RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

 As we approach 2019, do you need to invest in yourself?

The most challenging person you will lead in the coming year will be the person you look at in the mirror each day.  Yourself.

Often as children's ministry leaders, we spend all of our time investing in others.  And that's a good thing.  In fact, it's what you are called to do - to equip your team for the work of the ministry.

But when was the last time you invested in yourself?
When was the last time you carved out some time to improve as a children's ministry leader?

Do you want to have more leadership influence with the team you lead?

Do you want your ministry to grow and flourish?

Are you looking for someone to help you become a better leadership minister?

Do you need someone to help you navigate and face challenges you are facing?

Rick Warren said this about leading a ministry -

Can you relate?  Then Advance Coaching is for you.  Led by Dale Hudson, you will grow as a leader and children's ministry staff member or volunteer.  Dale is one of the leading voices and leaders in children's ministry.  Whether it's your first year or 20th year in ministry, he can help you and your ministry get to the next level.  Dale has led in churches of all sizes, ranging from 100 to 28,000 in weekend attendances.  He also built and led a volunteer team of over 2,600 people.

When you join us for the Advance experience,  you get...

• 6 months of coaching.  Next session starts in January of 2019.  
• Monthly coaching session.
• Personalized growth plan. 
• Copy of all of Dale's books.
• Online support.

If you'd like to get more info. about the coaching program, you can go to this page for applications, more details, etc. 

The next group starts in January.  The deadline to apply is Dec.15th.  There is limited space, so apply now.  No matter the size of your ministry, you will gain great insight and personal growth in the program.  We have churches from 100 to 17,000 who have participated. 

Here's a few testimonies from leaders who have went through the Advance program. 

I am so thankful for the coaching experience I was able to have with Dale Hudson.  I have learned tools that will help with leadership, growth and structure.  I would highly recommend anyone in ministry to take part in this amazing experience. 
Michelle Clary, 5 Points Church

Can you teach an "old dog" new tricks?  Dale did!  Having worked in children's ministry for almost two decades, I have a lot of experience.  Basically that means I am good at some things and avoid the rest.  If you are willing to learn, Dale can help you with the rest. 
Joel Smith, First Colony Church of Christ

Dale does a great job of lining up the essentials of children's ministry to teach you the most important, often overlooked, aspects of ministry. While all of my previous training had been "on the job," this session with Dale really solidified all that knowledge and has also helped me have some tangible aspects to measure.  I was able to use this course to put some  processes in placea nd it allowed me to step back and create an over-aching plan for the ministry. 
Erin Althaus 
West Market Church 

I found the Advance program very helpful!  I'm convinced everyone can get something out of it - both those with formal training and those without. If you are a children's ministry leader,  you'll be glad you were a part.  If you're a senior pastor, you should have your kid's pastor participate. 
Eric Gayer
Lifegate Church 

Come join us and take your leadership and ministry to the next level.

Do you want to see guest families return?  The biggest factor in guests returning is how you treat them on their first visit.  And a great first experience doesn't happen by chance, it is the result of a carefully thought out and planned strategy.

There is no one better at this than Disney.  They have trained their team thoroughly in how to care for families.  Here's an example.

On a visit to a Disney theme park, a little girl and her mother came to a fenced-off construction site.  To her mother’s dismay, the little girl threw her favorite Disney doll, Belle, over the fence.  When park staff retrieved the doll, it was in a sorry state, spattered with mud, dress torn, hair bedraggled.  Attempts to find a replacement in the shop proved futile: Belle had been replaced by a newer model.  So the doll was taken first to a makeup artist, who washed her and styled her hair, then to the wardrobe department, which made her a new dress, and finally to a “party” with other Disney princesses, with a photographer in attendance.  Good as new, Belle was returned to her owner that evening, along with a photo album that showed what a great time she’d had during her “makeover.”  Later, in a thank you letter, the girl’s mother described the moment of Belle’s return as “pure magic.”

What would cause team members to go above and beyond the call of duty to care for a family like this?  They did it because it's part of the "go the second mile for families" culture Disney has created.  If you want that same kind of culture in your ministry, here's seven steps to creating it.

Step One - Get the right volunteers on your welcome team.  If you want a friendly experience for guest families, then get friendly volunteers on your welcome team.  Your greeters shouldn't be volunteers whom you don't have any another place to put, they should be your best, sharpest, friendliest people. 

You can train for skill, but you can't train for attitude.  Fill your welcome team with people who are naturally nice.

You can have an awesome worship team, a dynamic communicator, the best fresh coffee and an amazing children's ministry, but if a guest family is treated abruptly by a grumpy, baptized-in-pickle-juice greeter, they won't return.  

Step Two -  Care for your volunteers.  If you want your volunteers to care for guest families, then care for your volunteers.  If you want guest families to be treated well, then treat the volunteers who will interact with them well.

Happy volunteers take better care of guest families.  How your volunteers care for guest families is a reflection of how you are caring for your volunteers.

Caring for volunteers includes providing them with proper training, knowing them as individuals and taking a personal interest in them, honoring them, encouraging them and regularly expressing your appreciation for who they are and what they do.  Volunteers who are cared for are much more engaged.

Step Three - Give volunteers a purpose.  Rules and guidelines are important for volunteers to know and follow, but that won't motivate them to care.  A common purpose is what will compel them to give their best to make new families feel welcome.  The purpose should be simple, easy to remember and constantly reinforced and pointed to.  Here's an example of a purpose for a welcome team.

Create a welcoming environment so people's hearts are opened to receive God's love."

Over a period of time, a common purpose will create a culture where volunteers naturally care for guests.

Step Four - Define the win.  It's important for your volunteers to know what success looks like.  You can't hit the mark if you don't know what the mark is.  Just like the purpose, the wins should be simple and easy to remember.  I recommend three or less.  Here's an example of wins for a welcome team.

1. Guests are greeted with a smile.
2. Check-in is easy and quick. 
3. Guests are walked to their room.

Recognize and celebrate when volunteers win.  Share stories of the wins.  What you celebrate becomes important.

Step Five - Listen to your volunteers.  Your welcome team volunteers are the front line of your guest experience.  They are your best source for feedback, input and ideas for improvement.  Have channels in place that help you proactively listen to them.  Take action on their input and ideas and report back to them.  When volunteers know they will be heard and have the opportunity to help make the ministry better, they will buy in.

Step Six - Lead by example.  Caring for guest families is caught more than it is taught.  If you want your volunteers to smile at guests, then you have to smile at guests.  If you want your volunteers to keep the check-in areas clean and tidy, then you have to keep the storage for the supplies clean and tidy.  If you want them to walk guests to their rooms instead of just pointing, then you have to walk guests to their room.

Disney is known for the cleanliness of its parks.  This is because every employee, from the president to the parking lot attendant, picks up paper when they see it.  One leader in the company was asked why he picked up paper and here was his response. 

I can’t afford not to.  Leaders’ actions are visible to all.  Every leader is telling a story about what they value.

Even the best guest experience plan is of no use unless leaders put their commitment into practice by being role models for the behaviors they want volunteers to adopt.

Step Seven - Empower the team.  Why did the Disney employees we talked about earlier feel the freedom to restore the little girl's doll?  That was an investment of their time, resources and talent.

The decision to do this was made in real-time.  The team made the decision based on their purpose, guidelines and clarified wins.  Armed with this, they knew they were empowered to go the second-mile.  When you equip and then empower your volunteers, they are able to make decisions in a way that expresses your ministries' vision and values.

Wrap up - Ministries that really care for guest families will see them return and see their ministries grow as a result.  Here are some helpful questions to talk through with your team:

1. Do we have the right people on our welcome team?  Are they friendly and naturally nice?  Do we need to move some people to a different role?

2. Are we caring for our volunteers?  What can we do to provide better care?

3. Do we have a clear purpose for our welcome team?  Do they know what it is?  Do we keep it at the forefront?

4. Do our volunteers know what the wins are?  Do we celebrate the wins?  Are we telling the stories of the wins?

5. Do we listen to our volunteers?  Do we have channels set up that allow them to provide input, feedback and ideas?

6. Are we leading by example when it comes to caring for guest families?  How can we improve in this area?

7. Do our volunteers feel empowered to make decisions within the framework of our purpose and guidelines?  How can we do a better job at this?

p.s. We devote an entire chapter to "Customer Service Like Disney" in the new book If Disney Ran Your Children's Ministry.  You can get it at www.kidminmouse.com.

Your volunteers are busy...very busy.  Between working long hours, taking their kids to practices, keeping up with school activities, running errands and just doing life, they are always on the go.

Time is one of their most precious commodities and they have very little to spare.  It's a blessing that they give their time to serve...and then we ask them to attend training on top of that.

The majority want to come to training.  Some make it...some don't.  That's just the way it is.

But what if you provided them with training they could access while getting ready, eating breakfast or lunch, cooking dinner, running on the treadmill or any other time during the day when they have 3 minutes available?

Here's a simple way to take the training to your volunteers.

• Grab your phone. 
• Shoot a 3-minute training video about a topic.         (after 3 minutes people start tuning out)
• The video doesn't have to be a highly polished, professionally edited masterpiece.  Just point, shoot and record. 
• Load the video to YouTube or Vimeo for free.
• Email the video link to your volunteers.  
• They can then watch it on their computer, smartphone or tablet. 
• Do this once a month and you've delivered 12 trainings to your volunteers in one year.

Here are a few examples.

One of the most important aspects of ministry is developing leaders.

Effective leaders know they can only do so much flying solo and develop other leaders to expand the work of the ministry.  They also know they won't be here forever and they prepare successors to carry on the ministry after they're gone.

Moses modeled this with Joshua.  Jesus modeled this with His disciples.  Paul modeled this with Timothy.  

When you develop leaders, you multiply your influence and insure the ministry will flourish after you're gone.

So the question is...how is this done?  How do you effectively find, mentor and equip people to be leaders?  Recently, I was reading a passage in the Bible and God showed me a step-by-step guide for this.  It's a guide that can help you develop the leaders you need.

It's found in I Kings 19 & 2 Kings 2.

So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat.  He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair.  Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him.  Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”

“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?  So Elisha left him and went back.  He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them.  He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate.  Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.


The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.”

Elijah was a mighty prophet of God.  He was a bold prophet.  He was an anointed prophet.  He stood alone against 850 of Baal's false prophets and saw God reign down fire from heaven to bring a great victory.  As Elijah began to prepare for his transition, he began to look for someone he could mentor and raise up to be the next prophet of God.  Someone that he could hand down his cloak to.  His cloak represented the ministry and anointing God had placed upon Him.

Elijah successfully handed down his anointing and ministry to Elisha.  It culminating with his cloak falling off his back and into Elisha's grasp.

Just like Elijah, you and I are called to hand down to others the leadership and ministry God has entrusted us with.

From Elijah's example, here are the keys to a successful hand-me-down.

I. Hand-Me-Downs involve THINKING
Human nature skews us toward build our own kingdom.  We want the spotlight...the glory...the praise and accolades.  What if the person we develop outshines us?  What if they take the ministry farther than we could?

But a hand-me-down means you think differently.  Instead, you die to yourself and esteem others better than yourself.  You begin to live Philippians 2:3 which says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility esteem others above yourself."

Elijah reached the point where it wasn't about him.  It was about the mission.  He realized that what he was part of was bigger than the part he played.

A successful hand-me-down starts first with you.  Are you willing to adjust your thinking and say, "It's not about me?"  Are you willing to help others rise above you?  Are you willing to let others go farther than you have gone?

II. Hand-Me-Downs involve THROWING 
If you look back up at the passage, you'll notice that Elijah went and found Elisha and threw his cloak around him.  Developing leaders requires intentionality.  You have to go to the right person and make the ask.

The big question...how do you know who the right person is?  The answers can be found in the passage.  Here's what to look for when you're searching for someone to invest in.

• Look for someone who wants to fulfill God's will for their life.  The person should have a sense of calling.  Notice how Elisha engaged and begin following Elijah.  He was ready to find the destiny God had for him. 

• Look for someone who is all in.  Elisha was willing to leave his family, financial security and home to follow God's call.  Look for someone who is already committed.  Look for someone who already goes the second mile.  Look for someone who is already serving faithfully. 

• Look for someone who is willing to pay the price.  As referenced above, Elisha was willing to let go of his financial livelihood to fulfill God's destiny for his life.  He slaughtered his oxen and burned his plowing equipment.  He made it clear there was no turning back.

• Look for someone who is willing to serve first.  Notice what it says about Elisha at the end of chapter 19.  It says "he set out to follow Elijah and a serve him.  Great leaders are great followers first.  Look for someone who has a teachable spirit.  If the person is not teachable, they will not be usable.  In addition, look for someone who is more concerned about serving others than they are about having a title.  

• Look for someone who has what can't be taught.  These are things like character, integrity, passion and motivation.  People either have them or they don't.  Notice how Elisha was self-motivated.  He asked for a double portion of the anointing that was on Elijah's life. 

• Look for the person who emerges from the crowd.  There were many young prophets at the time.  But it was Elisha that emerged from the crowd as the obvious choice.  Raising up a leader is not the time for charity cases.  Love everyone equally, but invest selectively.  In other words, you must be selective in who you mentor and develop as a leader.

III.  Hand-Me-Downs involve TRAINING
Elijah took Elisha with him on the journey and trained him along the way.  It takes work to develop a leader.  It takes lots of teaching...showing...providing feedback...
mentoring...talking...praying and investing. 

Is it faster to do ministry by yourself?  Yes.  But the ministry will go farther if you bring someone with you. 

IV.  Hand-Me-Downs involve TIMING
The hand-me-down wasn't done immediately.  Timing is important in such matters.  God's timing arrived one day as they stood together by the Jordan River.  As Elijah was caught up into the heavens his cloak was left for Elisha.  The transfer was made.  The hand-me-down was complete.

Timing is important in your hand-me-down as well.  A premature hand-me-down can result in the successor not being prepared or ready to lead.  An overdue hand-me-
down can result in stagnation and discouragement.

The right timing comes from God's wisdom and guidance being infused into process.

V.  Hand-Me-Downs involve THRIVING
When you develop leaders effectively, the ministry will thrive.  Elijah did 14 miracles.  Guess how many Elisha did?  28.  Exactly double...right in line with the double portion he had asked for.  I can't help but think that Elijah looked down from heaven and rejoiced.

Our prayer should be that the leaders we develop will make the ministry twice as good as we could have alone...that they will reach twice as many people...that they will see twice as many miracles...that they will see twice as many blessings...that they will be twice as good as leaders as we were.

A truly effective hand-me-down results in the ministry thriving instead of just surviving!

Closing Thoughts...
Who will you throw your cloak upon?  Who will you raise up to lead with you now and later after you are gone?  Who is your Elisha?

Begin THINKING God's kingdom...not your kingdom.
Start THROWING your cloak on the person God wants you to develop.
Pour yourself into TRAINING that person.
In God's TIMING, advance them.
Watch the ministry begin THRIVING.

Here's 10 sure ways to lose your volunteers and have frequent turnover.

Don't know their name.  Just see them as someone to fill a position and don't get to know them personally.

Don't place them in their sweet spot.  Instead of finding out their interests, talents and passion just place them wherever you have a need.

Don't give them proper training.  Just place them in the room...they'll figure it out.

Don't help them get relationally connected.  They don't need to build relationships with the people they serve with.  They can just come in, do their duty and leave.

Don't ask for their input or ideas.  Shove down directions and don't worry about getting their insight or feedback.

Don't communicate with them.  Leave them in the dark about upcoming dates, details, lesson plans and other important information.  When they call...don't return their calls.  When they email with a questions...don't respond. 

Don't follow ratios.  Put them in a room with one other person and 35 preschoolers.  Place 20 kids in their small group.  Ask them to take care of 4 babies by themselves. 

Don't ever thank them.  They should be serving for Jesus, not for the applause of men. 

Don't promote them.  Leave them in the same role forever.  Don't develop them and help them move into new volunteer roles with more responsibility.

Don't give them credit.  Take all the credit for victories and make sure you're in the spotlight instead of them.  You wouldn't want them to have to struggle with pride.

If you want to keep your volunteers long-term, then obviously do the opposite of everything listed above.  Without your volunteers...you don't have a children's ministry.  Love them, honor them, value them, listen to them and take great care of them.

Your turn.  What are some other things that cause us to lose volunteers?  Share with us in the comment section below.

Are you ready to take your kid's ministry to the next level?  If the answer is "yes," then I'd like to invite you to join us for the KidMin Conference this fall.

The KidMin Conference is a gathering of children's ministry leaders from across the country and around the world.

Here are a few of the things that make this conference unique...

• Dynamic, interactive training.
• Lots of opportunities to have authentic conversations with other children's ministry leaders.
• Real ideas that you can take home and use immediately.
• Energizing general sessions that will re-charge you spiritually and deepen your walk with Christ. 

I've had the joy of being part of this conference since it's inception and I'd like to invite you to join us this year.  I'll be teaching a deeper learning track about how to build a thriving volunteer team.  In this track, I'll share the principles we've used in our church to enlist, equip, and empower a children's ministry team of over 2,600 volunteers.

I'm giving away a free conference registration ($365 value) to one of our readers.  You can enter by emailing me at dalehudsoncm2@gmail.com.  I'll announce the winner next Monday, April 20.

The conference will be held Sept. 25-27 in Chicago.  You can get more information at the KidMin site.  You can also get the latest updates on Twitter (@groupkidminconf) and Instagram (kidminconference).

I'm often asked how we do volunteer training.

Our first training piece for a new volunteer is an orientation.  You can see that at this link.  This sets the them up for success.

After orientation, volunteers receive hands-on training in the specific area they will be serving in.  They shadow one of our "rock stars" who serves in that area.  What's a children's ministry rock star?  You can find out more about that at this link.

What about on-going training?  We hold live, on-going training 3 times a year.  The first one is in February-March.  The second one is in early August as we prepare for the fall.  The third one is in October-November.

The live training is held during the weekend service times.  We have found the best way to get people to attend a training is to have it when they are already at church.  On those weekends, they serve one hour and attend the training the other hour.

I believe there are 7 key components to a successful live training experience.  You can read about those at this link. 

Here is the handout for the training we are doing right now.  The goal of the training is to help volunteers become more effective at connecting with kids, parents, each other and God.  If you'd like the teaching notes that go along with this outline, feel free to email me at dalehudsoncm2@gmail.com and I'll send them to you.  Blessings.

There are lots of factors in making a guest family feel welcome.  Good parking helps.  Easy-to-read signage helps.  Welcome packets help.

But there is one key that I believe is the most important.  It's the people who volunteer on your guest services team.  This includes your greeters, check-in helpers and anyone else who has contact with new families in the first few minutes.

The "welcome center" is not signs or brochures or flat screen tv's with cool graphics...it's people.

Pick the right people to welcome new families.  If you have someone on your guest services team who acts like the person on the left...move them!  They will undo everything you're trying to do to make new families feel welcome.

Spend time training the right people.  Once you get the right people on your welcome team, pour into them.  Teach them what to say...what not to say...how to make people feel comfortable...what to do in certain situations, etc.

Do you want your children's ministry to be known as a friendly, welcoming place?  It will happen when you have friendly people greeting families.

One of the most important aspects of children's ministry is partnering with parents...and communicating with them is a big part of this.

What are the best ways to communicate with parents?  Here's 7 ways you can connect with the people who have the biggest influence in the lives of the kids in your ministry.

Text
Did you know that 98% of text messages get read?  This is a sure-fire way to connect with parents.  More about that here.

Talk
Make a point to talk with parents at church.  Want to know where I spend my time on Sundays?  Talking with parents.  Be in the hallways and engage them in conversation.

Two-Minute Window
You have a two-minute window when parents are dropping off and picking up their children.  Be intentional about connecting with parents during this window of time.  More about that here.

Telephone
Call them.  And not just when you need them to volunteer.  Call just to say "hi" and ask how you can pray for their child.  

Take-Home Paper
Send home a communication piece.  Will it get read?  Not always, but you'd be surprised how many parents actually do read it.

Type 
Email still works.  Send out emails about upcoming events, classes and activities.  Or take it to the next level with a digital newsletter for parents.

Training
Offer training classes at key times in parents' lives with their children such as child dedication, baptism, transition into middle school, etc.

How do you communicate with parents?  
Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

School is back and fall is fast approaching.  Fall is a season of growth for most churches with everyone returning from summer vacations and getting back into a regular routine.

It's important to prepare your volunteers for this season.  Many of them are re-engaging after being in and out for the summer.  Hopefully you have new volunteers coming on board as well.

It's a great time to have a training event.  This Saturday, we will be having a training event for all our volunteers.  Here's an inside look at what we'll be offering.

Delegation is a vital part of being a good Children's Ministry Leader.  But that's easier said than done at times.

Here's five reasons why leaders don't delegate (and how to get over it).

The natural pull is toward complexity.  Don't give in.

The natural pull is toward a complex calendar...don't give in...keep your calender light.

The natural pull is toward complex teaching...don't give in...teach simple truths.

The natural pull is toward complex programming...don't give in...do a few things well.

The natural pull is toward complex messaging...don't give in...say one thing.

The natural pull is toward complex pathways...don't give in...provide one next step.

The natural pull is toward complex expectations...don't give in...clarify a few, easy wins.

The natural pull is toward a complex mission statement...don't give in...make it short and to the point.

The natural pull is toward complex registration...don't give in...make it quick and easy.

The natural pull is toward complex meetings...don't give in...cover what needs to be covered and dismiss.

The natural pull is toward complex training procedures...don't give in...condense the 30 page manual to a page of bullet points.

Want to burnout your volunteers?  Here's 7 ways to do it.

1. Place them where you "need" them.  Use them to fill a hole instead of finding out what their gifts and passions are.

2. Don't follow ratios.  Place them in an overcrowded room...especially if they are serving in preschool ministry.

3. Ask them to stay over and work an extra service.  Ask them at the last minute and make them feel guilty if they can't stay.

4. Don't give them any time off.  Expect them to serve 52 weeks a year.  Vacation or time off in the summer?  Yeah, right!

5. Make sure they skip the adult service.  They don't need to attend the adult service.  They can stay spiritually fed and healthy by listening to or teaching the children's lesson.

6. Don't thank them.  They should be serving because they love Jesus...not for a pat on the back. 

7. Have long, required training sessions that take them away from their family.  It doesn't matter how busy their schedule is.  They should be committed enough to attend your 2 hour training sessions on a regular basis.

The floor is yours.  What are some other ways to burnout volunteers?  Please share your thoughts with us below.

Do you have a hard time getting your volunteers to a "training event?"  Do you spend major time and resources just to have a small percentage attend?

Let's face it.  We live in a crazy, busy world.  People's lives are overflowing and many times they don't have the margin to attend a training event...even if they want to.

So what do you do?  Continue doing the same old same old?  With the same results?  Maybe it's time to try something new.

This year we shifted to a new strategy because we faced these same issues.  Here is our new strategy for initial and ongoing volunteer training.  It's been very successful so far.

• Initial training
•  All new volunteers go through an orientation and then 3-4 weeks of hands-on training in the classroom.

• Monthly motivational video 
• We shoot a 2-3 minute, big picture, why we do what we do, rally the troops, encouraging video.  
• Can be done with the web cam on your computer.  
• We stick it on Vimeo or Youtube, and then email the link to all our volunteers.  
• We email it out the first of the month.
• Added bonus:  It's free!

• Monthly training video
• We shoot a 4-5 minute, training video that gives specific, practical training in an area of Children's Ministry. (again - a webcam or simple camera can be used)
• We stick it on Vimeo or Youtube and then email the link to all our volunteers.  We send it out the third week of the month. (again - free!)
• That weekend, we meet with our volunteers for 10-15 minutes before or after the service and discuss the training video they watched.  These meetings are held in invidvidual areas such as nursery, preschool, elementary, etc.  
• The key for us is offering these options at a time when they are already at church instead of asking them to come back.
• You can also get a free blog site and put all your videos in one place so volunteers have access to archived training.  We have ours at www.GodsKidsTeam.com, if you'd like to see an example.

What are you currently doing for volunteer training?  What's working?  What's not working?  What other new strategies do you suggest?  Share your ideas and thoughts with us in the comment section below.