• Leaders: Are Proactive #8
#8. Leaders: Proactive!
Proactive is the opposite of Reactive. It is as simple as Pitching and Catching. Leadership is not just about waiting for others to set the agenda for our ministry. It is true our job description is a document that dictates some of our ministry agenda. We definitely need to react to those clear items of agenda. However, there is great latitude in how we achieve our ministry by how we work with our team or our constituency. Others look to us to lead, set the agenda, move forward, establish goals, attempt new things, take a few risks, evaluate work, experiment and try to improve things. Being proactive means that you are not just “willing to do” the hard thing, you “actually do” the hard thing.
A leader who is able to make things happen is one who knows when to catch and when to pitch. There is a time to allow leadership to come from others, a time to listen, a time to gather more information and time for consensus. Pitching, on the other hand, is speaking up—taking some initiative, sharpening the focus on what needs to be done, assigning tasks and determining just how things can be accomplished. It involves setting the agenda, delegating some responsibility and helping others to be accountable.
Having a clear vision in your children’s ministry is the greatest reason this proactive leadership works. Knowing what you are trying to accomplish helps in working with your team. Even delays, set backs and problems are potential opportunities for implementing your growth agenda. So knowing when to push forward or linger and wait is what is involved in proactive leadership.
Here are some of My Best Twelve Proactive-Leadership Tips:
• Sunday School Promo Pages
Give Away Resources (for current on-line Kidology Protege’s only, sorry)
From my exhaustive collection of the resource materials, I am hereby going to donate, to my current students only, a collection of books on various aspects of children’s ministry.
The forth one is The Sunday School Promo Pages published by Gospel Light. (224 pages, in mint condition)
Reproducible pages for advice, answers and articles about teaching children ages 2-12. There are numerous resources for teacher training meetings for a whole year.
Here’s the fine print…to get the book:
• Six Resource Centers for India
Six Kid-Helper Resource Centers for India
Here I am pictured with the Six Kid-Helper Resource Centers, boxed ready to ship for India. Six Cities have been slated as the recipients of these Gospel Resources. This Resource Lending Library will enable local evangelists to share the gospel with villages in isolated places where there are virtually little or no resources available.
The overwhelming need for such resources became clear to me as a result of three short-term Kid Mission Trips to India in the last four years. We have way too many options for resources here in the United States. However, overseas the need is just incredible—in many places there are no resources at all. And yet, there are thousands of unreached children, who would respond if trained leaders were able to use attractive visual aids to win them. We know we cannot solve this global problem, but in a few isolated places we can make a big difference. By this way of sharing resources we can reach more children with less cost per conversion, and sustain gospel outreach with nationals that know the language and the culture.
This is a harvest strategy that has great potential.
• Leaders: Are Readers #7
Going to three undergraduate schools and two graduate schools almost ruined my interest in reading. After a few years off from “required reading” assignments, I began to want to read for the pure joy of learning. However, it was “all or nothing” for a long time. I would read a lot or none at all. It was very irregular with no consistency.
My church sponsored a two-year discipleship program for men called Top Gun. I thought of myself as a leader, but I was challenged to be a leader who reads! So I decided as a minimal goal to read at least one page every day, which I managed to do. Then I realized with a little more effort, I could actually read a book a month or twelve books in a year. My wife, on the other hand, was already reading almost a book a week, or so I thought. I must confess that the longer the book, the longer it took. But I was reading. So I would attempt a shorter book next to maintain the goal, which actually worked. It did not matter, who’s counting? Just me! So I have been reading this way for over three years now. Here, I thought I would share some of the titles that caught my interest, with my annotated note attached. The more recent ones are at the top of the list. I will update new reads from the top, if you want to check back again. Maybe, this will help you.
• New Product: Gospel Felts
Gospel Felts
The message is clear and powerful. It is the Easter Story outline. It covers the death, burial, resurrection and appearance of the risen Christ. Not only can you tell the Easter Story, but you can use this set of silk screened felts as an outline for additional teaching about the events of Easter week. These colorful felts provides you with a pneumonic teaching device (an aid the memory) for a quick review of the Passion story. Also these Gospel Felts are very useful for presenting the salvation message anytime of the year. This resource come with some extra word strips that you can use for additional application. The Gospel Felts were produced in a limited edition and are now available for just $29.95 (with a suggested message).
You can order this set of Gospel Felts from www.kidhelperresources.com You may not find these Gospel Felts pictured on the Kid-Helper Resources site yet, it may be posted there soon. However, all you have to do is to request it from Michael or Eva LaFond, who manage the site. Or you can email me and I will arrange for you to get a set for your ministry.
• My Awesome Bible Story Book
Kids Love This Bible…The Awesome Bible Storybook
This new 416-page Bible Storybook helps parents, grandparents, and teachers explain God’s Word in all its fullness. From Genesis to Revelation, My Awesome God Bible Storybook invites readers, young and old, to discover that God is truly awesome!
My Awesome Bible Storybook was just released the first of this year by Through the Bible Publishers, the parent company of DiscipleLand. It covers over 200 Bible stories that are retold for Preschoolers by Mark Steiner and wonderfully illustrated by Rob and Camille Lassetter. The Bible stories have been carefully selected and tastefully retold with the Preschooler in mind. Parents will love this edition because each story contains a two page treatment, with narrative and artwork that dramatically compliments each other. Further, each story has an inductive question that reflects on some attribute of God’s character that this story illustrates.
Continue here to see my comments by way of review…
• Meetup At CPC
Children’s Pastors’ Conference this year in San Diego last week was just like going to the Candy Store. There are just so many resources offered to all who come. It always amazes me to revisit the bountiful supply and be reminded just how little some leaders have that in remote places in the world. However, besides the great workshops, and resources, I always find my tank being filled by meeting up with old friends in children’s ministry. Some of these friends I only see once a year at CPC. I have been attending CPC almost from the beginning in the mid 1980’s. I think I missed the first one and have not missed one since. Attending CPC has become the highlight of my year, just to go Meetup with friends that I have made there. I actually hung out with leaders of DiscipleLand and Kidology most of the exhibit time.
One of the things I enjoy most is…
• Best-Ever CM Clip Art
Give Away Resources (for current on-line Kidology Protege’s only, sorry)
From my exhaustive collection of the resource materials, I am hereby going to donate, to my current students only, a collection of books on various aspects of children’s ministry.
The third one is the Best-Ever Children’s Ministry Clip-Art published by Group Publishing Co. (175 pages, in mint condition)
This resource is chuck full of hundred’s of reproducible art suitable for your creative newsletters, fliers, name tags, greeting cards, calendar, invitations and handouts. Literally this collection has hundreds of uses. So jazz up your children’s ministry promotional materials.
Here’s the fine print…to get the book:
• Leaders: Magnanimous #6
#6. Leaders: Magnanimous
Magnanimous in leadership is a kind of generosity, being liberal in not rendering what you would think is deserved. It is taking the high road, forgiving, not being easily offended. It can involve a willingness to be wrong, even when you think the other person is wrong, just in case, you might be wrong.
I first became aware of this quality of leadership…
• The Coach is “IN”
So I set up my shingle promoting my Coaching Services. When business was a little slow, I offered some Free Coaching. This was done at the empty table near the Kidology and DiscipleLand booth that I retreated to for a break.
Well, my friend Julie Kurz came by, saw the sign and said, “Would you coach me?” ”
“Why yes,” I replied, “step into my office.” Then the fun began. Well, I did bring on the Coaching. A few minutes later, she thanked me for my services.
We are having a great time at Children’s Pastors’ Conference in San Diego. And like Lucy, from the Charlie Brown series, the Coach was “IN.”
