RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Check-in is a necessary task that families go through when they arrive at church...not exactly something they look forward to doing.

And if they have to wait in line, it makes the experience even less pleasant.  69% of customers say long lines is the most frustrating part of shopping.  And that translates right into your children's ministry.

That being said, there is something you can do to enhance families' experience while they are checking in.

What is it?  Add visual content.

Studies show that customers are drawn toward signage at the check-out line.  And 84% of customers say watching digital displays helps the time pass more quickly while waiting in line.  40% of customers also say they are more likely to go to stores with digital displays near the checkout lines. 

Let's translate that into children's ministry.  How can you add visual content to your check-in areas?

Signs.  Adding signage at your check-in area can help enhance families' experience as they are checking in.  One way to do this is to add plexiglass sign holders at your check-in stations.  You can then swap out the signs on a regular basis with upcoming events, announcements, welcome signs, etc.

Really want to enhance your check-in area?  Add a digital display.   This can be done by adding a monitor with video content.  You can then show videos that welcome families, promote upcoming events, highlight programs, etc.
If you can enhance people's experience at check-in, they will start their day at your church with a positive feeling.  And since the sermon starts way before people enter the auditorium or classroom, that's a good thing.

We tend to catoregize people as either a leader or a follower.

But I want to challenge that premise.  I believe you can be a follower without being a leader, but you can't be a leader without being a follower. 

Great leaders are also great followers.  They are willing to take direction, listen to criticism and ask for help.

They have people wiser and more experienced that they go to for advice.  They have people their same age and experience level that they are sharpened by.  They have younger people that help them stay in touch with the culture and current trends.

The first step to being a great leader is being a great follower.  The first step to remaining a great leader is to remain a great follower. 

When I was in middle school, I wanted to improve as a basketball player.  I made the decision to spend my extra basketball time playing with high school players.  They were better than me, stronger than me, taller than me and faster than me.  I definitely wasn't the leader.  But I knew if I was going to improve as a leader on my team, I needed to spend time following.  Following them made me a better leader on the court.

Take a look at who's in your life.  Who you are following is just as important as who you are leading.

For the past several years, our church has set aside 21 days for prayer and fasting leading up to Easter.  Some people do the Daniel fast while others do a complete fast.

During this time, we seek God, pray big prayers, pray for people to come to Christ and ask God for breakthroughs for ourselves and others.  We've seen God some amazing things during those 21 days.

Rarely do you hear children being taught about fasting much less encouraged to participate in it.  But we believe it's important to teach children about this spiritual discipline and how to seek God in a fresh, new way during a fast.

We believe God wants to work in the hearts of kids through prayer and fasting just like He does for adults.  And we've found that kids will respond and grow spiritually when we teach them and give them opportunity to participate.  If kids are going to be lifelong followers of Jesus, they must experience Him in a real and personal way.  A time of prayer and fasting is a great way for kids to encounter Jesus' presence.

We also believe that when a child fasts, it should come under the guidance and direction of his or her parents.  Our strategy is to explain to the kids what fasting is and then give their parents tools to continue the conversation and offer their kids options for fasting.

For kids, fasting from all food is obviously not encouraged, but kids can fast from certain kinds of food such as ice cream, candy and other favorites.  Other ways for kids to fast can include video games, TV, iPads, etc.

Below are two testimonies of kids who are participating in the fast as well as the handout we give to parents.

Did you know that if you did the following things this past weekend the kids have already forgotten 90% of what you taught?

You didn't let them talk.
Kids learn best not by being lectured to, but by talking, asking questions and interacting.  If you did all the talking, they've forgotten most of what you said. 

You didn't use any pictures.
Half of the brain is dedicated to visual function.  65% of kids are visual learners.  A picture truly is worth a thousand words.

You tried to teach too many things. 
You tried to cram too much information in their head.  If you tried to teach them five truths instead of one key truth, they probably don't remember any of them.  Less is more. 

You didn't use repetition.
If you only said it one time, they've forgotten it.  If you repeated it 6 or more times, their retention rate went up to 90%.  Repetition truly is the key to learning.

You didn't hit all learning styles.
You had kids with lots of different learning styles in the room.  If you only tapped into one or two, you missed many of the kids.

You didn't honor their attention span.
If you talked over 5 minutes without switching to something else, they zoned out.  Honor their attention span and you will keep it.

You didn't use an object they will see this week.
If you didn't use something they will see this week as an example or object lesson, you missed a great opportunity to remind them of what you taught.  The one way street sign they will see many times this week could have been a reminder that Jesus is the one way to heaven.

You didn't show them how to apply it to their life and challenge them to live it out.
If you didn't teach beyond the facts and show them how to apply it to their life this week, you shortchanged them.  Information without application doesn't lead to life change.

You didn't engage all their senses.
If you only engaged their ears and eyes, you missed other key senses that help move truth into long-term memory.  Touch, smell and taste help kids remember.

You didn't engage their emotions.
Emotion is a glue of learning.  If you didn't create experiences that help them feel the tension of the truth, then you missed a golden opportunity.

So...what's the answer?  Simply incorporate the things you missed and watch kids remember what you teach them for a lifetime.

Virtual reality.  It's the next big thing coming for kids.

Over the last few months, there's been a lot of movement in the virtual reality world.

• Facebook acquired Oculus Virtual Reality for $2 billion dollars.  
• Sony and Samsung have both expressed their intent to enter the virtual reality market with headsets. 
• Chuck E. Cheese’s announced earlier this year that it will bring virtual reality games to its arcades.

From 2014 to 2018, virtual reality hardware sales are predicted to reach $8.4 billion, half of which will be from kids.

And virtual reality won't be limited to gaming.  It will enter the classroom, making lessons more interesting and helping children explore the places, people and times they’re taught about.  They'll be able to experience lessons in a whole new way.

It will take time for virtual reality to make the transition into the home and the classroom, but with the rapid speed of today's technology it will happen quickly.

Virtual reality...it's the next big thing for kids.  And who knows...one day soon we may be able to take kids into the stories of the Bible. 

There are some things in ministry that can't be learned by simply sitting in a seminary or college classroom.

I am not anti-education.  I have a degree and think anyone that has the opportunity to attend college or seminary as part of their ministry preparation should do so.

That being said...there are some things you will only learn through experience, mistakes, and real time ministry.

Here are 30 things I could only learn through real time ministry.

1. How to walk with a child who is dying of cancer.

2. How to walk with the parents of a child who is dying of cancer.

3. How to conduct the funeral of a child who has died from cancer.

4. How to lead staff.

5. How to lead volunteers.

6. How to be good husband.

7. How to be a good father.

8. How to navigate confrontation properly.

9. How to love kids and families.

10. Loyalty.

11. How to communicate a vision with passion.

12. How to enlist volunteers.

13. How to equip volunteers.

14. How to encourage volunteers.

15. How to empower volunteers.

16. Initiative.

17. Character.

18. How to communicate effectively with kids.

19.  How to communicate effectively with parents.

20. Tenacity.

21. How to encourage and comfort a child whose parents are divorcing.

22. Wisdom.

23. What to say "no" to.

24. Balance.

25. How to make a new guest family feel loved and welcomed.

26. How to build trust with people.

27. Unity.

28. How to talk with a child whose parents have died.

29. How to receive and process feedback, input, and ideas.

30. How to remain teachable.

What are some other things you didn't learn in a classroom, but in real time?  Add them to the list by sharing your thoughts in the comment section below.

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'm sharing them with you.  Welcome to Day 3.

Leadership Lessons from Mickey
1. Create and maintain a climate of trust.

2. Be responsive and make decisions - that's what leaders do!

3. Empower your teammates - it takes many hands to bake a success.

4. Create opportunities for new birds to fly.

5. Remember: experience is not a negative.

6. Make sure yours is not the only voice you are listening to.

7. Celebrate diversity and different points of view.

8. Never rest on your laurels - the next at-bat is your most important.

9. Take a chance - support risk-taking.

10. Provide plenty of blank paper.

Join us tomorrow for more ideas and inspiration from Disney.

Have you ever been around an inspiring leader?  After talking with them or listening to them, you were ready to go conquer any mountain.

As a children's ministry leader, it's vital that you have the ability to inspire others.

When we talk about being "inspiring" you may be thinking it has to be someone who is extremely gifted, has a charismatic personality, is a people magnet or can give dynamic, soul-stirring speeches.

If that's not you, don't worry.  That's not what being inspiring is really all about anyways.  Anyone can be inspiring if they take the right steps and work at it.

Here's 10 key steps you can take to become an inspiring children's ministry leader.

Inspiring leaders collaborate.
Do you want to inspire people?  Then include them.  Inspiring leaders don't bark down orders.  They gather people and create something together.  When people have a part in creating something instead of just being handed something, they are inspired.

Inspiring leaders develop people.
When you are intentional about pouring into people...when people know you are committed to helping them become a better person and leader...when you call people up instead of calling them out...it inspires them.  They will be drawn to you. 

Inspiring leaders empower people and then get out of the way.
Inspiring leadership and micromanaging aren't compatible.  Inspiring leaders empower people and then give them room to lead, fail, and learn from their failures.

Inspiring leaders ask the right questions.
You don't always need to have the best answer.  Just learn to ask the right questions to draw out the best answer from the team.  Lead with questions just as much or more than you do with answers.

Inspiring leaders admit their mistakes.
Be quick to admit your mistakes.  Be the first one to apologize.  Humility and transparency inspires others.

Inspiring leaders lead by example.
Go the second mile and when you ask your team to go the second mile, go the third mile.  Inspiration is caught by example more than it is taught by words.

Inspiring leaders build relationships.
Inspiring leaders don't lead by title or position...they lead by relationships.  Love people for who they are instead of for what they can do.  When people know you really care about them, their hearts will be drawn to you.  Inspiration is created through relationship.

Inspiring leaders give away the credit for wins and take the blame for failures.
It inspires people when you put them in the spotlight instead of yourself.  It also inspires people when they know you've got their back and when something goes wrong, you take the ultimate responsibility. 

Inspiring leaders continually fill people's vision tank.
Constantly share the "why" of what your team does.  Realize that vision leaks, so keep the vision front and center.  And you don't have to be an "inspirational" speaker to do this.  This is done just as effectively in small gatherings or individually. 

Inspiring leaders are faithful.
There is something about long term faithfulness that inspires people.  You will find the longer you are in ministry, the more inspiration potential you will have.  Time and experience are two of your best inspiration allies.  Stay the course. 

What are some other traits of inspiring leaders?
What are some traits in leaders that have personally inspired you?

Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Goliath was a champion by man's standards.  He was the pinnacle of strength, power, and experience.  But David won because he was more than a champion.  In this short video, discover how you can be more than a champion.