Crap Hole Weekend

Have you ever had an idea that just made you laugh your head off? Recently during a team meeting that included our youth pastor, small groups pastor, executive pastor and myself an idea just flew out of our youth pastors mouth that made me laugh so hard my stomach hurt. As we were trying to think of new ways to highlight weekend ministries and recruit for those ministries, the idea of "crap hole weekend" was born.

There would be a buzz created that everyone should be ready to be "inconvenienced" for one weekend. During that weekend, there would be no children's ministry, youth ministry or first impressions ministry (greet, distribute worship folder, provide coffee, etc). Babies might cry during the message, okay let's just be real, they WILL cry during the message. No coffee will be available. Preschoolers will forget to use their "inside voices." First and second grade students will wiggle the entire time. Adults might see the youth texting each other. There would be NO COFFEE!

At first we could not stop laughing, and then it just made sense. That would be a really crazy way to get everyone's attention, but isn't that what we want to do? Get the people's attention and inspire them to see the blessings they receive on a weekly basis and to encourage them to be a blessing. We decided right away we needed to be a little more creative on the name of the weekend, but we all thought this would be awesome! We brainstormed for 2 hours and decided to send the idea to the decision makers.

Were we just plain crazy or was this idea innovative? I read on Kem Meyer's blog 2 questions about innovation;

Q: How do you know when an idea is innovative?
A: When it scares the hell out of everybody.
Q: Then where will innovation come from?
A: Most likely from the outside, or from people inside who think outside.

Well, I am guessing you want to know how it went, well, it didn't happen. I think we really scared the heck out of the leadership. Some ideas just don't happen, and that's okay, but it sure was fun brainstorming together. I appreciate the freedom to dream big and share ideas. I guess on this day we were just crazy!! Check out Kem Meyer's blog, it's good stuff.

boneless chicken ranch

Okay, so here's what happened today.....
I was checking out children's ministry blogs and I stumbled upon "www.thewayweseeitblog.com." As I read through the leadership category I came across one written by Jim Wideman, it's exactly what I have been trying to verbalize for 5 months now! Here's an excerpt from Mr. Wideman's post....

".............Yes today’s The Far Side Comic was Boneless Chicken Ranch. Every time I look at it it reminds me the importance of structure. Without the right structure in place we can’t move our ministries where they need to go. Yes, they have all the chicken parts, and they look like real chickens but they are stuck right where they are. The only hope for a boneless chicken is a bone structure. The only hope for a ministry to grow and go where God wants it to go is to change your old or nonexistent structure and replace it with a growth structure."

I have been wrestling with a coworker regarding the children's ministry at our church. When I took this position I knew there was attention needed, especially in the details! The ministry had all the parts, vision, mission, values, but it was stuck! The (quote, unquote) details were not on anyones radar. My coworker and several parents kept telling me to get new furniture, update the decor, get new games, ministry attire for the volunteers, etc. That sounds great and all, but isn't that just like dressing up a pig?

I decided it would be more beneficial to start with the basics, or backbone! Application to work with children, background checks on all volunteers, secure children's area, volunteer orientation, team gathering to reiterate the vision, mission and values, volunteer name tags, deep cleaning the carpets, floors and classrooms, taking down all the dated and dusty decor. (The cleaning alone created a huge buzz, seriously, no joke!) Because of these small changes, several people decided to not only leave the ministry, but leave the church. I'm not kidding. I started to feel like the plague, but I now know that they were focused on what they were doing, not what God could and would do!

The crazy thing is that after 5 months of small, mostly behind the scenes changes, there is excitement in the children's area, people are calling me to sign up to serve. Yes, you read that right! Volunteers are inviting their friends to serve. Word of mouth is the best PR you can get! I just ordered t-shirts for all the volunteers, something my coworker suggested. If I would have done that 5 months ago they would have ended up in the closet or garage sale, not now, the volunteers are proud to say they serve God by serving His children! I am a very driven person and looking at what has happened in the past 6 months usually isn't my deal, I am focused on what still needs to be done, but after reading about the "boneless chicken ranch" I started praising God for allowing me to see Him at work. He has really done an amazing work, probably because He is an amazing God!

A Children's Ministry Conversation

Check out Craig Jutila's new blog, www.liquidleadership.tv. He just might be coming to your city!

you have been released

Have you ever had to fire a volunteer? I personally consider it "releasing." It just sounds better. I have had the unfortunate task of releasing a volunteer twice in the past 2 years. One just happened yesterday.

Something I assume everyone knows is you only get one chance to make a first impression. First impressions are so important, especially in children's ministry!! As parents, we want to make sure our children are in a clean, safe environment with people who love them. The atmosphere is exciting, volunteers are actually thrilled your child is there! And when you drop your child off at his or her classroom, you are both warmly greeted and your child doesn't even have time to say; "Bye, have fun in big church." (Everything sounded great until that last quote, that just doesn't happen!) Anyway, what do you do when a volunteer has a great heart, is committed, but is so abrasive to parents they don't want to return? To me, it's perfectly clear, you release them.

1 Corinthians 10:32 says it all; "Do not call anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks, or the church of God."

If you have a volunteer who is causing parents to not return, or to stumble, you must release them. I am not saying they can't serve anywhere, they just can't serve in an upfront position. I know it sounds so easy and cut and dry, but truthfully it is a very hard thing to do. Remember, I fired a volunteer who was committed to the vision, who has a heart for Jesus and His children. There were tears shed and feelings were hurt, but when you consider the number of people who might not hear the saving message of Jesus Christ because a volunteer is in the wrong spot, it's worth it.

As children's leaders, we must make sure people are serving in the best location based on their giftedness. We also need to make sure they have the people skills to be in that position. People are wired differently, some have people skills and some do not. If you are not up for releasing volunteers, take the extra time necessary to make sure people skills are on your radar when you look for giftedness.

Wow, thanksgiving already?!?!

the rooms are safe, but what about the people?

So, i've taken a position with this amazing church that is on the launching pad ready to take off. We currently reside in an old facility that needs alot of work and was just sold.
As I look at the children's area, I know that there are amazing things that could be, but did I mention we just sold it? The past few weeks have been filled with cleaning carpets, wiping down walls and removing bowed tables and broken chairs. The rooms look better and smell better, but honestly it's not as much about what the rooms look like as who serves in each room.
It's the people who matter the most. I am so thankful the children's area is now pleasing to the eye and the nose but my main focus is the people. I don't know if you have ever struggled with task vs. people, but I will tell you the truth, you will never win if you pick the task.
I am a firm believer in making sure the children's area of any church is clean, safe and secure but I am not just talking about the building. Each team member should be too. Background checks are a must in children's ministry. An application to work with children is also a must. Reference need to be called and every new volunteer team member needs to be interviewed. Each children's ministry volunteer is a safe person in a child's eyes. We as a church must remain proactive and protect the little ones God sends our way.

day before you

Rascal Flatts wrote a song called "The Day Before You." I have no idea if this song was meant for listeners to think of God, but He's exactly who I think about everytime I hear it! The song starts off with "I had all but given up on finding the one that I could fall into, on the day before you..." I am currently in the middle of an amazing mind boggling adventure. Some days I am so tired I don't know if I will make to my bed before I fall asleep. And then I remember who is carrying me through this adventure, the one true God! I know I can fall into His arms and He will refresh me for the next days itineray. I am so thankful I never have to go back to the day before I knew such amazing love!

That must be why I am so passionate about children knowing Jesus as their Savior! So their relationship with God can be restored and they can know what it means to fall into the arms a God who created them and knows them better than they know themselves. A God who thinks of them all the time and loves them so much He never leaves them. The chorus of the song says "Now you're here, everythings changing, suddenly life means so much..." Life is totally amazing when you yeild to His plans. Each Texas morning I marvel at the beautiful sunrise and I know that He has called me here. Each new face I meet gets etched into my heart. His plans are at work and He will be made famous through the lives of those who choose to follow Him. Lifechange, it's a good thing.

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."