Talking with some parents this past weekend I asked them where they were plugged in and serving.  They shifted a little and mentioned getting involved with our Host Team as a greeter.

I understand that.  Their desire to plug in as a greeter is largely due to the fact that it doesn’t require a weekly commitment and if you miss here and there (or everywhere ) you’re not really missed.

But you don’t know what you don’t know… ya’ know?

How do you get a parent to consider plugging into kids ministry?  Talk about the benefit to them personally.  Do they have an elementary-aged child?  Then that child is likely tossing out spiritually-charged questions that are challenging to break down in a way they will understand.  What’s the best way to equip mom/dad?

Plug into the elementary experience and serve.

I know that sounds simple.  And I don’t pretend this is an epiphany that no one else has ever stumbled upon.  Don’t be ridiculous.

But I can only speak from my own experience.

My 9-year-old has established a habit of asking questions that baffle Kyle and me.  Though we may know the answer, trying to frame it in a way that he can comprehend is challenging.  So dismiss the presumption that b/c I’m a Children’s Pastor this stuff comes naturally to me. It doesn’t. In fact, sometimes Kyle and I stumble over ourselves so much Keegan ends up more confused than where we began.  Like a zit… the more you pick at it, the worse it gets. Yet it always seems that somewhere in the midst of the conversation I remember something in Toon Town that addressed the very topic.  I remind Keegan of the character, the circumstance and how they ‘shaped’ their explanation.  Then it sinks in… the light bulb goes on… and all is well with the world.  Keegan runs off to play and Kyle and I sink into the couch feeling as if we just ran a marathon.  Sad, really.

But my point is this…

I don’t write the curriculum that is taught to my son in Toon Town. I am exposed to it simply by being in the experience for one hour per week.  By being exposed to it, I’m equipped to have conversations with my kids on levels they can understand.  By hearing it presented in an age-appropriate manner, I’m better equipped as a parent to take that and elaborate on it at home.

I am equipped as a parent to lead my child spiritually simply because I’m exposed to what and how they are taught each week at church.  That’s rich.

So, when you look at it…

We don’t have to recruit from the premise that we need parents to serve in kids ministry.  Parents need kids ministry to serve in so that they may be better equipped as parents… as spiritual leaders of young followers of Jesus.

Call it continuing education…  On-the-job training… whatever.  Either way you slice it… engaging in kids ministry as a volunteer is a worth an hour of your week. Thoughts?

So, last week I asked the question we all ask at one point in our ministry.

What level of commitment do we ask of our volunteers?

Responses varied.  But Kenny’s summed all of them up very well.

For us it depends on what role. We expect our small group leaders to serve every week. We have multiple services, so they don’t have to miss the adult service. Leaders (people who are leading other volunteers) generally serve every week as well. However, most volunteers serve every other week. I’ve found that volunteers who can only commit to one weekend a month generally are not dependable. They often forget and rarely value the commitment. Some of the people I really respect in ministry really encourage moving all teams toward a serve every week model. I’m in love with the idea and I understand that you’ll need less people to pull that off, but finding people willing to commit to that schedule is HARD to do! 

So let’s talk nitty-gritty.  

The majority of those that commented all lead kids ministry and all agree that the every week commitment is the preference even if it isn’t the practice.  The majority agree that an every week commitment fosters an environment that is best for the child… which is our focus.  We could spend a lot of time there.

But someone I respect immensly shifted my focus recently and it has dramatically changed the way I recruit.

Most of the time we recruit from a mindset that we need the parent in order to make our ministry work.  That is true.  We need adults to execute the ministry on a weekly basis.  No argument.  

But is it possible that parents need to serve in kids ministry in order to grow as parents?  

hmmm… that’s a thinker

I speak best from experience mostly b/c I’m hard-headed.  I’ll share more on my personal experience tomorrow.

We had a small conversation going on yesterday’s post. Thanks to all that chimed in. I think there is more to discuss here, so I plan to pick this up a little next week.

See you then.

I need a Kids ministry discussion going on here.

How often do you ask your volunteers to serve and why?

No lurking.  Join the conversation.  Everyone asks this question at one time or another. 

What are you doing and why?

it amazes me just how unceremonious God-moments can be. and yet they are no less God ordained, amazing moments.

sitting at lunch with my daughter, between bites of her ham sandwiches, she asks, “mom, what’s sin?”

me… “honey, you know what sin is.”

josie… “you mean, things we do that are wrong?”

me… “pretty much.”

josie… “mom, i’ve sinned.”

me… “i know. so have i.”

josie… “but Jesus, he never sinned.”

slowly josie begins connecting the dots. she’s heard it before. she knows the story. but that day she understood this applied to her. and she had a decision to make.

so she asked Jesus into her life… over a ham sandwich

that’s pretty cool

How do we teach kids to truly worship God?

“Perhaps we haven’t tapped into what is possible for children when it comes to worship.  It is easy for children to worship things that fascinate and interest them.”  Kathleen Chapman  Teaching Kids Authentic Worship

 

What do you think?

From my kids…

• 2 year olds don’t like it when they don’t get their way.  i’ve always known this, but my son feels the need to remind me occassionally.
• there are certain socks for certain shoes.  it has nothing to do with the sock color but has everything to do with the seam, where it sits on the toe and how it is affected by the shoe.  oh. my. word.
• my 8 year old can eat his weight in cereal
• a spider man pajama top can double for their shirt the following day.  sweet

from reading…

• my worship is very self-centered… but i’m learning how to change that
• my world is too safe
• sometimes i just don’t agree with what Paul says (heresy, i know)

from my friends…

• focusing too much on a problem brings me to a place of worshiping the problem.  focusing on God and submitting the problem to Him keeps me in a place of worshiping Him
• the holy discontent God placed inside me is easily buried by the tyranny of the urgent

hope all my blogging peeps have a great weekend.  see you on twitter 

The phrase ‘Return On Investment’ is a key player in todays economy. No one wans to waste their resources.

We use MapQuest to find the most efficient route because we want to maximize our time.

We brag over bargains, drive an extra mile for a better gas price, and steal our neighbors Bed, Bath and Beyond coupon out of their mailbox in order to maximize our money.

(i can neither confirm nor deny the theft of any BB&Y coupon from said neighbor’s mailbox. that would be illegal. that’s not how i roll.)

Bottom line…

We want the best return for our investment.

If that is true, then why in the world do churches continue to disregard the kids church experience?

Here’s where I’m coming from…

A friend of mine traveled back home to visit family.  While there, they made the traditional trek to church on Sunday morning. Her two children ended up sitting in adult church with their parents b/c children’s church was cancelled. Why? Because the woman teaching was sick.  

That is sad.

So, the long and short of it is…  this church was not prepared for a great opportunity.  They weren’t positioned to get the most out of their time.  Why?

Of the 50 people sitting in the church pews that morning, there were 10 people with the greatest potential to say yes to Jesus… 10 people with more opportunities lying ahead of them to share Jesus… 10 people with the most potential to see more people come to faith in Jesus than walked on this earth a century ago.  Those 10 people happened to be from 6 to 12 years old.  

But who is the message geared toward? The 40 half-way-to-the-finish-line adults? Or the 10 just-past-the-starting-line kids?

Time is a commodity you can spend but never recover.  So, in this scenario… what’s the better return on investment? 

The same old worship experience for the adults?  Or a tweaked experience that incorporates the kids… one that ensures they understand the teaching?

Are you a small church without the resources for a full-blown kids ministry?  That’s okay.  It just means you do things a little differently.  You don’t have to look like every other church out there.  In fact… maybe God doesn’t want you to look like every other church out there.

Look different.  

Be different.  

The majority of churches in America are not exactly producing fully sold-out rock-your-face-off Christ followers.  

Maybe we need to quit telling parents how to raise their kids to follow Jesus and show them what it looks like.

Maybe we need to turn the church experience into an actual, hands-on workshop.

Maybe we need to shake things up.

right?

i’m all about the formula.  i want to know what steps to take to get the results i want.  from the book i’m reading to ensure a high level of productivity in my job all the way down to the recipe i’m using tonight to cook dinner.  

(who’s laughing!  i cook… occassionally)

 the recipe is a formula promising that if i follow the directions carefully i too can create a culinary masterpiece.  thus the results i want.

there are formulas taught by others growing up that i’ve learned don’t always work.  here are a few…

my grandparents taught me that if i get a good job, work hard until retirement then social security and pension will take care of me through the ‘golden years’  

(job + hard work = financial security)

my parents taught me that if i go to a good college, choose a degree plan, land a job in that field then i’ll have the career i want and be happy

(good college + the right degree = your dream career)

many of us know how much these formulas do not work.  yet, we buy into them b/c they are a great measuring stick.  something to look at and see just how well you’re measuring up.  

although we know these formulas are not reality, there are a few parents continue to buy into that simply aren’t true.  try these one on for size.

right neighborhood + right school + right sports = well-rounded child

church on sunday mornings + church on wednesday nights + baptism + attendance at other church functions = Christ follower that may make minor mistakes but none that are particularly earth shattering such as teen pregnancy, DUI, or addiction to porn.  

let me break it to you gently.  these formulas don’t work either.  so forget them.  

here’s is what i’m learning today.  

love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength

love my neighbor as myself

teach my kids to do the same

leave the rest to God

Spent the day in Overland Park, KS yesterday.  Last minute trip to attend a Leaders Forum hosted by Sue Miller from the ReThink Group.  Actually got to talk to Sue over lunch.  How cool was that!!

I’ve got a few pages full of notes but here is what is screaming through my brain right now.  Sue challenged me to capture families earlier.  Before the baby is here.  When the couple is expecting and reading every piece of literature written on babies.  Grab their attention then and shape their expectations.  

Sue shared 5 parenting skills with which to train parents.  I’m taping these to my mirror at home…

1. Imagine the end
2. Fight for the heart (Communicate in a style that gives the relationship value)
3. Keep it personal
4. Create a rythmn (increase quantity of quality time that you spend with your child)
5. Multiply Influence (pursue strategice relationships with your kids)

There is so much to “flesh” out there, but I’m still ‘chewing’.  Just wanted to share a little of what I took away.  :)

Sometimes you just need to pour a little gas on the flame.