RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Do you see the flower in the picture?  It's wilting.  It's not vibrant and colorful.  It's not fresh with a beautiful aroma exuding from it's pedals.

It used to be new, fresh and beautiful.  But not anymore.  It has become barren. Soon the last few petals will fall to the ground and it will officially be pronounced dead.

Unfortunately, for many churches, this is where they currently find themselves.  Old and tired.  Hanging on til Jesus comes.  Not bearing fruit.  Just a small amount of time left before they have to close the doors for good.

I have identified 8 reasons why churches find themselves in this situation.  Let's talk about why churches end up in this scenario and what we do to change it. 

Your ministry is not concerned about growing by reaching unchurched families.  You are content with where your church is at and are okay with existing instead of evangelizing.  You can't remember the last time your baptistery actually had water in it  You rarely venture outside the four walls of your church building.  You are content.  You are comfortable.  You are not consumed with reaching the unchurched people in your community.

The answer to changing this is by asking God to renew your passion for reaching people and then taking bold steps to reach the unchurched.

See...here's the deal.  It's not about how many people you have inside your church right now. It's not about having 50 people...500 people or even 5,000 people.  What should keep us up at night is how many people in our communities don't know Jesus.  That is where our focus must be.

I'll never forget how I saw this lived out in the most unlikely place...Las Vegas.  I was a children's pastor there.  Yes, there are churches in Vegas, believe it or not.  Our pastor was consumed about reaching people far from God.  When we were reaching 8,000 people a weekend, I remember how consumed he was to reach 10,000 people a weekend.  We began to work and pray for that goal to happen.  And it did.  Soon we were reaching 10,000 people a weekend.  And it didn't stop there.  We went on to reach over 16,000 people each weekend...and the vast majority were unchurched families. The church continues to grow...now reaching over 21,000 people each weekend.

Want to start growing?  Want to reach more families?  Then it's got to start inside you.  Get fired up and passionate again about reaching people.  Get outside those church walls and make a difference in your community for Christ.     

You don't have any room to grow.  Are you familiar with the 85% rule?  Once your rooms are 85% full, you will stop growing until you make more space.  This applies to your kids' area as well as your adult auditorium.  You can have an auditorium that has room to grow, but if your kids' area is over 85% full, then the auditorium attendance will stop growing.  Kids don't drive themselves to church. To grow, both the adult auditorium and the kids area must be under 85% full.

The answer to this issue is to build more space or start more services.

Your ministry is boring.  If you want to grow, then you must make sure your services are engaging and relevant to children's lives.  If kids are saying your services are boring, then guess what?  They are right.  Your kids' services are boring and it's time to bring fresh ideas, excitement and programming to the table.

If your kids' ministry is boring, then you'll have parents having to drag their children to church.  But if your kids' ministry is exciting and engaging, you'll have children dragging their parents to church.

Have you ever had someone say to you, "I'm not going to church, because I was made to go as a child?"  Here's the deal.  You don't have to make someone go where they enjoy being.  I've never heard anyone say, "I'm not going to Disney World, because I was made to go as a child."  The reason they say that about church is because it was boring and wasn't relevant to their life.

If you want to grow, then make your ministry an exciting, engaging place to be.

You're not attracting new families.  How many new families walk in the doors of your church each week?  If the answer is very few, then it's time to ramp up inviting people to your church.  This can be accomplished by creating a culture of "invest and invite."  Teach your families to invest in relationships with their neighbors, family, co-workers and other acquaintances.  This will give them a door to invite them to come to church.

And get kids excited about bringing their friends to church.  You can create excitement for this by having special days and events where kids are encouraged to bring their friends. 

You're not keeping new families. If you want to see your ministry grow, then you must close the back door.  Do you have clear next steps for families who want to be a part of your ministry?  What percentage of guests are coming back for a second visit?  What is your assimilation plan?  It starts by getting them back for a second visit.

The national return rate for guests is only about 7%.  That's very low, isn't it?  We can do better than that.  One thing that I have personally seen work is this.  Send the family a handwritten post card after their first visit.  Let the kids know that when they come back for a second visit, they will receive a free t-shirt with the name of your ministry on it.  When we did that, our return rate jumped to over 30%.  Yes, it is an investment, but the result was well worth it.

You're not getting families involved in serving.  There is a group of people who attend your church faithfully.  They are there nearly every single week.  Who are they?  People who are serving.  If you want to see families connect and become faithful, then provide them with opportunities to serve from the get go. Engagement rather than attendance is what will cause your ministry to grow. 

You can accomplish this by setting the expectation that everyone who is part of our church is expected to serve.  Teach this in your new member's class.  Emphasize "every member is a minister. Give them a handout that lists all the serving opps that are available and have them sign up for one of the opportunities. 

You're stuck in 1970.  Today's kids are not yesterday's kids.  Today's music is not yesterday's music.  Today's family dynamics are not yesterday's family dynamics.  Today's way of doing church is different than yesterday's way of doing church.

Things have changed and this means you must be willing to change as well.  You must lay aside your preferences and create ministries that will reach today's kids and families.  Churches that are afraid to leave their comfort zone and set aside their own preferences will not live beyond their current members' life span.  

Children's ministry is not a priority at your church.  If you want your church to grow, then you must make children's ministry a top priority.  This includes funding, promotion, physical space and staffing.  You can talk about your children's ministry being a priority, but the claim must be backed up with physical proof.

A growing children's ministry will lead to a growing church.  An exciting children's ministry will lead to an exciting church.  A prevailing children's ministry will lead to a prevailing church.

Here are some questions based on the 8 reasons that you can discuss with your team.

• Is our ministry concerned about growing by reaching unchurched families?  How can we start reaching out to the unchurched families in our community? 

• Do we have room to grow?  Any areas that are at the 85% mark?  How can we create more space?

• Would kids say our ministry is boring?  What can we do to make it more exciting?

• Are we attracting new families?  How can we encourage our church to be intentional about investing and inviting?

• Are we keeping the new families that visit us?  What percentage of families are returning for a second visit?  What strategy can we implement that will help shut the back door?

• Are we encouraging new members to get involved in serving?  Do we have a culture that says every member is a minister?  Do we have a clear pathway to move people into serving roles?

• Are we current with how we do ministry?  Are we stuck in the past?  Unwilling to make needed changes to reach today's kids and families?

• Is children's ministry a priority at our church?  Does our budget say this?  Does our staffing say this?  Do our ministry priorities reflect this?  

No matter where your ministry is now, there is the opportunity to turn things around and start making an impact in your city.  It's time to stop merely existing as a church.  It's time to be a proactive force that sees families changed.  It's time to start growing again as a ministry.  You can do it.  God is with you.  

You've probably heard the saying "Everything rises and falls on leadership."  It's true. Everything does rise and fall on leadership...including children's ministry.

The bottom line is this - BETTER YOU = BETTER MINISTRY.

We often get so busy working on improving the ministry that we forget to work on improving our self.

Rick Warren said this...

"Growing organizations require growing leaders. The moment you stop growing your organization stops growing.” 

and this...

"Years ago, I stopped worrying about how to grow our church and instead focused on growing me.  As I grew me, our church grew."

So the big question is this - How can I grow as a children's ministry leader?  

That's why I developed the "Lead Well in Children's Ministry webinar."  It's a solid experience for cm leaders who want to get to the next level in their leadership."

I have brought together 3 children's ministry leaders who have proven they can build and lead amazing children's ministries.

I (Dale Hudson) have built and led some of the largest children's ministries in the nation.  In my latest children's ministry role, I saw God grow the church from 12,000 to 28,000 (weekend attendance) in just 8 years. We ministered to thousands of children each week.  And in one year, we saw 460 children (and dozens of their parents) follow Jesus in baptism.  I will be sharing "How to Lead Yourself Well" in my session.

Beth Cunningham is the children's pastor at Church of the Highlands.  She is an anointed leader who knows how to build incredible volunteer teams.  In just a few short years, the church has grown to an average of over 51,000 people attending each weekend.

Beth and her team are reaching kids by the thousands. She will be sharing how to lead volunteers well.  If anyone is qualified to teach this session, it's Beth.  You will not want to miss her session.

The third session will be led by Lori Bethran.  Lori is the children's pastor at Lakewood Church in Houston.  Lakewood is one of the largest churches in the nation.  Lori has built an amazing team that is reaching the next generation for Christ.  She will be sharing how to reach the next generation.

Here's an added bonus.  When you register for the webinar, you get a free copy of my newest book, "Lead Well in Children's Ministry."  Drawing from my 30 years of children's ministry experience, it contains over 300 pages of leadership principles and strategies that will take your leadership to a new level.  The book retails for $19, but is yours for free when you register for the conference (free shipping included).

One more added bonus for you.  If you are unable to attend the day of the webinar, you can still register and watch it on demand anytime you'd like.

I am excited about seeing God do a great work in your life through this training.  Space is limited.  Get signed up today.

You can become a better leader and see your ministry grow as a result.  You can get more info. and register at this link.  Look forward to seeing you there.

As I write this, I am looking at the calendar.  December 27th.  Only a few days left until we begin a new year.

A lot of great things took place in this past year.  Pause for a few minutes and look back.  Think about the victories that God gave you.  Meditate on the blessings He poured out for you.  The times He walked with you through trouble and turmoil.  He was there in 2018.  Even during the times when you felt alone...you were not alone.  When you saw great things happen in your ministry...He was there.  When you were struggling with the ministry...He was there.

And He will be with you in 2019.  In fact, as I type this, I am praying that 2019 will be your best year ever in children's ministry.  You're going to see more fruit.  You're going to see more kids and parents become followers of Christ.  You're going to see your attendance grow as you engage more and more kids and families.  You're going to grow your own faith deeper and your relationship with Jesus is going to become closer than ever.

As you prepare to walk in the blessings of God in 2019, let's look at some key things you can do to make 2019 your best year ever.

Walk with Jesus.  This is the starting point and where success in ministry comes from.  Notice what this verse says in Mark 3:14.

And He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach.

Notice what the first calling of the disciples was - "that they might be with Him."  And then they would go out and share the Gospel.

Your first calling...my first calling...is to walk with Jesus.  Out of that relationship will come the power you need to see people's lives changed.

The temptation is to get so busy working for Jesus that we begin to neglect spending time with Jesus.  But we must remember that nothing of eternal value happens without prayer.  Let 2019 be the year that you begin to walk with Jesus at a deeper level.  And out of that foundation will come your best year of ministry.

Yield Yourself to the Holy Spirit and rely upon Him.  2019 will be a great year not because of your talents, gifting, charisma or work ethic.  It will be a great year as a result of the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon your life. 

We are reminded of this in Zechariah 4:6.  It says "not by might nor by power but by My Spirit says the Lord."

2019 can be your best year ever, if you'll do this.  Walk in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Each morning when you get up, stop and ask the Holy Spirit for His blessings upon your day.  Tell Him you need His power.  Tell Him you can't accomplish anything unless He steps in.  

Every time you are speaking this year, ask the Holy Spirit to place His hand of power upon your life.  

As you plan your ministry calendar, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you.  His power is available, if you'll ask for it in 2019. 

Build your volunteer team.  Success in 2019 will not come from what you can do.  It will come from what you can empower others to do.  The effectiveness of your ministry in 2019 will rise and fall on the strength of the volunteer you build.  Make enlisting, equipping and empowering your top priority.  It should dominate your calendar. 

You can get a proven formula for building a volunteer team in my book - The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams.  It's available at this link.

Evaluate and make adjustments.   There are some things you should stop doing in 2019.  And there are some things you should amp up this coming year.  How will you find out what they are?  Evaluation.  Take a hard look at everything you are doing.  What is not working anymore and should be dropped?  What needs tweaking to make it more effective?  What should be replaced with something new and fresh?  What is working well and should be given more time and attention to?

If you keep doing what you've always done, you'll get the same results.  You'll stay where you are right now.  You won't make any progress.

Perhaps, just perhaps, 2019 is the year to make the changes needed to help your ministry go to the next level.  Change is not always easy, is it?  But it's worth it.  This is the year to make the adjustments you've been thinking about.

Focus on being productive rather than just being busy. It's easy to be busy in children's ministry, isn't it?  There is so much to do.  Get lessons ready.  Plan events.  Pull off events.  Follow up with guests.  Enlist and equip new volunteers.  Camp.  VBS.  Parent and child dedication.  On and on we could go.

Busyness is not something you should measure.  Productivity is what should be measured.  A jam-packed calendar is not a sign of success.  Seeing kids and families lives being impacted is what you should strive for instead.

This coming year, think about erasing some of the things on your calendar.  Only leave what you think will make a big impact.  Measure and focus on things like guests, volunteer retention, baptisms, dedications, attendance, success of events, etc.

Be accountable.  My heart has been grieving as of late as I have watched leaders that I admired and learned from, fall out of ministry due to immorality, burn out, financial greed and other temptations.

If you want to be successful in ministry, then here's a big, groundbreaking strategy.  Ready for it?  It's... to stay in ministry.  Wasn't that profound?  It's simple but true.  Success in ministry is measured by faithfulness.  It is applauded by "well done, good and faithful servant."

How will you stay in ministry?  A big one is to have people that hold you accountable.  People who can help you identify your blind spots and overcome them.  People who can both encourage you and call you up as a leader.

If you don't have those people in your life, one of your top priorities right off the bat should be to enlist 2-3 people who will hold you accountable.

Paul sums it up in 2 Timothy 4:7-8 when he says, "I have fought a good fight. I have finished the work I was to do. I have kept the faith.  There is a crown which comes from being right with God."

Fight a good fight in the coming year.  Finish the tasks God has for you in the coming year.  Keep your heart close to the heart of God in the coming year. 

Listen and learn more than you talk.  Listening is a key part of growing as a leader.  If you stop listening and stop learning, you will stop growing as a leader.

There is something you can learn from everyone if you'll search for it.

Don't be a know-it-all this coming year.  Instead, be a learn-from-others person this coming year.

As you learn and grow, you will see growth in your ministry.

Rick Warren said he focused on growing himself first.  As he grew, his church grew.

It's a great principle.  Focus this coming year on growing yourself first and foremost.  Out of that will flow the growth of your ministry, volunteers, children and families.

I'm praying with you that this coming year will be your best year ever.  Can't wait to see how God is going to bless so many of you with an incredible year of ministry.

Your Friend.  Your Fan.

Dale Hudson

If you want to see your ministry grow, then you must be committed to growing as the leader of the ministry.

If you personally stop growing, it can cause the ministry you lead to become stagnant, complacent and lukewarm.

And once you think you know it all, you will stop growing. 

Great leaders don't think they know it all...and they don't act like they know it all.

I love writing articles for this site.  I write it to encourage and equip people in ministry.  But I also write because it stretches me.  It causes me to research and spend time thinking.  It often forces me out of my comfort zone.  And that's a good thing for everyone...to be pushed out of your comfort zone.  Outside of our comfort zones is where we grow as leaders and followers of Christ.

As you prepare to enter a new year in a couple of weeks. I want to encourage you to be committed to your personal growth.  If you want to keep growing, then here are 10 things you can do.

1. Spend time with Jesus.  You might be thinking, "Duh...isn't that obvious."  Yes, but living it out can be a challenge at times, can't it.  We can get caught in the trap of working for Jesus but not spending time with Him.

There is something about spending time with Jesus that causes you to grow as a leader.  It gives you wisdom.  It gives you an anointing on your life.  It makes God's Word come alive and truths jump out as you read it.

Spiritual growth comes from having a growing relationship with Jesus.

"Like newborn infants, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation." 
1 Peter 2:2

2. Ask some friends, coworkers, etc. to help you identify your blind spots.  There are some areas you need to improve in.  The problem is...you can't see it.  And you can't improve what you can't identify.  That's why you should ask other people to help you with this.  Ask them to be brutally honest with you and don't get defensive when you hear things that make you uncomfortable.  Remember that it's through discomfort we can grow as leaders.

3. Go to a conference.  Make time each year to go to a conference that will challenge you and inspire you.

4. Get a coach.  All leaders need a coach.  Someone who will push you, challenge you, walk with you and invest in you.  I have a coaching program.  Dozens of leader have went through it and are better leaders because of it.  If you'd like more information about the Coaching Program,  you can go to this link. 

5. Spend time with someone who has more experience than you.  Find someone you look up to in ministry.  Ask if you can talk with them about ministry.  Come to the meeting (or telephone call) with a list of questions to ask them. 

6. Read books.  Readers are leaders, right?  Set a goal to read 4-6 books in the next year.  If you haven't read my most recent books, here is the link to them.

7. Listen to podcasts.  There are tons of leadership and personal growth podcasts.  Use those free moments during the day to listen in.  Some examples are while you are working out, while you are driving, while you are working around the house, etc.

8. Learn from leaders who are younger than you.   I talked earlier about learning from someone who is older than you.  But don't stop there.  Find some younger leaders and learn from them as well.  They have fresh ideas, input, dreams that will help you stay relevant and knowing the pulse of the culture and next generation.

9.  Ask a lot questions.  In order to grow, you have to consistently be asking questions.  Ask more questions and give less answers.  No matter how long you've been in ministry, keep asking questions.  Stay curious.  Stay thirsty to learn new things.

10. Embrace feedback.  It's not always easy to absorb feedback.  You might see it as threatening, judgemental or hard to hear.  Feedback can bring out your insecurities if you look at it as a personal attack.

To grow as a leader, you must see feedback as a gift.  No matter what is said, you can learn something from it if you will listen with an open heart.  There is something you can learn even from feedback that is off base.

I'm believing and praying that your next 12 months will be a great time of growth for you.  Everything rises and falls on leadership...even in children's ministry.

How do you keep your ministry fresh and exciting?  Let's talk about that question today.

There are many benefits that come with leading a new ministry.  Everything is shiny and new.  There's a buzz in the air about it.

An example is when a church builds a new auditorium or children's ministry building.  New families show up.  It gives your ministry the feeling that "we've just been upgraded from coach to first class."

Another example is when a church opens a new multi-site campus.  It normally creates energy and excitement at the new campus.  Families from the original campus who like new challenges and adventures, go to the new campus.  This can leave the original campus feeling old and tired...especially if you don't take some steps to keep it fresh and exciting. 

So the question is,  "How do I keep the ministry I lead, fresh and exciting?  Let's look at 4 key steps you can take.

1. Get rid out what's past its expiration date.  In order to keep your ministry fresh and exciting, you've got remove what isn't.

Think of it like this. When you purge your refrigerator, what do you do?  You got through and check the expiration date on items, right?  And when you find something that is out of date, you get rid of it.  You pull out an old salad dressing and check the date. Uh-oh,  it expired a month ago.  Good-bye dressing.

Look at your ministry that way.  What is out-of-date that you need to toss?  What are you doing just because it's been done that way since its inception in 1965 by "Sister Sally?"  What event are you still hosting because a few people hold it as sacred as the holy grail?

No one likes to eat something that is expired.  And most people don't like to attend or be a part of a ministry, program or event that is expired.  How do you know it's expired?  One way is participation.  People vote with their feet.  When something in your ministry is past its expiration date, they don't show up.

Is there anything you're doing that is past its expiration date? 

2.  Take a risk.  There is always a risk involved when you try something new.  But without risk, there is no reward.  Without risk, you are guaranteed to stay stuck.  Without risk, you'll never discover what can propel your ministry out of the stale place it is now.

Think about that bold change you've been pondering for months on end.  You haven't went for it yet, because you're afraid if it fails, you'll be seen as a failure.

3 words of advise....TAKE A RISK.

3.  Don't get comfortable.  Yes.  Comfort is comfortable.  Coasting downhill is easy.  Not ruffling any feathers makes things stay smooth.

But is that really what you want to live in?  You are enjoying the comfort, but deep down, you long to bust out of your comfort zone and be challenged.  As the leader, if the ministry is comfortable, it's because you as the leader are comfortable.

In order to have something you've never had, you're going to have to do something you've never done before.  

When was the last time you were out of your comfort zone?  In order to make your ministry fresh and exciting, you're going to have to want it so badly that it causes you to bust out of the staleness that has you lulled to sleep right now.

Don't get comfortable.  Don't get complacent.  Don't get content.

4.  Keep your creative edge.  Fresh and exciting is made possible by creativity.  Creativity comes when you start asking, "What if?"  Don't fall into the trap of thinking you're not creative.  You have creativity.  You have fresh ideas that are waiting to be birthed.

Here's what to do.  Get in a room with 3 to 4 other people and start tossing out ideas.  Emphasize that there are no bad ideas.  Even an idea you can't use, will spark an idea that you can use.

This Sunday, there will be churches that a few, faithful-to-the-end people will attend.  They will sing the same tired songs they've been singing for the past 25 years.  They will endure a boring message.  Their children will watch the clock in their classrooms, as they endure a teacher whose voice sounds like Charlie Brown's teacher.  No one will accept Jesus.  No new families will be added to the church.  The baptistry will remain empty for another week.  Decor that was trending in 1956 will still adorn the building.

That doesn't have to be your church, if you'll commit to keeping the ministry fresh and exciting.

When I lived in southern California and then in Las Vegas, one of my favorite places to eat was In-N-Out Burger.

Many times, when a person is going west on business or travel, you'll hear someone tell them, "You've got to try In-N-Out Burger!"  I know I make a point to stop by and eat there when I am in the area.

What makes their "fast food" so good?  The answer lies in the owner's commitment to focus on serving a few items with excellence.

They make hamburgers, fries and shakes.  That's it.  All the ingredients are fresh.  There are no microwaves or freezers.  Their shakes are made from real ice cream.  To maintain quality control and service excellence, they remain privately owned with no franchise stores.  Stores are only found in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Texas.

Their focus helps them create great food.

Let's think together for a few minutes.  Does this same strategy apply to children's ministry?  I believe so.

You can spread your resources, staff, volunteers, budget, time, energy and focus across a vast array of programs, events and other offerings...but you will find it all ends up being so thin, it's ineffective.

Simplicity and focus doesn't just happen.  What does just happen is complexity.  Our natural bent is to equate busyness and volume with success.  And so by default, we begin to fill up our ministry calendars with lots of events.  We begin to spread our resources across everything we're trying to do.  We weaken our volunteer team by trying to fill our many programs and events that all require many volunteers.  This results in us having a lot of mediocre programs and events.

Here are some questions to ask yourself and then talk through with your team...

Are all of our areas lacking volunteers because they are spread across too many options?

What is draining us that is not producing fruit?

What is working that we should shift more focus, resources and time to?

What are we saying "yes' to, just because it makes a few people happy?

If our ministry menu had to be like In-N-Out Burger, what three focused things would we offer?

What is a good thing we need to stop doing so something else can become great?

If we had to cross 5 things off our ministry calendar, what would they be?  What is stopping us from doing this?

Still not convinced?  Let's look at another example of how less is more.

Think about Google and Yahoo.

While Yahoo's site bombards you with hundreds of different choices,  Google only shows 2.  Search and I'm feeling lucky.

Which one has been much more successful?  Obviously Google.

When people look at your ministry, are there so many programs, events and offerings that it leaves them overwhelmed and not engaging fully with any of them?  

And so, I ask you the question from the title of this article.

Is your children's ministry spread too thin to be effective?

Maybe it's time to put some eraser marks on your ministry calendar.  Maybe it's time to decide what your niche' is and focus on doing it with excellence.  Maybe it's time you pour your volunteer force into serving in one or two programs and events.  Maybe it's time you spend your allocated budget on where it can have the most impact.  Maybe it's time to stop doing some things just because it's always been done that way.

Re-focusing a spread out, thinned out ministry and concentrating it on a few key elements can make it much more effective.

Just ask In-N-Out Burger and Google. 

In a day when the majority of churches are plateaued or in decline, there are some churches that are experiencing long-term growth.

Year after year, they continue to grow and reach more kids and families.  As I connect with these churches and personally observe what they are doing, I have found they all have one thing in common.

What is it, you ask?  Here it is.

Children's ministries that are experiencing long-term growth are in multi-site churches that consistently start new campuses.  

Is your children's ministry plateaued or in decline?  I believe the answer, in most cases, is to go multi-site and then to continue to add campuses.  I've had the honor of being part of some of the fastest growing churches in America.  Without exception, here is what happened. 

• We started growing. 

• We grew to the point where the auditorium and children's ministry space were full. 

• We plateaued. 

• We added another service and started growing again. 

• We grew again to the point where we were full again. 

• We continued to add new services as we grew, but eventually got to the point where it wasn't healthy to add any more services.  When you get the point where you are doing 6 services a weekend, it's not healthy for the long-term health of the staff to continue to add more services.  

• We eventually plateaued again even with having 6 services. 

• We added a new campus and began to grow again.  

• This same scenario is repeated again with each new campus.  

Again, the bottom line is this.  In today's culture, churches that experience long-term growth are multi-site churches that continue to expand and add new campuses.  Need more proof?  Once a year, I meet with the children's ministry leaders of the largest, fastest growing churches in the country.  Without exception, this is what is happening.

• Their original campus is plateaued. 

• They are still growing.

• Their growth is coming through the new campuses they are starting. 

Why is a multi-site strategy necessary for long-term growth?

• You can only construct so many buildings and kid's ministry space in one location.  Now matter now big an auditorium or how large a kid's space you build, you will eventually run out of room. 

• There is a limited number of kids and families who live in the vicinity of your one campus.  Whether you are in a heavily populated, urban area or in a less populated, rural area, there is a limit to the "number of fish" in the pond.  If you want to start catching more fish, you have to fish in some additional ponds.  

• New campuses free up space at the original campus, so you grow by "re-growing" to where the attendance level was before you started the new campus.  Normally, you will take a group of people from the original campus to help start the new campus.  This will allow you space to reach new people at the original campus.  Here's an example...

• You have 300 kids attending the original campus.  Due to space or other limitations, this is your cap.

• 50 kids go with their families to help start the new campus.  This leaves you with 250 kids at the original campus.  

• You reach 50 more new kids at the new campus.  This plus the 50 kids that came to help start the new campus means you are now reaching 100 kids at the new campus.

• You reach 50 new kids at the original campus since you have now have space available. Though it appears you aren't growing at the original campus, you are.  Your growth has been getting back up to 300 after sending 50 kids to the new campus. 

• Add the growth from both campuses and you've grown from 300 to 400 kids per weekend.

I am reminded that this is grounded in the great commission where Jesus tells us to "go into all the world and preach the Gospel to everyone."  As a church, this is not optional.  We must continue to "go."  We must continue to go into new neighborhoods, new communities, new cities, new states, new countries.  If we want to grow, then we must go.

Is your ministry declining?  Is it plateaued?  Then it's time to go.  It's time to go and start a new campus.  If you want to grow, then you've got to go.  Until every single boy, girl, mother and father have had the opportunity to know Jesus, we have to keep going and growing. 

These are my observations about children's ministries that are experiencing long-term growth. 

Your turn.  Do you agree?  Disagree?  What other strategies or methods have you seen among churches that continue to grow long-term?  Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

If you want to see how healthy a church is, go to their nursery.  Go to their preschool area.  Go to their elementary area.  Go to their pre-teen area.  A healthy church has a healthy children's ministry.

A healthy children's ministry reflects a healthy church volunteer culture.  A healthy children's ministry is made possible by a healthy volunteer team.  And healthy children's ministry volunteer teams are normally made possible because the entire church has a healthy volunteer culture.  You can walk into a church's children's ministry area and see how healthy the church is by the number and quality of volunteers you see serving.

Just because a church sends people to volunteer on a mission's trip a few times a year doesn't mean it's healthy.  It's the week in and week out serving roles that reflect true health.  This is not saying that missions trips are not important.  They are extremely important.  But I believe true church health is measured in volunteers serving faithfully in roles that take long-term commitment.  

A healthy children's ministry shows a church's commitment to reaching the next generation.  Psalm 78 makes it clear what a church's commitment should be to the next generation.

For He issued his laws to Jacob, He gave his instructions to Israel.  He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children^, so the next generation might know them—even the children not yet born—and they in turn will teach their own children.  So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands. 

I believe the health of a church is not measured by the sound of its worship team, but by the sound of children in the hallways.  I believe the health of a church is not measured by the size of its auditorium, but by the size of its children's space.  I believe the health of a church is not measured by the quality of its coffee shop or cafe, but by the quality of its preschool program.  I believe the health of a church is not measured by the dynamic sermons of its pastor, but by the dynamic lessons of its elementary teachers.  I believe the health of a church is not measured by the dpi's of the projectors in the "main service," but by its investment in pre-teens. 

A healthy children's ministry shows that a church is reaching young families.  Healthy churches reach young families.  This is not to diminish the importance of reaching and ministering to senior adults.  Just as a healthy family is comprised of all generations, a healthy church family is comprised of all generations...babies...children...students...
young adults...middle age adults...senior adults.  But if a church is predominately grey-haired, then it is not reaching all generations.

A church that is not reaching young families doesn't have a future.  A church that is not reaching young families is not relevant.  A church that is not reaching young families is more concerned about preserving the past than it is about effectively proclaiming the Gospel to the next generation. 

A healthy children's ministry shows that a church is generous.  A church that is generous invests in those who can't "pay their own way."  A church that is generous makes sure that the children's ministry budget is a priority.  This is reflected in children's ministry staffing, operating budget, physical space and programming.

And here is what I believe.  God will bless the church financially that invests in children's ministry.  Jesus made it clear that when you give a cup of water to a child, you are giving it to Him.  Investing in children's ministry ushers in Jesus' presence, power and financial blessings into a church.

A healthy children's ministry shows that a church is growing.  I believe that children's ministry is one of the keys to growing a healthy church.  Take a look inside the fastest growing churches in the country and you will see without exception that they have a healthy, growing children's ministry.  The key to reaching parents is by reaching their children.  Kids can't drive themselves to church.  Get them excited about coming to church and they will drag their parents with them.  A church that doesn't have room to grow in its children's area will plateau church-wide.  If you want to grow a healthy church, then focus on growing a healthy children's ministry.

Is the children's ministry in your church healthy?  Is it growing?  Is it a priority?  If you'd like to elevate the importance of children's ministry in your church, then join us for a live webinar on Thursday, April 6th.  I will be sharing about why children's ministry must be a priority in churches and my friend, Ricardo Miller, will be sharing practical steps you can take to make your children's ministry a priority in your church.  The session will be recorded as well so you can share it with your church leadership.  You can get more information and register at this link.

What's the secret to growing a church?  Great worship?  Relevant teaching by a dynamic communicator?  Awesome facilities?  A friendly congregation?  Location?  While all of these can play a part, I believe the most powerful way to grow a church comes in a small package.

What's the small package you might ask?  Children.  Though they are the smallest package in the church when it comes to stature, I believe they are the most powerful when it comes to influence and decision making.

Don't think they affect your church operating budget?  Think again. 

In the latest family spending survey, 46% of parents said they've gone into debt buying something their kids wanted.  

Parents (and grandparents) are drawn to a church that loves their kids.  Parents give to a church that invests in their kids.  Parents choose where to go to church based on their kids.  Parents walk into a church thinking, "What do you have to offer my kids?"  The truth is you can have great worship, great teaching, awesome worship facilities for adults and a great location, but if the kids aren't happy when dad and mom pick them up, your growth as a church will be limited.

Remember this important statement.

When you take a child by the hand, you take their parent by the heart. 

If you want to get the attention of a parent, then do something nice for their child.  If you want to win the heart of a parent, then love their child.  I believe children's ministry is the most powerful way to reach people who are far from God and see them connected to the local church.  No matter how far away from God a dad is, when you love his child, you have his attention.  And no matter how hard a mother's heart is toward God, when you invest in her child, her heart softens.

Think about all the times in scripture when adults came looking for Jesus because of their child.  Here's one example found in Mark 9.

When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were arguing with them.  When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him.  “What is all this arguing about?” Jesus asked.  One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk.   And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground.  Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid.  So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”  Jesus said to them, “You faithless people!  How long must I be with you?  How long must I put up with you?  Bring the boy to me.”  So they brought the boy.  But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth.  “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father.  He replied, “Since he was a little boy.  The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.”  “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”  The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

This man came looking for Jesus because of one reason - his child.  And it's still happening today.  I could fill a book with stories of entire families I have personally seen reached through their children.  And I've had the joy of serving in churches that decided to invest in children in a major way and as a result experienced exponential growth.

Another great example of people being drawn to Jesus because of their children is found in Luke 18.  Check it out.


Show me a church that is growing and I'll show you a church that makes children's ministry a priority.  Show me a church that is growing and I'll show you a church that is focused on the next generation. Show me a church that is stagnant and I'll show you a church that has lost sight of the power of children's influence. 

Do you really want to see your church grow?  Then make children's ministry a priority.  If you'd like help in making children's ministry a priority in your church, then join us for a live webinar called "Making Children's Ministry a Priority in the Church" on Thursday, April 6th from 8-9:30 pm.  Below is more info. and you can register here. 

Look under the hood of successful children's ministries and you'll find they have 10 things in common. 

#1 - Strong leadership.  Just like in everything else, everything rises and falls on leadership.  Successful ministries are built by solid, committed leaders.  God anoints and blesses people, not programs. 

#2 - Compelling vision.  The ministry has a clear, concise vision that keeps the vision on track and moving forward.  Everyone on the team knows why they are serving and what they are working toward.

#3 - Unity.  Vision falls flat without unity behind the vision.  The team is committed to unity and tenaciously protects it.  Out of this unity flows power, anointing and blessings.

#4 - Solid volunteer team.  Last year, I hosted a gathering of the 20 largest children's ministries in the nation.  Without exception, every one of them has a strong team of volunteers that make the ministry happen.  I've said it over and over again...because it is true...the success of a children's ministry rises and falls on the strength of the volunteer team.  In fact, in most of these churches, it's hard to tell staff and volunteers apart. 

#5 - Commitment to excellence.  Successful children's ministries are built on doing the small things with excellence.  Details matter to them.  Their bathrooms are clean.  Their check-in areas are neat and free of clutter.  They promptly follow up with families who contact them.  It's hard to find typos on their take home papers.  No, they aren't perfect.  No one is.  If you look hard enough, you'll find some weak spots.  But they know what the weak spots are and you can be sure they are working on fixing and improving them.

#6 - Focus.  Successful children's ministries don't equate busyness with success.  They equate being productive with success.  They don't necessarily have a full calendar, but they do have a focused calendar.  There is a big difference.  They funnel their time, energy and resources into doing a few things extremely well. 

#7 - Change.  They constantly evaluate everything they do and change what is not working or is outdated.  They grasp the Message very tightly, but everything else is held with open hands.  They are thankful for the past,  but they are not married to it.  They spend most of their time looking forward and occasionally glance back at the past for reference.

#8 - Relevant ministry.  They keep up with kid culture.  They know how to connect with today's kids.  When parents ask their kids the famous end of service question - "Did you have fun today?" - the answer is "Yes!"  But don't be quick to judge the term "fun."  Fun at church for a kid means you made the Bible come alive for him or her.  It means you let them be a kid.  It means you used teaching methods that they connect with.  Fun may appear to be a shallow word, but it's actually a deep word when you look at it like this.

#9 - Passion for reaching the unchurched.  Simply put, they reach kids and families for Christ.  Unchurched families walk in the doors on a regular basis.  Kids' lives are changed.  Parents' lives are changed.  The baptistry waters are constantly stirred.  They have a driving passion for the lost that won't let them stop until every single child and family in their community knows Jesus.

#10 - Humility.  Though numbers 1-9 are true about successful children's ministries, if you were to interview them and ask why they are successful, they would shrug their shoulders and say, "To be honest, it's not because of us.  We're not this good.  Only God could do this.  We are in way over our heads."  This humility keeps them on their faces before God.  They know they don't have all the answers.  And that's a good place to be. 

These 10 points lead to some great discussion questions you can have with your team.  Sit down and ask yourselves...

1.  Are we leading well?  How can we improve as leaders? 
2.  Do we have a clear, compelling vision that people want to follow?
3.  Is our ministry unified?  Do we work hard to protect our unity?
4.  How strong is our volunteer team?  How can we strengthen it?
5.  Are we committed to excellence?  Do we strive to do the small things well?
6.  Are we focused?  Does our calendar reflect busyness or productivity?
7.  Are we open to change?  Are we evaluating everything we do on a regular basis?
8.  Are we connecting with the kids?  Are kids having fun at our church?
9.  Are we passionate about reaching the unchurched? 
10.  Is pride getting in our way?  Are we willing to humble ourselves before God and seek His face?

Recent years have seen a decline in church attendance in the average church in America.  There are a number of factors contributing to this, some of which are cultural shifts that can be seen in other declining institutions as well.

Many large stores are losing relevance according to Harvard Business Review.  Here are some examples.  Linens 'n Things, Circuit City, Sports Authority and Borders have all gone bankrupt. Office Depot / Office Max is closing 400 stores this year.  Barnes and Nobles continues to struggle.  Kohl's and Old Navy are posting negative comparable store sales.  All of these stores have something in common that should be noted.  They are big box retail stores.

People vote with their feet and pocketbooks.  And the church must take note of what families are voting for and be willing to shift accordingly.  We must remember...the message is sacred...the methods are not.  If children's ministries want to thrive, here's 3 things these trends are telling us we must do moving forward.

PERSONALIZATION
People no longer want or need to shop as anonymous costumers in large stores with large quantities of supplies stacked aisle upon aisle.  Instead they want to be able to craft their own, custom shopping experience.  This is why e-commerce and specialty stores are growing in popularity.  For e-commerce, people can select their own digital tools to easily navigate to products that are personally selected just for them.  And specialty stores can provide the superior, personalized service that big box stores cannot.

What this means for children's ministries moving forward...

• Anonymity must be replaced with personalization.  We must make sure every child is personally known and connected to a caring adult. 

• We must provide discipleship tools and options that allow kids to craft their own personalized discipleship pathway within defined parameters. 

• One-size-fits-all learning must be replaced with personalized learning.  The days of lecture-based learning are over.  Kids must be allowed to choose what learning styles and techniques best resonate with them.

EXPERIENCE
Studies show that people are spending less on goods and more on experiences.  Millennials (who are the young parents you are trying to reach) are spending a larger proportion on travel and entertainment than previous generations.

Bottom line.  Experience drives growth.  Bass Pro Shops is a great example.  They are a big box store that is bucking the first trend mentioned and experiencing growth.  Why?  They fill their 100,000 square feet with wildlife displays, archery ranges, oversized aquariums, and marine centers so customers can try out products and sample the lifestyle it promotes.

Ikea is another example.  They use their warehouses to stage fully furnished rooms where people can experience products and get decorating ideas. Outdoor retailer REI goes even further by holding events, classes, and service projects to engage with the local communities around its stores.

What this means for children's ministries moving forward...

• Families are looking for experiences they can have together.  This is why they are spending their time, money and energy on vacations, travel, events, etc.  Children's ministries that thrive will create unique experiences that draw families.   This includes things like Fall Festivals, Family services and family service projects.  You can read here about how we did this and saw a major spike in attendance with families.  You can also read about how we created an experience for families that saw our attendance grow by 2,000 people a weekend over the previous year.

• Children's ministries must create unique learning experiences for kids.  Kids want to experience the truth.  Here's a quick example.  Last weekend we were teaching the kids at our church that fulfilling God's plan for your life is not about you, but about how it will help others.  We were teaching from the life of Joseph.  God's plan for him to become a ruler in Egypt was not so he could brag about being in charge.  It was so he could help his family and nation.  To help kids experience this truth, we gave each of them a package of Skittles candy with a note attached that said "God's plan for your life."  We then gave them a choice.  They could keep the candy or give it back.  If they gave it back, it would be given to children who live in a poverty stricken area of town.  The experience of this...the tension they felt...helped them experience the truth we were teaching them.  Bottom line...children's ministries must become venues that stage immersive, memorable, share-worthy experiences.

VALUE MARRIED TO CURIOSITY
Large institutions that are thriving offer great prices on products that are constantly changing.  Here's two great examples.  TJ Maxx and Marshalls.  Why?  They offer the "thrill of the hunt" for people who enjoy discovering trending products at prices well below market value.

What this means for children's ministries moving forward...

• Families are looking for the best value for their time.  Time is the most precious commodity today's families have.  They will not spend it on mediocre, ho hum ministry.  They are looking for churches that can add significant value to their family.  Children's ministries must be prepared to minister to families and make it worth their while to attend.  This includes everything from strategic spiritual growth pathways to relevant curriculum to a focused, clear vision.

• We must keep kids and families curious.  This includes lesson cliff-hangers and changing up your order of service, programming etc, on a regular basis.  Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it grows a children's ministry.  Families should leave excited to see what is going to happen next week at church.

One of the healthiest institutions in the country right now is Costco.  Their financial performance is stellar and customers are giving them rave reviews.  Why?   Because they are doing all 3 of the things mentioned above.  They create great shopping experiences with food concessions, gas stations, and sampling stations.  They offer great value with their prices and quality of merchandise.  And they offer great customer service.

Children's ministries that thrive moving forward will rethink everything they do and will be willing to change as needed to meet the needs of the kids and families they are seeking to reach and disciple.

We have a rose bush in our front flowerbed.  At first, it flourished and produced beautiful flowers.

But not now.  The flowers have stopped blooming and there are no signs of life.  It's branches are brown and crackly.  We've left it there for several months, hoping it will come back.  We'll see...but right now it doesn't look good.

The rose bush has been a good reminder for me of the importance of keeping the children's ministries we lead healthy and growing.

When you see a children's ministry that's growing, there are usually 5 things at play behind the scenes.   

VISION
A growing children's ministry flows from the heart of a leader who has a vision to reach his/her community for Christ.  The vision compels the leader and his/her team to never stop until every, single child and parent in their community is reached.  Not satisfied with the status quo, they focus on the future rather than dwelling on the past.  Great growth comes from great vision.

ADEQUATE SPACE
A growing children's ministry makes sure they are not hindered by the 85% rule.  This rule basically says that when you reach 85% capacity, you will stop growing.  Here's an example.  If your children's ministry rooms hold 100 kids, once you are averaging 85 kids a week in that space, you will stop growing unless you create more space.  This can be done by building or starting more services.  Growing children's ministries keep a pulse on this.

HARD WORK
It takes a lot of hard work to build a children's ministry.  Growing children's ministries are committed to doing the hard work of preparation, planning, follow-up, excellent execution, cleaning and more.  God doesn't bless laziness.  Simply put...pray for a good harvest with the sweat running down the hoe handle.

VOLUNTEER TEAM
A growing children's ministry has a growing team of enthusiastic, committed volunteers.  As your volunteer base grows, your children's ministry will grow because kids are being cared for, ratios are being met and connections are being made.

GOD-FACTOR
Of course, all of the above hinges on the "God-factor."  A growing children's ministry often wonders in amazement as they watch God move.  They know without His anointing and blessing, all their efforts are in vain.  This keeps the ministry humble and constantly seeking God and depending on Him.  They plant the seeds...God grows the fruit.

Perhaps you are reading this and your children's ministry is currently like my rose bush.  Not much happening.  Be encouraged.  Renew and expand your vision, make sure you have adequate space, work hard, grow your volunteer base, seek God's face...and watch your ministry begin to grow.