RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

I know what your biggest ministry need is for 2020.

MORE VOLUNTEERS.

No matter what size your ministry is...you need more volunteers.

The largest church in the country needs more volunteers.

The mega church down the street needs more volunteers.

The neighborhood church needs more volunteers.

The church plant that meets in a school needs more volunteers.

The city church and the country church both need more volunteers.

The multi-site church needs more volunteers at their locations.

And here's the deal...the greatest need is the greatest challenge.

But you can meet the challenge and build your volunteer team to a new level in 2020.

I'm going to share with you 8 proven ways to build your volunteer team.  These are the same 8 steps I took to build a team of 2,600 volunteers in a local church.  These steps will work in any size church.

So...let's get started.

See the big picture.  If we are honest, we usually see volunteers first and foremost as someone who can help us build the ministry.  The bigger picture is this.  When you enlist someone to serve, you are giving them an opportunity to grow their faith.  

There is something about serving that propels you to a new level spiritually.  When you begin to understand this, it will free you up from feeling like you are bothering someone when you ask them to serve.  When in reality, you are giving them a tremendous opportunity to be like Jesus. 

Instead of using people to build the ministry, use the ministry to build people.

1-on-1 asks.  The most effective way to build your volunteer team is 1-1 personal asks.  I didn't build a volunteer team of 2,600 overnight.  It took years.  Years of personally asking people to serve one at a time.  We personally asked people week after week.  After doing this for years, one day we looked up and there were 2,600 of those ones. 

How many volunteers do you need for 2020?  5?  50?  500?  Make a list of all the volunteers you need.  Then begin asking people one at a time to serve in those roles.  Eat, breathe and sleep personally asking people to join your volunteer team.
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Hot Spots.  There are hot spots that are great places to meet potential volunteers.  Get out of the kids' area and go meet people who are potential volunteers for your ministry.  

Where are the volunteer hot spots in your church?  A new member's class?  A group of senior adults?  In the student ministry?  A guest reception after the service? 
 
1 time = full time.  There are times in the life of your church when you have big events or special Sundays.  And church-wide you ask for volunteers.  This is a great time to enlist new volunteers to serve one time at the big event or special Sunday. 

Once the big day or special event is over, go back and invite those people to join your team on a regular basis.  I have seen up to 85% of people say "yes" to joining the team full-time by doing this.

Cast vision.  People don't respond to desperation.  They respond to vision.  No one wants to get on a sinking sheep.  So when you invite people to serve, show them the difference they can make by serving.  Everyone wants to be part of something bigger than themselves.  Serving in children's ministry gives them an opportunity to make an impact with their life.                                            

Start with the why.  Instead of inviting people to the what, start by inviting them to the why.  The why is your vision...your mission...it's why you do what you do. 

People won't line up to change a diaper...but they will line up to change a life.

Instead of "inviting someone to lead a 3rd grade boys' small group," invite them first to "influencing the next generation to follow Jesus."

The what will come later, but first start with the why. 

Set high expectations.  When you invite people to serve, let them know serving is one of the most important things a person can do to live out their faith.  It is not something to be flippant about.  Rather it deserves your very best effort.  Set the bar high.  The importance you place on volunteering will help volunteers see how important it is to serve.

Create more serving opportunities.  Sit down and make a list of every volunteer role you currently have open.  Expand the list by adding all the roles you want if you had an unlimited number of volunteers.  

Now take that list and begin filling in the roles one person at a time.  With hard work, you can fill it up with volunteers. 

And of course, pray, pray, pray for God to send volunteers.  He told us in Matthew 9:38 to pray for volunteers.  He wouldn't ask you to pray for something that He wasn't going to give you. 

Follow this strategy and you will be able to build a great volunteer team in 2020.  

If you haven't read my book "The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams" it's a must read for anyone who works with volunteers.  In this book, I share how to enlist, equip, engage, encourage and empower your volunteers. 

You can purchase the book at this link. 

Dear Pastor, how would you like to see your children's ministry director/pastor go the distance with you?

How would you like to stop the pattern of having to find a new children's ministry director every 2 to 3 years?

How would you like to see your children's ministry director in a healthy place, where he or she wants to serve with you long term?

If you look at the websites of church staffing organizations, you will see dozens of vacant children's ministry director positions.  There are always churches looking for their next children's ministry director.  And one big reason there are so many openings is due to poor leadership by the Pastor or whomever the children's ministry person reports to.

Let's take a look at some of the reasons why cm directors leave and what churches/pastors can do to turn that around and start keeping their cm leaders for more than 2 to 3 years.

Give your children's ministry director a seat at the leadership table.  We know that a huge percentage of churches that grow, do so because they have a dynamic children's ministry.  If that's the case, then the person leading that ministry should be included at the leadership table.  Children's ministry is such an important ministry for the future of your church.  Invite the children's ministry director into the larger church conversations and planning.

Show him/her that you care about his/her personal life.  Get to know his/her family.  Find out what their hobbies are.  Find out when his or her birthday is.  When his or her anniversary date is.

When your children's ministry director knows that you care about him/her and his/her family, they will follow you.  Your children's ministry director wants to know that you care not just about what he/she can do for the ministry, but that you care about him/her as a person.

One of the worst "ministry bosses" I've had in ministry, didn't take the time to find out about me.  He didn't know the names of my children, what my hobbies were and never asked how he could pray for me.  Our one-on-one meetings never started with any type of small talk.  It was straight to the "agenda" for the day.   

On the flip side, one of the best "ministry bosses" I've ever had always took the first 10 minutes of our meetings to ask how my family was doing, how I was doing and how he could pray for me.

Pastor, your children's ministry director wants to know that you care more about him/her as a person than about what he/she can do for the ministry.

Don't micromanage him/her.  There is a church in southern California that is always looking for a children's director.  Why?  They can't keep anyone for more than a year or two.  Two of my personal friends have been the children's ministry director at this church.  They only lasted about two years.

Why?  Because the Pastor is a micromanager.  Even to the point where he decides what color of paper will be used for the take home paper.  I'm not kidding.  This really happens.  No wonder he has a constant turnover in his children's ministry leadership team.

As the Pastor, if you want to keep your children's director, give him/her the big picture, big vision you want to see happen in children's ministry and then let him/her figure out how to get there.  Better yet, invite him/her to help you mold and create the ministry goals, plans and hopeful outcomes.

Give him/her a clear vision of what the wins are for his/her role.  Show him/her what success will look like.  This will encourage him/her and give him/her something to work toward.  Many times when I am consulting with a children's ministry leader and ask him/her what their pastor's expectations are for them, they have no idea.  Don't be that Pastor.

Pay him/her adequately.  If the children's ministry director is one of the most valuable roles on a church staff, then pay him or her accordingly.

Here's the bottom line.  You don't want your children's ministry director to constantly be worrying about how he/she is going to survive financially.  When this is the case, it distracts a lot of the person's focus to finances and can interfere with their ministry.

What should you do?  I believe you should pay the director in the pay range of the average family in your church.  If the average family in your church makes $60k a year, then that's what you should pay your cm director.

Just remember this simple rule - Pay your cm staff adequately, but not extravagantly.  By adequately, I mean they can pay their bills each month without worrying about how they are going to make it financially.

Say "thank you" often.  Let him/her know how much they mean to you and to the church family.  Send them a handwritten note.  Brag on him/her in front of the church.  Mention some of the great things that are happening in the children's ministry.  Send him/her a gift card to a nice resturuant. Arrange a night to take care of his/her children and send them to a movie together.

Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Can't hear that enough.

Support the children's ministry financially.  Make it a big budget item.  Children are the greatest mission field in the world, so children's ministry should be one of your biggest budget lines.  If you want to reach the next generation, then you've got to make a big investment in children's ministry.

God will bless your church if you do this.  I know...children usually only bring quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies for the offering plate.  But they also bring the supernatural blessings of God.  Children were an important part of Jesus' ministry.  And He said, "When you welcome a child, you are welcoming Me."

You could reach a lot more people if you stopped buying choir robes and instead spent the money on children's playground equipment, toys for classrooms, updated theming and better training for your children's ministry volunteers.

Make children's ministry a top priority of the church.  This means the best facility on your church campus is the children's ministry area.  Parents walk in and immediately think, "Wow!  This church really loves kids and families."

Children's ministry programming is a top priority.  Children's ministry personnel is a top priority.  Children's ministry is heavily promoted.

Your goal should be to make your church the place for kids and families in your community.

Give your children's ministry director time off on a regular basis.  Make sure they have a day off.  Make sure they have adequate vacation time.  Surprise them occasionally with a date night where their kids are taken care off and they go on a date.

One of the best pastors I ever served with lived out this truth in an amazing way.  For every 5 years you were on his team, you were sent on a trip with all expenses paid.  He sent my wife and I to NYC for a week where we enjoyed Broadway shows, Yankee baseball, museums, etc. He even gave us spending money on top of all of that. 

Send him / her to conferences and other opportunities to grow as a leader.  Make it at least one conference each year and preferably two.  This investment into your children's ministry director, will make them a better leader for your church and make your ministry better.

Do these things and you will attract children's ministry directors that will stay with you and help you grow your children's ministry and church as a whole.

It's one of the best investments you can make as a church.

Your turn.  What are some things Pastors can do to keep their children's ministry leaders long term?  Share your ideas and insight in the comment section below.

There is something ironic about leading in children's ministry.  It's this - children's ministry is just as much, if not more, about the adults and students who serve the kids, than it is about the kids themselves.  As a children's ministry leader, your primary role is to equip the adults and students who serve directly with the kids.  This may not be the case if you're a teacher who serves with one class.  But as soon as you assume a role like Children's Pastor, Children's Director, Ministry Leader or whatever you call the person who oversees the ministry, your role quickly switches to spending most of your time investing in the leaders who serve with the kids.

I know this is a hot topic.  There are valid reasons for leaving children in the "main" worship service and for providing a worship service just for kids.

Personally, I believe children need their own worship service.  Here are 5 reasons why...

Kids can experience age-appropriate worship.  Music is a preference not a doctrine.  Some people have a preference for hymns.  Others like modern worship.  Kids love songs that have motions and movement.  Songs that were written with them in mind.

When I am at a church that leaves children in the worship service,  I always notice during worship that the kids are normally just standing there and not singing.  The words are either two hard for them or too slow. 

Children can comprehend and apply the teaching to their life.   I believe how we teach children should be based on their age level.  Preschoolers need preschool age teaching.  Elementary kids need elementary age teaching.  Pre-teens need pre-teen lessons.  We don't put children in college classrooms for a reason.  They are not ready for that yet.  I believe the same can be said for teaching children the Word of God.

When we place children in their own worship service, rather than the teaching flying over their head, it can be comprehended and find root in their heart.     

Children can move and wiggle.  Kids are wired to move.  With very short attention spans, they need the opportunity to move and wiggle.  And no, climbing around in the adult pews (or under the pews) doesn't count.

Today's kids have extremely short attention spans.  It is sad to see kids being forced to sit still and be quiet when God wired them to move it, move it, move it.

Children can build relationships with caring leaders.  Yes, parents are the key influencers in a child's life.  But children also need caring leaders that can reinforce what their parents are teaching them. Looking back on my two son's spiritual journeys, I can see how God orchestrated this.  He brought some great leaders who invested in them and made a huge impact in their life.

When kids are not part of a worship service or small group for kids, they miss this key connection that needs to be made.

Children can grow up with memories of church being a fun place to be.  I've had lots of people tell me, "I'm not going to church because I was made to go as a child."  Newsflash.  You don't have to make kids go where they want to be.  They were made to go to church because it was boring and irrelevant to their life.

On the flip side - I've never heard someone say, "I'm not going to Disney World because my parents made me go as a child."  They kept coming back because it was fun and they were creating great memories with family and friends.

Each church must decide if they will have kids in their adult service or not.  I would encourage you to weigh the positives and negatives of both ministry models and decide what is going to work best for the children and families in your church.

You can get more about this hot topic at this other post that I wrote a few years ago.

http://www.relevantchildrensministry.com/2015/09/6-reasons-why-children-should-not-be-in.html

Your turn.  Do you have children in the adult service or in their own worship experience?  Why or why not?  Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Go to any of the premiere church staffing agencies and you will find dozens of open positions for children's pastors / directors.  There is a void of leaders who are giving their entire ministry to reaching and discipling children and equipping parents.

Like never before, we need to pray that God will raise up people to help churches reach and disciple the next generation.

I believe children's ministry leaders are one of the most important staff members in a church.

Why?

1.  Children are the greatest mission field.  We know that up to 85% of people who come to Christ, do so before they turn 18.  There are over 74 million children in the U.S. and over 2 billion worldwide.  Why would we not support "missionaries" who are called to reach them?

Investing in people who can help a church or ministry lead the charge in reaching children just makes sense.  A lot of sense.

We know Timothy was a great leader in the early church.  How did this happen?  What caused Timothy to grow up to be a church leader?   The answer is found in 2 Timothy 3:15.

2. Children will bring God's blessings to a church.  Check out the truth coming out of this verse in Mark 9:37.


When a church makes children's ministry a top priority, the church is ushering in the blessings of God.  When a church hires a children's pastor/leader, they are making one of the best hires they can make. 

3. Children are crucial for the growth of a church.   Here's the cool thing.  When you hire a children's pastor/director, you are setting your ministry up for growth.  As the children's pastor/director sets up the ministry to reach children and families, the church will experience growth.  We know families go to church where their children enjoy being.  A growing church will have children dragging their parents to church.  A declining church will have parents having to drag their children to church.

The difference in the above two situations?  A children's ministry leader who leads the charge to reach the next generation.

4. Children's ministry leaders can help equip and encourage parents to lead their children spiritually.  We know parents are the greatest influence in a child's spiritual life.  When you hire a children's / family pastor, you are emphasizing this and encouraging parents to disciple their children.  A children's pastor/director can help with strategies and planning for this. 

5. Children must be reached and discipled if a church is going to have a future.  A church without children is terminal.  This being said, one of the most important roles in the church is a children's pastor/director who knows this and leads the church to make children's ministry a top priority.  When you hire a children's pastor/director, you are making on the best investments you can make for the future of the church.

Would you pray with me that many more people will hear the call of God and invest their lives in reaching children and families?  Would you pray with me that churches will see the vital importance of having someone who can lead the church to reach and disciple children and their families.

Perhaps God is calling you to give your life to reaching the next generation.

Look what D.L. Moody, the great evangelist of years gone by said about this.

Hey friends, I am excited to announce that my new book "Lead Well in Children's Ministry" is now available.

Everything rises and falls on leadership...and that includes children's ministry.

In this book of over 300 pages, I draw from over 30 years of ministry experience and share how to lead well in 10 key areas.

Lead Yourself Well

Lead the Ministry Well

Lead Up Well

Lead Staff and Volunteers Well

Lead Through Change Well

Lead Through Challenges Well 

Lead the Next Generation Well

Lead Parents Well

Lead  Multi-Site Well

Lead Well for the Future

Here's a short video with more info.  If you get this in an email and can't see it - you can see the video directly at this link. - https://vimeo.com/366782256

You can purchase the book at this link.  It is available as both an ebook and paperback.

Thank you for the opportunity to partner with you in ministry.

This past week, I was in Nashville at a conference. The conference was held in the Music City Center convention building.  It is a massive building and it would be difficult to find the room you are teaching in, where the restaurants are, where the bathrooms are, etc. without some help.

Yes, they had good signage, but even that can be difficult to navigate in such a large building.

But we were able to find the places we needed to go to because of what you see in this picture. Throughout the building, they had these stands that said "Ask Me?"   They were a great help for someone who had not been in the building before.  And the people staffing it were very knowledgeable about the building and where everything was located.

I was reminded of how it feels to walk into a building needing help finding where I need to go.  I was also reminded of how our guests feel when they walk into our church buildings for the first time.  Not sure where to go.  Wondering where the children's area is.  Anxiously looking around for help.  Where are the bathrooms?  Where is the auditorium?

Signage is important, but nothing can take the place of a person you can approach and get help from.  People are what make the difference.

Right before Walt Disney opened Disneyland he said this...

“You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.”

Good signage can't take the place of a person.  Should you have good signage?  Absolutely, but it should be in addition to people who are there to help.  Signage can compliment the people you have in place, but it can never take the place of the people on your guest services and greeter team. 

Being a parent is one of the most challenging and rewarding adventures you will go in life.

And parenting is not something you ever stop doing.  Yes, your role will change as your child grows and matures, but you will always be a part of your child's journey - even when they are adults.

Whether you are a brand new parent or you have kids who are grown up, you will always play an important part in your child's life.

One of the greatest things you can do as a ministry leader is to encourage and equip other parents that are on the journey as well.  Your ministry for parents is just as important as your ministry for their children.

Here are 25 great quotes that you can share with parents to encourage them along the way.

An inheritance is what you leave for your kids.  A legacy is what you leave in your kids.

Discipline and correction is not something you do to your children.  It's something you do for your children.

I used to have 3 great theories about raising children.  Then I became a parent and now I have 3 children and no theories about raising children.

We never know the love of a parent till we become parents ourselves.

Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.  -Chuck Swindoll

Behind every young child who believes in himself is a parent who believed first. -Matthew Jacobson

Children learn more from who you are than from what you teach.

Being a single parent is not a life full of struggles but a journey for the strong. -Meg Lowery

To be in your child's memories tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today.  -Barbara Johnson

Once you sign on to be a mother, 24/7 is the only shift they offer. -Jodi Picoult

Parenthood...it's about guiding the next generation and forgiving the last. -Peter Krause

This is my most important role.  If I fail at this, I fail at everything. -Mark Wahlberg

There is nothing that moves a loving father’s soul quite like his child’s cry.

Our children are watching us live and what we are shouts louder than anything we can say.

Whatever you would have your children become, strive to exhibit in your own lives and conversation.

Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you.

There’s nothing that can help you understand your beliefs more than trying to explain them to an inquisitive child.

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.

You have a lifetime to work, but children are only young once.

We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.

Where parents do too much for their children, the children will not do much for themselves. -Elbert Hubbard

Everybody knows how to raise children, except the people who have them.

Children need models rather than critics.  -Joseph Joubert

Your children need your presence more than your presents.

The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice. 

Volunteers quit.  Most of the time, it's not because they don't feel qualified or have lost their sense of purpose and mission. 

It's because of the leader.  Normally volunteers quit because they aren't aligned with the leader or don't like serving with him or her. 

What do leaders do that makes volunteers quit?  Let's look at 7 of them.

#1 - The leader places them in a spot that doesn't align with their passion or giftedness. 

Have you ever been in a role that you hated?  You dreaded serving because it wasn't aligned with what you really like to do.  When you signed up to serve, the leader didn't place you where you enjoyed being.  Instead he or she placed you where he or she needed you. 

Soon your delight turns to defeat.  You dread walking into that room or fulfilling the duties of the role where you were placed. 

Leaders must be intentional about where they place volunteers.  If you will help them find their niche, they will stay with you. 

#2 - The leader doesn't provide enough up front training.  You can't expect a volunteer to thrive or even last, when you only provide them with minimum training and then shove them in a room with 30 preschoolers.

#3 - The leader doesn't champion relationships.  He or she makes it all about "business." And yet relationships are the super glue for people serving for the long haul.  Leaders must get to know the volunteers on a deeper level. 

I remember one leader I served with.  He never took time to ask about my family, about what was going on in my life and how I was doing.  When we met 1-on-1, it was straight to business.  Needless to say, it was hard to serve with him.

In contrast, I remember another leader who always spent the first 10-15 minutes of our meeting with questions about my family, my life, etc. 

I was much more motivated to serve with the leader who made it personal.  And it's the same with your volunteers.  They don't care about your title, your awards or your background.  They simply want to know if you care about them as a person and not just about what they can "add" to the ministry.

#4 -The leader never says "Thank you."  Over 65% of volunteers say they have never heard the words "Thank you for serving and making a difference."  And then we wonder why we have such a high turn over rate with volunteers. 

Everyone wants to know that someone appreciates their service and that they are making a difference.  Volunteers who experience true gratitude are much more likely to keep serving.

#5 - The leader doesn't follow through on promises.  Volunteers get very frustrated when a leader makes promises and then doesn't keep them. Your word must be your bond.  Over time, keeping your word will cause volunteers to have a deep trust in you and your leadership.

#6 - The leader takes advantage of them - spontaneously asking them to stay over and serve extra services.  When this happens, volunteers begin to feel used.  They will feel like you care more about what they do than about them as a person.

#7 - The leader takes the credit for the wins and shifts the blame when something fails.  The leader is trying to be a star rather than creating stars.  He or she is trying to be powerful rather than empowering. 

And when something fails, the leader is full of excuses and refuses to own the failure. 

As you have been reading through these seven reasons why volunteers quit,  be reminded of the effect it has on team morale when a volunteer quits.  It's vital that you create a culture where volunteers love serving and stick around.

There is no way a leader can control every aspect of their team's volunteer experience.  Some people will leave and there is nothing you can do about it.  But that should be the minority.  When you lead volunteers well, the majority will stick around. 

The better you lead, the more your volunteers will accomplish and the more satisfied they will be. 

If you need more help or ideas about leading a volunteer team, then my book "The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams" is just what you need.  It's available in both paperback and ebook formats.  It has been called the best book ever written on the subject. 

You can order it at this link. 

As a leader, we must remember that people don't follow a title.  People don't follow a position.  People don't follow someone just because they are the "boss."

Let's look at 10 ways you can be a leader that people WANT to follow instead of a leader people "HAVE" to follow.

1. Be guided by core values.  These are the deeply rooted beliefs that you live by.  You make decisions based on your core values.  You are guided by your core values.  You are lead by your core values rather than by your temporary feelings.

2. Ask for feedback.  Keep a learner's attitude.  When those who follow you, see that you have a teachable spirit, they will follow you and also adapt that same posture.  And an important note about this - don't wait for feedback, actively seek it out.

3. Be honest about your mistakes so you and others can learn from it.  Being a leader people will follow doesn't mean you will be perfect.  You will blow it at times.  You will make mistakes.  And that's okay with those who follow you...if you are honest with them about it.  Admit your mistakes.  Own your mistakes.  Learn from your mistakes.  Grow from your mistakes.  Help people to not make the same mistakes you have made.

4. Humility.  While pride will take you down, humility will exalt you.  I Peter 5 is very clear about this.

"So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor."

Humility doesn't mean you let people walk all over you.  It is strength and grace balancing each other in your life. 

5. Stay steady.  Don't be up one day and down the next day.  Keep an even keel as you lead.  Yes, you will have some bad days...but don't let it take you down in the dump.  Being a steady leader brings great assurance to those you lead.  What you don't want, is for your team to be guessing what kind of mood you'll be in today.

6. Be trustworthy.  This will take a while.  Trust is something that is accomplished over time.  You must earn trust by being trustworthy over the course of months and in many cases, even years.

7. Keep your word.  When you tell someone you are going to do something, follow through and do it.  Make notes to yourself so you can remember what you have promised to deliver. 

I remember when a father asked if we could put a clock on the wall in one of our classrooms.  I told him I would and I stopped then and there and made a note of it.  I knew the next week, he would walk into that room and see if a clock had been placed there.  It was there and I gained a little more trust by keeping my word.

Each time you keep your word, you are gaining more trust from your team members.  This matters in the little stuff as well. 

8. Show you care about people.  When people know you really care about them, it will open their heart to your leadership.  You've heard the saying "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."  That is so true.

At one church where I served for almost 9 years, they had a going away party for me as we were transitioning into a new ministry role.  They asked several of the people who had served with me to get up and share a word of encouragement to me. 

I thought they would share about the numerical growth we had experienced or perhaps about the hundreds of kids and parents we had reached for Christ.  But they didn't. 

They talked about the time I sent them an encouraging text message or email.  They talked about how I went to the hospital to pray with their son who was having surgery.  They talked about how I had invested in them.  

It was a great reminder to me that at the end of the day, accomplishments are not what you will be most remembered by.  Rather it will be the times you showed you really cared about them and their family.

9. Inspire people.  Share stories of life change.  Show them how they are making an impact.  Help them personally grow beyond what they ever imagined they could do before.  When you are an inspiring leader, you make people's heart beat faster as you share what is ahead.

10. Be passionate.  Be excited about the vision God has placed before you.  Be a spiritual thermostat that raises the spiritual temperature as you lead.  And remember, passion is not just something you teach, it's something you are.  The spiritual temperature of the ministry will rise and fall on how passionate you are about the mission. Bring it!

Your turn.  What are some other ways you can be a leader that people will follow?  Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

As a children's ministry director/pastor, how should you spend your time on weekends?  Teaching elementary kids?  In a preschool room helping with crafts?  Running a check-in station?  Walking new families to their classes?

All of these are good things, but they are not the best way to spend your time on weekends. 

As the leader, you should spend your time wandering around your children's ministry. 

Wandering?  Yes.  But not wandering just to be wandering around, but rather, wandering around with a purpose.  Wandering around will take you up to 30,000 ft. so you can see what's coming, what needs to be changed, what to invest time and attention toward and what has the potential to thrive.

Wander by the nursery.  What is the atmosphere?  Is it relaxed?  Are the hand-offs from parents to volunteers going well?  Are the ratios being met? 
 
Wander by the check-in area.  Are greeters smiling?  Is check-in going smooth?  Are our volunteers walking them to their classrooms.  Shake hands with a few of the first-time guests and thank them for coming. 

Wander over to the preschool area.  Thank the volunteers for their heart for the next generation.  Smile at the preschoolers.

Wander over by the elementary area.  Listen to the lesson.  Watch the kids response to the message.

Wander over to the kids who are helping lead worship and let them know how proud you are of them.

Wander by the pre-teen area and sit in on a small group for a few minutes.  Are the kids connecting?  Is dialogue happening?  Thank volunteers for serving.

Wander around and look at the facilities.  Anything need tweaked?  Anything need adjusting?  Anything need changed or replaced? 

Wander around after the service and connect with parents.  How was their week?  How are the kids doing?  Anything I can pray about for you? 

Wander around outside of the kid's ministry area.  Connect with adults.  Recruit new volunteers.  Encourage parents. 

Wander.  Wander.  Wander.  When you begin wandering, you will make a bigger impact for the ministry.  Remember your calling is to equip, empower and release people to do the work of the ministry. 

I know what some of you are thinking. 

" I can't get free to wander right now because I have been stuck in a classroom teaching ever since the previous volunteer quit? "

or

"I want to be in the classroom with the kids."

or

"I don't have enough volunteers to wander."

I am reminded of an amazing leader who was on a team that I led.  She always had lots of smiling, positive volunteers in her area.  I asked her what her secret was for building such an awesome team? 

She responded by saying she sees her role as a flight attendant.  She "wanders" around her area and encourages, equips and empowers her volunteers.  She finds out what their favorite dessert is and cooks it and brings it to them.  She gives her personal phone number to each volunteer and lets them know they can call her any time they need something. 

Why does she have such an amazing team?  Because she wanders from room to room in her area.

Here's my challenge to you.  Try to increase your "wandering" time this weekend.  Be very intentional about it.  Start somewhere.  Record what results you got. 

Do this and track your progress for a few months.

There are lots of improvements, updates and changes you should be making.  But you have to wander to see them. 

There are lots of volunteers that need you to encourage them.  But it will only happen when you start wandering.

I "wonder" what can happen if you start wandering? 

p.s. If want more proven ways to build and lead a volunteer team, get my book "The Secret Formula for Building Volunteer Teams.  Here's the link for it.

Teenagers - in many churches they are the life blood of the children's ministry volunteers.

Teens should be serving in children's ministry. Here's 5 reasons why. 

Kids think they are cool.   Kids want to be like teens.  They look up to them and can't wait until they are "big kids" like teens.

An example is "High School Musical."  It was extremely popular with kids.  Why?  Because it featured high school students.  For many kids, high schoolers are someone they look up to, admire and want to be like.

You can be sure when kids think someone is "cool" they will listen to what they have to say.  Leverage this to see kids impacted by teens.

Since kids admire teens, it is natural that they will listen to them better than to an adult in many situations.

Teens have gifts and talents.  Teens have God-given spiritual gifts and talents. As you invest in them and help mentor them, you will see them flourish.  I have found that when teens lead worship, more kids engage in the song.  And of course, they know more about technology than adults do.  They can also be great small group leaders and preschool volunteers. 

Teens who serve stick with their faith.  Teens who serve are much more likely to continue following Jesus into adulthood.  There is something about serving that activates our faith.  We know the Bible says "faith without works is dead."  I think we can also say "faith with works is alive."

That's my story.  When I was in high school, all I cared about what sports, my car and girls.  My youth pastor asked me about serving.  At first,  I said "no."  But he kept asking me and finally I said, "okay, I'll give it a try."

When I begin serving it, totally changed my life.  It lit a fire inside me that still burns to this day.  There are teens just like me in your church.  Ask them to serve and watch God begin working in their life.

They are in touch with today's culture.  Teens know what is in and what is not in.  They know the music trends, the latest lingo, which technology apps are hot and the current clothing styles.  Ask them about these things and they'll give you some good answers you can use to connect with today's kids.

Teens bring energy and excitement.  If you've served with any teens, you know this is true.  And if you have some younger teens serving, you especially know this is true.

The important thing is to show them clearly defined expectations.  You can get 26 job descriptions for children's ministry roles at this link.   Sit down with the teen and his/her parents before they start serving and go over what will be expected of them.  Then have them sign a contract that they will abide by this.  This eliminates many of the potential behavioral issues you might have down the road. 

Just don't crush the energy and excitement they bring.  You need their youthful zeal. They can bring life and energy into your volunteer team.

Here are some more helpful articles I have written about teens serving.
  
4 Keys to Leading the High School Students Who Serve in Your Children's Ministry

Do You Have This Person Ministering to Your Pre-Teens?

7 Ways to Get More Students Serving in Your Children's Ministry

Your turn.  What percentage of your volunteers are students?  What are some tips or ideas you have to get more teens serving?  Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Anxiety separation is a common happening in children's ministry.  It is especially prone to happen when a new child is checked into a classroom.

Tears.  Clinging.  A look of fear.  Awkwardness.  Embarrassment.  These are all words that may be associated with anxiety separation.

The question is not "is it going to happen?"  Because it will.  The questions to ask is "what do I do when a child is exhibiting anxiety separation."

Let's talk about that.  What do you do when a child is showing separation anxiety?

Prepare the child ahead of time.  Talk with them about what to expect at drop-off and prepare them.  You want the drop off to be something they are already familiar with.  If you don't prepare them, they will face an even bigger challenge since they don't know what is happening.

The quicker the drop off the better.  As a parent, it's not easy seeing your child crying and demonstrating signs of anxiety separation.  But the longer you stay, the harder it will be for your child to stay.  Quickly get the child involved in the rhythm of the classroom and they will forget about mom and dad leaving.

You might even consider this - don't let parents over the threshold of the classroom.  When parents walk into the classroom, it is more difficult for the child to separate from them.

If the child is crying, ask the parents how long they want you to wait before you contact them.  This takes the guessing out of it and makes it easier for the parent to leave the child.  If you don't ask them you won't know when they want you to contact them.  Some parents will say "let them cry until they stop."  Other parents will say, "if  he is still crying in 15 minutes, please let me know and I will come get him.  This one little step will make it much easier to contact the parent with confidence.

Let the child bring something from home.  If the child is still struggling after a few weeks, consider letting him or her bring an item from home.  It can be a family photo, a stuffed animal or other item that reminds them of home.  Whenever they feel a connection to home, it can help relieve anxiety.

Find a distraction.  Try to shift the child's attention away from their parents to a toy, video or other distraction that will take their mind away from their anxiety.   

Keep a positive attitude.  It's not easy walking away from a child when he or she is crying.  But parents have to pretend like it’s not hard.  Kids can pick up on their parent's anxiety and if the parent is struggling, they will cue in on that.  Encourage parents to keep a smile on their face, even though it's not easy.

Your turn.  What are some other methods or strategies do you employ when a child has separation anxiety?  Share with us in the comment section below.