“And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,  while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Acts 4:29-31

There is such power in prayer. Power that I think we don’t tap into enough in children’s ministry.

I know that most incorporate prayer into weekend services. Opening the service in prayer. praying over the offering, and praying within small groups. What I am talking about is prayer beyond that.

Here are a few things that you can do in your children’s ministry outside of Sunday:

• Have a meeting. – Not the usual meeting, but a prayer meeting instead. A gathering of your team to focus completely on praying for the ministry, team, children, and families.
• Enlist your congregation. – Ask the members of your church to devote one day a week to pray for the children in your ministry as well as the ones who will be coming.
• Encourage & equip your team. – Most of your team is already praying, but you can give them a list of the children in your ministry to pray for by name. You can create a devotional to encourage them in this time of prayer.

These are just a few ideas that you could do to lead everyone in a focused time of prayer.

Imagine the power that would come from this prayer time.

Everyone praying bold, wall shaking prayers for the kids in your ministry.

When we ask someone to volunteer their time, energy and self to serve in our children’s ministry, we need to be sure we are not also asking them to come up with the resources they will need to serve. Be sure you provide each of the following things for your volunteers . . .

• Curriculum – this may seem like a “no-brainer”, but there are churches where volunteers need to find and buy their own curriculum. There are of course several reasons you want to provide curriculum;  first of course being if you provide the curriculum you can be sure of the scope and sequence, the specifics the children will be learning and can be sure they match up with the vision and goals for your children’s ministry as well as the doctrine of your church.
• Craft supplies, materials for object lessons . . . everything a volunteer needs to serve. If you want your volunteers to engage the children in the activities each week, you need to give them the things the need to do this. You may have volunteers – or people who otherwise would be willing to serve – who can not afford to buy these types of things.
• Bibles – if the children in your church do not have their own Bibles, be sure to have classroom Bibles – consider presenting children with their own Bibles, but be sure they first of all are able to use Bibles in the classroom.
• Snacks and or treats if you want children to have these things. Ask your volunteers to show restraint in bringing extras to their class as this allows all your volunteers to serve on “equal footing”. If one volunteer is able to buy extras while another is not, children are likely to notice and may think their volunteer isn’t as “good”.
• But in addition to this, you need to provide the resources because if volunteers have to find and purchase their own resources, you may have people who would otherwise serve, but do not because they can not afford to buy the resources themselves.

These are some of the resources we need to provide for the volunteers who serve in our ministries. What resources do you provide for your volunteers? Next week I’ll look at the #4 essential thing for us to give our volunteers . . . training!

I vowed to never allow this to happen (actually, I half-jokingly threatened our nursery coordinator to never let this happen). But it also reminded me about ways that I’ve poorly communicated with others — whether volunteers, parents, or other ministry leaders.

If you want to frustrate others with your communication-style, here are some handy tips:

1. Completely automate the process. Like with the nursery volunteer described above (or with the fact that I still receive a coupon for a free kids meal from a local restaurant, though we moved 3 hours away), you can completely rely on your computer system to do your thinking. Who needs a human touch to correct errors?
2. Don’t automate or delegate.  I’m sure your only responsibility in life is communicating with your ministry team. Make sure that the entire burden falls to you, and never delegate. Don’t use technology to help you out; you can’t ever trust it to get done what you want to accomplish.
3. Communicate too infrequently. Let people fill in their own ideas. I’m sure what they are thinking is the same that you are thinking.
4. Communicate too often, with too much detail. We live in a culture of information-overload. So you had better keep up with the steady stream of Facebook status, Twitter feeds, YouTube videos, blogs, etc., that deluge your team each day. Cram their brains full!
5. Only communicate information.  All people want is details and to be told what to do. They don’t want to hear your passion and motivation.
6. Only communicate inspiration.  Details? Nah, we’ll just make it up as we go along. People may get frustrated or lost, but as long as you fill them with encouraging thoughts, they’ll follow along. For a while, at least.
7. Contradict yourself. Do the first 6 tips seem contradictory? I hope you see that communicating is more of an art than a science.

Do you know of other ways that you can frustrate your team with how you communicate?

Last night on the Kidmin1124 radio show on CMConnect, I once again got into some passionate prose, but failed to remember that some listeners may not know me in the capacity that the panelists know me.  I felt the need to clarify what I mean when I say we should do all things with excellence.

As we discussed large group teaching, we were in a conversation about various methods.  I implored those serving in children’s ministry that whatever method they chose to incorporate into their large group teaching, do it with excellence or don’t do it all.  Wayne brought some nice balance to that conversation, but I still felt that some loose ends were left.  (I’ve embedded the audio from the show tonight below.)

Serving with excellence is not to be equated with serving with talent.  There are many very talented people who do what seems to be a great job, but fail to serve with excellence.  I know, because I’ve been that person more times than I care to admit.  Because of a charming stage presence and some natural communication giftings, I have been known to appear to do well even with little preparation.  That will never be considered serving with excellence.

On the very opposite side, I have known and witnessed many who serve with fewer of the natural giftings in stage presentation, but serve with greater excellence than myself.  It’s because they have committed to give God their very best.  They operate not in natural giftings, but through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

I’m reminded of the story of David being chosen as the next king of Israel.  Though all of his brothers seemed to have the better ability to serve as king, God chose the one whose heart was right.  As I taught this story at our last family experience, I said it this way.  God didn’t need a king who was good in battle, who was strong or even talented, He could do all those things on His own.  He needed a king who heart was set on worship.

I’m also reminded of the woman who gave just two minas when the Pharisees gave so much.  But they gave out of their abundance.  She gave out of her sacrifice.  Jesus brought honor to the woman and shame to the Pharisees.  I believe he is teaching me this lesson still.  When I serve out of my ability, I serve out of abundance.  When I give Him more than I have to give, when I offer my best and then some, when I have nothing left to give, that’s when I’ve truly served with excellence.

Another thing that was recently dropped into my heart, one that I was intending to write a blog post on soon, is also about David.  It’s when he purchases the threshing floor even though it is offered to him for free.  He says something so profound.  He says, “I won’t sacrifice to God if it doesn’t cost me something.”  What if we applied that same line of thinking to our lesson preparation.  I won’t teach this to kids unless it costs me my time and energy.  Not the extra time and energy I have, but out of my sacrifice.

Now, I will not pretend to be perfect in this area.  I often rely on my own God-given talents instead of my God-given assistant, the Holy Spirit.  I challenge others to serve with excellence, to give their all to kidmin, while secretly I sometimes struggle to prepare before Saturday night or even Sunday morning.  I can honestly say that God is working on me in this area and with each passing week I get better.

Have you ever struggled in this area?  How have you overcome serving out of ability (abundance) instead of out of the heart (sacrifice)?

I suspect that similar situations happen every day in churches across this country.  Pastors, for personal reasons, choose not to share every little detail of their life with church members and volunteers. 

Your pastor might right now be struggling with something that they are unable to share.  Maybe they are wrestling with health issues, their personal calling, temptations, family stress, or any number of possible difficulties.  They need their volunteers to pray for them and with them, even when you don’t know what you are praying for.  During these difficult times, a well timed word of encouragement, facebook message, or thank you card speaks volumes. 

I’m going to challenge you today to do two things.  First, pray for your pastor or children’s pastor today.  Don’t do it later, do it as soon as you finish reading this post.  Second, let your pastor know you are praying for them by either a phone call, email, card, text, etc.  Remind them that if they ever need prayer for something specific, you’d be happy to pray with them.

Certainly we all agree we need to guard against the careless word which has the potential to harm a child – or any other person as well, but along with guarding against the careless word, we also need to guard against the “intentional” word. How often have we used our words in an intentional manner to “shame” or “discount” another person or their ministry, but do so in a way which is subtle? For example, do we hold up a ministry in our own church while “tearing down” a ministry in another church? Do we say something along the effect of the following, “We used to do that in our ministry, but found it was a waste of time, money and energy. What we do now is so much better . . . ” While it may be true there are things we may have done in the past which, for whatever reason, we no longer do, it doesn’t mean other churches should also abandon that particular type of ministry. Nor does it mean what we are now doing is “better”, it just may be more effective in our particular ministry, with our particular people, community and culture.

Remember, the verse quoted above said to let or conversation be ALWAYS full of grace! As we travel through 2012, let’s guard against intentional words which are lacking in grace and strive to choose words which are saturated with grace!

While there are many qualities that those who fill this position should have, there is one that stands out above the rest for me.  A small group leader should be a great listener.

Yes I believe that a small group leader should have a vibrant realtionship with God, spend time in His word, and be passionate about sharing Jesus with kids. Those are all very important.

What I have learned over the years serving as a small group leader is how important relationship is in leading our kids each week. Part of that relationship begins with listening to them. They want to talk about their lives. They want to talk about how they feel. They want someone to listen and more than that know that the person listening cares about what they are saying.

Yes, part of our calling as small group leaders is to share Jesus with our kids. But I believe that before they will really hear us, our kids have to know that we are listening. They have so many people in their lives today doing all the talking and not many who are taking the time to really listen to them.

Think of it like this…

Imagine you are sharing something with your small group about God being our Father, but three of the kids in your group have absentee earthly fathers which means they have absolutely no real concept of what God as our Father means. By listening to them share about how their lives are without dad and what they are feeling about it, you will be able to better minister to them.

Having conversations with your kids and listening more can change how you teach inside the intimate setting of a small group.  Our kids want to talk about what is happening in their lives. Sharing Jesus with them requires us to really listen to what they have to say.

As I’ve mentioned before, I receive alerts from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children – these alerts break my heart. When I see the photos of children who are runaways, I wonder what kind of words did they hear in their homes? While some of them may be from loving homes and just became influenced by people who did not have their best interests at heart, it is very possible most of them have heard words which echo through their lives with pain. I’ve also watched as my children, grandchildren and the children in the churches where I’ve served “light up” when they are encouraged, applauded and lavished with grace and love!

Consider Colossians 4:6, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (NIV) As you enter 2012, commit to be a person whose conversation is always full of grace, seasoned with salt so as you serve the children and families in your church and community the “echo” which results in their lives will “shape” them with the grace God so richly lavishes on us!

You see, for the past couple years I have felt a burden to start a small group ministry within our children’s ministry. The past two falls I have been determined to launch this exciting new thing. Well, in each case I would work on it over the summer, but then when it came time to launch I would end up feeling as if everything wasn’t ready and I would not launch.

The truth is that everything wasn’t ready. There were some things that simply weren’t ready to go yet. But, my approach changed this fall. When fall came around, I still wasn’t ready to launch. However, this year I didn’t put the idea on a shelf to collect dust until next year. Instead I pushed on. Well, a couple weeks ago we launched our small group ministry. It is perfect, no, but it’s moving.

You see, this was something completely new for me and for my church. For this reason I could have worked on it for years without ever feeling that everything was ready. Even if I had done it before I could still have spent some time working on it without every detail being ready. Instead I decide JUST DO SOMETHING. My small group leaders went into it knowing that this would be a work in progress with a big learning curve for me too, but just for them. They also knew that we were in this together and that I had their back.

So, what does that mean for you? Do whatever you can to prepare for whatever new thing you are getting ready to do. Make it as good as you can when you launch it. But, in the end you have to start somewhere so JUST DO SOMETHING! Launch it, but don’t be satisfied with where it is. I have found that the key is constant improvement. So long as every time you do something it is better than last time you did it, than you will move forward in your ministry.

Well, the newest 144 hours sale starts this Friday, January 13th at 12:00 P.M. and lasts for, you guessed it, 144 hours!

It’s the biggest KIDMIN sale of the YEAR!  It features over $1,600+ worth of Children’s and Preteen Ministry resources for only $97.  Free shipping to U.S. locations is included.

This deal includes:

• Six Yancy Worship Videos
• Five Uncle Charlie Worship Videos
• From PreTeenMinistry.net – Curriculum, Small Group Series, Summer Game Pack, Coaching Series, Walk the Line and 21 PowerPoint games for preteens
• Five OneTimeBlind Illustration/Skit Videos
• Video Shorts & Countdowns from Timbuktoons
• 2 Tickets to the PreTeenMinistry Conference
• Children’s & Youth Logo Pack from Church Logo Gallery
• PowerPoint Games for Children, Students, and Adults and Children’s & Student Leader Training mp3′s from Burnt Toast
• 25 Best Youth Group Skits and 10 Best Youth Group Games from Righteous Insanity
• Bedroom Bible College for Tweens: Leader Guide PDF files from J12
• Journey: Beginning Your Walk with God

More details are available at www.only144.com.

There are also great incentives to order early:

• The first person who orders will win a new Amazon Kindle.
• The first 10 people who order will win GoFish’s new Praise VBS Curriculum
• The first 20 people who order will win the book Stretch by Jim Wideman
• The first 50 people who order will win a MissionSix CD
• The first 100 people who order will win an iShine Live DVD
• The first 200 people who order will win a Yancy CD

So, make plans for noon on Friday to get your deal.  And, remember if you miss it at noon that you only have another 144 hours until this deal is done!  Happy shopping!  Happy savings!

Disclaimer:  The people at Only144.com have provided me with a complimentary copy of this wonderful package.