots of mental, emotional, and physical effort.  Many times, the amount of energy it takes exceeds the amount of energy you have in reserve.  When this happens, you burn out.  This means when you think about post-event work like follow-up, you feel overwhelmed and you don't think you can pull it off.

What to do?  Set expectations for what you can realistically do before, during, and after the event so you have something left to give after it's over.

You probably have a backlog of regular work that has accumulated while you were pulling off the big event.  The rest of your job didn't stand still and now feeling like you can't catch up is discouraging.

What to do?  Instead of diving right into the work, take time to sit down and list, clarify and prioritize what needs to be done.  This will give you a new sense of direction that is energizing.

Your tank is empty.  As mentioned above, you've spent out all of your energy.  You've got nothing left to give.

What to do?  Take some time off.  If you can't take an extended period of time off, then schedule some short breaks.  Get away from your work and take a walk, exercise, do a hobby you like, spend time with a friend, turn off your email and just relax. 

You reached your goal.  To stay engaged, we require new experiences and challenges. 

What to do?  Find something new to be excited about.  Make time to explore new ideas and opportunities. 

Conclusion...
How you feel and what you do following a big event is just as important in the long run as the event itself.  Knowing what to do with the feelings and burnout you experience will help you move from one big win to a consistent streak of wins.

The floor is yours...
Do you experience this after big events or programs?
How do you respond to these feelings?
What has helped you bounce back after a big event or program?
Share with us in the comment section below.

This past weekend, I was walking around encouraging our volunteers.

I stopped and spent a few minutes with Lamont.  Lamont is a big guy.  A man's man.  He serves on our volunteer security team and helps keep the kids safe while they are here.  This includes locking and unlocking doors, helping walk kids to the bathroom, blocking the people traffic flow when our preschoolers are crossing into the park for chapel, and much more.

As a talked with Lamont, God reminded me to tell him something.  Here's what it was.

"Lamont, I want you to know that what you do makes a huge impact on families.  New families are usually nervous when they walk in here for the very first time.  One of the things they are wandering about is if their kids are going to be safe.  When they see you, it helps them feel at ease.  They are able to go to the service and listen to the message without being worried about the safety of their child.  As a result, many of them come to Christ.  And you play a significant part in that.  That's WHY you're here."

"You also help kids transition to chapel time where they hear God's Word taught.  You make it possible for them to transition safely and you have a part in every child who is impacted by God's Word during chapel time.  That's WHY you're here."

Your smiles and "welcomes" to families makes them feel at home.  Many of them come back because you helped make feel welcome.  As a result, many of them begin a relationship with Jesus.  That's WHY you do what you do.

Lamont's eyes lit up.  He looked at me, smiled, and said, "thank you."  I could tell it meant a lot to him to be reminded of why he is serving.

Don't just thank your volunteers for serving.  Take it to the next level by reminding them of "why" they are serving.

Example - "Thank you for teaching the 2nd graders today."  (that's the what)  This is good, but take it to the next level by reminding the volunteer of why they served today.

"Wow...I so appreciate your heart for God and the kids.  Because you served today, many of those kids will find Christ as their Savior.  And the truths you taught them will impact their lives."  (that's the why)

See the difference?  Don't just stop with the what - remind them of the why.  It will bring encouragement and energy to your volunteers.

I have noticed something when I visit churches. In many Children's Ministries, the staff and key volunteer leaders are all the same age.  

Volunteers get tired.  Even the most committed, faithful ones.  If you want to keep them for the long haul, then you have to infuse them with new life during these times.

Here's 4 ways to give your volunteers a breath of fresh air.

New Volunteers 
New volunteers bring fresh energy with them.  Many times, tired volunteers feel like they are in this alone and are carrying the weight by themselves.  Placing a new volunteer beside them will encourage and inspire them.

New Role
A tired volunteer may feel like they are "stuck" in a role that no longer challenges them.  Moving them to a new role can give them fresh energy and passion.

New Vision
Perhaps they've gotten so "down in the weeds" of weekly ministry that they've lost sight of the big picture.  All they can see is glue sticks, crafts to prepare, nursery sheets to change, or lessons to teach.

Remind them of "why" they are serving.  Help them pull back and see the vision they are part of.

New Curriculum
Sometimes volunteers get tired of teaching the same curriculum year after year.  Giving them something fresh and different might be just what they need.

The floor is yours.  What are some other ways you breathe new life into your volunteers?  Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.