RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

I believe your guest services team is a crucial part of your church's ministry.  It has been said that people decide in the first 8 minutes if they will return or not.

Those 8 minutes are usually spent interacting with your guest services team.   So you can see how important your guest services team is.  Your guest services team is a make or break factor with guests.

That being said and acknowledged, preparing them to lead is one of the most important things you will do. 

What training should you provide for them? 

What should they focus on? 

What are the wins for them?

Let's look at 5 key things you should teach and train your guest services team about.

Guests' parking.  Reserve the best parking for guests.   

Think about how you feel when you are at Target or Walmart or Costco and you find a great parking spot up close to the building.  You enter the store feeling lucky to have gotten such a great spot and not having to walk from a mile away to finally get into the store.  

That's the way guests feel when you reserve parking for them.  You're making a great impression with them before they ever enter the building.  Guests who have to spend those first 8 minutes circling the parking lot, looking for a parking place, probably won't come back.  I have personally seen guests drive away in frustration because they were no good parking spots left.

Smiles.  This may sound so simple that you don't feel like it's important.  Believe me.  Whether your team smiles or not is a big deal.  Trust me.  It is huge. 

I often ask for feedback from first-time guests.  One week, I received feedback from a guest family that said we did a great job explaining the security process and making them feel safe.  But...they said the lady at the door never smiled at them.  Out of all the positive experiences they had on their first visit, they remembered the bland facial expression of a volunteer. 

Think about your own interaction with places of business.  How does it feel when you are met with a bland or even frowning face?  It gives you a negative connotation doesn't it?  That's exactly how your guests feel when they are not met with a smile.  Guests will always remember how you made them feel.  And a smile goes a long way in making people feel welcome.

Teach your team to smile.  Smile.  Smile.  Smile.  And smile some more.

p.s. You should fill your key guest services positions with people who are naturally positive and upbeat.  One "Negative Nelly" can cause guests to not return.  You want people who are naturally a people person in those roles.  All the training in the world can't override a person who was seemingly baptized in pickle juice.  

Walking rather than pointing.  Create a plan that enables you to always walk guests to their room.  This means you will need extra team members in your guests services area that can step away and walk guests to their rooms without leaving you shorthanded at registration.  

Think about the difference it makes in your perception when you ask for help in a store and they are able to walk you to the item you are looking for.   Compare that to how you feel when they point and basically say "good luck with that."  It can be a huge factor in whether or not you return.  Same goes with your guests at church.

Not making guests wait.  No one likes to wait.  That's why we scan the checkout lines at the grocery store and try to find the shortest line, right?  And when you can't find a short line, it is frustrating, isn't it?  Especially if you have children with you.

You don't want your guests to have that experience, right?  One of the best things you can do is create a separate check-in area that is reserved for guests.  Remember, you only have 8 minutes to make a great first impression and you don't want them spending 6 of those minutes standing in a line.

Making the experience personal.  Guests want to know that you genuinely care about them and their family.  They don't want to feel like they are just another number to be counted and rushed to the place where they should be on campus. 

Focus on making guests feel known and genuinely welcomed.  This doesn't mean having them stand up and publicly humiliating them.  That can have the opposite effect.  Instead, here are a few ways you can make it personal.

Call them by their name.  The sweetest sound to anyone's ears is their name.  Use their name several times during your interaction with them.

Send them a handwritten note.  Make the note personal by writing in a few facts you learned about them.  This let's them know they are not an afterthought, but that you were really listening as they responded to your questions. 

Catch up with them after the service.  Many guest service teams consider their role ended once church starts.  That's okay, but if you want to make a GREAT first impression on families, spend a few minutes talking with them after the service.  Thank them for coming.  Make small talk about something they shared with you before service started. 

This doesn't mean cornering them.  You can sense when they are ready to go.  Don't talk so much they get that glazed look in their eyes that says, "Please let me go.  I'm hungry and lunch is waiting."

Incorporate these 5 things into your Guest Service teams and you'll make a big impact on guests and will see many of them return.

Your turn.  The floor is yours. What are some other things guest service teams need to focus on?  Share your thoughts, insight and ideas in the comment section below.
 

Let me ask you a question.  Can you step away?
For clarity, I mean can you step away from the ministry and it still runs smoothly?

To me, that's the test of whether or not you have built a solid, effective volunteer team.

As a leader in children's ministry, you are called to equip volunteers, so they can do the work of the ministry.

If you are effectively equipping and empowering them, they can run the ministry without you.

Remember, your heart should be to create stars, rather than being a star.  To put others into the spotlight.  To be seen not as a powerful, but as empowering.

I was recently doing a consultation for a church.  One great thing they are doing well is empowering volunteers. They are doing a great job at creating an environment that doesn't depend upon the children's pastor.  The children's pastor shared with me that he spends most of his Sundays greeting kids and families as they arrive and depart.  He is not tied to any of the classrooms and this is what gives him the freedom to step away from the classrooms and connect with kids and families as they arrive and depart.

It also gives him the freedom to walk to each classroom and connect with the volunteers, thanking them and encouraging them.

I want to encourage you to work toward being able to step away and the ministry run just as smoothly without you.

Here are some more questions to think through:

Can I step away from the ministry and the ministry not miss a beat?

Are my volunteers dependent on me or have I equipped them to not need me?

Am I operating at 30,000 feet so I can look down the road, see the big picture and make adjustments and changes? 

Am I empowering my volunteers so they can solve problems and make adjustments without having to call me in panic mode?

What do I need to give up so the ministry can continue to go up?

Your goal should be to build a ministry that isn't dependent on you.  I know we all have this inner desire to be known...to feel important...to be needed.  But we must be willing to die to ourselves for the greater good.

Remember it's not what you can do, it's what you can empower others to do.

You can get the knowledge and strategy you need to build a great volunteer team in my book "The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams."  It's available in paperback or ebook formats at this link.

I know it takes time and consistency to get to the point where you can step away.  But you can do it.  Make that your goal and then start working toward it.  The starting point is to realize that God has called you to equip and empower His people for the work of the ministry.

When you get the ministry to the point where you can step away and nothing misses a beat, you are leading well.

Head that direction and you'll find the freedom that comes from empowering others and giving them the opportunity to grow and maximize the gifts and talents God has given them.

"Can I talk with you after the service is over?" asks one of your best volunteers. 

Uh-oh.  Your heart sinks.  You know what's coming next.

Service ends.  You sit down with the volunteer.

"I like serving, but I have too much going on in my life right now.  I'm going to have to step down from my volunteer role.  I'm stretched too thin.  I'm burned out.

Ever found yourself in that situation as a children's ministry leader?  A key volunteer, whom you've invested a lot of time and energy into, crashes and quits because of burn out.  It can take the wind out of your sails, can't it?

While you can't stop volunteer burn out completely, there are some steps you can take to protect your volunteers from burning out.  Let's talk about it for a few minutes.

Rockstar volunteers can hit rock bottom.  Think about your best volunteers.  You know, the ones that always go the second mile.  The ones who show up early and are the last to leave. 

Because they are so good at what they do, you ask them to help with other children's ministry projects.  You keep adding and adding and adding things to their volunteer calendar.  The Rockstar volunteer gladly accepts the extra responsibilities. But eventually it catches up with them and they quit.

Remember this: Just because a volunteer is gifted and talented, doesn't mean they can maintain an overflowing ministry plate long-term.  Be proactive or you'll find them in your office saying they can't do it anymore.  It's just too much for them.

Put high-capacity leaders in their area of giftedness and then don't pile more on them.  When a volunteer is serving in their area of giftedness, they will thrive.  Let them flourish there.  Don't start piling other responsibilities on them just because they are good at getting things done. 

This doesn't mean you can't promote them and give them more responsibility.  But don't ask them to do their current role and the tasks of the harder role at the same time or you'll run the risk of burning them out.

Just because you know they will say "yes," doesn't mean you should ask them to take on unhealthy levels of responsibility.  Remember this...

"Don't use people to build the ministry, rather use the ministry to build people."

Give volunteers permission to tell you when they are feeling overwhelmed.  If you can catch it early on, you can help them make an adjustment to their volunteer role.  Better yet, ask them on a regular basis, how they are doing.  Watch and listen for signs of burnout and help them adjust as needed.

Remind them of the big picture mission they are on.  When volunteers forget why they are doing what they are doing, they can slip into burn out.  Make sure you constantly remind your team about why they are serving.

Strengthen volunteer's commitment to the mission and you'll be able to keep them on mission.

Protect your team members.  Sometimes, other ministries will approach your gifted volunteer to help with a special project or to serve with them on a regular basis.  Set up a policy for this.  First, a staff member should always check with the other staff person and get permission to talk with the volunteer.  It's not about control, it's about care.

Has this happened to you?  A new couple moves to your area and starts attending your church.  You get to know them and decide to invite them to serve with you in children's ministry.  When you make the ask, you hear something like this:

"We're not going to serve at this time.  The church that we previously attended, had us doing everything.  We ran the children's ministry, helped with women's ministry, men's ministry, youth ministry, outreach events and blah, blah, blah, blah.  We got burned out and so we're going to just rest for awhile."

Is it their fault they are burned out?  Yes.  But you'd also have to place some blame on their previous leaders who didn't teach them about saying "no" so they could have a balanced life.

Protect your volunteers so they don't burn out.  Help them find a sustainable pace they can run at long-term and you'll see them go the distance with you.

You can get more information about building a great volunteer team in my book "The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams" at this link.

Your turn.  The floor is yours.  How do you protect volunteers from burn out? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comment section below.

How do you feel when you walk into a place of business and you're met with a blank stare or even a frown?  Probably makes you feel apprehensive... uncomfortable...
like you're about to be a "bother"...that you're entering a place that is not welcoming, doesn't it?

Compare that to how you feel when you walk into a place of business and you're met with a friendly smile.  How does that make you feel?  Welcomed...valued...
comfortable...happy?  Warms your spirit a little, doesn't it?

There is so much power in such a simple thing as a smile.  Look what it says in the Bible.

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.                   -Proverbs 17:22

Our attitude shines through our face when people walk into our ministry.  And it either helps people or hurts people.  It's up to us.

But often we forget this.  We get so busy greeting people, helping people, checking-in people and serving people, that we forget to smile at people.  We can become a robot that's just going through the motions.

When first-time guests visited our ministry, I would send them a brief survey to see how well we served them.  I told our team to make sure I got the ones where people expressed a concern.  One of the surveys that came across my desk was from a mother.  She said that our team did a great job helping them get checked in, explaining the safety process and walking them to her child's classroom.

But she said when she got to the classroom, the teacher never smiled at them.  It obviously made an impression on her (a negative impression), because she remembered it and told me about it.  I was thankful to receive this feedback and we brought a new element into our training because of it.  The training was to SMILE.

Out of this experience, I realized how big a difference a smile can make in a ministry.  But it takes intentionality.

Here's how to bring a smile to your ministry.

If you smile, your team will smile.  Your ministry team is a mirror of you.  If you've been leading them for more than a year, they are a reflection of your attitude.  Make sure you are smiling if you want them to smile.  A smiling culture doesn't happen by accident, it is created by leadership.

Do a "smile check."  Walk around your ministry and look at your team member's expressions.  How many are smiling?  How many are friendly?  How many have a cheerful attitude?  How many have a blank expression?  How many are frowning?  How many have a negative attitude?

Write down the numbers and from that determine what percentage of your team is smiling.  How can you improve that percentage?  How can you raise the smile factor?

Place people, whose default facial expression is a smile, in strategic places.  It's important for people to be met with a smile everywhere they go in your ministry.  But there are a few places that it is really, really important to the point that it's critical.  Places like front door greeters, first-time family check-in and classroom greeters.

It is critical to have friendly, happy, smiling people in these roles.  These should be people who would be smiling whether you reminded them or not.

I remember one time when I came in to lead a ministry.  I soon realized that one of the greeters shouldn't be in a greeter role.  She never smiled.  She basically grunted at people as they entered.  Even after being asked to smile and show a cheerful spirit, she quickly defaulted back to the frown.  And I watched as it impacted families...in a negative way.  I had to have a hard conversation and help her move into a behind-the-scenes role where her frown wouldn't be seen by families.

Too much is at stake to not have smiling people in roles that primarily interact with families.

Share with people why they need to smile.  If you want your team to smile, then you've got to share with them "why" they should be smiling.  Share with them the impact a smile can make.  Share with them the one opportunity they have to make a good impression with guests.  Share with them how a smile is "good medicine" for broken families who walk into your ministry.

Train people to smile.  Make "smiling" a part of your new volunteer training.  Set this expectation with new volunteers from the get go. 

Help them see that while no one owns the guest, everyone owns the moment they are with the guest.  A guest's experience is the sum total of their interaction with everyone they come in contact with.

Each time you meet, remind people to smile.  Did you know science says our emotions often take cues from the reactions in our bodies?  Studies show, if we look in a mirror first thing in the morning and smile, it will put us into a good mood.  Smile and a good mood will follow.

When you meet with your team in a pre-service or pre-event huddle, have them turn and smile at each other at the end of the meeting.  This will not only remind them to smile, but improve their attitude as well. 

Smiling really can make the difference in your ministry.   

You can get more great tips to create a great volunteer culture in your ministry with my book "The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams."  It's available now at this link. 

It's not always easy to keep your volunteer team excited about serving.  Especially over the long haul.

There will be times when you find morale declining.  It might be due to disunity among team members, a drop in attendance, a budget decrease, a negative attitude from someone, a key volunteer quitting or people just being tired from a hard season of ministry.

One of the most important tasks you have as a leader is to monitor the morale of the team.  If morale gets too low, it can wreak havoc on the team and cause people to quit.

So how can you boost morale when you find it taking a nosedive?  I mean, ministry should be a joy for your team rather than something they endure, right?
 
Let's look at 5 steps you can take to get the team smiling again...from the inside out.

Check your own morale and adjust if needed.  If the morale of your team is tanking, the first place to look is in the mirror.  The morale of a team will never supersede the morale of its leader.  Has your own morale been slipping?  Have you grown discouraged?  Are you weary in well doing?  Has your passion started fading?

I'm not saying this is definitely the cause of your team morale being down.  But it's definitely the first place to check.  You know the principle - everything rises and falls on ____________?

If you do find your personal morale has dipped, then take some steps to rekindle it.  This may mean getting alone with God for an extended time.  It may mean taking a break and getting some much needed rest.  It may mean asking for forgiveness for wronging someone.  It may mean narrowing your focus.  It may mean asking God to renew your passion and vision for the ministry.

Make sure you lead by maintaining your own personal morale.  You are the only one who can adjust it.  Crank it up and your volunteers will see the difference and follow.

Revisit the mission.  Children's ministry is not easy.  People on the outside don't understand everything it takes to make it happen, but you and your team do.  Week in and week out, you fulfill the tasks that make the ministry possible.  Making phone calls.  Sending emails.  Following up with guests.  Preparing crafts.  Making copies of handouts.  Managing social media.  Preparing for big events.  Making trips to the store for supplies.  The list goes on and on.

Over time, the natural tendency is to get bogged down in the tasks and forget why you are doing the tasks.  When this happens, morale begins to dip.  Duty replaces delight.  Mundane replaces mission.  Boredom replaces blessing.

This is why one of the keys to keeping your morale up is to stay focused on the mission.  The mission is why you do what you do. 

In this post, I share how you can keep your team focused on the mission.
 
Raise their value.  Another cause of volunteer morale going south is lack of appreciation.  When volunteers feel used, their morale declines.  When volunteers never hear the words "thank you," their morale declines.  When volunteers are not made to feel valuable, their morale declines.

You can show your volunteers how valuable they are by regularly saying "thank you."  You can show them how valuable they are by investing in them.  You can show them how valuable they are by having the children thank them for the impact they are having in their lives.  You can show them how valuable they are by sending them notes of appreciation.  You can show them how valuable they are by providing them with solid training and giving them the tools they need to be successful.  You can show them how valuable they are by having a party in their honor.  You can show them how valuable they are by asking for their input and ideas.  You can show them how valuable they are by listening to them when they share with you.

In this post,  I share 50 ways to show your volunteers you value them.

And in this post, I share 3 secrets for showing volunteers you are thankful for them. 

Have fun together.  All work and no play makes a volunteer team's morale decline.  Laugh together.  Tell jokes.  Get together with no agenda but fun.  Hang out together outside of serving.  Don't take yourselves too seriously.  The team that plays together stays together...and enjoys the journey!

By the way, you should schedule "fun."  If you are not intentional about making it fun to be part of the team, it won't happen.

In this post, I share how to create a culture of fun in your ministry.

Have hard conversations when needed.  As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, sometimes conflict on the team or a person with a negative attitude can hijack morale.  As the leader, you must guard the unity of the team.

Unity doesn't happen by accident, you have to fight for it.  And this means having hard conversations when needed.  You can't let backbiting, murmuring, arguing, division or competing values weaken the morale of the team.  It only takes one negative person to damage the morale. 

Most of us are not naturally good at hard conversations.  But the good news is this - it's a skill that can be learned.  Here are some articles that will help you have hard conversations like a pro.

5 questions to ask before you have a hard conversation.

3 simple words that will help you have a hard conversation.

You can get more proven ideas for leading a volunteer team in my new book "The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams."  It is available in hard copy and ebook formats - click here for ordering info.

Your turn.  The floor is yours.  How do you keep the morale of your team healthy?  Share your thoughts, ideas and insight with everyone in the comment section below.

If you're leading in children's ministry, you've quickly discovered that it's critical to have volunteers.  And whether you've inherited a group of volunteers or you're in the midst of building a group of volunteers, it's important to realize the difference between a group of volunteers and a volunteer team.

A group of volunteers may not be working in unison.  A volunteer team has an aligned vision.

A group of volunteers may have different values.  A volunteer team operates from a set of common core values.

A group of volunteers may not trust each other.  A volunteer team has each other's backs.

A group of volunteers does ministry together.  A volunteer team does ministry and life together.

A group of volunteers cares about themselves.  A volunteer team cares about each other.

A group of volunteers may have scattered conversations.  A volunteer team has clear communication.

A group of volunteers has conflict.  A volunteer team has conflict, but works through it together.

A group of volunteers may have a lack of responsibility.  A volunteer team holds each other accountable.

A group of volunteers may experience competition.  A volunteer team experiences collaboration.

So how can you turn a group of volunteers into a volunteer team?  Here are 6 steps you can take to see it happen.

Step 1 - Shift the language.  Be intentional about using team language.  Use "we" instead of "them."  Use "us" instead of "they."  Use "our" instead of "their."  You will be surprised how this simple shift will help you begin building a team spirit.  

Step 2 - Rally everyone behind a common vision.  A group of volunteers will naturally default to competing visions.  The nursery will have a vision.  The preschool will have a vision.  The greeters will have a vision.  The elementary will have a vision.  The pre-teen area will have a vision.  While it's good for groups of volunteers to "own" their part of the ministry, it is just as important that they see how it fits into the larger context of the ministry and have one vision they are aligned with.  It's up to you, as the leader, to articulate the vision and rally everyone to it.

Step 3 - Pray together.  Each weekend, gather everyone together for prayer before they start serving.  As you share prayer requests and spend time praying for each other and for the ministry, you will see it bring transformation.

Step 4 - Play together.  Take volunteers on some fun activities together outside of their serving time.  You will find this bonds them together and deepens their relationships.   

Step 5 - Do team building activities on a regular basis.  When you do volunteer training, include a team building activity.  I have several very effective ones in my book "The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams" which is available at this link. 

Step 6 - Celebrate together.  Celebrating the wins together will bond your volunteers as a team.  When one part of your volunteer team has a win, have everyone celebrate together.  This will help them see that a win for one is a win for all.

If you can help your volunteers see that what they are part of is bigger than the part they play, they will move from being a group to being a team.  And there is no limit to what a team of volunteers can accomplish together!  Michael Jordan articulated it well when he said, "great players win games...great teams win championships."

The greatest need of every ministry is volunteers.  They make ministry happen and without them a ministry can never accomplish its mission.

There are some strategic things you can do to build a volunteer team.  There are also some things you shouldn't do.  Here are six of them.  How do I know?  I've made all 6 of these mistakes and I want to help you avoid doing the same.

Mistake #1 - Depending on ads in the church bulletin.  Ads in the church bulletin don't normally work.  Don't expect it to bring in volunteers.  If anything, it tends to "advertise" to people that your ministry is not doing well and you are desperate for volunteers.  Which leads to the next point... 

Mistake #2 -  Showing how desperate you are.  People are drawn to vision...not desperation.  When you use words like "please" or "help" or "need," it can actually have the opposite effect and push people away from your ministry.  When people see desperation, it causes them to think, "If it is so great to serve in that ministry, then why are they having to beg people to join?"  You may be desperate for volunteers...and we all are at times...but don't show it.  Invite with vision rather than desperation.

Mistake #3 - Asking the Pastor to beg for volunteers during the announcements.  I remember years ago, I was two weeks from VBS starting and I still needed 20 volunteers.  I asked the Pastor if he would make an appeal for me at the end of the service.  He graciously agreed to do so...even though I shouldn't have put him in that position.  He told the congregation that I would be up front at the close of the service and people could come to me if they would like to volunteer for VBS.  I waited anxiously at the end of the service, clipboard in hand, just knowing I would be flooded with a long line of people ready to sign up to serve.  The final prayer was said...and no one came to me.  In fact, they all ran from me.  I learned that day that you don't build a volunteer team with pulpit announcements. 

Mistake #4 - Only trying to enlist volunteers a few times a year.  Don't limit your volunteer enlistment to a few times a year.  Building a volunteer team must be done every single week, 52 weeks a year. 

Mistake #5 - Not getting outside of your ministry area.  Your next volunteer is not going to be found in your ministry area.  If you are so busy "doing" the ministry that you can't find time to get outside of your ministry area and invite people to join the ministry, you will be severely limited.  There are some great places in your church to find new volunteers.  And guess what?  They are all outside of your ministry area.

Mistake #6 -  Not connecting with the student ministry leader.  Students (teenagers) are great volunteers.  They can bring energy, life and excitement to the ministry.  Especially in chidren's ministry since kids look up to them.  What's the key to getting them involved in serving?  Their student ministry leader.  If you're going to enlist students to serve in your ministry, then you must get the student ministry leader on board.  In most cases, he or she is feeling the urgency to build up the student ministry.  The student pastor could see taking students to serve outside of student ministry as a hindrance to that goal.  Before going after students to serve, connect with the student ministry leader and help he / she see the benefits of students serving.  Help them see it's not about what you want from the students.  It's about what you want for the students.  Serving activates students' faith and stats show that students who serve are much more likely to continue following Jesus after graduation.

You can get a clear, effective strategy for building great volunteer teams in my new book The Secret Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams.  This is a proven formula that I used to build a team of over 2,600 volunteers.  You can get it here.

Last week, I taught 4 sessions at the CM Conference in the Louisville area.  Here are the notes from the sessions if you would like to download them.

Session 1 - Be the One for One

Session 2 - 10 Secrets to Building a Great Volunteer Team

Session 3 - If Disney Ran Your Children's Ministry
(you can also purchase the book at this link)

Session 4 - Good to Great...Take Your Leadership to the Next Level

What are some signs of a toxic volunteer?  They never have anything positive to say.  They suck the life and energy out of the room when they walk in.  They don't just resist change...they fight against it.  They complain about everything.  You constantly having to clean up the mess they cause.  A toxic volunteer spreads dissension among other volunteers and causes damage to the entire team.  Basically, they make your life miserable as the leader.

Any names come to mind?  If not, don't worry.  Stay in children's ministry long enough and you will encounter a toxic volunteer.  So...what should you do when this happens?  How do you manage the toxicity?  

Step One - Sit down with the person and try to find out the root cause of the toxic behavior.  What you're seeing are the symptoms of a much deeper problem.  Find out how the person is doing.  How are things at home, at work and in their personal life?  Are they facing any problems or difficulties?  Are they struggling in any areas?

If the answer is yes, then offer to assist them.  If they accept, this opens the door for you to come alongside them and provide help through counseling, coaching and other resources. 

Step Two - Ask if you can give them feedback.  In many cases, the person is oblivious to their toxic behavior.  You can't expect a person to change if they don't know they need to.  It is important to give them direct and honest feedback so they can understand the problem. Help them see how their behavior is impacting other volunteers and the spirit of the team.

Step Three - Give them clear steps they can take to turn things around.  Don't stop at telling them what the issue is.  Point them to the behavior you'd like to see.  Help them develop a plan to get there.  Give them clearly defined, measurable steps they can take and set a time frame.  By doing this, you're giving them an opportunity to have a more positive impact.

Step Four - If the person refuses your help or doesn't show any improvement in the time frame you set for them, explain what the consequences will be if it continues.  It may mean being removed from a position of influence.  It may mean taking time off from serving until things change.  It may mean stepping down from serving completely. 

Step Five - Have the courage to follow through with the consequences if there is no change.  Your prayer and hope is that God will use this to help the person change.  But not everyone will respond.  Some will be unwilling to change.  You must recognize that you are responsible to people but you are not responsible for people.  If the person is continuing to hurt the morale of the team, then the consequences must be enforced. 

Step Six - Document everything.  Each step of the way, document their offenses, your conversations with them and their responses.  Put in writing their behavior, the steps you took to address it, resources and help you offered and the failure of the person to change.  It is also good to have someone else sit in with you when you meet with the person as a witness to what was said and not said.

Toxic behavior is never an easy thing to deal with, but it must be done.  If you don't, it will spread to the rest of your team.  There's too much at stake not to face it head on.

We have a rose bush in our front flowerbed.  At first, it flourished and produced beautiful flowers.

But not now.  The flowers have stopped blooming and there are no signs of life.  It's branches are brown and crackly.  We've left it there for several months, hoping it will come back.  We'll see...but right now it doesn't look good.

The rose bush has been a good reminder for me of the importance of keeping the children's ministries we lead healthy and growing.

When you see a children's ministry that's growing, there are usually 5 things at play behind the scenes.   

VISION
A growing children's ministry flows from the heart of a leader who has a vision to reach his/her community for Christ.  The vision compels the leader and his/her team to never stop until every, single child and parent in their community is reached.  Not satisfied with the status quo, they focus on the future rather than dwelling on the past.  Great growth comes from great vision.

ADEQUATE SPACE
A growing children's ministry makes sure they are not hindered by the 85% rule.  This rule basically says that when you reach 85% capacity, you will stop growing.  Here's an example.  If your children's ministry rooms hold 100 kids, once you are averaging 85 kids a week in that space, you will stop growing unless you create more space.  This can be done by building or starting more services.  Growing children's ministries keep a pulse on this.

HARD WORK
It takes a lot of hard work to build a children's ministry.  Growing children's ministries are committed to doing the hard work of preparation, planning, follow-up, excellent execution, cleaning and more.  God doesn't bless laziness.  Simply put...pray for a good harvest with the sweat running down the hoe handle.

VOLUNTEER TEAM
A growing children's ministry has a growing team of enthusiastic, committed volunteers.  As your volunteer base grows, your children's ministry will grow because kids are being cared for, ratios are being met and connections are being made.

GOD-FACTOR
Of course, all of the above hinges on the "God-factor."  A growing children's ministry often wonders in amazement as they watch God move.  They know without His anointing and blessing, all their efforts are in vain.  This keeps the ministry humble and constantly seeking God and depending on Him.  They plant the seeds...God grows the fruit.

Perhaps you are reading this and your children's ministry is currently like my rose bush.  Not much happening.  Be encouraged.  Renew and expand your vision, make sure you have adequate space, work hard, grow your volunteer base, seek God's face...and watch your ministry begin to grow.

Complaints.  If you're in children's ministry, you will hear them. 

But how you view the complaints can make a huge difference for your ministry.  If you look at complaints as a gift that someone is giving you to help make the ministry better, it changes your perspective. 

Complaints...no matter how far out there they may seem,  usually contain some level of truth and your ministry can use them to improve.

Here's 10 complaints you may hear at times in children's ministry and how you can use them to make your ministry better.

It's boring.
If a child complains that the ministry is boring...it's probably because it is.  When you hear this, check the energy and excitement level of your ministry.  You may need to infuse some fresh life and energy.

Sit down with a group of kids and ask them what's boring.  Is it the music?  The lesson?  The videos?  The games?  It may be time to change up your format, curriculum, music or approach.  In our upcoming book, If Disney Ran Your Children's Ministry, we dedicate an entire chapter to capturing kid's attention and making church a fun, exciting experience.  

My child doesn't learn anything.
This complaint comes when parents ask their child what they learned and simply get a shrug or "about God" answer.  The solution is to focus your teaching on one key truth for the month.  Have the kids repeat that truth with you at least 6 times each week.  When you hear something once, you only remember 10% of it.  When you hear something 6 times, your retention rate goes up to 90%. 

Then make sure you're sending home a take home page that shows parents what their child learned that day and provides follow-up questions.

My child doesn't have any friends.
Normally this complaint originates from a child who is shy or withdrawn.  Provide opportunities for kids to talk and connect throughout your class time by using icebreakers and other activities that get kids talking and sharing about themselves.  Also place kids in the same small group or classroom each week so they can build relationships.

It's not deep enough.  
This usually comes from a parent who wants to make sure their child has a solid knowledge and understanding of the Bible.  And that's a good thing.  And that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice fun and games to help kids get a solid grasp of God's Word.

Make sure every game, activity, song, etc. is helping teach God's Word.  Everything that happens in the class should point kids to the Bible.

It's also important to have a clear teaching pathway that maps out for parents what their kids will be learning while they are in your ministry.  Showing parents a clear scope and sequence up front will give them confidence in what their child will be learning.

Also help parents understand that "deep" is not only head knowledge, but application as well.  Going deeper means living out what you are learning. 

I already heard that story before.
I remember as a child complaining about this once myself during a Bible lesson.  The reason I remember is because I got in trouble for saying it and was removed from the classroom.  Hey...what can I say...I needed a fresh take on it. 

Keep a list of Bible stories you've taught and don't repeat the same story more than once in a 3 year period (of course...this doesn't include the story of the cross).  By doing this, you'll give kids a broader view of the many, many incredible, true stories found in the Bible.  Better to share that unique, not-as-well-known story than sharing David and Goliath for the 5th time.

There's not enough volunteers.
This complaint will come from all angles.  From other volunteers who are stressed out because they're trying to manage a large class with little help.  From parents who look into a room that has 30 preschoolers and 2 adults.  From an elementary volunteer who has a "small" group of 20 kids.

Volunteers are what makes children's ministry happen.  There is no children's ministry without them.  The simple solution is to build a solid team of volunteers.  I say simple...but it's every ministry's greatest challenge.  But it can be done.  In this post, I share 10 secrets to building a dynamic volunteer team.  We've used these steps to build a team of over 2,600 children's ministry volunteers at our church.  (BTW - we still need a lot more and always will)

It's too babyish. 
This complaint usually comes from older kids who are not being targeted.  When you have a class of kids who are different ages, don't make the mistake of targeting the youngest kids in the room.  When you do this, the older kids will tune out.  Always target the oldest child in the room.  If you have a group of 1-5th graders, make sure the music, lesson, games and activities are geared to hit a 5th grader.  With children, cool rolls downhill.  I talk more about this here.

My baby's diaper didn't get changed.
No parents like to pick up their child and find their diaper is wet.  Make sure you have a plan for your nursery volunteers to check babies' diapers during the service and make sure they are all changed at pick-up time.  It's also a great idea to have stickers that say "I was changed" to place on the diapers.

We never know what's going on.
This complaint is due to lack of communication.  Use many different avenues to communicate with parents.  A parent Facebook page, emails, texts, take home pages and phone calls are just a few of the methods you can use.  Find a good balance though...bombard them and you'll hear the opposite complaint.  Create too much noise and it will get drowned out.

My child hasn't connected with any of the volunteers. 
It's hard for a volunteer to effectively connect with more than 8 kids by himself or herself.  Make sure your volunteer ratios are conducive to volunteers getting to know the kids.  Here are the ratios we follow. 

You can also be intentional about providing icebreakers and activities that allow the volunteers to talk with and get to know the kids. 

Ask volunteers to also be intentional about hanging out with kids during the pre-service time and building relationships with them.  You can also have kids write down their prayer requests each week and then have the volunteers take the requests home to pray for them during the week.

Okay.  The floor is yours.  What other complaints have you heard about children's ministry?  What are some other ways you fix the complaints mentioned above?  We'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas in the comment section below. 

Do you need more volunteers?  I'm 99.9% sure the answer is "yes."  If that's you, then here's some help...from the NFL draft.

Recently I was watching the NFL draft.  Teams drafted new players with the hope that it will make their team more successful.

As I watched the draft and the process leading up to it, I realized there are some cues we can learn from this that will help us build our volunteer teams.  Here they are. 

#1 - Look for people who are a good fit for your team.  NFL teams not only look for players who have talent, but also for players who will be a good fit for their team culture.

Look at character as much as you look at credentials. (tweet this) 

Take time to sit down with prospective volunteers and interview them.  Find out not just what they do, but who they are.  Find out what their skill set is.  Find out what their passion is.  If you'd like a list of questions we ask prospective volunteers, you can get them at this link. 

#2 - Individually invite people to join your team.  In the NFL draft, players are individually drafted by a team.  This is also the best way to build a volunteer team.  You don't build a volunteer team by mass appeals, you build a volunteer team by personal, individual asks.  That's the way Jesus built His team of disciples...one at a time...come...follow Me.

#3 - New people bring new energy to a team.  Teams draft players knowing that a new, dynamic player can bring fresh energy and excitement to the team.  New team members also bring new energy and excitement to a volunteer team.  Is your team tired?  Just going through the motions?  Hit a plateau?  Adding a new team member can turn things around.

#4 - Invite people to be part of something bigger than themselves.  Players who are drafted are excited to be part of something bigger than themselves.  They have made it to the next level.  They have the opportunity to be part of something that only a small percentage of football players ever get to do...be part of an NFL team.  They are joining a vision...a cause...a dream to be part of a team that wins the Super Bowl.  

Everyone longs to be part of something bigger than themselves.  When you invite people to join your volunteer team, make sure you are inviting them to a big vision...a big calling...a big opportunity.  Your team has the greatest cause in the world...sharing the Gospel with kids and families.  People are drawn to a big vision.  People are drawn to a great cause.  People are drawn to an opportunity to make a significant impact.  People will line up to be part of a winning team! 

#5 - Get them connected.  Have you noticed what happens as soon as a player is drafted by a team?  They immediately give them a team hat and shirt.  They quickly identify them as part of the team.  They connect them.

The same should be true with the people you bring on your team.  Get them connected as soon as they are officially on the team.  A team shirt...a team name tag...however you decide to do this...get them connected...physically...
emotionally...and relationally.

Connected volunteers plug in.  Connected volunteers are happy.  Connected volunteers establish relationships that make them feel like part of a family.  Connected volunteers last.

Want a winning volunteer team?  It all starts by bringing the right people on your team in the right way.

Your turn.  The floor is yours.  What are some other tips we can learn from the NFL draft?  Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Do you need more volunteers in your ministry? 

If so, you're invited to attend a free online conference that can help you build a dynamic team.

Join me on Monday, October 26 at 3:00 pm (GMT) for the live session "10 Simple Secrets to Building a Dynamic Volunteer Team."

In this one-hour session, I'll share 10 principles that
can help you build the volunteer team you need.

These are proven principles that work.  We've used them at our local church to grow our volunteer team from 300 to over 2,600.  These principles will work in any size ministry and help you grow your team. 

You can register for the conference at this link.  Space is limited, so register today.

Want to grow a huge children's ministry?  Here's 10 secrets that will help your children's ministry explode.

Go where lots of people live.
If you're going to grow a huge children's ministry, you have to be where there are lots of kids and families.  I am thankful for every church that ministers in a scarcely populated area.  We will not be rewarded for how many kids we reached, but for our faithfulness.  That being said...if you feel God is calling you to reach lots of kids, then go where they are.

Focus on those who are not attending. 
Keep your focus not on the number of kids who are attending, but on the number of kids in your community who are not attending.  That is the number that should keep you up at night.  Yes, we have thousands of kids coming each weekend to our services, but compared to the number of kids who live in our community, it's just a drop in the bucket.  We must stay consumed with reaching kids and families who are far from God.

Make room.
If you are going to reach lots of kids, you must have room for lots of kids.  If your space is 85% full, you will plateau until you build more space or start more services.  Don't let the size of your building be the determining factor in the size of your children's ministry.

Build a great volunteer team.
A huge children's ministry has the foundation of a great volunteer team.  The strength and size of your children's ministry depends on the strength and size of your volunteer team.

Teach kids to invite others.
We've had over 4,800 first-time guest families register for our children's ministry so far this year.  The vast majority of them were invited by another child or family who attend our church.  Constantly encourage kids to invite their friends and give them tools to do so.

Give first-time guests a great experience.
Families decide in the first 8 minutes if they are going to return to your church or not.  Go all out to make those first 8 minutes an experience they won't forget.  This includes great customer service, making them feel loved and comfortable, helping them get to their rooms, etc.  Excellence leads to growth.





Stay small.
The larger you get, the smaller you must get.  In other words, you have to help kids and families get connected to a small group of people who will know them and care for them.  People stay because of relationships and this happens in small groups of people.  Children's ministries that grow huge find a a way to maintain a "small church" feel. 

Be willing to change.
Children's ministries that grow huge are constantly evaluating, tweaking, and improving what they do.  They are grounded in the truth but are willing to change their methods to reach today's kids.

Realize it's not your job.
It's not your job to grow a huge children's ministry.  It's your job to simply reach kids and families for Christ.  You want to know how to grow a huge children's ministry?  You go out and you reach one family.  And then you reach another family and another family and another family and another family.  One day you'll look up and there will thousands of those kids and families that have been reached and are attending your church.

Stay humble. 
When you realize it's God's job to grow the children's ministry, you will not grow proud or take credit when it happens.  You will realize it's much bigger than anything you could accomplish on your own.  This leads to a humble Godfidence that is constantly dependent upon Him.

What are some other keys to growing a huge children's ministry?  Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Strategic planning is an important part of children's ministry.  Whether you have a paid or volunteer team, it's important to get together on a regular basis and strategize about how to move the ministry forward.

I meet with our team once a week.  What do we talk about?  Here's an inside look at one of our team meetings.   I believe it's important to have a set agenda when you walk into a meeting.

Prayer

• We share personal and ministry prayer requests.  
• We ask for God's guidance and wisdom as we meet.

 Teaching

• I share either a devotional or practical teaching that will help us grow personally or in our ministry skills.
• This is normally an overflow of what I've been personally learning.

Weekend Review and Praise Reports by area (nursery, preschool, elementary, guest services, etc.)

• What did we see God do this past weekend?
• What was our attendance?  Any patterns or areas of growth or concern?
• How many first-time guests did we have?
• What went well this past weekend?
• What do we need to fix or adjust from this past weekend? 

This coming weekend 

• What is happening this coming weekend
• What prep needs to happen for this coming weekend

 Upcoming Events

• Details and plans for upcoming events such as fall festival, baptism, parent-child dedication, etc.

Volunteer Updates

• How many volunteers served this past weekend? 
• How many new volunteers attended orientation and joined our team this past weekend?
• Who did you ask to join our team this past weekend?
• What are areas we need to focus on for more volunteers?

Budget

• How is our budget looking? 
• Are we tracking well?
• Are we over or under budget in any areas?

Miscellaneous Items


Final Questions

• What did we miss?
• Is there anything else that you want to bring up or talk about?
• What do you know that everyone else needs to know about?

Your turn...

How do your staff meetings look?  
How often do you meet?
What do you talk about?

We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.

The Children's Ministry Websummit is just around the corner.

It's the largest online children's ministry conference in the country and inspires leaders to learn and grow together.

I will be doing a live workshop about what I believe is the most important aspect of children's ministry...building a great volunteer team. 

Everyone needs more volunteers.  It's the biggest need of most children's ministries.  In this workshop, I will share 10 secrets I have discovered over the years that will help you build a thriving volunteer team.

In the last 6 years, we've used these 10 secrets to build a team of over 2,100 volunteers at our local church.  These are not pie-in-the-sky ideas, but proven strategies that work.

I hope you can join me for this free, online workshop on Monday, October 20 from 3-4p.m. (EST) You can register at this link.  Looking forward to spending this time with you if you're able to attend.

We have a great team of volunteers.  I am thankful for each and every one of them.  Their dedication and commitment to the next generation inspires me.

They make our children's ministry successful.  In fact, without them we wouldn't have a children's ministry.

Over the last 6 years, we have built our children's ministry team to over 2,000 volunteers.  If you're wondering how we did it, I'm going to tell you.

First...we prayed.  Jesus told us to pray for laborers for the harvest.  We believed He would give them to us if we asked.  

Secondly, we didn't try to build a team of 2,000 volunteers.

Thirdly...we simply invited people to join our team.  Week in and week out, we invited them...one person at a time.  We put our arm around people and asked them to join us in reaching kids and families.

One day...after 6 years of asking people one at a time...we looked up and there were 2,000 of those "ones" who had said "yes" and joined our team.

How many volunteers do you want God to give you?  Ask Him to send them.  Then forget about the number and start asking people to join your team...one at a time.  Not occasionally...not just during a ministry fair...but every single week.

Do that faithfully and one day you will look up and have the number of volunteers you asked God for.

What is the secret to success in Children's Ministry?

Is it the ability to teach dynamic lessons?

Is it the ability to connect with parents?

Is it the ability to create engaging programs?

Is it the ability to pull of big events?

All of these are good to have in your tool belt, but I do not believe they are the secret to success in Children's Ministry.

I believe the secret to success in Children's Ministry is the ability to build volunteer teams.

The success of your Children's Ministry rises and falls on the strength of the volunteer team you build.

Show me a strong volunteer team and I will show you a successful Children's Ministry.

It's not what you can do...it's what you can empower others to do.

Put your time, effort, and energy into enlisting, equipping, and empowering leaders.

Sometimes it seems the most important thing you need to do is the most challenging thing you need to do.  But you can do it.  Check out this post for some help.