RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Guess what?  There was crap in the ark.  You don't have a boatload of animals and people without having some crap.  I'm sure there was not only crap, but leaks, splinters and unpleasant things as well.

Here's the deal, even though the ark wasn't perfect, the mission it was on was perfect.

You see the church isn't perfect.  Where there are people there is crap.  Where there are people there are mistakes.  Where there are people there is conflict.  Where there are people there is sin.  Where there are people there is messiness.  No, the church isn't perfect, but the mission of the church is perfect.  The church isn't perfect, but the head of the church, Jesus, is perfect.  

Don't let the crap cause you to lose focus of the mission.  Don't let the crap make you bitter.  Don't let the crap make you cynical.  Don't let the crap cause you to lose your faith.  Don't let the crap sidetrack you from God's call on your life.

There will always be crap on the ark.  Some of it will be mine and some of it will be yours.  But what a great Savior we have.  He uses us in spite of our crap.  He never pushes us away in spite of our failures.  He embraces us in spite of our messiness.

And what a perfect mission we are part of.  It's worth giving your life to...in spite of the crap.

There are a lot of things you can do as a children's pastor.  But if you want to be highly effective, here's 5 you need to focus on.

Invest in people.  The best children's pastors invest in people.  They help people discover their gifts and maximize their potential.  They are equippers more than they are doers.  

Inspire people with vision.  The best children's pastor's constantly point people to the vision.  They are big on vision and articulate it clearly.  

Gather feedback.  The best children's pastors actively seek feedback.  Through team meetings and one-on-one conversations, they gather feedback that is clear, honest and constructive.  They use the feedback to move the ministry forward. 

Listen.  The best children's pastors ask questions, pose problems and challenges and enlist everyone's voice to generate answers.  They focus more on asking the right questions, knowing that from this the right answers will come.

Change as needed.  The best children's pastors are open to new ideas and change.  They stay out of ruts by being willing to adjust what's not working or needs to be improved...even it it was something they originally created.  

A family is about to walk into the doors of your church for the very first time.  They may have just moved to the area and are looking for a church.  They may have been invited by a co-worker.  They may be having marriage trouble and have decided to give this "church thing" a try.  They may have looked at their young children and decided they want to give them some spiritual training.  Whatever the reason...they are about to walk in and the experience they have will determine if they return or not.  A lot is at stake. 

My friends at Disney talk about 3 big keys to creating a great experience for guests.  It's great insight.  Let's talk about it.

First, let's discuss PROCESS.  This is about the steps put in place to enable a seamless and issue-free first experience.  This includes things like registration, drop-off, pick-up, safety and security steps, traffic flow, signage, etc.  Your processes should be set up to best serve your guests.

The next big key is PLACE.   This is the environment the family walks into.  Is it clean?  Is it well-maintained?  Are the kids' areas kid-friendly and decorated with kids in mind?  Is the decor in the adult areas modern?  It is critical to remember that when it comes to the place...everything speaks.  The bathrooms...the grass in front of the church...the trash cans...the carpet...the theming...the seats...it all sends a message to the guest family. 

The last big key is PEOPLE.  The people the guests interact with will make or break their experience as well.  An indoor playground for kids can't make up for the damage caused by a rude person at check-in.  Every person your guest encounters on their first visit either adds to or subtracts from their experience.  While you can't monitor their interaction with every church member they encounter, you can work hard to ensure that their interaction with your volunteers is stellar by putting the right people with the right personalities in the right places.

When process, place and people come together, you will see families have a great first experience which will lead to many of them returning.

Think about it.  Talk about it with your team.  How can you be more intentional about your processes, your place and your people?  What is one way you can improve your processes, place and people to create a better overall experience for guests?

This past weekend was the grand opening of our new building at our Stuart Campus.

We started this campus in a high school 8 years ago.
Amazing volunteers served faithfully week in and week out for these years setting up in the school.  God honored their faithfulness and the preaching of His Word and the campus has grown and grown and grown.

A couple of years ago, God opened the door for us to purchase over 320 acres for a permanent facility for this campus.  Since then we've been planning, preparing and constructing the facility.  All the hard work was so worth it as we saw thousands of people walk through the doors for the grand opening and dozens of people step across the line of faith.

A building is simply a tool you can use to help build people.  As our pastor said - It's not about property...it's about people.  I look forward to seeing all the kids and families whose lives are going to built up in this new facility.

Here's an inside look at the children's building.  The final touch will be added this fall when a tree with slides is added to the indoor playground.   The theming was done by Wacky World Studios, Little Mountain Productions as well as some in house items. 

I grew up in Small Town, U.S.A.  We had 2,500 people in our town.  I have a special place in my heart for small towns.

The church I serve in now is a multi-site church.  One of our campuses is in the largest city in America...New York City.  Our campus there meets right across the street from Central Park and is surrounded by millions of people.

Another one of our campuses meets in a small town that is the opposite of New York.  Instead of being surrounded by skyscrapers, it is surrounded by farms, mom and pop stores and cow pastures.  It may not be in a hugely populated area, but there's no reason why we can't build a thriving children's ministry there.

If you are ministering in Small Town, U.S.A., you might be tempted to look at mega-churches that are located in heavily populated areas and feel like you're not as successful as they are.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Some of the best children's ministries in America are found in small towns.  And many of them, based on population, are reaching a larger percentage of people than mega churches in huge cities.

I am really excited about what God is doing at our campus in this small town.  Let's go on a tour and I'll share some keys to building a thriving children's ministry in a small town.

Make children's ministry a top priority in the church.  These are pictures of the adult auditorium.  We make sure we talk about children's ministry in the adult service.  The kids also come in and sing sometimes during the service.  Emphasize the importance of children's ministry to the entire church.


Invest your time in building a solid volunteer team.  One huge key to a thriving children's ministry is a thriving volunteer team.  The success of your children's ministry hinges on this.  Invest heavily in your volunteers.  Here is a picture of some of our volunteers praying together before the service.


Make sure every child is loved and personally known.  One benefit of a children's ministry in a small town is you have a better opportunity to know each child personally and help them grow in their faith.

Make your children's areas kid-friendly.   Even if you don't have a huge budget, you can make your children's areas appealing to kids.  Below are some examples.

USE KID-FRIENDLY COLORS

WE USE CURTAINS IN SHARED SPACE

Make safety and security a priority.  Even though the atmosphere in a small town may be more laid back, safety and security is still a must.  Parents want to know their kids are safe when they are at church.  Have a check-in name tag system.  If you can't do this electronically, then use hand-written security tags.

Get out into the community and serve.  Look for ways to support community events and get involved.  We make lots of great connections with families by doing this.  Because the community is smaller, you can really impact families personally.

Host events that families in the community can attend.  One example is hosting a Fall Festival.  We did this last fall and had lots of new families attend.
  
Take what you have and make it excellent.  What has God placed in your hand?  Give it your best.  It's not what you have, it's what you do with what you have.

Give first-time families a great first-time experience.   Just as in a big city, the biggest key to getting new families to return is giving them a great experience on their first visit.  Below is a first-time family check-in area we created.


Make your lessons fun, interactive and engaging.  No matter what size town they live in, kids want lessons that capture their attention and give them an opportunity to interact.


Have clearly marked signage.  Make it easy for people to navigate your campus.

Are you serving in Small Town, U.S.A.?  We'd love to hear about your church and what you are doing to reach the people in your town.  Share with us in the comment section below.

Are your volunteer numbers declining?  Having a hard time getting new volunteers?  You're not alone.  Recent stats show that volunteerism has declined nationwide in the last 10 years.











But here's the good news.  Your ministry doesn't have to be part of that stat.  Many churches are seeing record numbers of people volunteer.

Look at it this way.  If less people are volunteering nationwide, that's just more people who are available to volunteer in your ministry!

It just takes the right approach to get people to say "yes."  Check out "10 Simple Secrets to Building a Great Volunteer Team" for some tips.

Lisa is one of our newest staff members.  She was nervous when she started because she wasn't sure she could bring new volunteers on the team.  But she spent time with God and He gave her the courage and passion she needed to begin asking people.  One at a time, she begin inviting people.  In the last 2 months, she has personally brought over 80 new volunteers on the team!

Don't listen to that voice in your head that says, "No one wants to volunteer."  People are ready...they're just waiting for you to ask them.

Disney World is the number #1 family vacation destination in the world.  It has incredible rides, shows, attractions, restaurants, parades, music, fireworks and more. 

All of this adds to the magic, but there is one key that makes it such a special place for families.  It’s the Cast Members…the people who work there…that make Disney World the “happiest place on earth.” 

How often is this repeated in your life?

A parent comes to you with a complaint and you respond in anger.

A volunteer questions a decision you made and you feel like you are being attacked.

Someone on the team offers an idea that is different than yours and you get upset.

Your Pastor asks why a program didn't go according to plan and you start blaming other people.

Conflict arises and you can't work through it without your emotions amping up.

Are you feeling defensive right now about being defensive?  Keep reading.

The good news is you're not alone.  The natural tendency for everyone is to get defensive.  But you can overcome it.  Here's how.

When a situation arises that causes you to begin feeling defensive...

#1 - Think of the first thing you want to say and don't say it.  Instead take a deep breath.  This will help you not become defensive.

#2 - Think of the second thing you want to say and don't say that either.  Take a second deep breath.  This will help you not retaliate and escalate the conversation.

#3 -  Think of the third thing you want to say and say that.  Once you have gotten past defending and retaliating, you have a better chance of seeking a solution.

#4 - Focus on listening to what the other person says and then build on it.

#5 - Use the phrase, "Say more about ____________."  This will buy you more time to calm down.  This will also disarm someone who has bad intentions. 

#6 - Say "yes, and" instead of "yes, but."  "Yes & and" validates what has been said.  "Yes & but" leads directly to defensiveness.

Example
"Yes, but I don't think you understand the program."
(not good)
"Yes, I heard everything you said and let's figure out a way to make sure..." (good)

But what if the person is unfairly attacking you?  What if what they are saying is untrue?  What should you do then?

First, pause after they speak for a full count of three in your head.  This will both take the conversation away from escalating and may cause the other person to become nervous.  If they do, that will work in your favor.  When you don’t take the bait, they are in unfamiliar territory and this can have a slightly disarming effect.

Secondly,  look them squarely, calmly, and firmly in the eye and say, “Whoah!  Let’s each take a breath here because I am feeling very reactive and I know until I calm down a bit, whatever I say or do now will only make this conversation worse.  And I am not going to do that.”

Thirdly,  take that breath and say, “Okay, what’s clear to me is that something is frustrating you.  What, in your mind’s eye, would you like me to do to make that frustration go away?  If it’s doable and fair to you and me and everyone it affects and in their best interest, I think I’ll be happy to oblige.  If however it isn’t fair or in everyone’s best interest, I’m going to have a problem going along with it.”

Fourthly - Be quiet.  Let them respond and if it doesn’t seem fair and in everyone’s best interest say, “I’m having some difficulty understanding how that will be fair to everyone and in their best interests.  Perhaps you can explain otherwise or we can brainstorm on how to make it so.”

By standing up for the principles of fairness, and reason, and mutual best interest, you'll be better able to stand up for what’s right — and stand up to them in a way that is neither defensive or provoking.

I just finished Marty Sklar's book "Dream It! Do It!"  Marty spent over 50 years as a creative director for Disney.

His book is filled with great insights and ideas you can use in your Children's Ministry.  This week I'm sharing them with you.  Welcome to Day 2.

Marty created "Mickey's Ten Commandments."

1. Know your audience.  Identify the prime audience for your attraction or show before you begin design.

2. Wear your guest's shoes.  Insist that your team members experience your creation just the way guests do.

3. Organize the flow of people and ideas.  Make sure there is a logic and sequence in your stories and in the way guests experience them.

4. Create a visual magnet.  Create visual "targets" that will lead guests clearly and logically through your facility.

5. Communicate with visual literacy.  Make good use of color, shape, form, texture - all the nonverbal ways of communication.

6. Avoid overload - create turn-ons.  Resist the temptation to overload your audience with too much information and too many objects.

7. Tell one story at a time.  Stick to the story line; good stories are clear, logical, and consistent.

8. Avoid contradictions - maintain identity.  Details in design or content that contradict one another confuse an audience about your story or the time period it takes place in.

9. For every once of treatment, provide a ton of treat.  You can educate people - but don't tell them you're doing it!  Make it fun!

10. Keep it up!  Maintain it.  Everything must work.  Poor maintenance is poor show!

Join us tomorrow for more ideas and inspiration from Disney.