Every Year, Week, and Day Needs a Game Plan

I was reminded this week why I schedule stuff out in great detail. You see, last week I was away at a conference and failed to plan ahead what my week would look like upon my return. So this week I had no set schedule . . . sure, I knew what I needed to accomplish but it wasn’t set in stone on my calendar.

So what happened? I got it all done . . . but it was a stretch . . . it was messy . . . I was late on an assignment . . . and I was stressed! So today I focused on setting up my schedule for next week so I can get back on track.

Here’s how I schedule stuff out:

1. Schedule for the year . . .

It is important that I have my entire year mapped out with all the events in Kids Min, church-wide events, and personal stuff like vacations and B-Days. Be as detailed as you possibly can be . . . and also include all the steps and deadlines it will take to prepare for a particular event.

2. Schedule for the week . . .

I know some folks who schedule out their weeks in great detail months or even a year in advance . . . and that’s awesome! For me, I like taking Thursdays to plan out what my schedule will look like for the following week.

3. Post your schedule in more than one spot and stick to it . . .

I use the calendar on my computer, my phone, a wall calendar, and I write it out on my dry-erase board. As I enter dates and times on my calendar and write it out I’m locking in these events in my brain . . . making my weekly schedule almost a part of my DNA. I also set alarms on my computer and phone to remind me 15 minutes to a day in advance about an appointment.

Once all this is done . . . stick to it! Someone texts you saying they need to talk and it’s not an emergency, then schedule that talk for the following week so you can give that person a full 45 minutes to an hour if need be . . . it’s not rude to do this. In fact, asking someone to wait until next week is showing great respect because what you are saying is that they are worth your full and undivided attention.

4. Decide for yourself what situations and who can destroy your schedule . . .

My pastor needs me . . . BOOM . . . I’ll let him crash into my schedule without a second thought. My volunteers want to meet with me . . . BOOM . . . my schedule is out the window. A parent wants me to talk to their child about salvation and baptism . . . BOOM! My little girl or my wife needs me . . . BOOM . . . I’ll reschedule stuff to make that happen. Solidify in your mind what you are willing to demolish your schedule over . . . it will help I promise.

Do this or take it even farther for three months and you will become more productive and will be less stressed . . . go for it.

Letter from Jesus . . . and a Nobody Kids Pastor . . .

Dear Loved One,
Who are you?  You are the loved one of the Supreme Ruler of all–loved with limitless, perfect love that never fluctuates or changes.

What are you like? In me, you are valuable and desired – included forever.

Where are you going? What is the meaning of your existence? I have given you the greatest destiny possible – to be my very own for all time and eternity – sharing my love and purposes. You are somebody because somebody loves you!

I love you! Believe that today. I shed my own blood for you. You stand forgiven before the Almighty King. You are precious in my sight. Whenever you get discouraged or down on yourself, remember that my grace is sufficient and my mercies are never ceasing. Remember that I promise to meet your needs according to my riches and fulfill your desires with good things.

Look to me. It’s in me that you’ll find fullness of joy and pleasures forever. You are so loved! You are a special creation – unique and wonderfully designed by God’s perfect hands. I have a plan for you. I will use you.

Remember that I am slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness. You are my chosen child and you share in my treasures. All I have is yours too! I have filled you with my love, my joy, my peace – walk in my victory today!

Relax in my grace – cease striving. Let me do all through you.
Jesus

__________________________________________

Dear Kids Ministry Volunteer,

I hope in reading the letter above that it reminded you of the amazing love and grace you receive from this world’s one and only Savior, and I also hope that you remember the importance of what you do each and every Sunday . . . you’re a part of a “Jesus-Movement” that helps kids understand everything in the letter above.

God uses Jesus Followers to show the world who He is, and God has chosen you to show the kids at GCC what it means to be a follower of Jesus. The love you pour out in Kids Ministry is the love given to you by a Savior who died on a cross for you and for each one of the wild, snot-nosed, sometimes smelly kids under your care.

Don’t forget . . . this is your ministry! The group of kids you serve, that is the fertile soil that God has placed before you. So continue to give your very best to God by planting the seeds of love, hope, and joy that you have been given from God. By doing so you are carrying out the mission . . . to go and make disciples . . . to be used by the Holy Spirit to help others become followers of Jesus.

By serving, you are also setting the example for the rest of the adults at Grace. You see, Grace Community Church does not exist to simply see people converted (although that is awesome), but instead we exist to help grow disciples (TRUE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS). And if you are a true disciple of Jesus then you are investing in others, teaching them in the ways of our Savior. Kids Ministry Volunteers, that’s exactly what you do every Sunday. Because of your obedience conversions and discipleship is happening . . . you, my friends, are the real deal.

Thank you,

Adam

Kids Ministry Leaders: How To Handle Negative Volunteers

This is a difficult thing to talk about for most Kids Min leaders. Why? Because we love volunteers! Because the heartbeat of our ministry is an awesome God that works through our volunteers to impact the lives of parents and kids for Jesus. These folks are not just names on a roster . . . these are our partners in ministry . . . folks who have decided to be a part of a movement. So we find it hard being honest and open about the few on our teams that always seem to find the negative in every situation.

Now let me clarify what I mean by a negative volunteer. These are the folks that have an addiction to find fault in everything; they “nit-pick” issues of little importance. Folks in this category never offer solutions, and negative volunteers show up on Sundays unprepared with little motivation until they have the chance to share with others everything the kids pastor and staff are doing wrong, that’s when they seem to perk up.

A while back I was continually receiving reports about one of my teams simply having a negative attitude overall, and once I did some investigating I quickly found out why. A few members of the team were negative volunteers. Thankfully, shortly after, those few either moved away or stepped down . . . and guess what happened . . . we found new, positive leaders to replace them and all is well with that team now. That’s the reason dealing with negative volunteers is so important. NEGATIVITY SPREADS faster than you could ever imagine.

Here’s how I’m trying to deal with negative volunteers these days:

PRAY for them:

Ask God to change their hearts, to give you the desire to reach out to them, or ask God to move them out of the ministry and into one that will bless them. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve given these situations over to God and then find out the next month, week, and even day that the person involved is moving away or stepping down. In other cases God has given me the right words to say at the right time. Seek God before diving in!

CONFRONT them:

In love, set aside time to meet with your negative volunteer and be 100% honest with them about what you think is going on. Allow them plenty of time to talk as well in order to respond! You want to walk away with clarity about where his or her heart truly is as it relates to Kids Min.

INVEST in them:

From there, be sure to take out time to come alongside them and help that person grow . . . to stretch them. Follow up with them by phone, over coffee, notes, and emails. And keep a close eye on them to see if things improve or stay the same.

DECIDE for them:

In the end it might just come down to you having a tough conversation . . . face to face. Some negative volunteers will never make the decision to step down and you will simply have to make that decision for them. Celebrate their strengths! Celebrate the good they’ve done! And reinforce your decision that kids ministry is simply not a good fit. Let them know that you will be more than happy to help them connect with another ministry.

BOTTOM LINE: I’m learning to not put this stuff off because it’s difficult. One person with a bad attitude can infect an entire team . . . it’s too important to ignore. But I’m also learning to always give people second chances . . . to help them defeat the negativity. But in the end it’s my role as a kids min leader to pray for them, confront them, invest in their lives, and in the end make the tough decision, all the while handling every moment with grace and love.

Tom Petty, Rush, and Kids Ministry

I love me some Netflix! As a matter of fact, I’m hooked on the Classic Albums Series which documents the recording process of some of the best albums. I recently watched the making of “Damn the Torpedoes” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Rush’s recording of the albums “2112″ and “Moving Pictures”.

I love learning about band dynamics. How were songs written? Did someone from the band rise up as the leader or was it a complete democracy? How were tensions dealt with on tour and in the studio? My interest comes from a long history of being in bands myself . . . actually starting when I was 9 and lasting until I was a young adult. Few things are more difficult than being in a serious band . . . it’s tough! All the different ideas and personalities coming together can either make for a great band or a disastrous mess . . . much like the teams we build in Kids Ministry.

I always watch the documentaries of healthy bands with a careful ear to maybe learn what made them click so well, so I can then apply their strategies to the ministry I lead at Grace Community Church in Clarksville, TN.

At the very end of both documentaries Tom Petty and Geddy Lee make profound statements that really causes a leader to think . . .

“One of the things I really love about being in Rush . . . that we’re not afraid to do anything on a record, and even if it’s sometimes a terrible mistake . . . there’s still the willingness to experiment. And I think that’s why the three of us have stayed together, because we feel in the confines of Rush we can try almost anything.” Geddy Lee from Rush

Stop and read that again! Geddy says two very important statements here, “ . . . there’s still the willingness to experiment . . . ” and “ . . . in the confines of Rush we can try almost anything.“

1. As a leader of Kids Ministry, are you going out of your way to create a culture that expresses a willingness to experiment? When’s the last time you tried something new? If your answer is anything over a year than you are not creating this culture. Are you surrounding yourself with key leadership that loves to experiment? If not, change that right away and get the right people on board.

2. In the confines of your Kids Ministry, do you and your team feel like you can try almost anything? These types of environments backed with the guidance and glory of Jesus Christ can lead to something out of this world.

“It was within our grasp and we knew it . . . we just had to do it.” Tom Petty

Tom Petty is talking about what it felt like right before he and his band started recording the album “Damn the Torpedoes”. They had a dream, a concept, so real to them that even before recording had started it was as if the album was already in their hands.

1. Do you have a vision of where you want your Kids Min to be in 2 years, 5 years, 10 years? Here’s our Vision: To facilitate the most dynamic kids ministry through a true church/home partnership that engages families and volunteers, nurturing everyone toward a growing relationship with Jesus.

2. Is that vision clear to the rest of your team? Randomly select a few volunteers this Sundays and pull them to the side . . . ask them what the vision is in your Kids Min. If you get a lot of confused looks then you know that creating a strategy that will allow you to cast vision is a priority.

3. Is the passion amongst your staff and volunteers so intense that collectively you all look at the vision and pursue it with such passion that you all know, with God’s blessing, that the vision Jesus has placed on your heart is within your grasp . . . you just have to keep doing it!

So there you go. Biggest walk-a-away for Kids Min peeps is to know that being in Kids Ministry is as cool as being in a famous rock band! Haha!

How to Effectively Execute Year-End Evaluations

If you are a leader in ministry, then it’s that time . . . time to evaluate your staff and volunteers during their annual performance reviews. In order for me to ensure that my time with staff and key volunteers is as efficient and thorough as possible I will be doing the following this December:

Actually blocking out time on my schedule to think it through . . .

I know this sounds so simple, but the truth is most leaders put forth little effort planning out year-end evaluation sessions. Taking out the time to think through evaluations and documenting your thoughts takes . . . time and lots of it. It’s hard work! The worst thing a leader can do is show up for an annual performance review unprepared. Sometimes we think we can “wing it” because we’ve worked with the individual for the past year and expect that strengths and weaknesses will just roll off the tongue in the moment. Truth is, few things are more disrespectful to those you lead than to show up unprepared for a review . . . believe me, they will know whether you took the time to think through and plan out what you wanted to say.

Giving each person a heads up . . .

Before your scheduled review, email everything you plan on talking about to each of your staff and volunteers. The earlier you email this out the better. For most folks, this action will be much appreciated. No one likes going into a meeting not knowing what to expect . . . especially an annual performance review. Your staff will have the chance to process your thoughts and will be prepared to respond, thus ensuring a more productive session.

Playing by the same rules . . .

Ask your staff and volunteers to evaluate you. Ask about your strengths, your weaknesses, and how you can better support them in 2013. You need to improve as well . . . and allowing yourself to be evaluated shows respect to those you lead, letting them know that you care about being the best leader you can possibly be.

But my team has to play by the same rules as me and answer these questions ahead of time. Failure to do so means that I will not allow them the chance to evaluate me during our session.

Main points of discussion in my annual performance reviews:

1. How have you improved in 2012? What strengths stand out?

2. Celebrate accomplishments . . .

3. Identify weaknesses and allow the staff member or volunteer to participate in the process of constructing a clear improvement plan . . .

What Are Warehouse Rally Sundays?

 

Kids Ministry Volunteers,

We have recently launched a new plan to help support Wonder Warehouse, Grace’s preschool ministry, on Sundays where we are expecting many volunteers to be away due to holidays and what not . . . we are calling it Warehouse Rally Sundays . . .
Here’s the plan: Cross Street and Revolve will join together for a full-on large group experience so we will need less volunteers for K thru 5th while at the same time giving our kids a different Sunday morning experience. This means that more of our K thru 5th volunteers can help out in Wonder Warehouse for the day . . .

Here’s the reason: We can always make changes to our other Kids Min environments where we will need less volunteers . . . it’s not ideal but it’s easy to work out. In our preschool environment it is not that easy. We can’t go full-on large group when dealing with babies thru 4 year olds . . .

Bottom line: Warehouse Rally days are Sundays in which we feel Kids Min as a whole needs to rally around our preschool ministry and support Wonder Warehouse . . . 

Thoughts on Collaboration . . .

A friend in ministry recently asked me to share some thoughts about collaboration in ministry for an article she is writing . . .

Thought I’d share my response to her with you guys:

Where do you see various fields in the marketplace reaping the benefits of collaboration?

The arena in today’s marketplace that seems to have the edge in collaboration is one of the church’s greatest competitors, the entertainment industry. Two companies I love, Pixar, with their intentional creative climates, and Disney, with their out of this world Imagineers, can base a large portion of their success on bringing the right people to the table in order to not just come up with great ideas, but to also see those ideas come to life on screen and in wonderful parks.

Random thoughts about collaboration:
1. When I make the choice as a leader to not invite others in on a project I choose a final product that is destined for mediocrity . . . it’s a path that will never lead to what could have been . . .

2. When we as leaders choose not to collaborate, we are exposing bad stewardship on our part by not utilizing one of God’s greatest blessings toward our ministries . . . the time, gifts, and ideas that come from the wonderful people in our churches and in our community.

3. Choosing not to collaborate is like choosing to not use a single dollar of your budget . . . people and money are both wonderful resources that help us in ministry, but the difference is that people are more valuable . . .

4. The path of going “solo” comes with a heavy load that eventually transforms into a burden that caps growth and robs us of joy . . .

 

How have you worked to collaborate with others in ministry?  (within your church and beyond)

In every event I try and think through a win/win not just for Kids Min but for other ministries in the church . . . and then I bring those leaders in and we all dream together. For example: When we landed on trying out Trunk or Treat for the first time we decided to do it on one of our scheduled Worship Nights for adults . . . which would benefit the Worship team by bringing in even more numbers and it would be a treat for our families as well . . .

I’m working on uniting other Kids Pastors in our area so that we can collaborate more . . . we could learn from each other, plan events together, and even share equipment as needed . . .

I always try and bring in business leaders from our community (who mainly attend Grace) to help make events and our Sunday morning experiences even better . . .  military leaders know how to lead adults well, restaurant owners can lead adults and help with planning for food, building contractors can sit down with me and think through costs for building supplies for sets . . .