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Encouragement, Encouraging, Kids Ministry
March 1, 2021

Dust Storms, Pandemics, and Kids Ministry

By Landry Holmes

Growing up on the South Plains of West Texas, I always knew that March and April would bring high winds and lots of dust in the air. My mother still lives in my hometown and claims the dust storms clear the air—that once the gritty dirt settles, the air is fresh and clean.

Pandemics, I’m beginning to sense, are like dust storms in some ways. When you’re in the middle of them, you can’t see past the end of your nose. However, once the dust settles, kids ministry may be fresh with a sense of newness. Nonetheless, we’re still in the midst of the COVID-19 storm, so what can we do now to prepare for the clear skies that are sure to follow?

  1. Focus on your relationship with God. Now is definitely not the time to slack off reading and studying God’s Word, as well as spending time with God in prayer. Once the storm passes, we’ll need to be prepared for what’s next in kids ministry. Neglecting personal discipleship now will hinder our future ability to be in tune with God’s will.
  2. Take care of your physical and mental health. When you purchase a pre-owned vehicle in West Texas, look under the hood. If you see a lot of dust, you know that the car may not have been maintained properly. If we don’t take care of ourselves now, we may discover we have neither the strength nor energy to lead a vibrant kids ministry.
  3. Stay in contact with families. Families are hurting and grieving loss. They need ministry, now. If we wait until the dust settles to ramp up individual and corporate communication with families, we may send the unintended message that we care about them only when they show up in-person.
  4. Redefine ministry success. We may not want to admit this, but we often measure success by the number of kids in attendance. A post-pandemic kids ministry may appear smaller; however, that doesn’t mean God is not using you still to reach, teach, and minister to kids and their families.
  5. Clean up your ministry calendar. Perhaps for the first time in your ministry, you have the opportunity to start over. The pressure to keep a program alive will be lessened in a post-COVID world. Focus on what is important and build your ministry calendar from there. 

Anytime I think about moving back to the home of my youth, I quickly remember the taste and smell of blowing sand between my teeth and in my nostrils. I also think about the fresh air and beautiful sunsets made possible by the dust. There is no doubt that the current pandemic and the suffering it is causing is serious and painful. However, let’s not dwell on and complain about the storm. Instead, let’s look forward to a kids ministry that is fresh and focused.

_________________________

Landry Holmes is the Manager of Lifeway Kids Ongoing Bible Studies and Network Partnerships, Nashville, TN, and is a graduate of Howard Payne University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The author of It’s Worth It: Uncovering How One Week Can Transform Your Church and a general editor of the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids, Landry is a church leader, writer, workshop facilitator, and publisher. He teaches kids at his church in Middle Tennessee, where his wife Janetta is the Preschool Minister. They enjoy spending time with their two adult sons and their wives, and spoiling their five grandchildren.

Encouragement, Family, Family Ministry, Kids Ministry
February 1, 2021

Loving Kids and Families When You Don’t Feel Like It

By Landry Holmes

Life overall is messy, and church life is no exception. In addition, COVID-19 has made both even more messy. What causes the mess? People. 

One of my favorite quotes from the beloved comic strip Peanuts® is attributed to Linus, who exclaims one day, “I love mankind . . .  It’s people I can’t stand!” I think we all feel that way sometimes. We love kids and families, but sometimes we lose our patience or get irritated with them. (Kids and families, by the way, love us but become frustrated with us, too.)

So, what are we to do about this situation? The apostle Paul’s writings offer insight for us today when kids and families don’t always act in ways that make it easy to show them Christ-like love. Here are some biblical principles that can help us be more loving:

  1. Love is expected of us as believers. Paul says, “Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8)
  2. Love is expressed through our behavior. What is referred to as the love chapter has these words for us: “Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
  3. Love is observed by unbelievers, who are watching us. I think that is part of what Paul is saying here: “About brotherly love: You don’t need me to write you because you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. In fact, you are doing this toward all the brothers and sisters in the entire region of Macedonia. But we encourage you, brothers and sisters, to do this even more, to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, so that you may behave properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.” (1 Thessalonians 4:9-12)
  4. Love sets an example for others in the church. Paul writes to his protégé Timothy, “. . . set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12)
  5. Love is a source of church unity. Again, Scripture reminds Christians “ to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3) Paul also states, “Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. (Colossians 3:14)

So, why all this talk about loving preschoolers, children, and their families? For one, the Bible has a lot more to say about love, which is indicative of its importance. In fact Paul says in his closing statement to the church in Corinth, “Do everything in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:14) So, while the world is thinking about love this month, let’s double-down on our desire to show the love of Jesus to everyone. Playing favorites is not an option.

_________________________

Landry Holmes is the Manager of Lifeway Kids Ongoing Bible Studies and Network Partnerships, Nashville, TN, and is a graduate of Howard Payne University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The author of It’s Worth It: Uncovering How One Week Can Transform Your Church and a general editor of the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids, Landry is a church leader, writer, workshop facilitator, and publisher. He teaches kids at his church in Middle Tennessee, where his wife Janetta is the Preschool Minister. They enjoy spending time with their two adult sons and their wives, and spoiling their five grandchildren.

Uncategorized
January 25, 2021

3 Reasons You Need a Curriculum Plan, Now

By Landry Holmes

Recently, I took two road trips spanning 5 states and traveling a combined 3,000 miles. One trip was over familiar roads, and the other route required smartphone navigation. Both journeys necessitated planning (you can’t take a road trip without snacks) and preparation. I needed to know my departure time and my estimated time of arrival.

I also had a purpose for both trips. One was to visit extended family and the other was to provide transportation for my immediate family. I didn’t wake up one morning and think, “I need to drive over 1,000 miles to another state today,” and then jump in the car and head out.

However, that’s often how we make curriculum decisions. We think, “I need to find something to teach the kids at my church this week.” And we ask ourselves, “I wonder what other kidmin leaders are doing?” But, is that the best route to take?

Here are three reasons why we need to know where we’re going when we teach kids, even in the midst of a global pandemic when churches are not meeting consistently and families are quarantining:

  1. Kids haven’t stopped learning. A mentor taught me a long time ago that children are always learning. Much of what they learn is up to us. Therefore, we need to keep teaching preschoolers and kids the whole Bible, and part of teaching is knowing the destination and the purpose of the journey.
  2. Satan hasn’t stopped tempting. The battle is real and sometimes feels as if it is intensifying. Kids need to be equipped for spiritual warfare with solid biblical truth that builds on previous truths they have learned, not with cute churchy sound bites.
  3. Jesus hasn’t stopped rescuing. This is the hope we must convey to children. They live in a topsy-turvy world. However, we still have a responsibility to introduce preschoolers and kids to the One who saves–Jesus. We can do this by engaging kids with an intentional Bible study plan that points to God’s redemptive work throughout biblical history.

The temptation to forgo following a Bible study plan is especially attractive during a global pandemic. Afterall, we’ve never been down this road before. For that precise reason, preschool and kids ministries need a logical curriculum plan to provide us the necessary navigation.

_________________________

Landry Holmes is the Manager of Lifeway Kids Ongoing Bible Studies and Network Partnerships, Nashville, TN, and is a graduate of Howard Payne University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The author of It’s Worth It: Uncovering How One Week Can Transform Your Church and a general editor of the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids, Landry is a church leader, writer, workshop facilitator, and publisher. He teaches kids at his church in Middle Tennessee, where his wife Janetta is the Preschool Minister. They enjoy spending time with their two adult sons and their wives, and spoiling their five grandchildren.

Christmas, Kids Ministry
December 7, 2020

Four Ways Jesus’ Birth Informs Kids Ministry

By Landry Holmes

Christmas season is upon us, and our focus often immediately is on a baby born to a young couple in a stable with itchy hay and smelly animals. We sing echos of the prophet’s message, “For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us” (Isaiah 9:6):

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,

The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head;

The stars in the sky looked down where He lay,

The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.

This side of the cross, we know that there is so much more to Jesus than infancy. However, as children everywhere sweetly sing this song, we are tempted to view Jesus as a baby without acknowledging the direct correlation of Jesus’ experience on earth and kids ministry today. Yet, there are at least four examples of how Jesus’ earthly life reflects our own human experiences.

  1. Jesus came to earth as an infant. Jesus could have come as an adult as He will do someday, but He didn’t. He entered our world as a human infant. When you provide care for babies and toddlers, are you reflecting the love of the One who “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14)?
  2. Jesus grew just like kids do today. Don’t miss what Luke wrote: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people.” (Luke 2:52) That’s exactly how God designed every child to grow: intellectually, physically, spiritually, and socially. What are you doing to help the kids in your ministry grow in these ways?
  3. Jesus had some of the same experiences today’s kids have. True, the Bible is silent on Jesus’ life between infancy and his visit to the Temple as a 12-year-old. However, Scripture clearly states that “we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) How are you communicating to kids that Jesus faced some of the same temptations they face and knows exactly what they are dealing with?
  4. Jesus had an imperfect family. Yes it’s true Jesus is perfect, but His earthly family was not without flaws. Joseph considered not marrying Jesus’ mother. Jesus’s brothers initially rejected Him as Messiah. (John 7:5) His family tree included such rascals as Isaac’s son Jacob and his son Judah, not to mention King David and his son Solomon. (Matthew 1:1-16) How can you minister to the imperfect families of the children in your ministry without judgement, knowing Jesus’ lineage was dysfunctional too?

The infants, preschoolers, elementary kids, and preteens you reach and minister to week in and week out are made in God’s image and are experiencing life in much the same way as Jesus did. But, unlike Jesus, they need to experience God’s forgiveness and receive His gift of eternal life. 

Our job is to help kids discover the Jesus who didn’t stay in the manager but who died and rose again for our salvation. So, as we sing about Baby Jesus this Christmas, don’t miss the hint of what is yet to come: 

Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,

And fit us for heaven to live with Thee there.

May we be faithful to introduce kids to the Jesus who left the manager to redeem us on the cross.

_________________________

Landry Holmes is the Manager of Lifeway Kids Ongoing Bible Studies and Network Partnerships, Nashville, TN, and is a graduate of Howard Payne University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The author of It’s Worth It: Uncovering How One Week Can Transform Your Church and a general editor of the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids, Landry is a church leader, writer, workshop facilitator, and publisher. He teaches kids at his church in Middle Tennessee, where his wife Janetta is the Preschool Minister. They enjoy spending time with their two adult sons and their wives, and spoiling their five grandchildren.

Preschool, Preschoolers
October 7, 2020

Teaching Preschoolers Virtually

By Landry Holmes

At the risk of sounding cliché, preschool ministry looks different than it did before COVID-19 became a household term. One of those differences is how preschoolers gather for Bible study and worship.

Some preschoolers are attending church in person. However, many preschool parents are reluctant to leave their children in a classroom at church. They may either stay home, or keep their preschoolers with them at church. That leads us to explore how to teach preschoolers the Bible effectively whether they come to the church building or not.

At my church, preschoolers only recently commenced gathering with other kids at church. When COVID-19 first hit, we began doing preschool Sunday School online every Sunday morning. After preschoolers started coming back to the church building on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights, we decided to keep meeting virtually for Sunday School. 

Here are six tips we’ve learned about teaching preschoolers virtually that may help you and your church as you reach preschool families that are not ready to return to church:

  1. Brevity is a virtue. Limit each week’s online session to less than 30 minutes, or you’ll find yourself talking to an empty room on the other side of your computer screen. Remember, you control the time online. Develop a simple teaching outline that includes games, songs, prayer, and a Bible story.
  2. Interaction is helpful. If you think preschoolers have short attention spans at church, just try to keep them engaged through a computer screen! Play games and sing songs with motions to keep preschoolers focused on the learning experience.
  3. Printed materials are useful. Even though you may choose to use presentation software to show posters and pictures, be sure to let the preschoolers see you holding a physical Bible. Also, change up your routine sometimes and hold up a physical teaching picture or Bible verse poster instead of relying on a presentation slide. In addition, follow up each virtual session by mailing a hardcopy of the weekly take-home page.
  4. Relationships are valuable. Make the experience personal and recognize each child by name. Also, encourage other preschool teachers to hop on the computer. Kids like seeing their teachers, even virtually. For an extra bonus, invite your pastor to make an appearance from time to time.
  5. Flexibility is needed. In order to reach as many preschoolers as possible, adopt a hybrid teaching model. Include both virtual and in-person teaching times every week.
  6. Breaks are okay. The business world has taught us during this pandemic season that we can experience virtual meeting fatigue. To prevent burnout, take a break occasionally and let someone else lead the virtual teaching experience. Not only will you get a break, but you’ll be equipping volunteers for ministry. 

How long should your preschool ministry continue to meet virtually, even after preschoolers start coming to church physically? That depends on the context of your church and community. I suggest we keep meeting virtually until all preschool parents feel comfortable leaving their children in a preschool room. A free resource that may help you navigate how to minister to and teach preschoolers regardless of their physical location is Lifeway’s Kids Ministry From Anywhere webpage.

_________________________

Landry Holmes is the Manager of Lifeway Kids Ongoing Bible Studies and Network Partnerships, Nashville, TN, and is a graduate of Howard Payne University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The author of It’s Worth It: Uncovering How One Week Can Transform Your Church and general editor of the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids, Landry is a church leader, writer, workshop facilitator, and publisher. He teaches kids at his church in Middle Tennessee, where his wife Janetta is the Preschool Minister. They enjoy spending time with their two adult sons and their wives, and spoiling their grandchildren.

Training, Volunteers
September 9, 2020

The New Normal of Training Volunteers

By Landry Holmes

Get a group of kids ministry leaders together and invariably the twin subjects of enlisting and equipping volunteers emerge. The fact that we’re experiencing a global pandemic only intensifies the conversation. Truthfully, for the last few years, we’ve known that we need to develop new models of volunteer training. The impact of COVID-19 on in-person gatherings has accelerated that quest.

For many of us, our work lives are now consumed with virtual meetings as we sit in front of the cameras on our laptops or desktop computer monitors. We try to maintain some kind of decorum amidst barking dogs, slinking cats, and yelling kids. Naturally, some of us have begun to transition volunteer training from in-person to virtual gatherings using some of the same tools we use for our jobs.

Last week I led both live virtual training and pre-recorded virtual training, much like many of my colleagues are doing. I’m still learning the best way to present training content  in virtual settings; however, here are some of my observations to date:

  • Ignore attendance numbers. For live video training, resist the temptation to focus on how many are actually online at the same time you are teaching. The training session is probably being recorded so that people can watch it at their leisure.
  • Pretend you are in a physical room with participants. The live training I led last week was in the form of a webinar, so I could neither see nor actively interact with the attendees. However, the meeting host did two helpful things. First, she started and ended the session. Second, she monitored the online chat so she would be able to communicate applicable questions to me during the last part of the session.
  • Allow for interaction with attendees. Whether the discussion is live or via chat, participants in the training will be more engaged if they are able to communicate with you or a designated online facilitator.
  • Dress appropriately. I pre-recorded two training sessions last week and dressed as if I were standing in front of an actual group of people. The camera on my laptop only captured my person from the waist up, so technically I could’ve worn shorts and flip-flops. Instead I was in khakis and nice shoes. Dressing in business or business casual attire affects how you feel about yourself as you lead the training, regardless of how much of you people actually see.
  • Use visuals. People grow bored if all they see is a talking head on screen. Visuals could include presentation slides, as well as, physical posters and props.
  • Consider handouts. If the content lends itself to an interactive handout, make a PDF of the handout available to virtual attendees.

The more you and I train volunteers virtually, the more comfortable we’ll become. Nothing will completely take the place of live, in-person training in which relationships are formed. However, when we can’t interact with conferees face-to-face, we can still provide training and encouragement virtually.

Lifeway Kids has developed an online training course for new volunteers. You can find it on our Kids Ministry From Anywhere page in the training section.

_________________________

Landry Holmes is the Manager of Lifeway Kids Ongoing Bible Studies and Network Partnerships, Nashville, TN, and is a graduate of Howard Payne University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The author of It’s Worth It: Uncovering How One Week Can Transform Your Church and general editor of the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids, Landry is a church leader, writer, workshop facilitator, and publisher. He teaches kids at his church in Middle Tennessee, where his wife Janetta is the Preschool Minister. They enjoy spending time with their two adult sons and their wives, and spoiling their grandchildren.

Kids Ministry, Vacation Bible School
August 12, 2020

What I Learned From Teaching VBS at the Park

By Landry Holmes

By Landry Holmes

This year, many churches have been faced with the challenge of doing VBS differently than before, or not doing it at all. Fortunately my church took a cue from the free eBook 4 VBS Strategies for This Summer  and chose to conduct VBS at a city park.

It was a great experience, and here’s what I learned from teaching at VBS this year:

  • Kids thrive outdoors. Behavioral challenges were virtually non-existent. The use of the park’s pavilion, as well as wide-open grassy areas, gave kids room to be kids. They could run, talk loudly, and move about more freely than in the confines of a building.
  • Volunteers respond to new challenges. As soon as our church family heard we were going to conduct VBS at a local park rather than at our church building, adults and teens signed up to teach, prepare snacks, set-up and take-down awnings, and help in many other ways.
  • Curriculum works anywhere. Everyday, I led a small group of kids in Bible study under a tree. I used the curriculum my church had purchased for a traditional indoor VBS, and with an adjustment here and there, I was able to teach boys and girls about Jesus effectively. The kids played games, listened to a Bible story, and used their activity books. Again, I had little trouble keeping their attention.
  • The gospel is location neutral. This past Sunday, my pastor baptized a boy who became a Christian during VBS. He and his family are affiliated with another church in town; however, the child wanted to be baptized in our church. Would this kid have come to our church building, heard the gospel, and trusted in Jesus during a traditional VBS? Perhaps. However, I do know that each day at the park every child heard the gospel.

I was surprised at the consistency in which kids attended VBS this year. In fact, every child in my Bible study group who started on Monday stayed until the end of VBS on Friday. Was it hot? Yes. Was it inconvenient to set-up and tear-down daily? Yes. Were there bugs? Yes. Did the snacks melt prematurely? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely!

Even during a global pandemic, VBS is worth it because the gospel is worth it!

_________________________

Landry Holmes is the Manager of Lifeway Kids Publishing and Network Partnerships. A graduate of Howard Payne University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Landry served on church staffs before joining Lifeway Kids. He is a church leader, writer, workshop facilitator, and publisher.  Landry also teaches children at his church in Middle Tennessee. He and his wife Janetta are the parents of two adult sons and two daughters-in-law, and the grandparents of four adorable grandchildren.

Kids Ministry
July 8, 2020

Kidmin Leaders Struggle With FOMO, Too

By Landry Holmes

Everyone’s headed to the beach after VBS, and you’re still teaching a handful of kids on Wednesday night because the volunteers and families have left town. When you do go on vacation, you head the opposite direction to attend the annual family reunion. Does that describe your summer prior to COVID-19? It does mine; however, this summer is different.

VBS has been postponed for a month and will be in a city park, mission trip style. Our family reunion in Texas was on Zoom. We’re not meeting at church on Wednesday nights, and we are doing virtual preschool Sunday School on Sunday mornings. But, my colleagues and friends are still going to the beach. So, I have a touch of FOMO (fear of missing out).

FOMO isn’t relegated to the summer. We can be tempted all year long to look at other churches, kids ministries, kids ministry leaders, and our own church families and feel like we’re missing out on all the fun. Some other ways we experience FOMO in the kidmin world include:

  • Our kidmin attendance is not as big as everyone else’s.
  • We don’t have new kidmin facilities like the church across town.
  • We’re not doing anything cool or innovative for VBS this year like other churches are in the midst of a global pandemic.
  • We don’t have a big kidmin budget.
  • I’m not as creative as my kidmin friends on social media are.

If you’re not already depressed, consider making your own FOMO list. Or, don’t. I believe that Satan uses the fear of missing out to tempt us to focus on ourselves rather than placing our attention where it truly belongs—on Jesus. 

Here are three simple ways to avoid kidmin FOMO:

  • Spend time with God in prayer and Bible study, focusing on the person of Jesus. Doing so gets your mind off of yourself.
  • Resist comparing yourself, your family, your church, and your kids ministry to others. God has placed you and your church in your community for a purpose.
  • Limit your social media intake. Spending too much time following kidmin conversations can leave you disillusioned and unhappy.

Perhaps FOMO is not an issue for you. If so pray right now, thanking God that He has freed you from this temptation. If you are like I am, however, you are prone to FOMO and the many forms in which it appears. Ask Jesus to help you avoid falling into Satan’s trap. Remember, the grass is greener on the other side of the fence until you climb over the fence, set foot in another person’s pasture, and come face-to-face with an Angus bull.

_________________________

Landry Holmes is the Manager of Lifeway Kids Publishing and Network Partnerships. A graduate of Howard Payne University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Landry served on church staffs before joining Lifeway Kids. He is a church leader, writer, workshop facilitator, and publisher.  Landry also teaches children at his church in Middle Tennessee. He and his wife Janetta are the parents of two adult sons and two daughters-in-law, and the grandparents of four adorable grandchildren.

Kids Ministry
May 18, 2020

Creating Kidmin Moments

By Landry Holmes

The idea of creating kidmin moments has certainly taken on a new meaning. When I first began thinking about this concept over a year ago, my mind started with what we do in physical environments at church. However, COVID-19 and “Stay at Home” orders have changed the way many of us think about kidmin experiences. The need for kidmin moments has not lessened. In fact, a global pandemic has amplified that need.

   The idea of creating “memorable and meaningful” moments is introduced in Dan and Chip Heath’s book, The Power of Moments. The authors illustrate the importance of creating moments with the story of  the Magic Castle Hotel in Hollywood, California, which is housed in a former 1950’s era apartment complex.

   On the outside, the hotel doesn’t look like much. Apparently what draws families are the amenities. Not only are the rooms converted apartments, the hotel will deliver free snacks to your room anytime day or night. They’ll even launder your clothes for free, wrap them in paper, and deliver them with a sprig of lavender. But, the one feature that creates a “memorable and meaningful” moment for the hotel’s guests? The Popsicle® hotline. 

   All you have to do is pick up the red phone receiver located in the outdoor swimming pool area and ask for a Popsicle. The icy treats are delivered poolside by a hotel employee wearing white gloves. There’s nothing spectacular about the Popsicles. You can buy them from your local grocery store. What attracts guests is the moment that won’t be forgotten long after the family vacation ends. A moment created by an old-fashioned telephone, a Popsicle on demand, and a friendly delivery person.

   Now, what do Popsicles have to do with creating moments in kids ministry? They are a reminder that the work you do is vitally important, because the ministry environment you create is designed to facilitate “memorable and meaningful” Bible-teaching moments.

   Another reminder is found in Mark 10:13-16. In the moment described in these four verses, the disciples learned that Jesus loves everyone. The parents learned that Jesus had time to bless their children. And, the children experienced a moment they probably never would forget—a moment better than a poolside Popsicle.

  What kind of kidmin moments are you creating, either virtually during this pandemic season or in person when our churches gather again? Are they mundane or life-changing? 

   The thing about these kinds of moments is that they are tied to a relationship with an adult who cares enough to show up and teach kids about Jesus’ love. Remember, God calls each of us to give boys and girls weekly opportunities for life changing moments with eternal consequences. And, that is definitely better than a poolside Popsicle!

Landry Holmes is the Manager of Lifeway Kids Ministry Publishing. A graduate of Howard Payne University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Landry served on church staffs before joining Lifeway Kids. He is a church leader, writer, workshop facilitator, and publisher.  Landry also teaches children at his church in Middle Tennessee. He and his wife Janetta are the parents of two adult sons and two daughters-in-law, and the grandparents  of four adorable grandchildren.

Kids Ministry, Leadership
March 2, 2020

5 Ways to Expand Your Kidmin Influence

By Landry Holmes

Leadership is not about being the boss. Take that approach with kidmin volunteers, and you’ll be miserable (as will those you are attempting to lead). Instead, think of leadership as service and influence. Isn’t this the type of leadership Jesus modeled. In fact, here are five aspects of leadership we can learn from Jesus:

  1. Invest in team members. Pretending that we are the only ones who can accomplish most kidmin tasks is rooted in the temptation to justify our leadership existence by what we do. That’s not what Jesus did. In fact Jesus heavily invested Himself in 12 men, spending most of His time with them during His brief earthly ministry. Jesus taught them, ate with them, prayed with and for them, cried with them, rebuked them, partied with them, and dragged them to His speaking engagements. Jesus’ disciples learned how to lead by living with the ultimate servant leader, Jesus. The result was the spread of Christianity throughout the world.
  2. Involve team members in decision-making. Leadership 101 emphasizes the importance of pushing decision-making to those who will end up being affected the most by those decisions, or who will be the primary implementers of the decisions. Ultimately you are accountable for making many final decisions; however, if you want others to own your kidmin vision, then make some decisions collectively. Also, unlike Jesus, you are not perfect and therefore someone else might have a better idea than you.
  3. Allow team members to make some decisions on their own. Again, this is basic leadership. If volunteers are always waiting on you to make every decision, you become a ministry bottleneck and your influence may stall. On the other hand, if you do a good job of investing in team members and involving them in decision-making, volunteers will know how to make decisions in ways that expand your ministry influence.
  4. Be strategically intentional with your own time and energy. Remember you can’t do everything and you can’t be everywhere, so stop acting as if you are omnipotent and omnipresent. God created you to need rest. Even Jesus rested. He didn’t heal everyone who was sick, and He didn’t feed everyone who was hungry. Jesus’ ministry lasted only three years, and He had to say, “No,” sometimes. You may need to do the same in order to preserve your time and energy for opportunities that expand your ministry influence.
  5. Say, “Yes,” to team members as often as possible. Want to breathe life into your volunteers? Then, make saying, “No,” the exception. This is different from saying, “No,” to requests that zap your own energy for the sake of feeding your ego. Sometimes I fear that we may have too many rules and regulations in our churches that keep volunteers from carrying out the mission God has given them. We do need policies for the protection of children and volunteers, but don’t let rules stifle the ministry passion of volunteers. 

Our primary role as kidmin leaders is to serve and influence others for the sake of God’s kingdom. After all, kids ministry is not about us. It’s about Jesus and His bride, the Church. 

Landry Holmes is the Manager of Lifeway Kids Ministry Publishing. A graduate of Howard Payne University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Landry served on church staffs before joining Lifeway Kids. He is a church leader, writer, workshop facilitator, and publisher.  Landry also teaches children at his church in Middle Tennessee. He and his wife Janetta are the parents of two adult sons and two daughters-in-law, and the grandparents of four adorable grandchildren.

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