RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

I grew up attending church.  If the doors were open, we were there.  That meant a minimum of Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night.

And when there were "revival services" it meant every night of the week for an entire week.

Years ago, this was the norm for many families who attended church.  3 times a week.  4 weeks a month.  12 months a year.  The only times you missed were when you were sick or on vacation.

There was even an attendance chart in your Sunday School classroom and the goal was to fill it with 52 stars.

Fast forward to the 2000's.  Sunday night and Wednesday night church attendance became less and less of a priority for many families.  They still came on Sunday mornings, but attending regularly was now considered attending 3 out of 4 Sunday mornings a month.

As we moved into the 2010's, church attendance patterns gradually slid to where it is now.  Regular attendance for the average family is once a month.  Simply put...families are attending church less often.

Why?  Let's look at 5 big reasons.

Reason 1 - Families are busier and more tired.  
Families are busier than ever.  They run all week with little to no margin in their lives.  And by the time Sunday rolls around, they are exhausted.  And so they use Sunday as their margin.  It literally becomes a "day of rest" for them.

When you are worn out, it can seem like too much trouble to get the kids up and dressed for church.  When you are tired, you don't feel like driving to church...at least not every weekend.  And so families are opting to sleep in, spend time together at home and perhaps even watch church online.

And when you have no margin in your life, you may also use Sunday to do chores, clean the house, wash the car,  buy groceries and other stuff you can't get to during the week.

Reason 2 - Erosion of trust in authority.  
This is a reflection of the erosion of trust for all things authoritarian.   Look at these trends.

• 1970's - 70% of Americans believes they could trust institutions to do the right thing.  In 2016, it had fallen to 32%.

• Trust in Congress feel from 49% to 9% during the same time frame.

• Trust in the church fell from 65% to 41% during the same time frame.

• A 2015 Harvard study revealed that 86% of people distrust financial institutions. 

• 88% of people sometimes or never trust the media.  Can you say "fake news?"

Couple that with widespread sexual abuse in the entertainment industry, politics and yes...even the church, and it's understandable why families do not trust authority.

Reason 3 - Involvement in other activities.  The church used to be the center of families' social lives.  Their friends were at church.  Their families outings and activities were tied to the church.  Their weekends revolved around what was happening at church.

But today's families are involved in more weekend activities outside of the church.  An example is sports.  There used to be a day when kid's sports teams didn't play on Sunday so families could be in church.  Not anymore.  Go to the local sports fields in your community on a Sunday morning and you'll find tons of kids and families playing soccer, baseball and football.  And traveling sports' teams pull families away from church for weeks on end.

Reason 4 - More blended families.  The U.S. Bureau of Census says 1,300 new step-families are forming every day.  Over 50% of families are remarried or re-coupled.  Obviously this breaks up the flow of kids being able to attend church every week as they alternate between parents on weekends.

Reason 5 - Lower expectations.  There was a humorous statement that people used years ago about church attendance.  It was this.

"People who like the church attend Sunday morning services.  People who come back on Sunday night for service love the Pastor.  And people who also attend on Wednesday nights love Jesus."

The unspoken expectation behind that statement was that families who were serious about following Jesus should be in church every time the doors were open...every week.  Families felt guilty when they had to miss.

Today the unspoken expectation is much lower.  Families don't think twice about missing church and don't feel guilty when they do.  Expectations have been lowered.

If you're reading this, your church's attendance has probably been affected by all of these reasons.

So, how can we encourage families to make church attendance a priority?  How can we see families adjust their schedules so they can attend more frequently?

Stay tuned.  Next week, I'll share an article entitled "How to See Families Attend Church More Often."  We'll share specific steps you can take to see families begin attending more frequently.

Your turn.  The floor is yours.  What attendance patterns do you see in your church?  What other factors do you think are contributing to less frequent church attendance?  Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Have you ever had a bad experience at a restaurant or place of business?   If so, I'm sure you remember it.  We don't usually forget it, do we?  Here are a couple of reviews I read recently.

"The pizza was frozen, the staff was not helpful and most of the parents didn't know how to watch their kids.  I'd rather pass kidney stones without pain medication than be dragged there again."

"One of our friends from out of town has type 1 diabetes.  While we stood there waiting for a table in a restaurant, his hands began to shake.  It looked like he was going into diabetic shock, which can be prevented with a quick infusion of sugar, from, say, a glass of orange juice.  So, one of us frantically asked one of the servers behind the bar for a glass of orange juice.  'Our friend, who is diabetic, needs some orange juice asap.'  The server looked at our friend's shaking hands, looked at her, and said, 'Nice act.'  What happened next?  Well, our friend went into shock.  He shook uncontrollably and collapsed on the floor.  We called an ambulance.  The paramedics came, took him outside and helped him get his blood sugar level back to normal."

I seriously doubt the people ever went back to those places and they spread the word about their bad customer service experience.

Contrast that to when you receive great customer service.  We don't forget that either, do we?  And we spread the word that we've found a place that really values their customers. 

Here's what we must understand.  The people who are walking in the doors of your church are not comparing your customer service to just other churches.  They are comparing your customer service to places of business, restaurants, clothing stores and other establishments they interact with.  

If you want to see guests return to your church, then you've got to deliver a great customer service experience.  Here are 10 steps you can take to do this.

Step 1 - Provide Great Parking
I chuckle when I see a church that has reserved parking for the pastor and staff right in front of the church.  I'm all for honoring pastors, but when it comes to parking, I believe we should give guests the best parking spots.  Pastors, staff and volunteers can lead the way by parking in the worst spots and saving the best spots for guests. 

The sermon starts in the parking lot.

Think about when you're riding around a store like Target, looking for a place to park.  Once in awhile, the seas of cars will part and there it is...a great parking spot that is in the front.  You smile and quickly pull in.  You walk into the store whistling a tune and happy that you were blessed to find such a great parking spot.

When you reserve great parking for guests, that's the way they will feel as they walk into your church.  You're off to a great start in providing them with a great experience.

Step 2 - Have Clear Outside Signage
Speaking of walking in the building, it helps to be able to know where to walk in.  I spend a lot of weekends consulting with churches and recently I pulled into the parking lot of a large church on a Sunday.  Problem was, there was no outside signage.  After driving around for awhile, I finally parked as close as I could get to the big front doors. 

But when I got to the front doors, I discovered that they were locked.  Even though it looked like an entrance, it wasn't.  I walked to 4 other sets of doors until I finally found a door that was open.  I walked down the hallway and opened another door and suddenly realized it was the baptistry door.  A few more steps and I would have made a splashing entrance into the service. 

Needless to say, it was a frustrating experience that could have been avoided with some simple outside signage that marked where to enter.  This is especially helpful if families have children and are looking for an entrance into the children's area.

Step 3 - Friendly Greeters at the Doors
Notice I used the word "friendly."  It's important who you place as greeters.  There are some people who must have been baptized in pickle juice.  They have the personality of a prune.  In other words, if the wicked witch of the west attends your church, you don't want to place her as a greeter. 

Your greeters are the face of your church.  Make sure you have smiling, positive, helpful, pleasant people at the doors.  Train them to make people feel welcome and comfortable.

Step 4 - Separate Check-In Area for Guests
One thing that we all hate to do is wait in line.  So this is something you want to focus on for guest services.  It's important to have enough check-in areas for your regular attendees so they don't have to wait very long to check in.  But it's especially important to not make first-time guests wait in line.  One way you can avoid this is to have a separate check-in area for guests.  This also gives you more of an opportunity to focus solely on them and give them the royal treatment.

Step 5 - Train Your Guest Services Team to Know What NOT to Say
It's just as important to know what NOT to say, as it is to know what to say.  Here's a few examples.

• Instead of saying "I don't know" say "Let me find out for you."

• Instead of saying "She's can't talk right now" say "She's currently teaching the kids. I'd be happy to let her know you stopped by and give her a message for you."

• Instead of saying "No problem" say "It's my pleasure."

• Instead of saying "It's over there" say "I'd be happy to show you. Follow me."

 Step 6 - Walk With Rather Than Pointing
Have you ever been in a big box store, wandering around, trying to find something with no clue where to go?  You look around and there's no one in site to help you.  Frustrating isn't it? 

That's the way guests feel when we leave them to find their own way through our buildings.  Even if you give them quick directions to a specific area, they will probably still be uneasy as they try to navigate through an unfamiliar place. 

Always...always...always walk with guests to their children's classrooms and then take the parents to the auditorium.  This not only makes it easy for them, but it also gives you the opportunity to do step 7.

Step 7 - Talk With Guests Rather Than at Guests
Have you ever approached an employee for help at a place of business and they gave you the vibe that you were bothering them?  They helped you, but grudgingly, and made little, if any, eye contact with you.  Left you feeling devalued, didn't it?

It's important to show a personal interest in guests.  This can be done by being intentional about talking with them while you are helping them get checked in, walking them to their classroom, etc.
As you talk with them, it should be all about them, not you.

Here's a simple tool you can train your team to use when talking with guests.  It's called FISH.  The letters are a reminder of questions you can ask them.

F - Family (ask them about their family including kids, ages of kids, etc.)
I - Interests (this can be about sports, teams the kids are on, pets, local attractions, etc.)
S - School (ask the kids about their school, what subjects they like, etc.)
H - Hobbies (ask about what they enjoy doing for fun)

Step 8 - Explain Safety & Security Guidelines

With terrorist attacks, school shootings, kidnappings and yes, church shootings, parents are very concerned for their children's safety.  In this recent article, I shared how crucial it is to have solid safety and security procedures and policies in place.  This will not only help you protect the children and families in your church, but will also help you retain first-time guests. 

While you are checking the family in and walking them to their rooms, share with them the following information:

• The purpose of the parent / child safety tags.  Share with them that this ensures that no one else can pick up their child.

• Every volunteer has been through a thorough on-boarding, vetting process that includes a background check, personal interview, reference calls, orientation, training, etc.

• The rule of two.  No one will ever be alone with their child.

• That you will contact them if their child needs them (pagers, text, number on screen, etc.)

Step 9 - Train Your Team How to Manage Tense Situations
When people get upset, it's important to act rather than react.   This only happens when you have equipped your team with the proper steps to take and the right attitude to have  Respond in the right way and you can turn someone who is upset into a fan.

• Remember that many times you are seeing the surface symptoms of deeper issues. 

• If you're in a crowded place, move to a quieter, private place.

• Lower the decibel level.  Talk softer than they are talking.  The Bible reminds us that a soft answer turns away wrath. 

• Listen.  People want to be heard.  What you enable them to say is often more important than what you are going to say.

• Use silent pauses.  As they vent, pause before you respond.  This has a calming effect.

• Use the word "let's" rather than "you."  This helps bring collaboration rather than "us" vs. "you."

• Rehearse back to them what they said.  This shows you value and understand what they have told you.

• Ask open-ended questions that they can respond "yes" to.  This helps bring you together on the same team. 

• Brainstorm options with them.  This helps you partner with them to resolve the issue.

• Thank them for their concerns.  This shows you value their concerns and them as a person.

• Apologize to them even if it's not your fault.  Pride looks for an apology.  Humility gives a apology.  Pride seeks a victory.  Humility seeks a resolution.

• Follow-up with them.  Let them know about any steps that have been taken to resolve the issue. At times a card, flowers or gift certificate is a great touch.  Kindness can help dissolve conflict

Step 10 - Bring the Wow Factor
If you really want to improve your guest services, then bring the "Wow Factor."  Why?  Because exceptional is what is remembered.  Exceptional is the best follow-up.  If a family has a great experience on their first visit, they will return and bring people with them. 

Here's an example.  I have a friend who was at Disney World with his preschooler.  The child got sick and threw up on her shirt.  And they had forgotten to pack any extra clothes.  It was not a good scenario.  But a Disney cast member saw the dilemma the family was in and approached them.  The cast member said, "Come into the store with me and let's pick out a shirt for your daughter....free-of-charge."

Needless to say, the family are big fans of Disney and will return! 

Think of ways you can bring the wow factor to families.  No, you can't do this for every single family, but you can "do for the few what you wish you could do for everyone."

Here's an example of how I did this with a first-time family.  As I was walking them to their classroom, I used the FISH tool I mentioned in point 7.  Through this, I found out that the boy loved basketball.  After getting them to their classrooms, I jumped in my car and drove to a nearby Target, where I bought a basketball. 

When the parents came to pick up their child, I was waiting at the exit door with a new basketball for their son.  They were blow away that someone would be so intentional to make them feel special and welcomed. 

Get these 10 steps in place and you'll see your guest services go to a whole new level.  You can also get more great ideas for this in the book "If Disney Ran Your Children's Ministry."  There is an entire chapter called "Customer Service Like Disney" that shares great insight and ideas from how Disney does customer service.  You can get it at this link. 

Recently, during my devotion time, I was reading Luke 2.
I read a verse I've read dozens of times before, but something stood out to me, that I hadn't noticed or thought about before.  It's in verse 8.

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks AT NIGHT."

Didn't these shepherds ever get a break?  Here they are on-the-job at night.  I can see them working during the daytime, feeding the sheep, taking the sheep to fresh water, guarding against any wolves or predators that might attack and tending to any wounds or injuries the sheep might have.  

But apparently, their work didn't fall into the perimeter of a set 9 to 5 time schedule.  Even at night, they had to be attentive to the needs of the sheep.  Ready to protect the sheep against predators that might quietly approach in the darkness.  Ready to help any sheep that might become sick in the middle of the night.  Ready to assist any mother sheep who might give birth in the wee hours of the morning.  

Apparently, it was a 24/7/365 task. 

If you are in ministry, does this sound familiar?

Does it seem the responsibility of shepherding is always on your shoulders?  Do you chuckle when someone asks "What do you do all week?  Don't you just work on Sundays?"  

Do you sometimes find yourself going to the hospital in the middle of the night to pray with a family in the emergency room?  Do you sometimes wake up in the morning with a heavy heart for a volunteer that is struggling?  Have you ever gotten a phone call during your vacation that immediately pulled your mind back into everything you have going on at church?  Have you ever had to cut a meal with your family short so you can help someone in need?  Have you ever dwelt all day on the ministry while pretending you were enjoying your day off?  

Seems like you have a lot in common with the shepherds of old.  The work of shepherding is always with you.  It's not something you can just cut off at 5 pm each day.  It's not something you can drop on Sunday afternoon and forget about until the next Sunday.  

I get it and understand.  You are a shepherd because God has called you to this role.  And He has placed a passion deep inside you to care for the sheep.  He has infused your DNA with compassion and empathy for the sheep.  You work your tail off to make sure predators never get near those in your care.  You are ready, 24/7/365 to help them grow, meet their needs and protect them. 

But in your heart of hearts, you are tired.  This 24/7/365 schedule is draining you.  You don't really enjoy your day off.  You spend it thinking about the sheep, answering emails about the sheep and answering phone calls about the sheep.  Even on vacation, your mind drifts back to the sheep and your spouse or friends have to pull you back.  

Being a shepherd is becoming a drudgery.  You even find bitterness creeping in because of the times the sheep have taken your time and attention away from your family.  You wonder what it would feel like to walk away from the sheep and let someone else watch them.  

You question if the sheep even care about what you do for them.  Even with all the time and attention you give them, they still bite at you, sometimes shun the food you provide them and even run away on occasion.  You ponder if being a shepherd is really worth it.  You sometimes find yourself wanting to hand in your shepherding tools and swap your shepherding schedule for something easier.

I've been there.  Felt that.  Wanted to do that.  

Have you?  If so, there's a passage that has helped me and I believe it will encourage you as well as you shepherd. 

Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God.  Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example.  And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.  1 Peter 5

Here are some important, helpful things we learn about shepherding in these verses...

You are a shepherd because of God's call on your life.  

"care for the flock that God has entrusted to you..."

When I get tired.  When I get discouraged.  When I feel like 24/7/365 is closing in on me,  I must go back to why I am doing the work of a shepherd.  It is because I was chosen, ordained and anointed for the job by God.

Stay focused on God's call on your life to shepherd.  It will carry you through the storms, trials, late nights, early mornings, tiring events, long weekends and sleepless nights.

We must shepherd in a way that helps us maintain a good attitude.  

"...watch over it willingly, not grudgingly..."

When I have no margin in my life as a shepherd, my attitude goes south.  When I run on empty as a shepherd, the work of shepherding becomes drudgery.  When I don't come apart, I begin to come apart as a shepherd.  When I get bit by a sheep, I lash back in anger.  When a sheep goes astray, I am too weary to go after them.  

My attitude about shepherding is in direct correlation to how I shepherd.  And how I shepherd is controlled by how much margin I build into my life, how I take care of myself physically and emotionally and how I prioritize my life.

We should be shepherding for the outcome rather than the income. 

"not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God..."

If you are in a paid ministry position, you're probably not in it for the income.  You could be making more money in the business world or another field.  

But you can fall into the trap of coveting the things you could have if you made more money.  Perhaps you have looked at the magnificent house of a church member and wished you had went a different route that paid more money.  Or you walked past an expensive car in the church parking lot and wondered if you could be driving it, if you weren't giving so much of your time and effort to shepherding.  Or when a volunteer tells you they are going on an exclusive vacation, you secretly wish you could afford to go there. 

Yes, we must provide for our families and have a livable wage.  But we must also remember that we didn't get into shepherding for the money.  We got into it to make a difference for eternity.  The income may not put you on a Forbes' list, but the outcome is priceless.
 
When I first shepherd myself well, I am then able to shepherd others well.

"...don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example..."

The most important person I shepherd is myself.  The hardest person I shepherd is the person I look at in the mirror.  When I shepherd myself well, it enables me to be a good shepherd for the sheep in my care.  

This means I have to find a way to often pull away during the 24/7/365 craziness and find rest.  This means I must guard my heart as a shepherd.  This means I must spend time with Jesus.  This means I must first shepherd my own family well.  This means I must give from the overflow of what God is pouring into my life.

I am not the Chief Shepherd. 

...and when the Chief Shepherd appears...

I am not the Chief Shepherd.  I simply work for Him.  This means I don't have to carry the weight of shepherding.  That's not my job.  When I realize this, I can enter the light burden and easy yoke of the Chief Shepherd.  

I can't change anyone's life, only the Chief Shepherd can do that.

I can't answer a volunteer's prayers, only the Chief Shepherd can do that. 
  
I must remember that I am responsible to people but not for people.  

As shepherds, we are to do our very best, while remembering that ultimately it's the Chief Shepherd who does the work through us.

We can't completely see it now, but one day we will know that it was worth it all.

"And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor."

One day, I will be in the presence of the Chief Shepherd and the time I spent shepherding will be worth it all.  One day in heaven,  I'll get to see the full impact I made in the lives of the sheep God allowed me to shepherd and my heart will leap for joy.  

One day, I'll take the crown I receive and will cast it at Jesus' feet and thank Him for using my life for His glory.  The 24/7/365 will fade away into a wonderful, timeless eternity. 

So...if you're a little tired and weary of watching your "sheep by night," I pray you will be encouraged.  Thank you for your heart for the sheep God has entrusted you with.  May your shepherd's heart be refreshed and refilled today.

Shepherd on my friend! 

How would you like to have your children's ministry services, videos, announcements, parent connection videos, etc. on television?

I know what you're thinking..."I'd love to, but our ministry doesn't have the budget to purchase air time on television."

I've got some good news for you.  You can afford it even if you have little to no children's ministry budget.  How?

Here's the deal.  There's a new trend that's growing quickly that puts television well within your reach.

With the rise of smart televisions, Roku, Apple TV, video game systems, Google Chromecast, smartphones and a host of other options...kids and families can now watch YouTube on their television.  And guest what?  They are! 

The most recent reports show that people are watching over 100 million hours of YouTube videos every day on their TV sets.  This is a 70% increase over last year!  More and more kids and families are using their televisions to watch YouTube.

Here's what that means.  You now have the ability to put videos on YouTube and then encourage kids and families to watch the content on their television.

What if you grabbed a camera....(a video camera or even something as simple as your smartphone camera)

and then you...

created a short video to recap the lesson from church...put it on YouTube...and then encouraged kids and parents to watch it together during the week on their television set?

or

made a monthly memory verse video that parents could watch with their preschoolers to help them memorize it?

or

filmed a monthly announcement video so parents and their kids could get excited about what's coming?

or

recorded your elementary large group time and encouraged kids to watch it during the week with their parents?

or

created a quarterly family worship experience that kids and parents could do at home together? 

or

made a video with a clue that preschoolers worked with their parents to figure out and then revealed the answer at church the following weekend?

or

created videos for pre-teens about relevant topics such as bullying, self-esteem, peer pressure, etc. and encouraged parents to watch it with their child?

or

created a Gospel presentation that kids could pull up and show their unchurched friends when they are at their house?

______________________?  There are so many possibilities.


A few tips when making videos....

• keep it short (2-3 minutes max)

• keep it simple (you don't need a big budget, a studio set, etc. to do this, it can be as simple as standing in front of  a backdrop)

• keep it strategic (have a clear purpose for each video)

This watching YouTube on television trend opens the door for you to have a significant impact on kids and families during the week in their homes.  If you can get on their television screens, you can extend your ministry's influence in their lives and help them grow in their faith. 

Your turn.  The floor is yours.  Are you doing this yet?  If so, what are you doing?  What other ideas do you have for getting on the television screens of kids and their families through YouTube?  Share your thoughts, ideas and insight in the comment section below.

Churches across the country are hosting fall festivals this time of year.  In most churches, one of the goals of the event is to reach unchurched families in the community.

Fall festival is definitely a great time to connect with unchurched families.  With the right advertising (which includes print, social media, invite cards for your regular attendees, community papers, etc.) you can see lots of families walk on your church property for the first time.

But the big question is always - HOW DO WE SEE GUESTS RETURN FOR A CHURCH SERVICE AND EVENTUALLY BECOME A PART OF OUR CHURCH FAMILY?

Let's look at 5 effective ways to follow up with fall festival guests.

1. Get their contact information.  It's hard to follow up with guests if you don't have their information.  Here are some ways to do this.

• Have people register for a free gift that they receive right on the spot.  It might be something as simple as a full-size candy bar for their kids.  With all the mini-candy bars being passed out, you'd be surprised how many people will give you their contact info. just to get a large candy bar for their child.

• Have a drawing for one or more nice gifts that evening.  Things like a TV,  family movie tickets, gift certificate for a restaurant, tickets to a local family entertainment place like mini-golf, an amusement park, etc.  Set it up so families can enter their information online with their smart phone or a standard paper form or both.

2. Start an engaging weekend series in close proximity to your Fall Festival.  Use a relevant topic like a marriage series, parenting series, how to survive the stresses of life, big questions people ask about God series, etc.

You can also start a fun, relevant engaging series for kids.  Here are some series ideas at this link.  If you get the kids excited about coming back, you'll be able to get their parents to come as well.  Kids don't drive themselves to church.

Get information into guest families' hands about the upcoming series.  You can do this by email, text, a letter, postcard mailing, etc.  You can also include a coupon the guests can bring back for a free gift they can receive at the weekend service.

3. Have your Fall Festival as part of your weekend services.  Many churches engage guests in their weekend services right up front by having the event as part of their weekend services.  This can be very effective.  I know several churches that do this and their fall festival weekend services end up being their most attended of the entire year.

One way to do this is by having the event right after your weekend service.  I know one church that makes one of the doors coming out of their auditorium the entrance door into their fall festival.  Families first attend a short, relevant, engaging service and then enter the fall festival through that auditorium exit door.

4. Add them to your mailing list for big events.  While the goal is to see families come back immediately and attend a weekend service, the reality is that will not be the case for some families.  But don't give up on them.  Add them to your mailing list for future big events.  The more times you can get them to return, even if it's just for another big event, the more opportunities you have to see them come to a weekend service.

5. Take a family photo for them.  There's several ways you can approach this.  It starts with having family photo spots set up at clearly marked, key locations.

You can have a backdrop at the photo spot that has your church's name, website or a hashtag on it.

You can also provide props that families can hold for their picture such as an empty picture frame, pumpkins, funny hats, etc.  These props are another great place to put your church's name, web address, a hashtag, etc. 

One approach is to have someone there to take the family's photo with their own phone.  The good part about this is the family will then put the picture on social media and people will see the information about your church on the backdrop or props they are holding.  This has the potential to go to hundreds or even thousands of people as families tweet, Facebook, Instagram, etc. their pictures out.

Another approach is to have a professional photographer there to take their picture.  Offer to print out and frame a 8" x 10" picture of the family that they can pick up at a weekend service.

If you really want to leverage this, you could do both - let them take their own photo and offer them a professional printed and framed photo.

Be intentional about following up with families and a year from now you'll have stories to tell about people who were reached and are now part of your church family.

Your turn.  The floor is yours.  What are some other ideas for fall festival follow-up?  Share your insight and thoughts with us in the comment section below.

We live in a challenging day, don't we?  We've been called to reach Generation Z.  They are the largest generation on the planet.  74 million in the U.S.  2 billion in the world.  9,000 babies are born and join Generation Z each day.

They have an attention span of 8 seconds.  They are digital natives and interact with up to 5 screens a  day.  The average age they are exposed to pornography online is 11-years-old.  Terrorism is a way of life, they are growing up walking through metal detectors at their schools, large event venues, airports and more.

Gen Z's parents are struggling as well.  Over 2 million of Millennial parents are addicted to drugs (either prescription or illegal).  Much of this is driven by an opioid epidemic.  Babies born to a parent taking opioids has increased by 300% in the last 10 years.

If we are going to reach today's kids and families, then it can't be business as usual!  It will take greater impact and influence.  How can we have greater influence?  How can we make a greater difference in people's lives?  It will take greater leadership.  The saying is true, isn't' it - everything rises and falls on leadership.

Greater impact is made possible by greater leadership.

This is certainly not the first time a group of disciples like us have been called upon to have greater leadership.  Think back with me to the early disciples.  They had the challenge of taking the Gospel to the world.  And it was a world that was hostile and totally unfamiliar with the Gospel since it would just be unfolding.

Jesus knew it would take greater leadership for the disciples to effectively impact the world with the Gospel and so He began preparing them.  You see many incidents in Scripture where He taught them what greater leadership looked like.

One of those times is found in John 15.  Throughout this chapter, He explains greater leadership to the disciples.  And the entire chapter can be encapsulated in verse 13.  Here's what it says.

There is no GREATER love than to lay down one's life for one's friends.

In this verse, we see the 4 elements of greater leadership.  Ultimate leadership.  The best kind of leadership.  Leadership that is a game changer.  Let's examine it.

1. Greater leadership loves people.  

Notice again what He says.

There is no greater LOVE than to lay down one's life for one's friends.

The foundation for greater leadership is love.  It reflects the heart of God for people.  If you want to have greatest leadership, then...

Ask God to renew your love for the kids and families in your community.

Ask God to give you a fresh love for the volunteers and people you serve with.

Ask God to fill your heart with love for those who are far from God in your neighborhood.

Ask God to break your heart for the broken families in your city.

Ask God to give you unconditional love for the child who seems unlovable, uncontrollable and uncooperative.

When people know you truly love them, it opens their heart to your leadership and influence in their life.

2. Greater leadership serves others. 

Look at the verse again.

There is no greater love than to LAY DOWN one's life for one's friends.

We have been told that leadership is about taking charge...climbing the ladder...having power...exercising authority...advancing no matter who you have to go over to get there...getting the office with a window view...being known as powerful...taking....getting.

The disciples had seen the same thing modeled.  The Roman government ruled by fear, power, punishment, strength of the army and force.  The religious leaders of the day lived in a class above the ordinary person and lead by rules, regulations, pomp and circumstance.

But then Jesus came and taught them about a greater kind of leadership.  Look what He says in the verse above.  He tells them greater leadership is not about getting, but about giving.  It's not about taking, it's about laying down.

He not only taught this greater kind of leadership, He modeled it.  In Matthew 20, the disciples were arguing about who would have the greatest authority...the greatest title in the kingdom that Jesus would establish.  Again, they were reflecting the leadership they had grown up with.  Leadership that is established by power and force and position.

Jesus tells them this. 

You know how the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.  But among you it will be different.

Here it is. He's about to tell them about a different kind of leadership.  A greater leadership.

But among you it will be different.  Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave.

Whereas the world says leadership is about how many people serve you, Jesus says greater leadership is flipped.  Greater leadership is about how many people you serve.

He then models this by washing the disciples feet.  While they were busy arguing about who would have the best title, Jesus took a towel and water, got down and washed their feet.  In that culture, only the lowest servants washed people's feet.  It was the lowest job, the lowest position in the kingdom.  When there were no servants present to do this "demeaning" task, the disciples weren't about to wash anyone's feet.  So Jesus used the opportunity to show them what great leadership looks like as He washed their feet.

Greater leadership is servant leadership.  It's an oxymoron, isn't it?  Servant and leadership.  But that's the beauty of greater leadership.  Before you can become a great leader, you must first become a great servant.  

Greater leadership is about replacing your "ego" with "we go" as you invest in others.  It's not about being powerful, it's about empowering others. 

Good leaders are starts.  Great leaders create stars. 

Average leadership ponders its rights.  Greater leadership ponders its responsibilities. 

3. Greater leadership depends on God. 

The third component of greater leadership is found in the next part of the verse.  Look what it says.

There is no greater love than to lay down ONE'S LIFE for one's friends. 

In this chapter, Jesus shows them that the life is found in the vine.  As life flows from the vine into the branches, fruit comes forth.  He reminds them that without the vine, the branches can do nothing.  Nada.  Zilch.  Nothing is going to happen without the vine. 

Greater leadership acknowledges that without God nothing of eternal value will happen.

That's good news for leaders.  You see, greater leadership is not based on how talented you are, how charismatic you are, how big your budget is or how nice your facilities are.  It's about the power of God working through you.

Paul put it this way in 1 Corinthians 2:

When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.

Greater leadership is not about walking in your own confidence.  It's about walking in Godfidence.

4. Greater leadership builds friendships.

Notice what Jesus calls the disciples in the last part of the verse.

 There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's FRIENDS. 

Jesus shared with them that greater leadership leads through relationship.  The word He used for this is "friends."  The word "friends" carried a special connotation.  It was a reference to kings who would have a group of special friends that he brought close to him.  This group of friends would be the king's trusted inner circle.  He would ask their advice before anyone asking anyone else.  They had access to the king 24/7.

You've heard the statement "People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care."  That's what greater leadership is all about.  It's earning people's trust and respect over time through relationship.  

Jesus also tells them that He is not going to call them "servants."  Rather they will be His friends.  When someone leads servants, the people serve because they have to.  They don't have a choice.  They are made to serve. 

But greater leadership leads through friendship.  When you lead through friendship, people follow you because they want to.  You lead through motivation instead of mandating.

Greater leadership invests in people.  Greater leadership is there for people in their time of need.  Greater leadership goes on a journey with people.  Greater leadership is not about what you want from people, it's about what you want for people. 

If you want to see people serve with you for the long haul, then focus on relationship.  The amount of time people spend serving with you will be in direct correlation to the depth of the relationships you build with them. 

Greater leadership loves people - ask God to renew your love for people.

Greater leadership serves others - ask God to give you the heart and attitude of a servant. 

Greater leadership depends on God - before you serve, fall on your face before God and ask Him to fill you with His power and anointing.  Acknowledge that without Him you can do nothing. 

Greater leadership builds friendships - invest deeply in the people God has called you to serve with. 

Do these things and you'll make a greater impact.  You'll provide greater leadership for the kids and families God has called you to serve.  

Do these things and God can use your leadership to turn the world upside down.  

We live in a noisy day.  The average person has up to 10,000 messages coming at them each day through mobile ads, TV, internet, radio, people, pop up ads, etc.  Together all of these messages form a noise barrier that makes it hard to get one message to rise above the other. 

And many of the messages coming at kids are the wrong messages.  Messages of wayward ideas, wrong priorities and false doctrine.  Messages that say God is not real.  Messages that say there is no absolute truth.  Messages that say do whatever makes you happy.  Messages that say the Bible is just another book.

How do we penetrate the hearts and minds of kids and families with our message? 

If we are going to get the message of the Gospel and the truth of God's Word to rise above the noise and be heard, then we must TURN UP THE VOLUME.

In the Bible, we find a group of men who turned up the volume so loud that they were accused of "turning the world upside down."  This group of men raised the volume of their message so loud that it literally changed the world!

Paul and the other followers of Jesus lived in a day that was very similar to ours.  A world of many messages.  There were hundreds of different "gods" clamoring for the hearts and minds of people.  In fact, they even had a shrine to the "unknown god."  It was a noisy, noisy, noisy day. 

So, how did Paul turn up the volume so loud that it changed the world?  Was it through his wisdom, great preaching skills, charisma or natural abilities.  No.  In fact, look what he says. 

"When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan.  For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified.  I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling.  And my message and my preaching were very plain.  Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit.  I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God."  2 Corinthians 2:1-5

Paul and the early believers turned up the volume through the power of the Holy Spirit.  It wasn't through clever speeches or extraordinary wisdom, but through God's power working through them. 

If you are going to turn up the volume and get your message to rise above the noise, then you must operate in the power of the Holy Spirit.  This means before you minister publicly, you must get alone with God and ask Him to anoint you and work through you.  You must beg the Holy Spirit to do what you cannot do...change hearts and lives. 

Look what Matthew 6:6 says.

^"But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private.  Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you."

If you want to turn up the volume front stage, then you must turn up the volume backstage by spending time alone with God.  

 Notice what our calling is in Mark 3:14.  

"Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach."

See the order?  Your first calling is to be with Jesus.  To walk with Him.  To talk with Him.  To move into a place of total dependence on Him.  After that, you go out to do ministry.  If you skip the first part of your calling, then the volume will not be turned up in the second part of your calling.  

God wants to use you to turn your community...your city...your church upside down for Jesus!  He wants to make the message of His love and forgiveness so loud that it rises above the noise and is heard by the kids and families He has called you to reach.  

Walk with God.  Spend time with God.  Beg the Holy Spirit to anoint you afresh with His power.  Depend not on your own strength, but on His strength.  Before you stand to teach, get on your face and ask the Holy Spirit to turn up the volume.  Before you walk into that classroom, fall down and ask God to work in power and might.  Before you serve, get into the Word and let it fill your heart and mind.  

Let's turn up the volume so loud through the power of the Holy Spirit that it cannot be ignored by Gen Z and their parents!  

I am excited to be part of the KidMin Conference this fall in Chicago.  The KidMin Conference is a gathering of thousands of kidmin leaders who are passionate about reaching and discipling kids and families.

Children's ministry peeps are the best!  I'm so thankful God has allowed me to be part of the children's ministry world, aren't you?  There's no other place I'd rather be.  There are some unique indicators that reveal you're a children's ministry person.  Here's 25 of the fun ones.  I hope these bring a smile to your face and encouragement to your heart today.

1. You feel pulled toward the toy department when you're in Target.

2. You know how to pray for healing for dogs, cats and goldfish.

3. You know the proper pronunciation for baptize is babbapatized.

4. You're an expert at telling knock-knock jokes.

5. You believe Larry and Bob should be nominated for an Oscar.

6. You laugh when the other ministries in the church say summer is a slow season.

7. You're in great shape from doing worship song motions every weekened.

8. Offering comes in coins not bills.

9. You've never taught about the Beast of Revelation, but you have taught about David and Goliath 12 times.

10. You've ordered something from Oriental Trading in the last 3 months.

11. You know the name of at least 3 puppets.

12. You wear your Sunday best to church - a t-shirt with a children's ministry logo on it.

13. There's a good chance when you visit the hospital it involves someone having their tonsils removed.

14. The church janitor has been mad at you on several occasions.

15. Your preferred seat on Sunday morning is a rocking chair in the nursery.

16. A cashier at Wal-Mart has asked you why you're buying 25 bags of marshmallows.

17. You believe the manna in the Old Testament was goldfish crackers.

18. You get restless in an adult service because you have to sit still and be quiet.

19. You've seen vomit in every color imaginable.

20. Pagers aren't out-of-style for you - you use them every week in the nursery.

21. You know the go-to answer for any review question you don't know is "Jesus."

22. You order the kid's meal at McDonalds...for yourself.

23. You know that a name tag stuck on a chair is hard to remove.

24. You know the choir is where AWOL preschool workers now serve.

25. You have flashbacks of preparing thousands of Easter eggs for a hunt.

All kidding aside...thank you for your heart for kids and families.  I believe children's ministry is the greatest ministry in the church and children's ministry people are the best leaders in the church.

Your turn.  Add to the fun by adding some other indicators in the comment section below.

We're giving away a free eBook copy of the new book "If Disney Ran Your Children's Ministry."

This book gives you an inside look at why Disney is so successful at connecting with kids and families and gives you practical ways you can translate it into your children's ministry.

Over 230 pages of insight will show you how to...

• Cast Vision Like Disney

• Construct Teams Like Disney

• Change Like Disney

• Connect with Families Like Disney

• Customer Service Like Disney

• Cool Environments Like Disney

• Committed to Excellence Like Disney

• Capture Kids' Attention Like Disney

• Creativity Like Disney

• Culture Like Disney

You can enter the giveaway by emailing me at dalehudsoncm2@gmail.com.  We'll announce the winner here on this site, next Wednesday, Oct. 26th.   You can get the book now in hard copy or eBook format at www.kidminmouse.com. 

Christmas brings a great opportunity to reach families.

This year we decided to make one of our Christmas Service nights especially for families.

Families are looking for ways to make memories together and if you provide them with an opportunity, they will come.  Thousands of kids and parents attended.

Here are a few of the highlights.

LIVE NATIVITY SCENE

FREE HOT CHOCOLATE & COOKIES

MARY, JOSEPH & BABY JESUS

CAMELS

DANCE PARTY FOR FAMILIES

KIDS LOVE CHARACTERS

VOLUNTEERS MAKE IT HAPPEN

KIDS LEADING WORSHIP

PEOPLE TOOK CAMEL SELFIES

CANDLELIGHT MOMENT DURING SERVICE

HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES WORSHIPPING TOGETHER

VOLUNTEER GREETERS

SNOW MACHINES - SNOW'S A BIG DEAL IN FLORIDA

FAMILY DANCE PARTY

MORE FAMILY DANCE PARTY PETTING AREA FOR MANGER ANIMALS

There's something that's dangerous to your leadership.  It can be summed up in one word...


Have you taken your foot off the pedal and decided to just put it on cruise control?

Have you grown satisfied with how many kids and families you're reaching?

Have you stopped reading, growing, stretching?

Have you stopped actively looking for ways to improve the ministry?

Don't let satisfaction set in!

Start asking these questions again...

How can we reach more kids and families?

What can we do better?

What can we learn this week?

How can we get to the next level?

TAKE ACTION AGAINST YOUR SATISFACTION. 

Congratulations to the winner...Cass Tompich.  Cass is the Children & Families Pastor at Christian Family Centre in Seaton, South Australia.  Cass, we appreciate your heart for reaching and discipling kids and families.

Next week, we'll be having another contest for a brand new resource I am really excited about.  Stay tuned for more details.

Last week at a children's ministry conference in Nova Scotia, I shared "Who Should Be Serving in Children's Ministry?"  I listed characteristics of a person that God can use to reach and disciple kids and families.  Here are the notes.