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.

Jason Curlee gave me the opportunity to share a little on his blog about Children’s Ministry.  The opportunity to speak to ministry leaders in this context affected my approach a little.  I don’t think I’ve ever revised a post so many times!  If you’re interested in knowing my view on kids ministry within the church, click here.

I appreciate the opportunity Jason. 

Whew! Did you ever think we’d make it?

My final post on the book “Inside the Magic Kingdom”. This lesson is the one I do the least, and the one that challenges me the most. So as I write, my mind whirs with the need to apply this, once again.

Lesson #6: Reward, Recognize, and Celebrate

How often do you hear about the things you do right?

Have you received recognition before your team?

Did anyone clap when you entered the office today?

Why?

Why is it that the average work environment is filled with either critical feedback or no feedback at all?

It’s interesting considering how much we desire to know that we are valuable.

But in order to have a team full of people that feel valued… those team members must value others more than themselves.

hmmm, didn’t Jesus say that?

We desire to be appreciated. We desire to feel valued.

Rewarding others’ achievements communicates appreciation. Recognizing others’ accomplishments expresses value.

Celebrating others for who they are goes a long way to fostering a healthy environment.

When something is healthy, it grows.

Is your environment healthy? If you’re busy trying to acquire recognition, you have none to offer others.

Recognize effort. Reward accomplishments. Celebrate moments.

You’ll be surprised by how it transforms your team.

One final post and we can put this stuff to work. I appreciate the feedback from the first 2 posts in this series. I hope this final question closes the gap and gives all of us a guideline to keep our ministries effective rather than just busy.

You can catch up on Question #1 & Question #2 here.

Question #3 – Is your next step appropriate?

Your event or resource may have a next step.

And it may be obvious.

But is it a step? Or a leap?

People need to know they are capable of accomplishing the task even if it stretches them. You don’t go from couch potato to marathon runner just like that. You do it one mile at a time. You start with a 5k, move to a 10k, half marathon and on up.

Our steps need to be achievable and impactful. As people experience impact, they are motivated to continue on. If they continue on, then we are effectively moving people from where they are to where they need to be.

Are you asking your people to step or leap?

So, we’ve established that Home Depot is effective at taking an untrained novice and transforming them into a home renovator one project at a time.

The question still remains.

How can the church do the same?

How do we take a new believer and instigate spiritual renovation one step at a time?

Here is the 2nd question I am applying to my 2008 ministry event planning.

To review, question #1 was…

Does the event or resource have a next step?

Here’s the 2nd question:

Is your next step obvious?

Will your participant know where to go next?

It seems like a simple thing. But it’s vitally important.

Home Depot makes sure you know that once your flooring is done, the baseboards are next… and here’s how to do it!

If your audience is ready to go deeper and the next step is challenging to find, the ministry loses momentum, your participant loses heart and you’ve missed an opportunity.

Are your next steps obvious?

Okay. So I started these posts last week discussing the six lessons that comprise the book, Inside the Magic Kingdom. We’re half-way there! Let’s finish it up.

Lesson #4: Everything walks the talk.

Just like ‘Everyone walks the talk’, Everything must walk the talk, as well. Everything from the space your ministry occupies to the tools your ministry produces. It means that every detail of your experience is intentional. It means that every item added to your space fits with the theme of that space. It means the very design of your volunteer structure reflects the mission of your ministry.

It boils down to keeping ‘the main thing’ the main thing. In my world, the ‘main thing‘ is kids. The ‘main thing‘ is establishing kids in their relationship with Jesus today! Not when they’re older. Not when they graduate. Not when they get into the ‘real world’.

Today.

It means my volunteer structure reflects our passion for relationships with kids. Our volunteer training focuses and refocuses our team on the mission of life-change within our LifeKIDS.

It means everything my ministry produces should move a LifeKID deeper into their relationship with Jesus. If it does not accomplish this… it’s a waste of time.

Everything communicates something. Is it communicating what you want?

Continuing the conversation on the 6 Lessons in Inside the Magic Kingdom…

Lesson #3: Everyone Walks the Talk

With Lesson #3 came a big lesson in humility. Everyone walks the talk means that if you say you value it… then your actions are a natural reflection.

If you value a clean space, you’re the first to cross the lobby and pick up the napkin that just hit the floor. Everyone is equally responsible for presentation. Equally responsible for preparation. Equally responsible for execution.

This does not negate the need for division of responsibility as it relates to tasks. However, it does eliminate finger-pointing once a ball is dropped. The vision behind why we do what we do should be so ingrained in our DNA that living out these actions is 2nd nature.

Here’s a convicting thought…

If I value changed-lives, I should be the first to dig into someone’s challenge to help bring about a solution. I can’t claim 100% on that. Maybe I need to examine… am I walking the talk?

Continuing our discussion on the book, Inside the Magic Kingdom…

No hesitation. No introduction. Let’s hit the next lesson.

Lesson #2: Pay Fantastic Attention to Detail

Fantastic attention to detail. What a great way to put that. What does that mean? How does that apply to ministry?

In my world it means:

• Replacing batteries in baby toys; repairing/replacing safety belts on baby swings
• Room inspections searching for areas that require repair, touch up, clean up, replacement, etc. And accomplishing these tasks before the following weekend
• Walking our space, placing ourselves in ‘Guest Mode’ to determine that our directional signage, table/booth placement, and traffic flow foster the right experience for someone brand new to our church
• Restocking supplies to ensure no one is running around during ’show time’ trying to find a form, pen, cotton balls, batteries, etc
• Getting on our knees and viewing our space from a kids point of view. Will it capture them? Excite them? Grab their attention?

I could go on and on. But the bottom line is, we work all week for the big game. The big game is the Weekend Worship Experience. (and let it be that… let it be an experience!)

Part of our role in kids ministry is to set the stage for a child to learn about Jesus. To prepare the space where someone’s life will be transformed. Fantastic attention to detail pays in dividends when a child’s eternity is changed.

Where in your ministry should you pay fantastic attention to detail?

Inside the Magic Kingdom is a foundational book for the LifeKIDS ministry at LifeChurch.tv. Given the impact to my ministry (and me personally), I want to share the 6 primary lessons of this book and flesh them out one post at a time. I’m taking a little turn here, but hang with me and imagine how these lessons might translate to your world.

Lesson #1: Your competition is anyone the customer compares you with.

Who is your customer?

In LifeKIDS, our primary customer is the kid.

What would a kid compare us with?

Nickelodeon, Noggin, Disney, Hannah Montana, High School Musical, PS2, Wii, Webkinz, etc, etc. This is where our kids spend their time. These are the things that capture (and keep) their attention.

Why do we want their attention? We have to have their attention in order to teach them about Jesus! So, what do we do the grab their attention?

Anything short of sin!!

In my humble opinion.

Anything short of sin.

Use wisdom, stewardship and (by all means) the leading of the Holy Spirit. The window of opportunity is brief. Know your customer. Know what grabs them and create an experience of the same caliber. Then do whatever it takes to grab their attention so that Jesus can transform their hearts.