It’s easy to feel overwhelmed in the Lord’s work now and then. Besides running a ministry, you have a family at home and a ton of other demands tugging at you. Yet there is hope! Sometimes making a small change and doing a few things differently will make a big impact. Here are 12 ideas that will forever change your ministry for the better!
1. Learn the basics. (Or, re-learn the basics.) There are some basics we each need to know, like recruiting and caring for volunteers, effective teaching techniques, how to discipline kids, etc. If you want a good place to start you need to read Jim Wideman’s book, Children’s Ministry Leadership. It’s a classic on the basics of children’s ministry leadership.
2. Choose the course of your ministry carefully. In other words, your curriculum needs to be a win. The root of the word “curriculum” is “course of action.” One of the most important paths you take as a children’s ministry leader is selecting the curriculum that best fits your ministry’s vision and mission.
3. Develop a strong church-parent partnership strategy. God’s plan for discipleship is parents being the primary spiritual leaders at home. What does your church need to do differently or better to equip parents to be the spiritual leaders at home?
4. Move forward as a leader. You can’t coast and go uphill at the same time. If you are coasting, you will either stop or go downhill. This is where good books, podcasts, conferences, and so on play an important role in the life of a leader.
5. Have a great ministry presence. When someone thinks about your ministry, don’t give them any other option but to give an A+. Communicate excellence in your web presence, in your environments, in your marketing, in everything.
6. Provide good security. There’s nothing a parent wants to know more than that their kids are safe. Have a system in place for checking kids in and out of the classrooms, screen your volunteers, and do whatever it takes to make sure they are in a safe environment.
7. Keep calm and Pinterest on. Pinterest is the place to go for a ton of ideas for just about anything. There’s a ton of great stuff out there, including my favorite Pinterest page of all time.
8. Use social media to grow your leadership. Follow people intentionally on Twitter. Develop ministry friendships on Facebook. Get great ideas on Instagram.
9. Invest in your volunteers. Your ministry will only be as strong as those who make it happen. Every month I get detailed statements in the mail reporting on my financial investments. I don’t know what they all mean, but I know this: if I don’t invest today, I will regret it tomorrow. The best investment you can make is in your people.
10. Go get a cup of coffee. While I prefer Dunkin’ Donuts over Starbucks, the coffee itself doesn’t matter. You need to go and get a cup of coffee — and not alone. Take someone with you. Learning to connect and rub shoulders with other like-minded ministers is a game changer.
11. Find inspiration. For some people, it’s found in taking a walk or jog. For others it’s listening to music. Some are inspired by being alone, while others need to be around people. Find your inspiration sweet spot and stay there a while.
12. Pray. Make sure that you are stoking the fire of your relationship with the Lord. Trust Him to lead and direct you. Ask Him to bless all that you put your hands to. Remember, little is much if God is in it.
Now, what are you waiting for? Let’s go!