RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Do you feel like your ministry has been boxed in?  That you're being constrained and the ministry is being held back from getting to the next level?

If you're boxed in...here's how to bust out.

#1 - Bust out of the box of the past by being willing to change.  Here's the interesting thing.  What used to be "outside the box" eventually becomes "inside the box."  Past successes, traditions, ideas and attitudes will eventually box you in if you are not willing to change.  Look closely at ministries that are in decline and you will see this is usually the root cause.  You must be willing to let go of what is obsolete. 

To sum it up...

If you are unwilling to let go of the past, you will become boxed in by the past. (tweet this) 

#2 - Bust of the box of the past by being generating new ideas, methods and approaches.  #1 creates a culture that enables #2 to happen.  A culture where questions are encouraged.  A culture where new ideas are welcomed.  A culture where taking risks and trying something new is the norm.  A culture where innovation is valued more than tradition.  

#3 - Bust out of the box by staying hungry.  Help your team understand that busting out of the box is critical for the future.  Be thankful for what God has done in the past but always look to the future.  Never settle for the status-quo.  Don't settle for pursuing yesterday's agenda.

In summary, if you want to bust out of the box, then be willing to let go of what doesn't work and purposely create what will.  So what are you waiting for?  Your next level of ministry is waiting for you...just outside the box you're sitting in.

2014 can be your best your ever in Children's Ministry.  Do these 10 things and you'll have a banner year.
 
Spend time with Jesus.
Make sure you don't get so busy working for Jesus that you don't have time to spend with Jesus.  Your ministry must be an overflow of your personal relationship with Him.  More on this at this post.

Do what only you can do. 
Make a short list of the things that only you can do.  Delegate everything else to other people.

Build your volunteer team on a weekly basis.  
Your success in 2014 depends on the strength of the volunteer team you build.  This link will give you ten simple secrets to building your dream team.

Have someone speak into your life. 
Who is helping you get better?  Stay teachable and you will be remain useable.  Give someone permission to ask you the hard questions, reveal your blind spots, evaluate your ministry, and provide you with feedback.

Passion. 
Passion creates momentum.  Passion turns the ordinary into the extraordinary.  Be the thermostat instead of the thermometer.  In other words, set the tone for your ministry instead of just reflecting it.

Have clear processes and plans in place.  
Provide easy steps for people to grow spiritually.  Here's an example at this post.

Focus.
Stop doing a lot of stuff and focus on doing a few things well.  Here's how to make that happen.

Reproduce yourself. 
Do everything with someone learning by your side.  Invest in key leaders.  Work yourself out of a job.  Don't worry....anyone who can work themselves out of a job will always have a job.

Change.
Evaluate 2013.  What worked?  What didn't work?  What needs to be changed, tweaked, dropped, or started in 2014?  Yesterday won't take you where you need to go tomorrow.

The floor is yours.  What else do we need to do to succeed this year?  Share your comments below.

Are you a control freak in your Children's Ministry?

If we admit it, we all are to some extent.  As we lead our ministries, our desire to bring excellence, passion, and improvement can lead to control issues.

Ownership is vital, but when it becomes unbalanced and leads to unhealthy obsession, it's time for some changes.

Here are four simple steps to loosen your grip.

1. Identify what only you can do.  
Resist the urge to lead every project or area of the ministry.  Ask yourself these questions.

• Could someone else complete this work to an acceptable level?
• Could someone else do part of this project?
• Could someone else do the initial draft so I only have to review and “tweak” it?
• Is this work keeping me from my highest value activities?

2. Defer early and often. 
Deferring is different than delegating. Delegating is handing off your responsibilities; deferring incorporates delegating, but also involves passing activities on to someone else before they ever hit your to-do list.

And don’t volunteer yourself for additional activities if you already can’t accomplish your must-do list.

If you’re used to doing it all and pride yourself on being able to figure everything out, this will feel uncomfortable at first.  Get over it.  If you don't, you will become the lid for your team getting to the next level.

Deferring tasks shows respect for others’ competency and lets you have the capacity to get done what only you can do — which is what your team really needs.

3. Create simple follow-up plans.
When you delegate or defer items,  have accountability and follow-up plans in place.  This will play a critical role in making sure the work gets done.

Plans may include regular meetings with key leaders you have given responsibility to.  It may mean setting goals and checking progress.

4. Resist taking back control.
Once you start to let go of control, inevitably there will be a time when something doesn’t get done the way that you would prefer.

Your gut reaction will be to question why you gave it away.  You'll find yourself saying,  "if you want something done right, then you have to do it yourself."

Stop.  Before you take back control...do two things.

• Find out what went wrong, where the break down was.
• Evaluate and make sure you gave them the tools, knowledge, and adequate resources to do the assignment well.  

Don't let fear keep you from making what could be your greatest contribution to your Children's Ministry...letting go and focusing on what only you can do.