In my mad search for directors and teachers for Sunday School, I found a winner and enlisted her right away.  Things didn’t quite go as planned though. Here is a play by play of the decline in morale of the promising teacher.

Beginning of the year:

 Excited and wanting ideas

 Needed more teachers

 Always on time and prepared

 Smiled and radiated joy

 Worked in children’s events and on committees

 Gave it her best shot

Middle of the year:

 Enthusiasm began waning

 Began to have a look of defeat

 Made less time for meetings

 Started dropping hints of quitting

End of the Year

 Lost her joy in serving

 Resigned when she fulfilled the year commitment

She shared some responsibility, but I have full ownership for the outcome of this particular teacher.  We wrestle with keeping volunteers happy and productive as well as motivated and connected.  Leadership Development is about an outcome.  Jesus, through His ministry, showed us an incredible model of investing in and developing leaders. So how can we develop potential leaders?  We have to build the foundation, just like Jesus did.

Make It Mean Something

Churches cannot hire everyone so we are driven to hunt for volunteers.  As a volunteer, I asked myself, “Why am I serving?”  There are many reasons why people volunteer. “I want to serve Jesus.” “I love kids.” “I have so much fun.” “I want them to accept Christ.”  Like most people, I spend my week in meetings, pleasing my employer, helping churches and other employees.  I look forward to being in the classroom with the kids – making a difference in their lives.  The main reason people choose to volunteer is, “It brings meaning to my life.”  People with this as their motivation are potential leaders who are ready to serve.

Volunteers want to do something that is meaningful!  People who are looking for a meaningful experience want you to give a clear and compelling purpose.  Happy volunteers are crystal clear on their ministry’s purpose.  They can tell you not only why their ministry group exists, but also why it is important. For an important cause, leaders will give unselfishly and thank you for it.

Involve Volunteers as Much as Possible

If you miss this, you will drive your volunteers nuts!  On one hand, volunteers are busy and juggling multiple priorities.  On the other hand, they desperately want to have input into the direction and development of the ministry. Simply donating funds or following staff-made plans fail to excite long-term motivation.  Leadership Teams that start with a blank paper and listen to the heart of the minister and then to each other’s hearts will develop a collaborative vision and plan for the future as a team.

Don’t Waste Their Time

Our volunteers develop a sensitive nose for the hopelessly under-resourced project.  Nothing leads to starving projects like the failure to prune the ministry project list.

We can become leaders who are trying to staff and support too many ministry projects.  Some of these sub-ministries simply need to be eliminated.  Call it good church hygiene.  Regularly take a look at each project and decide if it can be resourced or reshaped or discontinued.  When all sub-ministries run dangerously close to the bone, volunteers become less motivated.  Maybe you need a “Stop Doing” list as much as you need a “To Do” list.

Celebrate With Meaningful Moments

I have celebrated my volunteers with a meal where I told them how I felt about the ministry and about their sacrifice to make a difference.  I have hosted many meetings in my home, never forgetting to appreciate each person and share my heart for the ministry being done.  I have recognized people from the pulpit, during deacon’s meetings, at finance meetings, and especially during meetings where children were present and could love on them. It is easy to brag about people to their family and friends.  Take the time to do it!

Stop Hogging the Ball

Any ball player knows how fun it is to play with a “ball hog” (sarcasm implied).  That player is silently communicating he doesn’t trust you to do something good with the ball.  Eventually, you just want to sit down.  How often do you really entrust your volunteers with doing the most important part of ministry?

I can remember wanting to take a part of a ministry that I was well equipped to do and in which I had many years of experience. I volunteered only to hear, “No, I would rather you not be responsible for it but you can do most of the work. Just clear everything through me before you do anything.”  I was very disappointed, unmotivated, disliked the project, disliked the leader, felt second rate or not good enough, and desperately wanted to quit.  All of these feelings surfaced because the leader chose to be a “Ball Hog!”  Are you being a “Ball Hog” with anything?  Try being the coach and a cheerleader.

Using these five methods will empower your volunteers and give them the staying power so that they can have satisfaction in their respective roles. Your satisfaction, your journey has come from pouring your life into your ministry.  Our volunteers can’t see that far down the road. We have to support and assist them until they too begin to see the fruition of their efforts.

What are some specific ways that you can begin to celebrate meaningful moments with your volunteers?

Are you being a “Ball Hog?” What tasks do you need to entrust to your volunteers now?

Fall has officially arrived! Whether or not your area has begun to see fall color in the trees, there are things we know to expect this time of year:

• the start of a new school year
• the start of a new church Bible study year

Let’s think about the new church Bible study year… Teachers usually get a new set of class members and also have the opportunity to learn and “do better” than last year! With this scenario in mind, let me suggest 7 simple habits to develop that could result in one of your best years ever in teaching kids:

1. Place a high value on developing relationships with kids and pray for them and their parents by name.
2. Purpose to plan diligently each week including daily time in the Word and letting God teach you something through the passage(s) of Scripture to be taught.
3. Prepare the learning environment in your church classroom and make it fun and inviting.
4. Remember that each child is unique and one approach to teaching with all kids is never adequate. Provide a variety of learning experiences since different children enjoy different types of Bible-learning activities.
5. Never forget that dealing with unacceptable behavior with kids is just a part of teaching. Be consistent, fair and flexible.
6. Since most professions of faith are made prior to the age of 14, make sure that all of your teaching “always comes back to Jesus.” He is the reason we teach kids!
7. Relax and have fun. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Learn to laugh at yourself.

If this list of habits overwhelms you, simply choose one or two to really address and promise yourself that you will give special attention to doing better in these areas.

 

Want help getting to know the new kids in your small group? Download this About Me Activity Page and allow your whole class to fill in their details. Your kids will not only build community with you, but also with each other! Have a great weekend!

Download About Me Activity Page here. (PDF)

If you’re one of those people that loves giveaways (isn’t everybody?), then we have great news for you! Over the next few weeks, we’ll be giving away VBS products to some randomly selected winners. This week you could win materials for a family movie night, which we believe could serve as a VBS follow-up event. The party includes a copy of Rocket Pack Jack and the Babylon Virus, a Rocket Pack Jack Stand-Up, and Personalized Invitations to pass out to everyone at VBS. Think of all the unchurched families you could invite! Make sure you add your name into the drawing by doing the following:

1. If you haven’t already, go “like” LifeWay VBS on Facebook.

2. As you scroll down the LifeWay VBS Facebook page, you should see a picture of Rocket Pack Jack and the words, “Win a Rocket Pack Jack Party!”

3.  Comment on that Facebook post with how many years you’ve served in VBS.

There you go, your name will be placed into the drawing. We will announce the winner on Friday, May 16th. Remember to check back on the LifeWay VBS Facebook page for the victor, and make sure you keep a watch out for more VBS giveaways in the following weeks!

Starting a children’s ministry in a new church can be challenging and very rewarding. This post by Laura Teague offers practical advice on getting started.  — Jeffrey Reed

Years ago I worked in a small church plant in a largely unchurched area. We met in the local YMCA and Sunday morning meant hours of moving chairs, raising pipe and drape, and hanging signs. Sound like your church? Church plants are becoming increasingly popular and in the midst of all there is to do, getting your children’s ministry off the ground can tend to slip under the radar. Here are a few practical tips for starting a children’s ministry in your church plant:

1. Make kids ministry a priority.

Boys and girls have unbelievable potential and desire to learn about Jesus and need a place for specific spiritual investment. Talk with your church staff about the importance of kid’s ministry and start to think through the logistics of space, budgeting, and resources. Together, set a purpose or mission statement for why you do children’s ministry. Make your priority spiritual investment rather than child care. What’s important to your church staff will quickly become important to your congregation.

2. Get people on board.

Work with your pastor to begin finding volunteers. Especially in an unchurched area, this can be one of your biggest challenges. Consider approaching the church as a whole and using a rotation system so volunteers still have a chance to attend worship. Parents understand the importance of kid’s ministry and can make great volunteers. Be sure to run background checks on all volunteers and clearly lay out expectations for them. After all, investing in the lives of kids is a commitment!

3. Choose a path.

What will your kid’s ministry look like? Will there be elements of large group? Small group? Worship? Do you have enough kids to divide by age? Use your mission statement to begin sculpting an outline, and begin praying about a spiritual direction and looking for a great curriculum. Check here for a few of our favorites!

4. Connect with families.

Connecting with the families in your church outside of Sunday morning is a great way to raise support and begin discipleship. This doesn’t have to be a big event– something as simple as a potluck picnic or outing to the local bowling alley will paint the picture that your church cares about families. Have your church staff join in and look at this as an opportunity for outreach.

What challenges and successes have you seen in your church plant’s children’s ministry?

Laura Teague serves as a Regional Children’s Ministry Representative in Central Mississippi. She and her husband, Daniel, are passionate about investing in local churches through relationships. Laura has been working in children’s ministry since she was in college and is passionate about seeing kids come to know Christ and encouraging adults as they lead them there.

The Bible commands us to teach Scripture to our children. Deuteronomy 6:4-7 reminds us that not only are we to teach our kids Scripture, but, we are to remember that kids are just like sponges that soak up all that is around them … both the good and the bad. They are learning every waking moment of the day. And, God’s desire is that many of those moments include experiences of kids seeing and hearing their leaders/teachers/parents reading from the Bible and treating the Bible with respect.

Unfortunately, in many preschool classrooms, the Bible is placed on a very high shelf so that no child could possibly reach it, touch it or interact with it. Why? Often the reason given is to “protect” it and “take good care of” it. Sadly, this approach does nothing to influence preschoolers positively about using the Bible. So, what would be some great reminders about how to use the Bible effectively with preschoolers?

• The Bible should be visible and accessible. Consider placing a Bible in every learning center, activity location in the room. This way as teachers interact with preschoolers they will be reminded to share Bible phrases and parts of the week’s Bible story with the kids.

• Teachers should use Bible story conversation as it relates to what a child is doing and experiencing.

• The Bible can be used any time it gives meaning to an activity and a child shows interest.

• Bibles can be placed in cribs to remind teachers to talk about the Bible with a child while changing a diaper.

• For crawlers and toddlers, Bibles can be “hidden” under blankets and toys for children to discover.

God’s plan has always been and will always be for preschoolers to learn from the Bible through the significant adults in their lives. The Bible can become a very treasured book as preschoolers observe the adults in their lives using the Bible and talking about it as a part of everyday life.

Jerry Vogel serves as a Childhood Ministry Specialist in LifeWay Church Resources. He is married to Janie and has four children and twelve grand kids. Jerry is a member of Brentwood Baptist Church and teaches preschoolers there. He is committed to enriching the lives of those who teach kids as well as making eternal investments in the lives of children.

Use your creativity to make snowy day indoors an adventure! This article by Laura Teague offers four fun ways to connect with kids.
–Jana Magruder

Once the joy of fresh snow and a day off of school pass, you may find yourself left with little more than soggy mittens, frozen toes, and kids who are less than thrilled to be stuck inside. The snowmen are built, the hot chocolate is gone, and you need some fast ideas for turning this frozen tundra into a winter wonderland.

Here are a few ideas to bring the outdoors in and continue the winter fun:

1. Build another snowman. This time, try building snowmen indoors with cans of shaving cream. Decorate with buttons, candies, or craft accessories. If you’re brave, play right on your kitchen counter for an easy clean up. If the mess worries you, try making snowmen directly on the walls of the shower or the floor of the bathtub.

Variation: If you want your snowman to last, try mixing equal parts shaving cream and glue to make puff paint for using on paper. Add food coloring for a fun twist!

2. Have a snowball fight. Choose an open place in your home and divide your kids into two teams. Allow them to build a fort if they choose and make a line down the middle of the room with tape. Use crumpled up paper or rolled up socks for a two-minute snowball fight. The team with the cleanest side at the end wins!

Variation: If you have younger kids and want to avoid throwing, try hiding cotton balls around the room. Have kids race to pick up the most snowballs and make a pile in the center of the room. Celebrate the end of the game by making it snow again!

3. Bundle up! Gather large coats, shirts, pants, hats, gloves, boots, scarves, etc. from your closet, enough for each child to have one of everything. Mix them all together in a pile at one end of the room. Have kids stand side by side at the other end and say the name of an article of clothing. If you said, “Pants!” the children must hurry to the pile, find a pair of pants to put over their existing clothes, and hurry back to the start. By the end, each child should have an entire winter outfit. Call for shoes last to avoid falling!

Variation: For older, more competitive children, make the game a walking race. Using a bowl for each child, write articles of clothing on slips of paper being as specific as you like (“Blue shirt” or “Mom’s favorite socks”). Add additional clothes to the pile to increase the difficulty.

4. Watch your step! Use pillows to make icebergs on the floor and challenging kids not to fall in the water. Give them simple tasks to complete in the room, such as “Flip the light switch” or “Help the toy across the room.” Allow imaginations to roam and let them create tasks for one another and for you. For safety, play this game on carpet rather than slick floors. Put pillows close enough together that kids do not jump long distances.

Variation: For older children, have them all stand on the same iceberg and challenge them to work together to get across the room. Allow them to move the icebergs, except the one they are currently on. If anyone steps in the water, everyone must start over.

Don’t be afraid to try something out of the ordinary and join in the fun. Whether you hang paper snowflakes on the windows or build a snow fort out of blankets, embrace this time you’ve been given to spend with your kids.

Laura Teague serves as a Regional Children’s Ministry Representative in Central Mississippi. She and her husband, Daniel, are passionate about investing in local churches through relationships. Laura has been working in children’s ministry since she was in college and is passionate about seeing kids come to know Christ and encouraging adults as they lead them there.