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theme to shape the year

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the first thing i did when transitioning to a new church was to set up a goal and filter for dawson kids. i needed clarity and direction. after confidentinChristspending 3 weeks with a varied group of parents, we prayerfully came up with confident in Christ.  this has served as an amazing tool to help keep us focused on the goal of our ministry. if an activity doesn’t help kids and families become and stay confident in Christ, we don’t do it. it’s that simple. this has been a lifesaver in trying to make the most of precious time with busy families. (it is also a continual work in progress.)

sheetthis year we also took our goal a step further. working with an amazing #kidmin team, we expanded our focus into a year long theme. our theme this year is blueprint – God’s great message. so where our focus of confident in Christ filtered our ministry and kept us accountable, this year’s theme will greatly shape each program, event, or ministry we do. 

the foundation of this theme is the Gospel and each step is based on scripture. (hopefully some ones that children aren’t so familiar with.) this theme has been such a gift, because we already know what the message of our four family worships will be this year: creation, the fall, redemption, and restoration. we begin with the first one this sunday as we explore God as the uncreated Creator.   Screen Shot 2015-09-17 at 12.59.52 PM

 

because this theme spells out what we desire for the kids and families to grasp by the end of the year, planning fall retreat was easier as well. we believe individuals, families and their community need to connect to God and each other and that is what we will explore at our family fall retreat.Screen Shot 2015-09-10 at 10.52.39 AM

i am excited to see that the diligence, extra planning, and prayer at the beginning of the year has already freed us up greatly to dig into more eternal things and not time consuming busy work. this theme will also provide a cohesive, Christ-centered year for us to walk through with families.

we are excited, but i would also love to hear how some of you plan out your year in #kidmin. comment on this post and share.

 

 

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In confident in CHRIST

all in for 24

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FirstGreatest_circleonBluethis year will be my 18th year for an event i created early in my ministry – 24 hours 4 Him. this is a “disciple-now type of event” where children spend from 6p.m. on friday to 6p.m. on saturday at the church in: Bible study, interactive worship, creative activities, service and much more. this year our theme is “first & greatest”, focusing on matthew 22:37-38.

while this event is well received by parents and loved by kids, there is one rule that i put in place about 10 years ago that still gets me many questions. i hope to express my purpose and heart for that rule here.

rule: children must attend all 24 hours of the event. no coming and going for other extra-curricular activities. 

one exception – we do allow younger children to go home at bedtime and come back for our first event on saturday morning. this helps those that may get homesick and will get more out of the event the next day if they sleep at home with mom and dad. to clarify, this event is not a lock-in. all children go to bed at graduated bedtimes depending on age. 

God deserves our being all in – there is no doubt in my mind that God deserves our commitment and focus.

minimizes disruptions – when you have various children coming and going from a classroom, worship service, service time, or activity for various reasons it inevitably disrupts what is going on for the children and leaders that do remain on campus for the entire event.

safety – we try to lock down the church to provide the safest environment possible. when children come and go at multiple times during the event, doors get left unlocked and the flow of people in and out of the building can become a safety issue.

24logolife is full of choices – whether the child decides to come to the event or not, this rule opens the door for family conversations about choices. this is, on a small scale, a chance to discuss, decide, and practice how to make decisions and choices. 

i often get the question, “could you just make this one exception?” yes, i could, but for me to remain true to my word to all those who sacrificed another event to come, i have to say no to bending of the rule. this doesn’t always make me popular, but i truly believe this is a chance to put God first and this rule also provides the best environment possible for kids and leaders. 

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In kidmin

starting in KidMin

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my first vbs as children's minister in 1997. this sweet girl is a senior in high school this year.
my first vbs as children’s minister in 1997. this sweet girl is a senior in high school this year.

as am i going through the process of hiring an associate minister to children i have asked myself, what would i tell someone just beginning their kids ministry journey? i guess this list would consists of what i wish i would have know when i began as a full-time minister to children over 17 years ago. the best advice is advice i have learned through experience, through difficulties, or failure. some of these things i am still trying to get a good grasp on as i still have so much to learn. here is my list of 18. one for every year i have served in a kidmin staff position, plus a bonus. (these are in no certain order.)

  1. do less well
    one of my favorite beth moore quotes is, “you can’t do a million things to the glory of God.” this is true personally as well in a ministry leadership position. seek God’s direction for your ministry and do a few things well before you try to do a million things half-way.
  2. make time for sabbath
    if Jesus had time to get away and alone with His Father, we have no excuse. i blog more about sabbath here.
  3. you can never over present the good news
    the Gospel is life-changing! let’s make the most of every opportunity to present this eternal truth.
  4. value your teachers
    your investors (teachers) are on the front lines weekly. support them, pray for them, and make sure you take time to help them understand their crucial role as you value them.
  5. learn to say no
    this two letter word can be one of the hardest to utter, but if you are going to survive in ministry you must practice saying no. saying no could just lead to a greater yes!
  6. value the ministry moments (they won’t always be there, work will)
    there are just some divine moments that only a Sovereign God can orchestrate and if we are not careful we can miss them because we are checking off the next item on our to-do list. when you are gifted with one of these moments, be present because it won’t last forever.
  7. get families involved in the learning
    if you want families involved in their child’s decision to follow Christ, you must get them involved in the conversation. be sure to provide times where you minister to the family as a whole. begin family conversations at church that they can continue at home.
  8. you can’t over communicate
    when you think people are just getting the message, you are just beginning to communicate. make communication with kids, parents, volunteers, church members, and the community a priority.
  9. calling more important than a “job”
    make sure you feel called by God to serve in ministry. ministry is tough and you want to make sure it is the Lord that called you there. some days He is the only Way through the ministry valleys.
  10. consistently feed yourself
    you must consistently be in the Word. how in the world do we think we are going to pour out on others when we are not drinking in the Living Water for ourselves?
  11. listen more and talk less with those that have more experience
    they may have different opinions, preferences, and experiences, but those that have walked the ministry road long before you have wisdom. don’t tune them out just because they did it different in “their day.”
  12. network, network, network
    kidmin leaders are the most gracious, encouraging, and generous group of people. be sure to spend time getting to know many of them from different denominations and geographical areas. they will share ideas, pray for you, and be some of your greatest partners in ministry. 
  13. suit up (ephesians 6)
    if you don’t think the enemy wants to do all he can to distract you and make you ineffective, think again. take time to pray through the armor of God. i think the hardest lesson for me to learn was that many of the fiery arrows come from within the camp. (other believers)
  14. put your phone down and look people in the eye
    i am often trying to capture events and share pictures and i can miss what is really happening in front of me. put down your phone, look people in the eyes, and listen as they talk to you. (reminding myself of this as i type.)
  15. concern yourself with pleasing God before man
    as you serve you have an audience of One. it certainly isn’t easy, but concern yourself with pleasing the God who called you to serve. you can become so weary trying to please everyone else.
  16. find someone who will mentor you both spiritually and ministerially
    to have someone who has blazed a trail ahead of you and has wisdom to share, what a gift! find someone and allow them to speak truth into your ministry and you spiritually.
  17. surround yourself with a strong team not just “yes” people, but people who have your same goal in mind – JESUS
    challenges to see things from a differnet perspective can add much depth to your ministry and you as a leader. surround yourself with solid believers who help you see the entire picture. you might even learn something new. 🙂 
  18. (bonus) when you have done all you can do, let God and trust God
    let’s be honest, He is the One in charge anyway.

i would love to hear what advice you would give. kid’ ministry veterans, comment below and share your wisdom.

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In kidmin

frozen family worship

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IMG_0004create moments where families experience truth together at church so they will continue the Christ-centered discussion at home. that is my goal of family worship. so what do you do when as a southerner you feel the weather has betrayed you for temperatures in the teens? you create your family worship around a frozen theme.

our goal in this family worship was to help families experience how sin paralyzes our lives and no matter how hard we try, we can’t rid ourselves of sin. we strived to help them understand that Jesus is the only one that can make us white as snow.

here is what our vine family worship night looked like:

DSCN9883– early arrival activity: as families arrived they were given instructions to write down sins they struggle with on the blank pages provided. each sin was listed on a separate sheet and then crumbled up into a paper snowball. their pile of snowballs would be used later in the family snowball fight.

  • do you wanna build a snowman?: for our opening activity we provided each family a baggie that included large and small marshmallows, toothpicks, mini chocolate chips, pretzel sticks, and a paper plate. their challenge was to build the most creative snowman scene during the time allowed. (we played “do you wanna build a snowman” and told them their time was up when the song ended.) the only catch was each family member had to hold their right hand behind their back using only one hand to build their snowman scene. here is a taste of the action. [vimeo]http://vimeo.com/116594721[/vimeo]
    after completing the activity we had them discuss the following questions as families. 1.) what was difficult about this activity? 2.) how is this activity like how sin affects our lives?

  • worship song: we then worshipped together to the song “i am free.” (here is the video we used.) before beginning the song we talked about how only Jesus makes us free from sin. (we may have also danced a little during this song. 🙂 )

  • snowball fight: we divided the room in half and told families to take their “sin snowballs” to their half of the room. their goal during the next song was to get rid of their sin. we told them at the end of the snowball fight song (such a cute song by “bunch of believers) they had to make sure they had gotten rid of all their sin snowballs. here is a peek at the family snowball fight. [vimeo]http://vimeo.com/116594722[/vimeo]
    after the snowball fight we talked about no matter how hard they tried they couldn’t get rid of the sin on their side. i had themIMG_0321 grab a handful of snowballs and return to their table. as a family they looked at the sin on the snowballs and discussed the different sins listed. we looked at the passage in james 5:16 and talked about how as a family it is important to create a safe place to confess our sins to one another. then we concluded this time practicing what james 5:16 ends with – pray for one another. is their a more precious sight than families praying together?

Screen Shot 2015-01-12 at 5.53.53 PM

  • message: next our discipleship pastor shared a great lesson from luke 5:17-26.

  • video: we then showed a great skit guys video which really drove home the point we had been sharing all night. preview or purchase it here.

  • closing worship song: our final worship song was an updated version of “Jesus paid it all.” we asked each family member to hold a snowball sin in their hand during this song. as they worshipped, we challenged them to allow this song and the sin in their hand to give them a better understanding of just what Jesus did for them.

  • testimony: we ended the night with our associate minister of children sharing how God unfroze His heart and he became a Christian.

vine family worships last one hour. we move quickly between each activity and we try to engage all the learning styles present. after worship is over we have family fellowship meal together. (we also set up a family photo booth with snowballs for family pictures.)

family worship has become one of my favorite times in kids ministry. oh that these conversations would continue in each family represented. i would love to hear about some of your family worship times. comment and share your favorite family worship experience.

 

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In kidmin

why kidmin leaders are special (comments and book giveaway winner)

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i loved reading the comments on why you think kidmin leaders are special in regards to the book giveaway on my last post. i couldn’t agree more with all of you. to select the winner of two copies of “what you do matters”, (one to keep and one to give away to a deserving volunteer) i put all the names of those who commented on why kidmin leaders are special in a random name picker app.  the winner is… danielle w. (danielle, email me your mailing 707060address to dandibell@mac.com.) thank you all of your insight and encouraging words about kidmin volunteers and leaders. they truly are one of a kind.

Danielle W, “Kid’s Ministry volunteers are special because… 1) Jesus made them! 2) They are making an ETERNAL impact on the kids that they serve each week! 3) They know that PARENTS are the primary faith trainers and come alongside them, join their team, and encourage, equip and empower them to lead their kids to the Lover of their souls!

Deborah, “KidMin volunteers get what Jesus meant when He said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” – Matthew 19:14 AND they follow His example by serving kids & families without complaint week in & week out.”

Elisa, “My KidMin Volunteers are special because there are no other leaders in our church like them! They have just as much passion about the Children’s Ministry growing & our kids growing in Christ as my husband & I do! They are selfless & SO helpful! I love each & every one of them!”

Werner, “I think the Volunteers are the best. We have some awesome team members. They are selfless with their time, talent, ideas, and also dedication and commitment to the kids.”

Carla, “Kidmin volunteers understand the value of their service and see the big picture of their ministry — showing our kids the love of Jesus! They don’t consider their time in Kidmin as “missing the worship service” — instead, they celebrate the fact that they get to worship God by teaching our kids about Him! They leave the stresses and craziness of their weekday lives behind and focus on loving and leading our kids! They show up to prep on Saturdays and evenings, plan extracurricular parties and events, work together as a team, pray for our kids, and genuinely love each child they teach. They use the talents and passion that God has given them, for His glory! Kidmin volunteers are AMAZING!”

Kerrie-Lee, “KidMin team members will never know the impact that they may have on a young life until they reach heaven! I think that is part of what makes them so special. Getting back to the basics of why we were created! Bring God glory! Team members take themselves out of the equation and focus on an eternal result! KidMin teams are truly awesome!”

Amy, “I think kidmin volunteers are the honest, trust worthy, caring, king, selfless, God centered creatures placed in our paths to aide, encourage, assist, and enrich the ministries entrusted to us. They surprise us weekly with thoughtfulness, encourage us with their smiles and validate our goofy sides with puppet shows and glitter balls! Jesus shines through them!”

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