Archive for • Children's Ministry
• Pacing the Race
Pacing Your Race: A Lesson from the Energizer Bunny?
Children’s Ministry is not a sprint, it’s a marathon race. There are those “all or nothing” types, that impress you with their quickness and gigantic plans, only to run out of gas in short order. Those that enter into this profession, must be prepared for the [...]
• Program Priority
What is a Program Priority in Church? From my vantage point it has been my observation that many churches have what I call a Program Priority. Basically, it is that program that seems to characterize a church. A church can become known for this priority, i.e., a Missions Church or a Youth Church. Two things [...]
• The Coaching Partnership
The Coaching Partnership
The coaching relationship is a partnership between two equals. My relationship with my protégé’s is based upon the belief that they are smart, mature, and capable people who want support in articulating and achieving their goals. It seems to me that I provide support in at least four basic ways.
• Leaders: Self Correcting
Leaders: Self Correcting
After watching numerous hours of professional tennis, I have observed how the pros seem to be able to “adjust their game,” as their game develops. It is like they find “another gear” to raise the level of their performance. The opponent tries to a find a weakness to exploit. The defender raises their [...]
• Role of Lingering
The Role of Lingering
One of the ways to get return engagements is to “linger” after you finish your performance. Lingering is not “loitering” or wasting time, as in being lazy. It is rather, deliberately waiting, not rushing away. It is involves making “yourself available” for something. For me, it is tarrying for some opportunity [...]
• Light Reveals, Shadows Define
Light Reveals and Shadows Define! Take a lesson from Photography, too much light is hot, too little light becomes drab, too much light has no shadows, proper balance of light and shadow defines the character of an object. Thus, adjusting your camera settings for proper balance renders any object interesting to observe or enjoyable to [...]
• Theme Experiences are “IN”
Theme Programming is Still “HOT!” Dressing up in a costume, developing a character, or creating a set on the stage is still HOT. Check out a few Children’s Church programs and you will get the idea…creating a cool learning environment.
I was considered quite “odd” forty years ago, when I decided to wear a Barrel into [...]
• Add a Spoonful of Fluff
It is easy to be tempted to add some “marshmallow fluff” to our programs. Marshmallow Fluff is a real product, it has been around for almost a hundred years. It is made of marshmallows, kind of whipped into a cream. It is mostly air and sugar, not really much substance. It can be a [...]
• Cutting Evangelism
Cutting Evangelism? I have noticed that when a church experiences financial troubles the first areas to get cut is evangelism and advertising. I see this as a impulse reaction. Instead of asking “how much?” We should rather ask, “who can we target to reach?”
We do know from Church growth studies that churches that target young [...]
• Finding Your Sweet Spot
Finding Your Sweet Spot?
The term “sweet spot” often used in various sporting events to describe that place where the ball might be hit for the optimum results. For example, a ball hit on the end of the bat or near the handle might not produce optimum contact, but in between might be called the “sweet [...]
