Archivo de la categoría: CHURCH LEADERS

On the Importance of Playfulness

On the Importance of Playfulness

by Jody Capehart
 
 
On the Importance of Playfulness
Jody Capehart argues for the importance of playfulness within the structure that children need to learn and enjoy learning.

 

Jody Capehart

For a while now, parents and educators have known that children learn through playing. This is no longer a revolutionary idea.

Yet still we need reminders of this all the time. Especially at the places where we are supposed to make the environment best suited for children: schools!

But rather than reiterate the research that no doubt you have heard before or can find in hundreds of other articles, I want to get you thinking specifically about a couple of things I recently found while doing my own research that might challenge you as they did for me.

The first is that doodling – yes, doodling, as in little drawings you make in the margins of your paper while sitting in an especially interesting meeting or lecture – has been discovered to be a significant source of concentration.

You read that right. Concentration.

TED guest speaker and author Sunni Brown has spoken and written about the power of the simple doodle. The core of her argument is that rather than prevent concentration, doodling enhances it by bringing together all four learning modalities into one exercise: visual, auditory, writing/reading, and kinesthetic.

Of course, before your child or students use this as a carte blanche justification to doodle rather than take notes, understand that the argument here is not that tuning out the speaker so you can doodle more freely provides the advantage but that doodling can be used as an effective means of generating ideas and working them out. For example, in group work.

Brown promotes and teaches this technique to businesses, especially those interested in idea generation and brainstorming. Not only does it get people thinking in more learning styles and thus unleashing more creative juices, it’s fun!

You know, adults could afford to have fun more often. For kids, it is the driving force behind 90% of their activities. Why, then, do adults discount it so quickly?

Which leads me to my second discovery: major companies like Pixar and Google incorporate playfulness and creativity into the very structure and organization of their buildings, both exterior and interior.

For example, many of Pixar’s staff work in cute miniature houses rather than cubicles (picture #1). At Google, there is a giant dinosaur inexplicably surrounded by pink flamingos (picture #3), and inside there is a huge metallic slide that can be used instead of stairs or the elevator (picture #2).

Probably there are now tons of other businesses that have copied these two wildly successful businesses that rely on the ability of their employees to think outside of the box.

My question is shouldn’t schools be the same? Why do they instead try to move everything toward conformity and a cookie-cutter feel? Why not stand out?

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am all for order and consistency. Children need routine and boundaries. Without them, children begin to feel uneasy and turn to the adult to provide some much-needed structure.

What I am here arguing is for the incorporation of playfulness into that structure. Playfulness does not mean anarchy or lack of control.

Rather, it means remembering what it is like to be a child and to have fun for its own sake. Only as an adult, you know that in playing, kids are learning more than they do from lectures or worksheets.

Playing, just like doodling, brings everything together for a child: imagination, creativity, mimicry, existing knowledge of how things work, personalization of the activity, as well as cooperation.

A classroom with a sense of playfulness is warm and inviting. It excites all who enter through a kind of secret, hidden promise of new discoveries that the student must uncover.

Beyond that, playfulness helps remove the barrier of fear of peer judgment. For that reason, adults can benefit from playfulness, too. Say, in a faculty meeting, for instance.

Whether you are writing a lesson plan, organizing your classroom décor, or coming up with the next teacher in-service, you would benefit from taking a moment to consider the lessons here from Google and Pixar, as well as that about doodling.

Let’s not blow something off because it is “childish.” Childish may actually be what many schools and teachers need.

As Dr. Patricia Kuhl wrote so wonderfully, “We human beings seem designed to complete our grandest projects by pursuing ordinary little joys.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

 

 
 
 
Jody Capehart has more than 40 years’ experience as a children’s minister. She’s the co-author of The Discipline Guide for Children’s Ministry and the author of numerous other books. She currently teaches Sunday School at Stonebriar Community Church.  visit Jody at www.jodycapehart.com/

Visitas: 3

Evangelizing Children: The Dangers and Keys to Success

Evangelizing Children: The Dangers and Keys to Success

by Keith Tusing
 
 
Evangelizing Children: The Dangers and Keys to Success
Keith Tusing offers leaders some tips on how to best witness to children and bring them to Christ.

 

As a parent, pastor, or children’s leader, evangelism should be one of our top priorities. However, there are potential dangers we should take into account. On one side, there’s the danger of leading children to think they are saved when they are not. On the other side, there’s the risk of discouraging children who express a genuine desire to follow Christ. With that said, we must approach the idea of child evangelism with our “eyes wide open” and our focus on Christ!

So let’s take a look at what I believe are some of the possible “dangers” of child evangelism:

The Danger of Oversimplifying the Gospel of Christ

Because of a child’s limited comprehension, the temptation for many leaders is to oversimplify the message of the Gospel when they attempt to evangelize children. Sometimes, this comes from programmed approaches to child evangelism, which may abbreviate the Gospel, downplay the demands of the Gospel, or leave out important points of the Gospel completely.

The Danger of Coercing a Profession of Faith

Regardless of whether the Gospel is presented in an oversimplified or thorough manner, many request some type of immediate response to that message. It could be a show of hands in a group setting, a rote repetition of “the sinner’s prayer,” or almost anything that may be counted as a positive response. Children will almost always respond in whatever way adults ask—not at all guaranteeing real acts of faith in Christ.

The Danger of Assuming the Reality of Regeneration

This next danger is assuming that a child’s positive response to the Gospel is full-fledged saving faith. Children often respond positively to the Gospel for many reasons that are unrelated to any awareness of sin or real understanding of spiritual truths. Many children, for example, profess faith because of peer pressure at church or a desire to please their parents.

But it is not enough for us simply to avoid the common dangers. We must also proactively practice certain Key Elements:

Set an Example of Godliness

Evangelizing children should not only be teaching the Gospel in a classroom environment, but we must also be a living example of it in our life. As we teach the truths of God’s Word, children have the opportunity to observe our lives up close and to see if we seriously believe what we are teaching. When parents, pastors, and leaders are faithful not only to teach, but also to live out the Gospel, the impact is significant.

Teach the Complete Gospel of Christ

The heart of evangelism is the Gospel, “for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” (Rom. 1:16) If a child is to repent and believe in Christ, then it will be through the teaching of the message of the cross (1 Cor. 1:18–25; 2 Tim. 3:15; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23–25). Children will not be saved without the Gospel. We must teach children the law of God, teach them the Gospel of divine grace, and show them their need for a Savior. We are to constantly and consistently point them to Jesus Christ as the only One who can save them. We must also resist the temptation to downplay or soften the demands of the Gospel and must proclaim the message in its fullness.

Understand the Biblical Signs of Salvation

The evidence that someone has genuinely repented of his sin and believed in Christ is the same in a child as it is in an adult—Spiritual Transformation. According to Scripture, true believers follow Christ (John 10:27), confess their sins (1 John 1:9), love their brothers (1 John 3:14), obey God’s commandments (1 John 2:3; John 15:14), do the will of God (Matt. 12:50), abide in God’s Word (John 8:31), keep God’s Word (John 17:6), and do good works (Eph. 2:10). We should look for this type of fruit to increase in children’s lives as we continue to teach them the truths of the Gospel. We should also recognize that an essential part of our work is to guard children from thinking they are saved when they are not. Understanding the Biblical Signs of salvation—and explaining them to children—is important part of Evangelism.

Share this:

 
 
 
Keith TusingKeith Tusing is a Family Ministries Pastor with 20+ years of experience serving churches in Texas and Arizona. His passion is to see Children’s and Family Ministries that encourage leaders to partner with parents in developing the next generation. He has been married to his amazing wife, Julie, for 30 years and is the father of six incredible kids.  visit Keith at cmbuzz.com

Visitas: 10

Children’s Ministry…Questions to Ponder

Children’s Ministry…Questions to Ponder

by Keith Tusing
 

 
 
Children’s Ministry...Questions to Ponder
Do kids want to come to your children’s ministry? Do people want to volunteer? What would need to change to ensure the answer was “yes”?

 

Keith TusingDo kids want to come to our children’s ministry? Do parents and others want to volunteer in our children’s ministry? Would anything need to change in our ministry to ensure the answer was a definitive “YES” to these questions?

“It’s all about the weekend, stupid!” This is an often-used phrase that has some validity concerning our weekend services. We live in a consumer mindset and must be aware of how our weekend services are critiqued. So is our children’s ministry fun and engaging? Do kids leave with a desire to come again next Sunday?

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” What do families experience in the first 10 minutes of visiting our church? Is it welcoming? Is it clean? Do we make a good first impression?

How about this statement: “It’s all about life-change, stupid!” Yes, our ministry must be appealing, fun, and engaging each Sunday. However, it must also be more than that to truly make disciples. What biblical foundations are we building into the lives of our kids? How are we drawing kids’ hearts to love Jesus? How are we equipping kids to grow spiritually?

What are the stated goals of our children’s ministry? How do we measure success each weekend? What are things we are trying to develop in the life of a child we see on a regular basis?

As we ponder these questions what immediately comes to mind? Does anything jump out at you? Does one of these questions call you to action?

As we have begun a new ministry here in sunny Florida, these are the questions that I have been pondering. The answers will determine a great deal about how we approach ministry to families. I would love to hear your responses to the questions above.  

 

 
Keith Tusing is a Family Ministries Pastor with 20+ years of experience serving churches in Texas and Arizona. His passion is to see Children’s and Family Ministries that encourage leaders to partner with parents in developing the next generation. He has been married to his amazing wife, Julie, for 30 years and is the father of six incredible kids.  visit Keith at cmbuzz.com

Visitas: 2

Top 3 Worship Leading Skills for KidMin

Top 3 Worship Leading Skills for KidMin

Top 3 Worship Leading Skills for KidMin

by Gina McClain
 

 
Top 3 Worship Leading Skills for KidMin
Gina McClain has discovered three key skills that distinguish worship leaders from worship singers.

 

Gina McClainAfter the past few years of observing the worship element of our kids’ experiences, I’ve discovered 3 key skills that distinguish a Worship Leader from a Worship Singer. The former leads kids to engage in a worship song while the latter holds a microphone and sings. There’s a big difference between the two.

Skill #1: The Art of Prompting

Storytelling and Worship Leading share this tool in common. Yet it’s assumed in Storytelling and taken for granted in Worship Leading. Providing prompts seems intuitive when teaching kids. Whether it’s in the form of Storytelling or simply expository teaching, when we want kids to engage with the message, we prompt them to respond to us.

We ask them a question.

Have them repeat a word.

Lead them to create a sound effect.

These are intentional prompts used to keep kids focused on what you’re doing. It’s active listening.

Worship leading really isn’t different. Even though kids are singing (and maybe dancing), we still want to take advantage of active listening. Prompting kids to respond to keep them focused on what you’re doing.

It’s talking to the kids in between verses prompting them to clap, put their hands in the air, or shout out loud.

It’s making eye contact with kids individually and giving them simple encouragements.

It’s working both sides of the stage, boys vs. girls, grade vs. grade. It’s appealing to their desire to out-dance, out-sing, & out-shout anyone else in the room.

Skill #2: Filling the Gap

Every song has gaps. Fast-paced or slow, every song has a bridge where you can lose momentum or build it. I prefer to build. Great worship leading is knowing the song well enough to know what to say in those gaps to elevate the momentum.

Filling the Gap is bridging one song to the next so kids are prepared for the song they’re about to sing and why it’s relevant to their lives today. It’s taking that time to review a dance move used in that song or prepare them for an expected response. **This is NOT stopping all songs and talking to the crowd in an un-energetic way in order to review dance moves.** That’s not a skill. That’s a break.

Filling the Gap is knowing you have 10 seconds as one song fades out and the next song fades in. It’s using that 10 seconds to let the crowd know…

They’ll hear a question in the song, and you want to hear them loud and clear.

When they see this image (pic on the screen), it’s time to shout or raise your hands or jump up and down.

This next song is their chance to release something unto the Lord. ”Think about one thing in your life that hurts right now. The one thing you wish you could change about your life right now. Watch yourself placing that at the feet of Jesus. Why? Because Jesus is your answer…sing this with me…”

A skill like this makes the difference between a worship song that ROCKS and a worship song that falls flat. It’s not rocket-science. But it’s definitely advanced preparation.

Skill #3: Go Big or Go Home

So cliché. I know. But it’s a classic stage skill. Whatever you want the crowd to do, you’ve got to do it twice as big. So consider the energy level you want the kids to have…and your energy level should be twice that. There’s nothing worse than having great momentum leading into worship only to have the worship leader tank it b/c they had little to no energy. Treat energy levels like a baton in a relay race. Pass the baton well and it builds momentum. Drop the baton and the momentum is lost. It takes more energy to recover from momentum loss. Don’t put yourself through that.

These are the Worship Leading Skills I will use over the next year to multiply the number of worship leaders I have in my ministry. As we continue to build up and mentor leaders, clearly defined wins like this will make the worship element of our kidmin experiences something worth talking about.

 A self-described Christ-follower, wife, mom, writer, speaker, kids’ pastor and coffee snob, Gina McClain cannot organize a closet to save her life, but can paint a vision for why the closet should be organized and recruit the talent to make it happen. She formerly served as a LifeKIDS Pastor at the OKC Campus of LifeChurch.tv.

 visit Gina at www.ginamcclain.com

Visitas: 3

The How and Why of Preteen Growth Groups

The How and Why of Preteen Growth Groups

by Nick Diliberto
 
 
The How and Why of Preteen Growth Groups
Veteran preteen leader Nick Diliberto shares the nuts and bolts of growth groups especially for tweens.

 

Nick DilibertoMany preteens in your group want to grow in their relationship with God. They want to own that relationship for themselves. Not all are ready, but many are eager. How do you provide preteens an opportunity to grow?

One proven method is launching preteen growth groups.

I’m going to share with you the how and why of preteen growth groups. Over the years, we have had huge success with this model. Actually, it’s been one of the most effective things we’ve done. But it is only one way. My hope is that this article will challenge you to create something unique in your setting.

Here are the nuts and bolts of growth groups:

We required preteens to sign up. We realized that not every preteen was a follower of Jesus and that not every Christ follower in our group wanted to grow. We respected that following Jesus was a process, and only a percentage of our group wanted to go deeper with God. The sign-up process put the power in the hands of the student. It required them to make a choice to grow.

Because preteens had to sign up, only those who were eager to grow were present. That created an ideal environment. These students were often overlooked at our weekend services. Our church did a fantastic job of reaching newcomers, which included first time visitors and those new to the group. As a result, we had to adjust our services to be newcomer friendly. The challenge was that those who really wanted to grow weren’t given an opportunity to do so. Growth groups solved that problem.

We ran various types of growth groups for 6-8 weeks at a time. The various types provided preteens with options. Some titles included: Becoming a Contagious Christian, Discovering My Spiritual Gifts, Prayer 101, Bible Basics, Bible Study (book of James or Proverbs), and more. Our team got really good at taking the courses available to adults at our church and making it preteen friendly. I encourage you to do the same. However, if you’re looking for great preteen small group series, check out some available at PreteenMinistry.net; What’s the Bible All About?, Preteens Can Pray, and Not Even a Hint. We found that doing them for only 6-8 weeks at a time kept the retention ratio higher and was easier to fit in the busy schedules of preteens.

We did growth groups at a host home. Out of a total of about 100 preteens, 20-30 would sign up for growth groups. So that meant a lot of preteens at somebody’s house. We chose to do them at a house because it created a deep sense of community. However, a preteen friendly room at church would work great as well. The host home usually consisted of a hospitable couple who loved opening their house up to the group. They simply provided the space for us and enjoyed being a part of the experience that way.

Our schedule was simple. We hung out and ate snacks for about 15 minutes, engaged in 10-15 minutes of worship, and then split up into various groups throughout the house.

The hang out time was simple. We had no video games, art projects, or tabletop games, etc. All our other programs, we had those things available before and afterwards. But we didn’t have the space for them in a living room. So we just ate and hung out. As a result, the group developed a deep sense of connectivity It was awesome!

The worship was intimate. We had the core group present who wanted to know God more. Their hearts were eager to connect with God and wanted to engage in worship. So worship was a time preteens honored God and connected with Him. We had a volunteer who showed up with a guitar and led us in a few worship songs. Simple but effective.

After worship, preteens broke out into various growth groups (the ones they signed up for) that met throughout the home. We had two leaders in each room who co-led the groups.

What results did we see? Preteens took off the training wheels of their faith and took ownership of their relationship with God. They were aware of what God was doing around them and learned to hear His voice in their lives. They developed a hunger for the Bible. They discovered their spiritual gifts and began to use them. They were equipped to reach out to their friends who weren’t followers of Jesus. Preteens experienced God. All types of amazing things happened!

I encourage you to design a program that helps your preteens grow. Maybe it looks similar to what I’ve written here or maybe quite different. Spend some time praying for what it would look like at your church with your preteens. Pull your leaders together and brainstorm possibilities. Just imagine how the preteens you lead could be forever transformed as a result!

 
Over twelve years ago Nick Diliberto lauched a preteen ministry with a handful of volunteers and about 25 kids. Over the years it grew to over 100 kids and has impacted hundreds of young people’s lives. Nick is the driving force behind PreteenMinistry.net, Children’s Director at La Jolla Presbyterian Church, workshop speaker and author of an ongoing preteen column in Children’s Ministry Magazine. visit Nick at preteenministry.net

Visitas: 2

7 Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe on Mobile Devices

7 Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe on Mobile Devices

by Sam Luce
 

 
 
7 Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe on Mobile Devices
Parents, if your kid has a cell phone, don’t trust them; protect them.

 

Sam LuceThe Web is moving more and more towards mobile devices every year. From iPods to Nintendo DSIs, when you hand your child an Internet-enabled device without proper boundaries, you are foolish.

  • 52% of nine year olds and 95% of 15 year olds have a mobile phone.
  • By 2020, most of us will connect to the Internet via our mobile devices.

Mobile Internet tips for parents:

  • Create a Parent/Child Acceptable Use Contract.
  • Phones remain in kitchen at night to charge.
  • Review phone logs at random, look for gaps in time.
  • Get a paper bill and review the numbers called and texts sent.
  • Get a Web filter for your child’s mobile device.
  • Have family rules for daily, monthly, and yearly mobile free times.
  • Have a zero tolerance policy for texting and driving.

Here are a couple of mobile software sites you need to take a look at.

Websafety.com

What makes Websafety unique?

Message Monitoring
You will be notified when there is a dangerous message including sexting, pedophilia, cyber-bullying, suicide, drug, or gun talk.

Virtual Fence
Setup unlimited virtual fences and be notified when your child enters or leaves these perimeters. Perfect for working parents with “latch-key kids.”

No Texting and Driving
Revolutionary, patent-pending technology stops texting while driving; passengers can ask parents for permission! Easy to turn off and back on remotely.

Speed Alert
If your child goes over the set speed limit, you will be notified instantly.

No Texting Zones
Block text messaging while in certain pre-defined zones, such as at school, in church, or at work.

Location History
View recent history of where your child has been.

Contact Lists
Setup safe numbers for family and close friends, alternatively add numbers to the banned list.

Porn Filter
Stop pornography from being viewed on the phone’s Internet browser.

If my kids were old enough to be cell phone users, this would be a no-brainer.

Another site that offers parents monitoring software is Mobile Spy.

Screen SMS messages
Records every SMS message sent or received.

GPS tracking
Tracks GPS position at any interval you select

Call monitoring
Logs all inbound and outbound phone calls.

Photo and video monitoring
Records photos and videos taken by the phone.

One of the pushbacks many parents and EVERY kid will have is this: “What about privacy?” My kids will not have any privacy; there are just too many dangers out there with mobile technology. If my kids get upset over monitoring software on their phone, I’ll remind them they are lucky they have a door to their room. Parents, if your kid has a cell phone, don’t trust them; protect them.

Here are a couple of other links to mobile safety software.

http://www.internetsafety.com/safe-eyes-mobile-iphone.php

http://www.netnanny.com/downloads/mobile

 

 
Sam Luce has been the children’s pastor at Redeemer Church for over 13 years. A prolific blogger and popular children’s conference speaker, Sam has worked in children’s ministry for over 23 years and is also a contributing editor to K! magazine. visit Sam at www.samluce.com

Visitas: 5

Teaching The Bible With Toys

Teaching The Bible With Toys

by Dale Hudson
 
 
Teaching The Bible With Toys
Dale Hudson recommends teaching truth using familiar objects from a child’s everyday world.

 

Have you seen the book Teaching Physics with Toys? Here is the philosophy behind it:

“Science is best understood by providing students with opportunities to make connections between their own world and scientific concepts. What’s more natural than using toys as learning tools to teach science to elementary and middle school students? For teachers and students alike, toys can provide motivational and experiential links between science concepts and everyday experience. “

I think this is brilliant. Not because of this company….but because this is one of the key methods Jesus used to teach truth. He used familiar objects from people’s everyday world to connect them with truth. Physical objects they saw, touched, used, or interacted with on a regular basis. Think about it… He used birds, flowers, fish, money, seeds, rocks, salt, trees, and much more.

If you want the truths you are teaching to stick in the long-term memory of children, then tie the truths to objects that kids are familiar with. And some of the most familiar objects in a kid’s life are toys.

Remember some of your favorite toys growing up? I remember Stretch Armstrong, Atari 2600, G.I. Joe, Lite-Brite, Silly Putty…(okay…I’m dating myself). If those toys had been connected to Biblical truths, I am sure I would not only be thinking about the toys right now, but also about the truths.

Here’s the process…

  • Start with the Biblical truth you want to share. This is the basis. The toy or object is simply a way to illustrate the truth.
  • Find a familiar toy or object from current kid culture. This may even mean a trip to Toys R’ Us. The more they use the item, the more effectively it will connect the truth to their long term memory.
  • Use the familiar toy or object when you teach the lesson to illustrate the truth.
  • Encourage the kids to think about the truth each time they see the toy or object you used.
  • Encourage the kids to share the truth they learned with a friend when they are playing or hanging out together and see the familiar toy or object.
  • Partner with parents. Share with them the truth and toy or object you used, so they can do the same at home. Encourage them to also look for ways they can tie truth into toys or objects from their child’s everyday world.

I have personally seen the effectiveness of this many times. I remember teaching the kids that Jesus is the only way to heaven. I had a one way street sign in my hand as I was teaching (no…I didn’t steal it). Over a year later we were on the bus going to camp. We passed a one way sign and one of the boys yelled out from the back of the bus, “Look Pastor Dale, a one way sign…there’s only one way to heaven!” My heart skipped a beat when he said that. I knew the truth had found it’s way into his long term memory.

The next time you stand up to teach kids, why not have a toy or everyday object in your hand? Teaching the Bible with toys works!

 

 
 
 
Dale HudsonDale Hudson has been on the Children’s Ministry journey for 21 years. He was recently named as one of the top twenty influencers in children’s ministry by Children’s Ministry Magazine. He is the Director of Children’s Ministries at Christ Fellowship Church in Palm Beach, Florida where he oversees the children’s ministry at the church’s five campuses. He is the co-author of Children’s Ministry in the 21st Century, Turbo Charged Children’s Ministry, and Turbo Charged Preschool Ministry. In addition, he also writes for children’s ministry leadership magazines on a regular basis and speaks at children’s ministry conferences across the country.  visit Dale at www.relevantchildrensministry.blogspot.com

Visitas: 3

Innovation Is Overrated

Innovation Is Overrated

by Greg Baird
 
 
Innovation Is Overrated
We hear a lot about innovation in ministry, but it isn’t always necessary. Greg Baird tells us why.

 

Greg BairdWe hear a lot of talk about being “innovative”. Innovation can be a great thing. Innovation is necessary in every ministry at times. By definition, innovation is:

  1. the introduction of something new
  2. a new idea, method, or device

These are good things – great things at times! But innovation isn’t always necessary in our ministry. We don’t always have to introduce something new. Sometimes, it’s better to improve what we’ve already got.

This has been brewing in my thoughts for some time now. I love seeing new ideas, new methods, new resources, etc. But I’ve gotten the sense sometimes that if it’s not new, it’s not good. I believe very strongly that this is NOT the case. That’s not to say that everything “old” is good, but just because it’s old doesn’t make it irrelevant.

My thoughts were clarified by this post in the Harvard Business Review. I would encourage you to read it, but here’s the key thought I pulled from it:

Creating something new is the goal of most innovation initiatives, but new does not mean valuable. Increasing the value created for customers should be the focus of initiatives…

Essentially, it is saying creating “value” is far more important than creating “new”. Of course, this article is in relation to business, but I believe the same holds true for children’s & family ministry. Our goal should not be “innovation” (new) but, rather, “value”. What will give our children & families the most value, and how can we create opportunities for them to add value.

The article speaks of 8 ways to create value for customers in the business setting. Here are a few ways that I believe we can create value in our ministries for our “customers”:

  • Spiritual formation. Be intentional about the spiritual formation process at church, and partner with and equip parents to participate and lead in that process.
  • Worship. Offer real worship opportunities for children – not just random songs & not limited to the worship through music. Offer families opportunities to worship together.
  • Safety. Make your ministries safe. Physically, emotionally & spiritually safe for children. A place where parents feel safe to engage. A safe and inviting place for volunteers to commit to.
  • Service. Studies show that kids and families who serve are far more likely to remain engaged in their faith. This adds tremendous value to your ministry.

I’m sure there are many more values, but these are a few that come immediately to mind. And thinking in terms of “value” I believe is far more relevant than thinking in terms of “innovation”. Don’t get me wrong, innovation can be wonderful and, at times, essential. But it should not be the driving force in our ministry.

What do you think?
What values would you add to the list?

 

 
 
 
Greg is a Children’s Ministry veteran with over 20 years ministry experience. Greg has had the privilege of serving in four San Diego area churches, including under the leadership of both John Maxwell and David Jeremiah. He continues to fulfill his life calling through the ministry of Kidmin360, offering an experienced voice in equipping and connecting Children’s Ministry leaders around the country and around the world. or visit Greg at kidmin360.com

Visitas: 3