Recruiting

Well it is that time of year again. You know what i'm talking about the "recruiting phase". Where Children's Ministers, Youth Ministers, and church staff in general are in full recruitment mode or in some instances you might call it begging mode. Personally, I haven't really had to ask many people, I've had a lot of people willingly agree to help. It is always nice when you don't have to beg and plea for workers isn't it? Anyway, maybe there are some of you out there, who aren't sure how your going to get workers and time is running out. So here are my suggestions for recruiting children's workers or just workers in general for your ministry.

1. Pray

I know this sounds simple but have you taken time to ask God for a direction in recruiting volunteers? Of course we can pull out a church directory and just start calling people. But why not ask God to put those specific people in your mind.

2. Ask your present workers

The people, who have served with you the past year, have an insight into the children's ministry that others do not. They also have relationships outside of the children's ministry that you may not. So ask your workers who they think would be a good children's worker. This allows them to have some more input and ownership into the ministry and it shows them you trust their opinion.

3. Look for those who have kids in your ministry.

Now this choice is a bit more difficult. But parents of kids are often willing to help work in something that is helping teach their child about God and His word. The difficult part is making sure they understand not to be the parent when at church but that is what training is for right?

4. Look for those who have kids coming up.

It is also possible that you could recruit parents, who have younger kids not yet in your children's ministry. This allows the parent to already become accustomed to the ministry before their child gets there. It may also help retain workers, because they may want to stay around while their kid goes through the ministry too.

5. Look for someone who likes kids

A good children's volunteer is going to have a passion for kids. Of course this sounds like a duh moment but I've heard several stories of people recruiting any warm body in the church. To make the best ministry possible for the kids, we need volunteers who truly care about them. Not everyone is called to children's ministry, just like not everyone is called to youth, senior adults, and other ministries.

Children's ministry is a wonderful place for people to serve. It is also an important place for people to serve. This is a key point that we must remember as we recruit new volunteers. Children's ministry shouldn't be a place where we beg people to participate but one we value people who participate.

Object Lesson: Hearing God thorugh the noise

Here is a great object lesson to talk about listening to God in a busy world. This can be done with the story of Samuel mistaking God's voice for Eli 3 times or keeping God first above all else.

Objects needed: duffel bag, 2 Cell phones, a towel and some popular objects that represent things kid do such as books for school, clothes for fashion, cds for music, video games, basketballs/footballs/softballs for sports.

Lesson:

(Begin with the bag on the ground and all the objects either laying behind you, out and about on stage or hidden behind something.)

You know we live in a busy world today and because we stay so busy it can be kind of hard to stop and listen to what God is trying to tell us. So lets pretend that this cell phone represents God (hold up 1 cell phone) and when it rings that is Him trying to tell us something. Now this phone is on loud so when it rings we should hear it (show a kid or two it is as loud as it goes). We are going to put the phone into the bag which represents our life because obviously we want God to be part of our life but that means we have to spend time with Him. (To really drive home to the point have a towel placed in the bag before hand and wrap the phone in towel as you place it in). But God isn't the only thing in our busy life right? Lets see what are some things you do everyday?

1. What about school? Yes for a big part of the year ya'll go to school for 8 hours a day so lets put some books into the bag to represent school.

2. Oh, and clothes! We all wear clothes of course but some people really love to have the coolest newest clothes so they are always watching what is popular to wear.

3. A lot of us like sports too right. So lets put in some basketballs, and footballs because maybe we are consumed with sports or our favorite sports team and that is all we do and think about constantly because we just love it so much.

4. Then we have music and video games because a lot of people listen to music and play video games.

5. Of course we probably can include some friends in here but it'd be kind of hard to fit a person so lets just pretend.

(by now the bag should be full and barely be able to close)

So I think that we have put just about everything we can into our life, its pretty full so lets close up this bag. (now pull out the other cell phone) So obviously there is a lot in our life but lets see how well we can hear that phone ring. (call the other phone it should be a very faint ring if at all).

We could barely hear that phone right and only when we got really still and quiet could we hear the ring. Now think of our lives and if we let all these things take importance in our lives how hard it will be for us to hear God too. Not that these things are bad, we need to go to school and sports are fun and help us stay healthy and video games are even fun but we can't let them become more important that God and drown Him out.

Journey Off the Map

It is that time of year again. VBS is just around the corner. Children's ministers and VBS directors are scrambling to get those last minute volunteers to sign up and help out with what is probably one of the greatest outreach opportunities for the church throughout the year. Decorations are being made so the church looks awesome. Snacks and crafts are being ordered in bulk to make sure that everyone has enough supplies. I encourage you to take a quick break though and look at what VBS is all about. That's right for just one second take a break, put down the volunteer recruiter sheet or supplies request list that is in your hand and think about VBS as a whole, not just the workers or stuff you need.

The Message

Of course every year Lifeway seems to come out with an awesome, amazing, and exciting theme for the week. This year is no different as kids will Journey Off the Map in search for God and the amazing truths in His word. This message is great for kids because in order to meet Christ we have to come to know and have faith where we didn't before. We have to come to the realization that Jesus is God's son, who paid the price for our sins. Which means we journeyed into unknown or uncharted territory.

Throughout the course of the week kids will go through stories of Jesus and his ministry, death, burial, and Resurrection. But they will also spend time in Daniel looking into the life of people, who were not much older than them when they made amazing stands for God. This is a driving home point to utilize in showing the kids (especially preteens) that they don't have to wait to become adults to follow God.

The Week

What an important week this is! Hopefully you will see kids come through the doors of your church that never would have otherwise. Family Night might bring not just kids but their parents as well. And this is the time you have to try to reach or connect with them. Don't take that time for granted. Instead be mindful and intentional with the opportunity your church has been given. If you haven't already begin praying for the kids and their families, who will take part in your VBS. Also remember that while now is the planning stage. The week of should be all about relationships. Building relationships with kids, their parents, and your community as a whole.

Now that you've thought about some aspects of VBS as a whole, take a moment to pray then pick that volunteer sheet back up and get ready for what is probably going to be an amazing week.

Preteens, they are just different

If you have ever looked around during a children's service or a Sunday/Wednesday night program it becomes obvious pretty quickly that there is an age group that feels a bit out of place at times. It's the 5th and 6th graders. Now don't get me wrong. I love this age group personally. They are beginning to mature and can grasp abstract ideas. They have developed a good sense of humor and aren't afraid to joke around with you. But they also feel to old to do motions to songs, or participate in the fun but child like activities at times. This causes an awkwardness for them because they feel they belong but at the same time they don't.

An obvious solution to this is to give the 5th and 6th graders their own ministry. Allow them have their own services, programs, events. But the majority of churches today aren't able to support another minister, and space just for this age group. So the question we, as children's ministers, should be asking is how can we connect and stay engaged with this age group through these "awkward years", as they prepare to enter into the youth ministry? Like I said I love interacting with preteens and here are some strategies I have used to keep them engage and excited in our children's ministry, while still providing lessons and Biblical truths on their level.

1) Talk and connect with them specifically on their level. Now of course as a children's minister, you should try to connect with all ages. But walking into a conversation with preteens and talking about the coolest new Disney movie, Lego set, or Barbie isn't always going to work. At this age kids are involved in sports, band, and different movies/books. I can't tell you how many of our preteen girls are obsessed with the Hunger Games right now. Make sure you stay on relevant topics with this age group.

2) Give them special events. While the majority of our events are targeted toward the overall K-6th grade, we have several specific events each year just for our preteens. Whether it is going swimming at a church members house, a Preteen weekend (just like a DNOW) or something else, give the preteens something special for them. This shows you care, and are consciously providing ways for them to spend time together and in God's word on their level. Also I always have a end of the summer event as a special "going away" present to our 6th graders.

3) Give them jobs. That's right give the preteens jobs in your ministry. Need some help with music in children's church? Grab some of your faithful preteens and let them help an adult lead music. Need someone to game carry supplies or clean up after a game? Get a clean up team of preteens. The list could go on but the point is clear. Giving the preteens ownership of the ministry through small jobs relays a message of their importance to you, the children's minister.

So how are you going to keep preteens engaged in your ministry? Please share any ideas below in the comments section.

Kids and conversion

I had the chance to attend a National VBSI training conference this past week. It was great, and I can't wait to take back some ideas to my church and state. But there is one breakout session that stuck out to me. It was titled Kids and Conversion and done by Jerry Vogel of Lifeway. This is such an important topic. A kids salvation is nothing to take lightly. So here are some things Jerry reminded me of this past week.

1. Stay away from "churchy" words.

Now of course those of us, who go to church regularly and have been a Christian for a while, understand what words such as repentance, salvation, and being washed in Jesus' blood mean. But a kid often does not. So be ready to explain these "churchy" words that we have become so accustomed to.

2. Always counsel kids 1 on 1.

This allows the child to speak for themselves. If you get a bunch together there will always be a few that speak up over the rest. Of course if a kid hears the "right" answer they are going to repeat it, because it is right. The question though still remains if they understand the why?

3. Ask open ended questions.

It is very easy to ask a yes or no question. Do you want to be saved? Do you want to spend eternity in hell? But as we counsel children, try and ask open ended question so you can better see where they stand spiritually. Questions like What is sin? Why do we need Jesus to save us? How did Jesus pay for our sins?

This is one of the highlights of being a kidmin leader, getting to see a child come to know Christ! How exciting! It doesn't get better than that. But let's make sure we counsel them in the right manner and let Jesus do the rest.

Keeping up with the times

          I'm sure that most of you can relate, that as a children's pastor there is still a little kid or sometimes a lot in all of us. We can remember what it was like when we were kids too. Who the popular music singers were, the best tv shows, movies, toys. Recently, I came across an article on Facebook about all the different foods that 90's kids knew but were no longer being made today. Man that made me sad. But I learned something through that article. Times change. What was popular even just 5 years ago may not be anymore. But I'm afraid that we often take these memories from our childhood and apply them to kids today. Instead of realizing that today's kids have different sports, music, and movie role models than we did. Even when I go eat lunch at some different schools, kids are amazed that at one time you always got fries or tator tots in the school cafeteria. By placing our memories in their lives this places us, the children's minister, back in time though. Which means we can become outdated and ineffective in reaching today's kids for Christ. So one challenge for myself and for you as well, is to keep up with the times. Find out what is popular currently and what kids go through on a daily basis. As Karl Bastian, the founder of Kidology.org, would probably say we need to become kidiologist. But how can we do that? Here are some ideas I got partly from him and would like to pass on.

1. Never pass a toy store without going into it. This allows us to see what the coolest new gadgets and toys are for kids, not to mention you may find something for yourself too.

2. Read some popular kids books. If there is a popular series coming out that a lot of preteens are reading (like Harry Potter back in the day) then pick it up and read it. This lets you know what kids are being exposed to and gives you something to talk about with them.

3. Watch the Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, or whatever TV channel or movie is popular for kids. Not that this is all you watch but spend some time each day trying to watch a show kids do.

4. Watch the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards. This easily in a few hours allows you to see who the popular music, actors, and sports stars are in kids lives today.

The main thing to remember is that by staying relevant we can more easily and effectively connect and minister to children today. There are many other ways you can find out what is popular with kids today. If you have any ideas please share them in the comment box below.

Speaking Christ through your actions

Today as I was listening to a pastor I was reminded of the saying actions speak louder than words. Now I know this is going to upset you because you have studied for hours preparing the best children's sermon series possible. Perhaps you just came across the coolest object lesson or sermon illustration there is and know the kids will be extremely focused during your lesson time this week. While I hope this is true and that we all (me included) are digging into God's word in preparation for when we get to speak to the kids in our ministry, it is possible we are missing a key aspect to sharing the gospel of Christ. Our actions.

In Acts 20: 18-19 Paul is addressing the Ephesians stating, "When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents." Isn't it interesting that instead of pointing back to some the sermons or teachings Paul had spoke it was his actions that Paul referred to as a teaching point here?

What if instead of just interacting with the kids in our ministry we began to view it as a evangelistic or discipleship time? If there is one thing I know its kids maybe listening but they are definitely watching. This includes in how we treat others, if we are fair and honest, how we act in Walmart, or anywhere we go. The question is are they seeing Christ through your actions or are you harming the message of Christ? I pray they do in mine.