Categories: Leadership

7 Steps for Setting – And Achieving – Ministry Goals

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] The start of the new year is a great time to set goals and resolutions for the months ahead, but where and how do you start? Setting goals can seem overwhelming, so here's my process for setting - and achieving - my ministry goals. You can also download my interactive Goal Setting Guide to walk you through this process.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] 1) Start with prayer. This really should be a given in our line of work. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] 2) Keep the vision in mind. I use my ministry vision statement like a colander or pasta strainer and run all new ideas, events, and activities through that filter. 100% of the ideas and suggestions I get may be good ideas, but if they don’t fit within the overall vision of my ministry, then they aren’t...
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Change the Name, Change the Game

At our Christmas Eve service and at other intergenerational services throughout the year where children attend the service with their parents, I have always created a “Busy Bar” with coloring pages, crayons, and small, quiet toys that kids can pick up to use during the service. But after studying family ministry in a seminary course on reaching families in the 21st century, I realized that my good intentions to promote intergenerational worship were encouraging an opposite mentality. Diana Garland, a family ministry expert, warns against providing distracting materials for intergenerational services because it unconsciously tells children that they will be bored and encourages them to disengage. While I do my best to relate the toys and activities to the main sermon points, even calling these items a “busy bar” encourages distraction...
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Instant Christmas Pageant (Just Add Kids)

[vc_row][vc_column 0=""][vc_column_text]Last Christmas (no, I didn’t give you my heart) but I went out on a limb for our Christmas Eve service and tried an instant Christmas pageant with our children. No practice. No rehearsals. Lots of cuteness. Basically, I read the Christmas story from Luke and kids acted out the scene on-stage with nativity masks. Our Christmas Eve services are family services, so children ages 4 and above attend with their parents and we try to include more interactive elements in the service than usual. The instant Christmas pageant turned out to be the best (and funniest) Christmas Eve element we ever did! [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row 0=""][vc_column 0=""][vc_btn title="Click Here to Download the Instant Christmas Pageant Plan" align="center"...
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Filed Under Blog, Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership

Christmas Volunteer Appreciation Ideas #2

[vc_row 0=""][vc_column][vc_column_text 0=""]Last week we shared a couple of Christmas Volunteer Appreciation Ideas that would really wow your team. This week, we’re sharing some equally amazing gifts, but for a smaller budget. Each download even comes in multiple color options! 1. Your volunteers have warmed your hearts, so you can warm their hands!  What you need: Hand Warmers (make your own or buy these in bulk), Deeper KidMin Pocket Hand Warmers Printable, assembly supplies (twine, ribbon, bows, etc.) Optional: Avery 5395 Labels for easy assembly - just print, peel, and stick on the hand warmers packets! Price point: ~$1 per volunteer (hard to beat that) We even made our own hand warmers one year by filling flannel, microwave-safe fabric pockets with mint-infused rice! Pop them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, and...
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Filed Under Blog, Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership, Volunteers

3 Tips for Christmas Volunteer Appreciation

[vc_row 0=""][vc_column][vc_video link="https://youtu.be/OY9IvljUNfU" align="center"][vc_column_text 0=""]We all know that appreciating our volunteers is important, and Christmas is one of the best times to show them how much you value them! As you plan your volunteer appreciation, here are a few ideas and tips to help you make their season merry and bright.    Up your Sunday breakfast game. Whether you provide a breakfast snack for your volunteers weekly or not, amp it up at Christmas to remind them how important they are to you and to your ministry. You may be thinking about a Christmas party or volunteer dinner. December is a CRAZY month, so if you’re going to throw them a party or ask them to come to an event, make it something they can bring their whole family to. Don’t add to their stress. As always, a small gift can express...
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Filed Under Leadership, Volunteers

Christmas Volunteer Appreciation Ideas

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text 0=""]It's Christmas time! OK, OK, it's really only Thanksgiving, but in the world of ministry, that means you're already thinking ahead to Christmas (and hopefully have been for a while). Spread some Christmas cheer to your volunteers this year using one of our free printables for Christmas volunteer appreciation gifts.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="2px"][vc_btn title="Click Here to Download Christmas Volunteer Appreciation Printables!" color="sky" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fproduct%2Fchristmas-volunteer-appreciation-bundle-1%2F||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text]1. Let your volunteers know they're worth more than a pot of gold! What you need: A Hershey's Pot of Gold for every volunteer, the Deeper KidMin Pot of Gold Printable Download, Avery 5164 labels Price...
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Filed Under Blog, Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership, Volunteers

Fishes and Loaves – Kids Service Project

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Each November, we host a service project called Fishes and Loaves where our children prepare freezer meals for children in foster families. We partner with the 111 Project, but this is an easy service project you could do with your ministry too, no matter where the meals go! (Hint: Check with your Care/Hospitality Team; they're always looking for meals to bless someone with!)[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Click Here to Download the Fishes and Loaves Service Project Plan! " color="sky" align="center" link="url:http%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fproduct%2Ffishes-and-loaves-kids-service-project%2F||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text] How it works: Collect offering from kids church for a few months, or use money from a designated missions budget. Use that money to buy the ingredients yourself. (Use a...
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Response to Shooting at FBC of Sutherland Springs, TX

[vc_row][vc_column 0=""][vc_column_text]My worst nightmare happened at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas this past weekend. I won’t go into details of the situation because you can read about those in the many news articles circulating the web this morning, but I wanted to share my thoughts and hopefully some encouragement with our community. Because it was our community that was affected. It may have happened in a small Texas town, but through our shared faith in Jesus Christ, we are deeply connected to this tragedy, even if we were not directly touched by its events. As a children’s pastor, one of my reoccurring nightmares included an active shooter walking into the high school where we met and how my team and I would handle the situation. These nightmares always occurred on Saturday night and left me on edge throughout the...
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Connect with Kids Throughout the Week with Crew Cards

[vc_row 0=""][vc_column][vc_column_text 0=""]How do you connect with the children in your ministry throughout the week? One way we did this was by asking each volunteer to take just a couple minutes after Sunday service to write a postcard to a child. We provide postcards and pens in Crew Card Folders, they pull out a pre-addressed postcard, jot down a quick note, and then stick it right back in the folder. We mail the postcard for them on Monday morning, and kids are PUMPED to receive mail from their leaders at church.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Click Here to Download Your Crew Cards Printables" color="sky" align="center" link="url:http%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fproduct%2Fcrew-cards%2F||target:%20_blank|"][vc_single_image image="3277" img_size="full" alignment="center"][vc_column_text]Now you might be thinking, that seems like a lot of...
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Filed Under Blog, Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership, Volunteers

The Paradox of New

[vc_row][vc_column 0=""][vc_column_text]There’s been a lot of NEW in my life lately. New job, new personal business, new class in seminary, new boots for the fall season. And honestly, sometimes the new can be absolutely terrifying (except for my boots – they’re super cute). New brings you to the edge of the unknown and just shoves you right in the deep end. It requires quick adaptability and a high level of emotional energy to handle all the situations coming your way that you’ve never experienced before. I’m having to learn about website coding and SEO’s, and the world of digital marketing is a whole realm of unknown that often leaves me cross-eyed. New also means letting go of something so you can grab onto what God has for you next. But letting go is hard. Part of me is still grieving what I had to leave behind to step into this...
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16 Delegation Tips from Disney

[vc_row][vc_column 0=""][vc_column_text]Raise your hand if you struggle with delegating? (*both hands raised over here*). We come up with a million reasons NOT to delegate... It’s just easier if I do it myself. It will get done faster if I just do it myself. I want to make sure it’s done right. I just don’t know who to ask. I don’t want to inconvenience anybody else; after all, isn’t this part of my job? But handing over smaller tasks (and even some bigger ones) to your team can free up your mental energy and your schedule to dream big for your ministry, and we shouldn't do ministry alone. Here are 16 tips from Disney that can help you be a better delegator.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] 1. Make a list of what others could be doing and let them do it! You focus on the bare...
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6 Ways to Make Scripture Memory Fun!

  Scripture memory can be a daunting goal to accomplish, even as adults, but the importance of hiding God’s Word in our hearts is undeniably valuable. Check out some of the ideas below for making memorizing Scripture fun (and therefore easier) for you and your kids. We’ve used several in our ministry context, and they are easy to apply at home or in your ministry too! 1) Make it a game! There are SO MANY ways to make memorizing scripture a game, and the more fun your kids are having, the more they’ll want to memorize! Click on the image below to download a copy of my favorite Scripture Memory Games. 2) Sing it Out! – Make up your own song, chant, cheer, or rap using the words in the verse. You could also check out several resources that are readily available for you and your family. JumpStart3 and Seeds Family Worship both...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents, Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership

7 Psalms to Encourage A Child

[vc_row 0=""][vc_column][vc_column_text 0=""]In a recent post about blessing your child, we mentioned that reading Scripture to them and over them can be an easy first step. Using Scripture to encourage your child is also a great way to instill the importance of God's Word and teach them a reliance on God. We studied through the book of Psalms in our small group last year, diving into a variety of themes and circumstances the different psalmists deal with.  One of my favorite things about the Psalms is the examples they give us about how to deal with different emotions and how to talk to God about how we are feeling. While these Psalms can be a great source of encouragement for you as an adult, sharing the Psalms with your kids can be a great way to help them understand that it's OK to be angry, sad, frustrated, lonely, mournful, etc. and how to...
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