RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

There's much I'm thankful for today.  One of the big ones on my list is you...children's ministry leader.

In case you haven't heard it in awhile...thank you.

Thank you...for your heart for the next generation.

Thank you...for changing diapers so a mom can sit in a service and have her life changed.

Thank you...for serving even when you've had a rough week.

Thank you...for living for much more than just yourself.

Thank you...for speaking words of encouragement to the child who receives little anywhere else.

Thank you...for making church a place where kids want to be.

Thank you...for listening to prayer requests that include healing for goldfish, dogs and cats.

Thank you...for your patience when there's a full moon out and the kids are extra "excited."

Thank you...for doing the "worship motions" with the kids...even when you know you'll be sore the next day from it.

Thank you...helping kids see how much God loves them.

Thank you...for faithfully serving when others are sitting.

Thank you...for helping kids find a verse in the Bible.

Thank you...for being a living example of a Christ-follower for the kids.

Thank you...for seeing the gifts God has placed in kids and helping them discover that God can use them for His glory.

Thank you...for syncing your heartbeat with the heartbeat of Jesus.

Thank you...for staying in children's ministry when others have moved on to "bigger opportunities" (we know children's ministry is the greatest mission field and opportunity in the world).

Thank you...for being willing to laugh, be silly and act like a big kid.

Thank you...for staying committed to what really matters.

Thank you...for every goldfish cracker you've passed out in Jesus' name, every craft you've prepared, every juice spill you've wiped up and every take home paper you've handed to a parent.

Thank you...for helping kids and parents step across the line of faith and become lifelong followers of Jesus.

Have a great Thanksgiving and know that you are loved and appreciated.  You matter...what you does matters...a lot!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As a new leader, you feel the pressure to succeed.  So you may be tempted to come roaring in with all the answers.  After all, you need to show them who's boss, right?

Actually the best thing you can do is build trust.  And the best way to build trust is to LISTEN. 

Set up meetings as soon as you get started.  These can be one-on-one or in small gatherings.  Come ready to take notes.

Ask these 3 questions and then listen...intently.

“If you were put into my role tomorrow, what would be the first three things you’d do and why?”   

“What are the three biggest barriers to our ministry going to the next level?"

"What are our three biggest opportunities for our ministry?” 

Great leaders ask lots of questions.  They gather information and then sift through it for ideas that will move the ministry forward.

P.S. - Veteran leaders who remain effective continue asking questions.

The floor is yours.  What are some more questions you believe new leaders should ask?