April 15, 2014

Top 5 Reasons Every Kids Ministry Leader Should Use Ministry Grid

Ministry Grid is a great resource for the church. You can train your leaders with a customized experience while saving time and resources. I don’t know any kids ministry leader that doesn’t need more time and resources. Consider these reasons:

5) You can choose from thousands of videos and customize the experience for multiple teams.

4) Your leaders can train at their own pace and in their own place!

3) The sessions are led by experienced people from varying backgrounds and churches.

2) Training on Lifeway curriculum is offered absolutely FREE! You can eliminate much of the “how-to” teaching meetings with the online format provided by the folks who actually create the curriculum.

1) It allows us to fulfill our role as leaders in “equipping the saints.”

Visit the Ministry Grid home page and click the “learn more” button on the bottom of the page and try it out. You can register for free!

Jeffrey Reed serves as the Director of Kids Ministry for Lifeway. He came to Lifeway with a wide variety of ministry experiences including worship leader, director of children’s ministry, and executive leadership in several growing congregations. Jeffrey’s posts will give your heart and brain a workout, just like the fitness Boot Camp he leads in the mornings for Lifeway employees. Jeffrey and his wife Katherine have four kids.

Leadership, Resources, Training

November 4, 2013

Train Your Leaders … Easily

By Jeffrey Reed

The church was growing. God had just called me into children’s ministry. We actually had dozens of volunteers coming forward to serve in the children’s area. (That’s another blog, altogether.) I scheduled my regular quarterly training session to prep these awesome volunteers to work with our kids. Out of the 20 or so volunteers that had signed up, only nine came to the training. I was discouraged, but rescheduled the absentees for another night. Six showed up. Two coffee shop visits, one breakfast appointment and one last-minute-after-church meeting later and I had finally trained all of the volunteers…at least in the basics. That was only round one.

We still had not delved into the specifics of what it means to be a great kids small group leader. By the end of the year, I had spent over 30 hours at 12 different meetings training 20 volunteers. I had a dozen new folks sign up before I was even done with the first group. Would it ever end?

The importance of the time that a kids director or pastor spends with their leaders and volunteers is critical. It’s a challenge to keep up with the process of training your leaders. I would have given almost anything to have a tool that would take a bulk of that leader-training load off of my shoulders. Now a solution is coming to address the important issue of ongoing training.

I don’t usually tout specific ministry tools, but I feel that this one is a no-brainer. Ministry Grid – launching on Tuesday, November 12 – is an online tool to help you with your training needs. It’s one of the coolest things to come along the leadership pike in years. You can take the load off of your shoulders and let Ministry Grid train your leaders for you. You’ll be able to track each person’s progress and ensure that they are getting the best training possible.

It’s not designed to replace discipleship. That one-on-one time with the people that you lead is essential. Ministry Grid can be a great tool for passing on information and training that your volunteers, servants, and leaders can take in at their own pace and at their own place.

You can customize it for your own ministry. You’ve got to check out this online resource.

Lead well.

Jeffrey Reed serves as the Director of Kids Ministry for Lifeway. He came to Lifeway with a wide variety of ministry experiences including worship leader, director of children’s ministry, and executive leadership in several growing congregations. Jeffrey’s posts will give your heart and brain a workout, just like the fitness Boot Camp he leads in the mornings for Lifeway employees. Jeffrey and his wife Katherine have 4 kids.

Encouragement, Events, Fun, Leadership, Training

August 27, 2013

3 Breakout Sessions You Don’t Want to Miss

By Cristy Whitlock

In just a few weeks (six to be exact), something VERY EXCITING is happening in Nashville, Tennessee! Maybe you’ve seen our previous posts on KMC, our annual conference for leaders in kids ministry. We can’t quit talking about it here on the Kids Min floor of Lifeway, and I wanted to give you a heads up on a few workshops you should definitely check out:

Teaching to Teach: Equipping Your Leaders to be Better than You
Jeffrey Reed, Director of Lifeway Kids
This isn’t a session about leading a small group for kids. It goes deeper. You can already do it because it’s your job, right? Can all of your leaders? Jeffrey will focus on equipping you to inspire and recruit committed leaders.

Raising Boys and Girls
David Thomas, Director of Men and Boys’ Counseling, Sissy Goff, Director of Child and Adolescent Counseling, and Melissa Trevathan, Executive Director, Daystar Counseling
David helps you understand and explore the hearts, minds, and ways of boys and the vital role we play on the journey from boy to manhood. Sissy dives into the heart of girls to help adults understand the different stages of development for girls: what is normal, what is not, and how to relate effectively. Get excited for encouragement and insight from some of our best session leaders!

Layered Discipleship
Jana Magruder, Director of Kids Ministry Publishing
Come hear a strategy that will help you attract and sustain leaders, develop and maintain upcoming leaders, all while discipling the youngest of these. Join Jana to hear about the “layered discipleship” effect and how it can change the way you look at volunteer recruitment and retention, developing new leaders, and growing the next generation with hearts for Jesus.

Just reading over these descriptions gets me so excited for October 7-10th! We hope you’ll join us!

For the Kids Ministry Conference website, click here. To register now, click here.

Leadership, Sunday School, Training

August 26, 2013

5 Tips for the First-Time Teacher

By Cristy Whitlock

The following post was written by Cindy Morris, Childhood Ministries Coordinator of the South Carolina Baptist Convention.

Teaching kids can be intimidating. However, a little preparation and research can fully equip you to share valuable lessons with a class full of excited children. Here are five pieces of advice for your new role as a teacher:

Know the children you teach. Study the general characteristics for the age group you will be teaching. This will help as you plan the learning activities. As you teach the children in your classroom, you will get to know their specific characteristics. This information will guide the way you teach.
Start planning early in the week. Begin with the Personal Bible Study in your leader guide. You can’t teach what you don’t know! This Bible study will prepare you personally and give God an opportunity to speak His directions to you. Take a look at the learning activities and resources needed. Begin to think of how you can use Bible conversation during learning activities. How will you reinforce the Life Application?
Arrive EARLY! I like to arrive 20-30 minutes before Sunday School. This allows time to set up the classroom and create a good teaching environment. Be prepared to greet children at eye level when opening the door. Express love in your greeting, and tell the child you are happy he came to Sunday School. Get any needed information from the parent, use the security system your church has in place, and help the child get settled into a learning activity.
Follow up with guests and absentees each week.
Evaluate the Sunday School experience. Which learning activities were successful for using the Life Application? What should be done differently for group time? What did you learn about the children you teach?

What’s worked in your classroom? Is there any advice you would give new teachers? Leave a comment with your answers!

Resources, Training

August 9, 2013

A Tool for Easy Leader Training

By Katie DeCillo

Your people are good at what they do. Of course they are—God made them that way. But do they know they are? Often times, the only difference between filling a spot and serving with passion is the empowering knowledge that comes from training. But many times the training they need is not available at the time and place they need it.

Ministry Grid is a web-based training platform that makes developing leaders simpler and more effective than ever before, removing the obstacles most churches face in training leaders and providing the right training at the right time, no matter the ministry role that needs it. Ministry Grid features:

More than 1,000 video courses from parking lot ministry to the pulpit
A convenient web- and mobile-based platform for training anytime, anywhere
Intuitive Learning Management System to easily assign training, monitor progress, and assess giftedness for all your people
Customizable content, including the ability to upload your own and turn off unwanted content
Affordable subscription rates priced according to your ministry size

You’ll find great leader training resources, like 8 Approaches to How Kids Learn:

If you’re interested in learning more about Ministry Grid, check out ministrygrid.com. You can even sign up to view exclusive pre-release content.

Leave a comment below about how your church does training and I’ll select five people to receive a 30-day gift card to Ministry Grid.

Leadership, Uncategorized

June 24, 2013

Why Didn’t Somebody Tell Me That? (Part 10)

By Bill Emeott

#10 Longevity is Valuable!

Well… we made it. Today is the final installment of a TEN PART Monday morning series. These thoughts came from my experiences and my failures early on in my Ministry to Kids and their families. I suspect that some of these have “rung the bell” for you and if given the opportunity you’d say A-MEN. I really do hope that they’ve been encouraging and helpful (and maybe even affirming).

As I finish up I want to share #10: Longevity Makes a Difference.

Too many Kids Ministers are looking for what’s next and not focusing on what’s NOW. I watch ministers move every couple years to what they think is “a greener pasture.” It takes time to water, weed, and grow a green pasture. You may inherit someone else’s good work but you also might be inheriting someone else’s issues. It’s been said that if the grass is greener on the other side it might mean there’s a septic tank over there (just sayin’). I’m convinced that it takes 2-3 years to get in your groove with a new work. It takes at least that long to build a good team and grow trust and confidence. Could it be that too many of us are leaving before we ever really make a difference?

May I encourage you to plan to stay? Go into each new ministry with the plan to retire right there! It might not be your reality, but I think it’s a good attitude. If God leads you away then by all means go… but don’t go with the idea that you’ll soon leave. That really doesn’t help anyone.

Longevity:

(Each of the above bullets links to the original posts).

Don’t be a church hopper. Seek God’s will and allow Him to use you where you’re sent.

Encouragement, Leadership

May 27, 2013

Why Didn’t Somebody Tell Me That (Part 6)

By Bill Emeott

Why Didn’t Somebody Tell Me THIS?

This 10 part series is now over the “hump.” Don’t miss any of the previous posts, I think it’s good information… especially if you’re just now starting out in Kids Ministry:

#1 Take Care of You, No One Else Will

#2 Know What You Believe and Why You Believe It

#3 People are More Important than Programs

#4 Organization is Your Friend

#5 Give Away Your Ministry

#6 – We May All Be Created Equal, But That Doesn’t Insure Equality!

I realize this sounds pretty strong and I realize that what I’m about to share with you might not be “fair” but here’s the truth… if you start comparing: your ministry budget, your “time with the pastor,” your staff, or even your salary you may be disappointed. Don’t do it!

Now don’t get me wrong, I think part of our job is to be an advocate for the kids and Kids Ministry, but be very careful to NOT find yourself with “Poor Pitiful Me” syndrome. Nobody wants to be around “Poor Pitiful YOU” and you’ll just get a really bad reputation for whining.

Don’t compare! It’s just not a good habit and to be perfectly honest, you may not know all the details. You may not be aware of a need, a plan, or an issue that may cause inequality. Making comparisons and calling attention to unfair ministry practices will just bog you down and get you off focus.

Satan would like nothing more than to get you off track and bogged down with what everyone else has and what you don’t have. It’s been my experience that God will supply my every need (Philippians 4:19). I have no reason to believe otherwise and I have no reason to believe that He is not big enough to take care of the Big Picture (Matthew 6:26).

Trust Him!

Encouragement, Leadership

May 20, 2013

Why Didn’t Somebody Tell Me That? (Part 5)

By Bill Emeott

#5 Give Away your Ministry!

Last week I shared part 4 of this series, “Organization is Your Best Friend.” Take a minute to flip back and read that post. It really does set up today’s thought: Give Away Your Ministry!

Ephesians 4:12 says that God gifted us for the “equipping” of the saints for the work of ministry. I don’t read that we’re to do it all ourselves! For way too long some of us (and some of our supervisors) have thought our job as Kids Ministers was to do it all, everything. After all, isn’t that what they pay us to do? The longer I’m in this great work, the clearer it has become that I CAN’T DO IT ALL ALONE and more importantly, GOD DOESN’T WANT ME TO DO EVERYTHING!

I think one of the best compliments I’ve ever received wasn’t given to me while I was actually on staff at one of my former churches but was shared after I left. The pastor shared publically (I wasn’t there but I was told of this and later and it was confirmed) how much he appreciated what I had done while on staff at that church. He shared that my vision casting and equipping those who served in Kids Ministry with me had actually set the church up for the growth it experienced after I left.

Ask yourself this question, “If something happened and I was no longer in the picture, how well would the Kids Ministry in my church function?” That’s a hard question but one that we should ask regularly. We need to be investing, training, and equipping folks to “carry on” way after we’ve “moved on” (whatever that might mean).

Don’t be lazy! You are the leader and you need to be in there “getting after it” with your leadership team, but you need to be equipping folks, mentoring your leadership, and working yourself out of a job! (Don’t get too worried with that last sentence… there will ALWAYS be something for you to do! I promise!!!) Multiply your ministry by leading, equipping, training, and giving your ministry away!

Why didn’t somebody tell me that?

Leadership, Media, Training

May 10, 2013

Great Children’s Ministry Training Content. Online. For YOUR church.

By Katie DeCillo

“If you give children your attention, they’ll be drawn to you,” says Clayton King, Founder of Crossroads Worldwide. Ministry Grid captured King’s leadership training session at Lifeway’s 2012 Kids Ministry Conference.

King encourages that just as children approached Jesus in Mark 10:13-16, the same is true for leaders and volunteers in your church’s children’s ministry. Children naturally gravitate toward those people who are investing in their lives.

“You are being like Jesus to those children,” King states. “Because to a lot of the children you are serving and ministering to, you’re the only Jesus they’re ever going to see.”

King explored lessons about children from Mark 10 at this leadership training event. He encourages that the children’s reactions to Jesus in this passage reveals three specific things about their character to keep in mind in your children’s ministry.

First, children are into people not power. They instinctively understand that life is about people, not attaining power in this world. This truth further reveals how we should all live as Christ-followers: recognizing that the kingdom of God is all about people.

Second, children are about innocence and not influence. King emphasizes that children are naturally honest, often telling the truth with brutal honesty that many adults would shy away from or tiptoe around.

Lastly, children are empty and not yet established. King describes children as canvasses that have yet to be painted. By serving in children’s ministry, we’re helping fill their minds and hearts. King encourages filling them with such things as the Gospel, mercy, compassion, and patience.

As King summarizes, “They’re going to be filled with something. Let’s fill them with the Word of God.”

Preview this video and other free leadership training sessions at ministrygrid.com.

Ministry Grid is a subscription-based, online leadership development platform for pastors, staff, and volunteers that is unmatched in scope of content, customization, and simplicity. You’ll find more than 1,000 video sessions on topics, ranging from parking ministry to polity, with more added continually. You can even upload your own content, turn off unwanted content, and put your church’s own logo and skin on the site. An intuitive Learning Management System makes assigning courses and tracking your people’s progress a snap. It’s training made simple. Coming Summer 2013.

Training

January 29, 2013

Are you “INvest”ed?

By Jerry Vogel

Lately I’ve been humming the song, “Lean on Me.” I remember using this song at preteen camp during my days of serving as a kids minister. I remember how much fun the kids had with the tune and especially the motions.

As I hum it today, though, I’m thinking that in kids ministry we obviously must first of all “lean on” our God Who called us to ministry. Secondly, however, we all need fellow ministers upon whom and with whom we can lean, share insights, and get advice related to challenges and opportunities. Lifeway Kids is providing just such an opportunity to “lean on” experienced kids ministers and collect some “handles” to hold onto in our ministry journey.

To learn more about INvest, click here.

to see if maybe this mentoring experience offered by Lifeway Kids might be a good fit for you. Take special note that the registration fee has been cut in half as an introductory opportunity for this networking process.

Top 5 Reasons Every Kids Ministry Leader Should Use Ministry Grid

Train Your Leaders … Easily

3 Breakout Sessions You Don’t Want to Miss

5 Tips for the First-Time Teacher

A Tool for Easy Leader Training

Why Didn’t Somebody Tell Me That? (Part 10)

#10 Longevity is Valuable!

Longevity:

Why Didn’t Somebody Tell Me That (Part 6)

Why Didn’t Somebody Tell Me THIS?

#6 – We May All Be Created Equal, But That Doesn’t Insure Equality!

Why Didn’t Somebody Tell Me That? (Part 5)

#5 Give Away your Ministry!

Great Children’s Ministry Training Content. Online. For YOUR church.

Are you “INvest”ed?

All Ministry Sites

Digital Resources

Lifeway Network