RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Today is a guest post by Seth Ray.  Seth is the children's ministry director at one of our campuses.  He is a gifted leader and team builder.  I have watched him prove that the strategy below works as he leads his team.  

Give it away!  That's it!  The number one strategy to get more done is to simply give it away.

Some may call it delegating, some may call it empowering, but no matter what you call it, it's time to give away things so you can do what only you can do.

This isn't about being a bully or being lazy or being bossy or even being in control.  This is about being productive, being efficient, getting more done and doing more of what you are passionate about!  It's also about pouring into your teams, providing opportunities and partnering with those you lead.  It's about being a better leader.

2 Things to Consider When Giving It Away

The reality is we are not all passionate about the same things or gifted in the same ways.  The things you hate to do, someone else loves.  Just like the things you love to do, someone else hates.  So before giving anything away, be sure to first assess the passion and talents of those you are giving it away to. 

4 Ways to Give It Away

•  Shepherd

Just like a shepherd would carefully look after his flock, so you should carefully watch over the task that you've assigned.  This strategy is best used when you assign a task to a leader who may be extremely passionate, but lacks the skill or talent to effectively get the job done without your watchful eye.  This method of getting it done requires lots of detail as you begin to set expectations and establish perimeters.

• Sway

Have you ever believed in someone more than they believe in themselves?  So often when giving away a really hard, but very important job to a leader we believe in, we have to sway or move their thinking to the other side.  In other words, this strategy is best used when you assign a job to someone who may lack the passion or skill or talent to accomplish the assignment.  

• Engage 

This give-it-away method is one of the greatest empowering tools and one of the simplest to utilize.  Engaging a leader with a task or project provides great opportunity to be part of things they may have never been part of before and provides the leader with an opportunity to offer up suggestions and ideas as they contribute to the task.  Here you simply bring the leader into the picture as they get to see and be part of what's typically behind the curtain. 

• Encourage

When you have a leader who is passionate and talented in a particular area or project, all you need to do is get out of the way and simply serve as the foundation.  In this method, you provide encouragement and support while keeping a pulse on the progress.

Not quite sure which method to use?  Take advantage of this tool...
First, assess the passion the leader has for the project or task and then assess the level of giftedness the leader has related to the challenge ahead.  Once you've been able to pinpoint these two factors, simply utilize the chart to identify which give-it-away method to use.  

If you're like me, there are always more tasks than there is time, so I look for ways to be more productive.

Recently I read an article in Business Insider that shared some of the ways great leaders get more done in a day.

Dustin Moskovitz, one of the co-founders of Facebook and CEO of Asana, doesn't schedule any meetings on Wednesdays.  He says it's an invaluable tool for ensuring he has some contiguous space to do project work.

Beth Doane, founder of an apparel line called Raintees, let's all of her non-scheduled calls go to voice mail.  She sets aside time at the end of the day to sort through the calls and return the ones that are needed.

Jamie Wong, founder of a travel firm called Vayable, schedules three non-work-related activities each week that nothing can interfere with.  She commits to one activity in each of the catergories, "Create," "Love," and "Grow."

Joe Silverman, founder of New York Computer Help, has his own rewards system for achieving goals that he sets.  An example would be to complete a sales goal and get a coffee from Starbucks.

Tracy DiNunzio, founder and CEO of Tradesy, works from home one day a week.  She carves out time blocks throughout the day to focus on whatever is at the top of her to-do-list.

Bobby Harris, founder and president of BlueGrace Logistics, keeps meetings as short as possible.  He never accepts a meeting without a clear agenda and then asks how long they need.  Then he cuts the amount of time in half.  He says to start and stop your meeting on time, every time.
James Borow, co-founder and CEO of Shift, sets aside emails that aren't related to his to-do list.  He says to  treat your email as a to-do list as opposed to just reacting all of the time.

There's one word that will make you a better children's ministry leader...and the word is probably not what you think.

The word is...NO.

One of the secrets of great leaders is they have learned to say "no" to most things.  Listen to what Steve Jobs said.

"People think focus means saying yes to the things you've got to focus on.  But that's not what it means at all.  It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are.  You have to pick carefully.  I'm actually as proud of the things we haven't done as the things I have done.  Innovation is saying no to a 1,000 things."

Saying "no" has just as much, if not more power than saying "yes."  Why?  Saying "no" allows you to say "yes" to what is most important.  But saying "yes" can keep you from what is most important.

Saying no allows you to do what only you can do.

Saying no allows you to be productive instead of just busy.

Saying no allows you to avoid doing what doesn't line up with you ministry's mission.

Saying no allows you to spend your time with the people that you should be spending your time with.

Saying no allows you to focus on your strengths.

Saying no allows you to do a few things with excellence instead of doing a lot of things with mediocrity.

Saying no helps you keep your personal and family life in balance.

Saying no means avoiding something good so something great can happen.

How do you determine what to say no to?

In this post, I share steps that will help you know what to say "no" to and what to say "yes" to.

Time is one of your most precious commodities.  And it seems there's never enough of it to accomplish everything God has placed in your heart.

Ephesians 5:16 tells us to "make the most of our time."  Though we can't add hours to the clock, we can have a plan that will help us make the most of the time we do have.  Here's 10 tips to help you get the most out of your time.

1.  Keep a "do not do" list.
What you don't do is just as important as what you do.  Do what only you can do and say no thanks to everything else.  This list should constantly be growing.

2.  Focus on being "productive" instead of "busy."
Make a list of things that will enable you to have the biggest impact and spend your time there.  It's not how much you get done, it's what you get done.

3.  Don't strive for perfection. 
Most of the time, 85% is good enough.  It's the last 15% that eats up all your time.

4. Spend the best time of your day on your most important task.  
Are you a morning person?  Focus on your most important task in the morning.  Do you do your best work at night?  Spend that time on your priority.

5.  Have one priority task each day. 
You may have several tasks to accomplish each day, but decide what your most important task for the day is and complete it for sure.

6.  Tackle one task at a time. 
Research shows that multi-tasking can be counter-productive.  List your tasks and then knock them out one at a time.

7.  Block your time each day.  
Allot a specific time for each task.  This includes starting and stopping times for meetings.

8.  Watch out for people who are time grabbers.
People must be our first priority and I'm not saying don't make time for them...but I am saying be careful with someone who constantly wants to stop by and just "shoot the breeze."

9.  Remember energy translates into time.
You can work when you are tired, but you won't get as much done.  The temptation is to keep going when you've hit your limit, thinking you will get more done.  But in the end, you'll get more done by stopping to rest and refuel.

10.  Schedule time to think and plan.  
Don't fall into the trap of leaving no margin for thinking and planning.  Block time for this just like you would any other task.

11.  Have specific times to check your email.  
If you check email throughout the day, you will get sidetracked from priority tasks.  Block times to check your email and resist the urge to check it all the time.

12.  Balance your life.
When you spend all your time working, it will hurt your creativity...and most importantly your personal life and family.

The floor is yours.  What other tips do you have for time management?  Share with us in the comment section below.  

There's a good chance if you're reading this, you're a people pleaser.  Most people in ministry are.  It stems from our desire to help people.  The good side of this...God uses you to impact people.  The down side...you have a hard time saying "no."

The word "no" doesn't come easy, does it?  But you have to learn to use this word, if you're going to be effective for the long haul.

You gotta' say "no" to people who ask you to do something during your family time.

You gotta' say "no" to a crowded calendar.  Be focused on being productive...not on being busy.  They're not the same thing.

You gotta' say "no" to lots of good programs and events so a few programs and events can become great.

You gotta' say "no" to working on your day off.

You gotta' say "no" to people who constantly drain you.

You gotta' say "no" to good ideas so God ideas can thrive.

You gotta' say "no" to being away from your family every night of the week.

You gotta' say "no"  to being at every activity that happens at the church.

You gotta' say "no" to church events that conflict with an important event in your child's life.

You gotta' say "no" to trying to make everyone happy.  Accept the fact that no matter what you do, someone will be unhappy.

Go ahead...say it.  NO.  It's a word that will make or break you in ministry.