HOW TO TURN YOUR CP INTO A RAVING FAN

If you look within the various conferences, books, and blogs about children's ministries, you will eventually come across a piece about getting along with the pastor and church leadership. Workshops and articles with titles like "Getting the Support of Your Church Board" and "How to Turn Your Pastor Into a Raving Fan" dot the landscape of notebooks and podcasts. These are great lessons, because they demonstrate that the children's ministry leader is ultimately part of the larger church ministry and not some rogue operation on the fringes of Sunday morning.

But there are times when church leadership does indeed regard children's ministry as an "outside" work. It's not necessarily deliberate, but there is a sheer lack of knowledge and understanding about what goes on in "the other part of the church." Sometimes, a disgruntled parent comes in with a complaint and the pastor or board, assuming the gripe is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, deal harshly with the kidmin leader. Or maybe there is just a general lack of response, a benign nod of the head and smile as the children's pastor tells the head elder about how the kids really liked the puppet presentation and slime craft last week.

The following are five suggestions for senior pastors and/or ruling boards on how to support your children's pastor.  Maybe we could even call it, "How to Turn Your Children's Pastor Into a Raving Fan."

• Learn what is going on in your children's department. What are the programs, curriculum, songs, and so on. Who are the volunteers? How is the program structured. If you are a senior pastor, maybe you can get a speaker for a Sunday in order for you to "hang out" with the kids to watch, observe, and take notes (you may even be pressed into service!)
• Find out why these things are done. It's not enough to merely observe the elements of children's church or Sunday School, the wise leader will find out why these elements are the way they are. One of the biggest gaps adults have in understanding children's ministry is the fact that children's ministry is framed in the culture of kids. It does no good to criticize bright colors, silly song motions, and goofy puppets by adult standards. So it is important to ask why the music is the way it is, why do we arrange classes in that fashion, why do we put the teaching in that spot in the service, and so on.
• Help the children's leadership in meeting the vision of the church. Submitting to the church's mission and vision is practically part of Children's Ministry Leadership 101, yet in some churches, pastors and church boards are not always forthcoming in helping the kidmin in lining up. Take your children's pastor out to lunch, listen to how he feels about the church and its ministry, and offer to help him blend his vision into yours.  You might be surprised at how close the two ministries really are.
• Be honest, but kind in evaluations. Legitimate problems need to be addressed in a clear, but gentle way. But while praise is always a good thing, heaping on generalities like "Good job," or "Way to go," while ignoring matters that need to be addressed, end up causing more harm than good. When the problems do come out, the children's ministry leader will feel blindsided.  If you are building a relationship with the kidmin leader (as suggested above), sharing a challenge or difficulty will be much easier.
• Be generously flexible in dealing with difficulties. There are some situations in which the pastor and/or church leadership should swiftly and decisively remove someone from children's ministry leadership: clear immorality, blatant disloyalty to the church, doctrinal deviation, and, of course, harming a child. Most anything less can be worked out amicably. "We don't like the logo on that particular curriculum, so you're fired!" is unnecessarily harsh. On the other hand, saying, "There are some people who are uncomfortable with that logo. What made you decide to do it this way? Is there a way it can be modified to soften the objectionable parts?" preserves the relationship and strengthens the ministry...and the minister.

What advice have you offered to your senior pastor or board?

REASON FOR THE HOPE

I'm waiting.

I'm waiting for the day someone comes up to me and says, "Hey, buddy, can you give me a reason for the hope that is in you?"  And with meekness and fear, I'll give an answer or defense.

Yup, I'll be ready.

One of the most heart pounding verses I have ever read was 1 Peter 3:15: "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear."  This verse and Jude 3 ("contend earnestly for the faith") get my debater pulse pinging.  I love the study of apologetics. It has strengthened my faith, sharpened my reasoning, and enabled me to help others discern truth from error. At one time, I wanted to get my Masters in Apologetics ('cuz, after all, it looks great on a resume when looking for a second job!). I will not give up examining Christian evidences, reasons for faith, answers to skeptics, Biblical principles on today's societal issues, and life applications in light of Scriptural truths. Christianity is a reasonable faith: I know what I believe and why I believe it.

But lately, I've come to the conclusion that sometimes the best defense may be no defense at all. It's not that there is no answer available. It's not that I cannot or will not lay a Bible perspective on a social issue on social media, or respond with a letter to the editor when items which touch on Biblical matters are trashed. But amazingly, not everybody is asking for my opinion. Some people and groups are hostile to the historic Christian faith.  Some are frustrated by hypocrisy, both real and perceived. And some people and groups just don't care, settling for a blissful ignorance. And while I am fully prepared and willing to use Christian evidences (and will continue to do so), I'm finding that, to an increasing number of people, such tactics are like foam darts on a steel hull.

You see, something I tend to miss is that sometimes, instead of waiting for someone to ask me about the hope that is in me, I just kind of lead off with the debate. I miss the fact that in the 1 Peter 3 passage, I'm giving a defense because someone asked me about the hope that is in me.  So I have to ask myself: is my Christian life authentic enough that people see hope oozing from the cracks to the point they want to know more? Few people have asked me for 10 reasons to support the inspiration of Scripture or a list of the many infallible proofs for the resurrection of Christ. But even fewer have asked about the hope that is in me.

As I've reassured folks in this post, I'll still use evidences whenever I can.  But I'm thinking too that sometimes, it might just be better to be silent and let my life be my apologetic.

A GALLERY OF CPC NOTEBOOKS

I've recently been going through all my children's ministry stuff in an attempt to get better organized for my next exciting kidmin adventure. In the process, I've had time to reflect, remember, and smile over the stuff I've gone through. Today, I want to take a look at...CPC Notebooks!

Long time readers of this blog know that I am an unapologetic, raving fan of INCM's Children's Pastors' Conference. I'm sure I can find things to pick apart--and there is a time and place for that--but I still believe it is the largest event of its kind that is dedicated to children's ministry. When I return home and unpack my bag, one of the things I like to pull out and wave in front of my wife is my notebook from the conference.  I'm really like a little kid who says, "Look what I got!" Ooooh.  Aaaah!

Whenever I thumb through these notebooks, my mind replays theme songs, set designs, speakers, and friends.  So here is a gallery of my seven favorite CPC notebooks (and you'll have to wait until the end to find out why I chose these seven).

2003..My first CPC. We used the "Building His Kingdom, Reaching His Kids" theme in our children's ministry for a while afterwards.

2004...I still have the hero puppets!

2007...after a two year absence, I returned.  Cool theme song.

2008....a reminder that it's "all about kids"

2010...instead of a snazzy 3-ring binder, we got a vertical spiral notebook. I confess: I prefer the 3-ring binders. However, it's what's on the inside that counts, content over cover, substance instead of surface, etc. etc.

2011....I can still hear the trumpet fanfare and sounds of Go Fish and Denver and the Mile High Orchestra reminding me that "we do what we do 'cuz we're solid to the core!" (1000 Teacher Tim points to any attendees who can remember what C-O-R-E stands for.  And Michael Chanley is not eligible to enter!)

2012...smaller spiral sporting the new logo (notice "Red"?). This was a bittersweet conference because it occurred after I left a 15 year stint as CP. But I have so many fond memories of people praying for and encouraging me.  One of the many things I love about CPC is the assurance that you're not alone.

 



So why are these my seven favorite notebooks?  Because these are the seven CPC's I've attended!  Yup, the rather simplistic answer to the question, "What is your favorite CPC?" is: "the one I'm at!"  And as the Lord leads and provides, I will be able to add another notebook to the gallery.

WEEKEND TRIP: LAVA IS A MANY SPLENDERED THING

Our journeys this weekend took  us to the high desert of central Oregon, to the resort community of Sunriver. While I have visited the famous Village Mall of Sunriver, and while our high school youth group holds an annual winter retreat here, this was the first time I actually stayed in Sunriver. It's like a developed campground, only instead of tents, yurts, and rustic cabins, there are very nice one and two story houses within the tall pines and brush. I don't know what the base population of the town is, but it likely balloons during peak vacation times.

Not that we spent a whole lot of time indoors.  Our daughter, who celebrates her birthday this week, set the agenda for our travels. So after a power brunch at IHOP in Bend, we stopped by an incredible Christian bookstore, then the local Walmart so I could buy a cap (necessary equipment for long walks in the outdoors). And then came our first tour of the day:

The High Desert Museum is an expansive, indoor-outdoor museum featuring wildlife, Native American culture and history, and real life critters of all shapes and sizes.

My amazing photographic skills captured this fish making a jump upstream! Actually, this is a display just outside the doors of the museum.  The water is real, the fish is fake.

On outdoor tours, as in life, this is a good reminder

 

We attended a talk about Birds of Prey, then we visited the Birds of Prey Center

Thanks to a camera problem, I was only able to capture one bird of prey.  But wow...to see the American Bald Eagle that close was exciting.

 

The next day, with fresh batteries in the camera and another power breakfast to fortify us, we made our way to a local volcano.  Lava Butte is actually part of a whole volcanic system in the area. A narrow road that swirls around the mountain takes you to the top of the cone.

We're here!

It's hard to believe this magnificent vista resulted from such chaos

The gray strip is the highway. According to the literature, an eruption could have devastating effects on transportation.  Ya think?

Who's up for a ski trip?

Looking down the rim.  Lots of evidence of destruction, yet, the trees are still making a comeback.

Parking lot at the top of Lava Butte,  looking up at the lookout tower.

This is the parking lot, taken from the upper deck of the lookout tower.

This is tasteless and crude, but I laughed when I saw it (zoom in if you can't read the sign).

Our next stop of the day was a few miles away.  The Lava Cast Forest is a looping trail that takes you through an actual lava flow.

What makes this an interesting place is not only the sheer magnitude of devastation, but the number of "lava casts" along the way.

In simple terms, lava surrounds a tree and begins to cool.  Over the years, the tree dies and decomposes, leaving a tube like cave.  This one still had snow at the bottom of it.

This one was one of the deeper ones. My pictures don't do the tubes justice..they're actually quite interesting to look at.  And, of course, I get lessons from these "lava casts." First, the tree's ability to endure in spite of being surrounded by lava illustrates our standing in the midst of trials. Second, when the tree is gone, there is something ruggedly beautiful left behind.  What is our legacy when the trials have passed?

 

There was far more than sight seeing, of course.  Laughter, relaxation, reading (finished an entire book over the weekend!). It was a great weekend.  Thanks to my daughter for inviting us on a wonderful trip.

DAY TRIP: WILDLIFE SAFARI

Today, we made a day trip to Winston, Oregon, home of "Wildlife Safari." This was my first time to this southern Oregon attraction.  In fact, it was my first time ever to a drive through a wildlife park.  As we passed the huge entrance, all I could hear in my head was Sir Richard Attenborough saying, "Welcome...to Jurassic Park!"

Of course, we didn't see any dinosaurs.  But we did see..

LIONS

 

AND TIGERS

AND BEARS.  OH MY!

 

AND CAMELS

 

AND ZEBRAS

 

AND HIPPOS

 

AND RHINOS

 

AND LAWN DECORATIONS (just wanted to see if you were still reading!)

 

 

Many times, as I go places, I tend to spot principles and concepts.  Today was "Children's Day" at the Safari, a fact we did not take into accout when planning this trip.  As we toured the "Village" (the combination visitor center and small animal exhibits and more), we saw kids constantly squeeling in delight and exitement over God's creation. I believe places like this are a great opportunity to help our kids see the hand of our Maker.

 

And in a more practical vein, Wildlife Safari knows how to do signs well (a lesson from Kidmin Facility Management 101)

 

If you're planning a trip to Oregon, Wildlife Safari is worth a look.

 

 

 

 

AN EARLY EXAMPLE OF LEADERSHIP

I'm really trying not to sound like I'm bragging, but I used to do children's ministries in one of the largest churches in southern California. If I mentioned this church, you would probably recognize it.  I'm fairly certain you've heard of the pastor (both the current one and the one before).

But to put this in some realistic perspective, I was involved with this church as one of hundreds of volunteers. Being a large church, there were many different children's ministries besides Sunday School, and so the volunteer base was quite large.

But here's "the thing": I was treated like the most important member of the volunteer team! When

Yeah, it was a long time ago!

we had our weekly training meeting, our team leader acted as if every single person in the room was a vital part of the ministry. If I was sick or had an unavoidable conflict, I would get a note of encouragement, prayer, and support, as well as a reminder of how crucial my participation was to children's evangelism. And when I finally moved on to other ministry opportunities, the team leader not only expressed how much I'd be missed, but also her sincere congratulations and blessings on my new adventure.

To be honest, at the time, I never contemplated just how significant this was. When I became a regular children's pastor, I also became a student of children's ministry leadership, and I began learning and growing in leadership principles set forth in myriads of  books, blogs, and podcasts. But it was only then did it all dawn on me: This team leader in this huge church was doing effective volunteer management before children's ministries became a "profession" in most churches. She never wrote a book, there was no personal computing back then, and her weekly volunteer newsletter was a hand cut and pasted affair. Yet the things she did could very well be the chapter titles of a popular volunteer leading handbook.

Let's take a quick look:

• She valued each volunteer's input.
• She kept in regular contact with each volunteer.
• She affirmed that each volunteer was an important part of something big (not just a warm body to fill a slot).
• She cast vision.
• She let God direct the volunteers' paths, even if such a leading took them away.

I'm sure there are more principles, but you get the idea. I don't remember her name and I'm not quite sure she would even remember me, but I'm grateful for this children's ministry pioneer who was "doing the stuff" before there were ever websites to lay it all out.

FIRST SPRING TRIP TO UNION CREEK

Ahhh, spring is here and with it comes thoughts of wandering the back roads and highways, experiencing the grandeur of nature, and enjoying the warmth of sunshine and family, new growth, and the melodious call of creation's splendor.

But those thoughts will have to wait for another day.

Today (Saturday), we went on a picnic to Union Creek Campground, just north of Prospect.

View Larger Map

While it's hardly a backroad, Highway 62 snakes through tall, majestic pines

 

We drove a little ways up the road and parked in front of Farewell Bend Snow Park. As you can see, the ground was not filled with fresh green, but packed snow

 

Finally, the Union Creek Campground.  Or, more accurately, the Union Creek Day Use Area.  Well, technically, the parking area. Campground closed, although if you want to trudge through the snow to the picnic areas, go for it.  We chose to eat in the van.

 

If you look very carefully, this sock and scarf left on a post looks like a grumpy face.

 

There's a little foot bridge at the day use area.  Snow wasn't bad getting to the bridge, so I decided to get a picture of the little island sitting in the creek. Anyone for a swim?

 

Fortunately, the parking lot was plowed, making a rather large barrier to access the rest of the camping and picnicing and putting a slight chill in the air. But that's okay, because I have the INCM long sleeved black t CORE shirt from CPC11 (product placement from a kidmin..whoot!).

 

And thus our first official spring outing was done.  I'm grateful for the laughter and the chance to just enjoy the day.

SECOND LOOK: WHY THE BIBLE ISN'T LIKE THE BIBLE

The third installment of The Bible mini-series has just aired. Jesus has been born, tempted, and calling disciples, even as John the Baptist is being beheaded (oops, sorry, spoiler alert!).

Some "off the grid" folks wanted me to give them a bottom line, thumbs up-or-down evaluation of the mini-series. Apparently, my previous review confused them.  Did I like it or not?  And as I re-read my review of part one, and as I monitor the countless comments and reviews on Facebook and other sources, then yes, there is a mixed reaction, a confusing set of approvals and disapprovals, sometimes in the same post!

So why the confusion? Let me share my gut feeling.

There are really two "Bibles" here (before you take up stones to stone me, let me explain!). As a Christian, I believe the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible, authoritative Word of the Living God, sufficient in all matters of faith and practice. But to others, the Bible is a collection of morality tales. A producer can easily portray the latter, but will never be able to accurately portray the former.

Media transfers are difficult. I ended my previous post with the phrase "The Book is better;" that is, I find the source material far more superior than most derivatives. This actually holds true for most publications that have been adapted into a movie or TV show. A movie maker has maybe 30 seconds to show a scene that took up 12 pages in a novel. Even the most "faithful" of adaptations take certain liberties. So when people say The Bible series is not like the Bible, they're right.

But furthermore, no matter how well intentioned a producer may be, they're not going to get it all down. One of the critical reviewers was upset because, not only does the series leave out a lot of material, but it does not explain how the events of the Old Testament tie in to God's redemptive plan revealed in the New. In other words, "why can't The Bible be more of a complete expositional message?" When I think of the many hours spent in Bible survey and introduction classes in college, the answer is obvious: it's not realistic to have a 45 hour mini-series!  With all due respect to those who wonder why The Bible isn't more like the Bible; well, what did you expect?

But I also believe that the positioning of this mini-series was off.  "Positioning" is a marketing term referring to the image or identity of a product in the minds of the consumers. The Bible was pushed and promoted as a way to introduce people to the Book of Books so they might read and study it more. There were whole curriculum packages made so churches could ride this wave. I haven't seen the materials, but I suspect that, in the end, if Bible studies were launched, they were focused more on correcting the unfortunate portrayals in the mini-series and filling in the expository blanks.

The Bible mini-series is what it is: an adaptation of stories from the Bible. Marketing aside, it is entertaining and well produced.  But in the end, it's not that different than dozens of other adaptations of stories from the Bible. If people are drawn to the Scriptures because of what they saw, I'm okay with that. My hope is that they follow up in a good, Bible-teaching church. Not only will they discover the real Bible, but they will also get to personally know the Author of the Book.

A PRINCIPLE ON KID CULTURE

One of my dim memories from my elementary school days was the Wacky Races fundraiser. The classes competed against each other to raise money for a special project. And there, on the giant bulletin board in the hallway, were several straight racetracks, each one marked with a graduated dollar amount. And on each track was a cartoony race car and driving crew from Hannah-Barbara's hit children's program Wacky Races (sigh, I'm dating myself). The campaign was a hit. Kids got excited as they followed their cars' progress, seeing the characters they knew on Saturday morning come to life in their environment. Even parents and teachers got in the act. I don't remember a lot from my elementary school days, but I remember that fundraising theme, because my mom came up with it.

I don't know what her exact role was on the committee, but I do remember her asking me once what my friends and I liked watching on Saturday mornings. And one of the hit shows at the time was Wacky Races, featuring an around-the-world competition among several colorful cartoon characters. So she bought a few Wacky Races coloring books and carefully colored and cut out each car and crew. Making the tracks was easy and before you could say, "start your engines," the fundraiser was off and running.

Naturally, this was a secular environment, but my mom understood something that seems so basic now to children's ministries: to reach kids, you have to understand a kids' culture. For six days, children are immersed in a maze of pop music, video games, the internet, and, partially thanks to cable, day by day cartoons and other children's programming. Then they go to church and are exposed to grown ups who live in an adult world, walls that appeal to adult aesthetics, and technology that seems dated and drab. This sheer disconnected irrelevance communicates that the safe Jesus is a great part of Sunday mornings, but not ultimately integral to the rest of the week.

There is a lot more to this, of course. We are in the world, but not of the world, after all. But just as a general, broad principle, I believe we need to do what my mom did: ask the kids about their world. Then maybe we need to go out and get a couple of coloring books, video games, or action figures. Log on to some children-oriented sites and watch a little Nickelodeon. It's a cliche' but it's applicable: be a kid at heart!

 

MINI-REVIEW: THE BIBLE MINI-SERIES ON HISTORY

This is a review of The Bible mini-seies, part 1.  It contains details and plot points about the show. If you have not seen it yet and/or you do not want details about it, don't read any further.

Last night (March 3), the History Channel rolled out The Bible, a mini-series brought to us by Mark Burnett (Survivor) and Roma Downey (Touched by an Angel).

First of all, I applaud the effort to increase Biblical literacy. Mark Burnett and Roma Downey have been very public about wanting more people to get into the Scripture. In this day and age of increasing hostility to Christian ideas and values, this is a good thing. I also liked the production values.  Although not necessarily epic in its depictions, it does show life in the desert as dirty and sweaty and man's relationship with God as sometimes challenging.

Most of the instances of "creative license" can be overlooked.  For example, the Bible doesn't depict Sarah figuring out that Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac, whereupon she dashes up the mountain to stop him. On the other hand, it doesn't say she didn't do that and the scene does not change the event itself.  The announcement to Sarah that she would have a child was a little eerie to my mind, with a shadowy figure whisping through the tent and disappearing while talking to Sarah. But that doesn't ultimately hurt the Biblical text either.

But the part that got me was (wait for it!)...the Ninja Angels! In Genesis, we read that the men of Sodom were struck blind, so that they grew weary trying to find the door. whereupon the two angels led Lot and his family out of the city.  But in The Bible version, the two angels cast off their cloaks to reveal armored warriors (okay so far).  They then strike the men at the door with some painful condition (I always imagined a bright light, but okay...struck blind...got it!).  And then the angels pull out their swords (no problem necessarily, since the Bible does speak of some angels having swords) and then engage in an extended, martial arts style fight sequence with the armed men of Sodom as they lead Lot out of the city.  It was a neat scene, it was an exciting scene, but one that made me both laugh and shake my head at the same time.

Again, I do not want to disparage any sincere effort to introduce people to the Book of Books. Even the inaccuracies can prompt teachers and students to dig in the Scripture and say, "Hey, this is what the Bible really says...". But ultimately, for me, there's nothing really new here. There have been dozens of dramatizations of Biblical events over the years. Some are high budget, epic depictions (The Ten Commandments), some are evangelistically motivated (Jesus), and yes, there are a few that were so inaccurate and awful that I have to wonder what drug the producers were using at the time (NBC's Noah's Ark). But as good and positive as The Bible mini-series is; frankly, I've seen it all before.

The Bible mini-series is sincerely motivated, respectful in it subject matter, and better than most made-for-television productions. I have not seen any of the accompanying resource material (study guides, curriculum, and so on), but it is being pushed heavily within the evangelical world. But for me, the shortest summary is the one that holds true to a host of adaptations from literature:

"The Book is better."

DO ROTATIONS DISTRACT?

Regular readers of this blog know that I'm not a big fan of rotating teachers (if you want to know why, here is a link to the introduction to that series). I'm sure there are circumstances in which rotation works well (and I'd be happy to examine each one), but overall, I believe the practice of making a schedule and having a different teacher each week for the main kid's worship time is actually counter-productive to effective children's ministries.

Aside from the inconsistencies in preparation, presentation, and participation, I think weekly rotations are actually a "distraction from the best." I know a very humble, very godly man who oversees children's ministries in his church. At least twice in the last year, he has expressed the need for "more volunteers." In fact, this last time, he has described it as a "dire need." The problem isn't that they have more kids than ever before. The problem is that children's ministry has been replaced with getting enough volunteers to fill the slots on the schedule. It has grown to the point that the focus is no longer what is best for the kids, but what is best for the volunteers.



Image courtesy of koratmember/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I imagine the process started with the innocent desire to make sure volunteers did not get too burdened with teaching week after week. So they created a schedule with Mrs. Jones teaching the first week, Mr. Smythe doing week two, Miss Looly on week three, and Mr. Grober on week four. That way, each teacher only has to teach once a month. But then Mr. Grober announces that he would rather teach every other month. So we either have to ask one of the other teachers to teach twice, or we need to get another teacher. Miss Looly is willing, but only temporarily until we find someone else. Meanwhile, Mrs. Jones calls on Saturday night to let us know that her family is going on vacation, so we ask Mr. Smythe if he can fill in. He can, but he doesn't really want to do two weeks in a row. We manage to plead and cajole and finally recruit enough volunteers so that nobody has to be stuck with the kids more than once every other month. All our slots are filled and all is well. Until we get a phone call from Mr. Grober....

A weekly rotation sounds like an ideal solution to "spread out the work," but it doesn't take much to derail the schedule. It requires us to recruit two or three times more volunteers than we actually need on a given Sunday, plus it does not guarantee freedom from burn-out. And before long, most of the energy is spent on getting warm bodies and figuring out how to schedule them. Soon, you have a volunteer or even the coordinator herself filling in for two, three, or more Sundays in a row and all they can think about is, "I'm tired of doing this every week. I haven't been in church for the last four weeks!"And, of course, there is the idea that Mr. Grober is here only because no one else wanted to do it that Sunday. That is the best we have to offer our children?

I have a testimony about my journey out of this cycle.  One day I will share it.  But for now, here are a few suggestions:

• Recruit to vision, not to need. Iimagine if children's church was regarded as "real church." Imagine if there were dedicated, sold-out volunteers who look forward to bonding with the kids week after week. Figure out what your ministry is about, what it looks like, and find volunteers that will buy in to that vision.
• Have a dedicated teacher.  Normally, that would be the Children's Pastor or Director, but in any event, find a consistent teacher whose "job" is to prepare and present to the kids each and every week.
• Watch your language. The phrases used in our scenario above are actual quotes from volunteers and leaders: "don't want volunteers over burdened," "stuck with the kids," "haven't been in (real) church for a long time," etc. Don't talk about children's ministry as duty or obligation. "If nobody else comes forward, then (deep sigh) I guess I'll do it" (doesn't that just bless your heart?). Instead, tell the leadership, volunteers, the congregation, and yourself about this great adventure called "children's ministry."

A HALF-DOZEN RECRUITING REMINDERS

When it comes to recruiting, I'm a simple, rather naive kind of guy. I think if a person hears about a need and they have a way to meet that need, they should meet that need. Simple, huh?

For years, I believed a self-imposed lie that I was "lousy" at recruiting. But I found that there are plenty of helps in this area and that, chances are, you are better at recruiting than you think. Let's take a look at six principles of recruiting (there are probably more). There is nothing new here, but it may serve as an encouraging reminder of some of the nuts and bolts behind recruiting children's volunteers.

• Bulletin announcements for volunteers are the least effective means of recruiting. If you use a bulletin announcement, make most of the announcement about how much fun and exciting your children's ministry is. End with contact information for any who might be curious enough to ask.
• Ditto with public announcements. 98% of the out loud announcement should be about how cool the children's ministry is. The last little bit should be something like, "And if you want to know how to get involved, see me after the service."  And whatever you do, don't beg, don't threaten, and don't bring sad faced little kids up front and talk about these poor children who don't have a teacher.
• Personal invitations are the best, most effective way to recruit. Some of the best children's ministry volunteers I've had the pleasure of working with are the ones I walked up to and asked if they would help. The downside of the personal ask is that a lot of people will also say "no." But for the "yesses", it is exciting.
• Don't confuse personality with technique. You can practice solid recruiting methods even if you don't have one of those winsome, charismatic personalities (you know the kind I'm talking about: the gal who, after one short conversation about the latest fashion, can get Mrs. Jones to help with crafts after you've tried to recruit her for the last ten years!). Effective recruiting can be learned and practiced no matter how socially awkward you may feel.
• Recruit recruiters. The beauty of recruiting is that you don't have to do it by yourself. Contact people who know people. Ask the leader of the mom's group to help you recruit nursery workers. Get in good with the high school leader to see if there are some on-fire teens who would like to get involved.
• Pray.  Yes, this should actually be first on this list and part of every other point!

What kinds of recruiting principles would you add to the list?

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME

You've got questions? I've got answers! They're in the link above that says "A Little Bit About Teacher Tim" (right next to where it says "Home"). Approach with caution.

 

While I'm certainly not a man of mystery (international or otherwise), I tend not to say a lot about me. A little over a year ago, some folks were asking about my background because they didn't know anything about me or my relationship to Children's Ministries.  I suppose for a steak dinner, I could lay out more details about myself than anyone would ever want to hear. But I'll settle for this for now (although the steak dinner is not out of the question, mind you).

 

This is not a resume (although if you and your church is looking for a children's minister, I will be happy to send you one). It's not even a decent cover letter. It is merely and over-simplistic summary of stuff that has made me me. And as always, all that I've been able to do as been by God's grace and mercy.  It's not about how cool I am, but about how incredible and awesome God is.

So go ahead.  Click on "A Little Bit About Teacher Tim."  Go ahead.  You know you want to.  And if, after you are done, you are curious about anything, just ask.  There are no off-limit questions, but I reserve the right to not always give you a complete answer.

Meanwhile, thanks for dropping by my blog.

THINKING OUTLOUD ABOUT THE CHURCH

Songwriter Bill Gaither once sang, "Let the church be the church. Let the people rejoice." While he was exalting the One True Church, there are many folks in local congregations today who are saying, "Let the church be the church, but what exactly does that mean?"

Even though the vast majority of churches in the United States have fewer than 100 members, the attention seems to be on the so-called "mega-churches" with attendance in the thousands each week. Smaller churches by the score have adopted some of the techniques and practices.  Many churches use (to some extent or another) contemporary arrangements in their music.  Their pastors have shed the suit and tie look.  There is a greater emphasis on looking, feeling, and being a church for the 21st century, where Christians and unsaved "seekers" alike can feel comfortable.

Already, the readers are taking sides. Let me state for the record, that I have no problems with "mega-churches." Obviously, those that reject the Word of God or otherwise clearly teach false doctrine need to be examined closely, but as I've read commentary about mega-churches, it's clear that a lot of criticism is based on envy, not on substantiated fact. A common observation is "since they've grown so large, so fast, they must be a cult." That's not the case. One could just as easily say that the small church is small because they are not being blessed by God. Bottom line: the size and style of the congregation is irrelevant to this discussion. Having been in a mega-church environment and having served in a small church environment, I can testify that both have very similar challenges, albeit on different scales.

Yet in spite of the whole "seeker sensitive", contemporary church movement, some studies have shown that people are leaving the church in droves. As Group Publishing's Thom Shultz observed in a recent blog,

"Over the last year, while working on a major documentary film that examines America’s state of faith and the condition of the church, I’ve talked with hundreds of people. Many of these are de-churched. They’re done with the organized church. In some cases, they’re wounded. In other cases, they’re simply disinterested."("The De-Churched: Why They Left," Holy Soup with Thom Shultz)
 

I'm certainly no expert, nor do I claim to have all the answers.  In fact, my thoughts today may very well be different a year or two or ten from now. But at the moment, I'm wondering if the very things that have attracted people to church might also be the things driving them away. I had a friend who professed no real faith and didn't care much for church.  But one Sunday, at the invitation of a friend, he visited a "seeker sensitive", contemporary church. I asked him later what he thought.  He said everything was good...good music, good atmosphere, nice people.  Even the speaker was engaging. But he would not go back, because it didn't feel like "church."

I believe, deep down inside, we want to connect with something bigger and grander than ourselves. I'm not defending the ultra-ritualistic church, mind you (and high worship is not my particular preference), but at least they've nailed the basic premise: God is bigger than us. Although my friend confused style with intent, his memories told him that church music was grand and a little hard to understand because God was grand and maybe a little hard to understand. The pastor wore a suit and tie because he represented the King of Kings. And when the pastor spoke from the Bible, it was eloquent because the subject matter was exalted.  There seems to be a need for tradition, for ritual, and for "deepness" in our hearts. We want to be overwhelmed by majesty.

Once again, this is not a criticism of the contemporary style of worship, for there is an equally legitimate purpose for this as well.  We do need to be sensitive to seekers and visitors, and we need to be aware that not everyone we're trying to reach speaks "church-ese." On the other hand, we need to figure out how not to alienate those who want, need, and feel comfortable with ritual, tradition, and the whole language of the church. This is the challenge of the 21st century church.

So to answer the original question: "Let the church be the church, but what does that mean?" I believe the answer is "yes."

Just thinking out loud....

MY FAVORITE AWANA MEMORY

Let's establish something up front: there is no "s" at the end of Awana!

For those who don't know what "Awana" is, it is a club (actually several clubs) that emphasizes Bible memory in a format filled with neat games, cool uniforms,  plenty of badges, and fun.  The letters in Awana stand for "Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed" (taken from 2 Timothy 2:15).  And even though it is an acronym, it is not written A.W.A.N.A. or AWANA (unless everything else is capitalized too), and it is certainly not "Awanas," (unless you are speaking of something that belongs to Awana, such as "Awana's legacy", in which case it requires an apostrophe to show possession). It is simply "Awana," and I still get that clenched-teeth feeling when I hear the word "Awanas." What does the "s" stand for? "Approved workmen are not ashamed sometimes?" "Approved workmen are not ashamed significantly?"  "Approved workmen are not ashamed, silly!"

No "s" at the end of Awana.

Now that we have that out of the way, I salute Awana and all it has done to reach boys and girls with the gospel of Christ and train them to serve Him.  My Awana experience began with listening to verses in Sparkies and then developed into becoming a leader, a director, and eventually Commander for five years. It was an incredible rush, working with outstanding volunteers, and watching our club increase each year.

But the strength of Awana can be seen in a kid I'll call "Bryan."  Almost from the beginning, Bryan stood out from our group for one reason: he would not say the Pledge of Allegiance!  I'm sure nearly every club has those kids who either don't know what they are supposed to do during the flag ceremony or who need some reminding not to goof off during the ceremony.  But Bryan did not fit into either category.  He wasn't being rebellious or silly.  He stood there, quietly and respectfully, but with his mouth closed and his right hand down at this side.

After observing this for a couple of weeks, I took Bryan aside and asked him why he didn't do the pledge.  He said, "My mom said I couldn't."  A few questions later, I found out that Bryan's mom was a member of a certain religious organization that did  not believe in saluting the flag.  I conferred with our leaders and we decided (right or wrong) that we would allow Bryan to continue to stand there, lest we alienate him and his mother.

A few weeks later, Bryan passed his entrance book.  When I congratulated him, he said, "My mom told me you didn't believe what I did.  But I showed her my book and said, 'Look mom, they use the Bible too.'  She helped me learn my verses!"  I inwardly jumped.  A couple of weeks later, Bryan told me that he liked coming to Awana more than he liked going to his own church.  Although overjoyed that Awana had struck a chord in Bryan, I started to feel a little nervous that this could lead to a terrible wedge between him and his mother.  But that faded when he added, "My mom said she might start coming to church here."

I heard that Bryan and his family moved, so I never got to meet Mom at church.  But I can just visualize this boy, entrance booklet in front of him, feeding words of truth to his mom.  That is one of my favorite memories of Awana and why, even though I'm no longer actively involved in the program, I remain a fan.

Just don't add that "s" at the end.

Awana display booth from the 2011 Children's Pastors' Conference in San Diego

A LOOK BACK AT THE TOP TEN (plus two!)

Since this is the start of 2013, and inspired by some of my blogging buddies, I've decided to do a list of the top 10 posts of KidServant's Log, as determined by Blogger pageviews. And since there are a couple of ties, it actually works out to 12 posts (everybody likes a bargain!).

So if you are ready for a proverbial blast from the past, or you're new here and want to see what you've been missing, then strap on your seatbelts and away we go.....

10. THE SEVEN SIGNS OF THE HOLIDAYS (December 1, 2011)
       Personal insights as to how we know Christmas is near.

 9. TURNING OVER A NEW PAGE (October 10, 2010)
      Announcing my decision to step down from teaching the Sunday Morning Adult Bible Study I had led for seventeen years.  My main reason was to concentrate more on Children's Ministries. If I only knew what was to come...

      DOING IT OVER: ITEM #3 (November 15, 2012)
       The whole "Doing It Over" series was about things I would do differently in Children's Ministries.  This segment on working with the church leadership, apparently struck a chord.

 8. VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL '10: "BACKSTAGE WITH THE BIBLE" (August 2, 2010)
      My review of our church's VBS featuring curriculum and songs from "Go Fish".  Great memories.

     A COUPLE OF MUSICAL FAMILIES YOU SHOULD KNOW (July 16, 2012)
      Rob Biagi and the Justin Graves Band: two musical families you should know

 7. TEN NATIONALLY KNOWN INFLUENCERS  (June 12, 2007)
      The sequel to people I've known personally who have impacted and shaped my life, this list contains people who (for lack of a better term) are famous and have helped me and my ministry.

 6. CPC '12: PRELUDE 2: "CPC, WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?" (February 23, 2012)
      This gives some reasons why I get so excited about the INCM Children's Pastor's Conference.

 5. RECRUITING LESSONS I'M STILL LEARNING (September 25, 2010)
      Remember when Aaron and Hur saw weakness in Moses and tossed him off he cliff for the good of the Israelites?  Just wanted to see if you were still reading! (I may have to blog about how my lesson turned out.).

 4. CPC '12: PRELUDE 1: "FIRST TIME ON A STRANGE PLANET" (February 8, 2012)
      A look back at my very first CPC experience.

 3. HOW I SPENT MY WEEKEND (July 28, 2008)
      Recounting the day I tried to clean and organize the office.  I'm surprised this ranked so high.

 2. A BIG AND SOBERING ANNOUNCEMENT (December 19, 2011)
      The heartbreaking post revealing my forced resignation as Children's Pastor.  It was, and still is, a confusing turn of developments, but my joy and peace remain in Christ.

 1. TEN OF MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY SHOWS (November 29, 2008)
      I did not plan this, but it seems my list begins and ends with Christmas themes! Although I've tried not to analyze too much, I'm wondering if people keep searching for "holiday shows" and wind up on my blog.

Two observations before we go:
1.  Most of my blogs are related to Children's Ministries.  This was a huge element in my life.
2.  With a few exceptions, later posts got more views than earlier posts.  I think it is because I have more network connections than I had when I first started. 

Or there was nothing else happening on the information superhighway.

On to 2013.......

CHRISTMAS SONGS THAT STIR

One of the best things about Christmas is the music.  From familiar and traditional Christmas carols and songs to more contemporary fare, this season is full of wonderful tunes, many of which stir up emotions, memories, and thoughts.

I don't have the time or room to list every single Christmas song that has this "stirring" effect.  But here are six, in no particular order, that strike me.

C'mon Ring Those Bells! One of the first contemporary Christian artists I began listening to regularly was Evie. Her Christmas album, with "C'mon Ring Those Bells." was everywhere. I liked the nice feel about it, the bounce, the way it gave glory to Jesus. I also evokes some bittersweet memories, as that song was playing at a Christmas party I attended with a former girlfriend. I remember feeling very out of place at the party (in spite of the great music!). Two weeks later, my girlfriend broke up with me. But it also brings up happy memories, as a woman at our church would sing this every year, bringing a smile to everyone who heard it. 

Now Is Born the Divine Christ Child.  This is a good song.  Really, it is.  But like most songs that stir our emotions, memories, and imaginations, the song itself is secondary to remembering where we were and what we were doing at the time.  In this case, I think it was our fourth grade Christmas concert. If I'm not mistaken, there was an international theme that year.  So the boys, wiggling and squirming in their dress clothes, sang "Oh Tannenbaum." And the girls?  Well, they sang "Now Is Born the Divine Christ Child" in French.  And there, I think on the middle riser, was Lisa.  Dark hair, red sweater, great voice singing out  "Il est né le Divin Enfant."  I could almost see her look at me and smile.  I've never thought of that song the same way again (as for Lisa, my friend's friend assured me that Lisa not only did not like me, but "hated" me.  Tough news for fourth grade).

Oh Holy Night.  This is what I call a "thrill of victory and agony of defeat" song. It's a beautiful song which I have sung many times.  In my car.  Alone. Seriously though, the part where the singer belts out "oh niiiiiiight..de-VIIIIIINE" evokes chills and even tears when done by someone competent.  But I've also heard less-than-talented singers try it, often with disastrous results (such as the attempt by the men's Bible study group. You can still see the hairline cracks in the building foundation). So "Oh Holy Night" produces that moment of anticipation which marks a memorable experience.

The Messiah.  Yes, that Messiah.  By Handel.  And I'm talking about the whole multi-hour performance, not the abbreviated kind where they lift "Hallelujah" out of the middle and tack it on to the end for a big finish. I've cleaned and organized large spaces to this masterpiece, not only because I can't sit still and just listen to a looooooong piece of music, but because I can't sit down.  This composition is brilliant and based on Scripture.  Not saying every portion is my favorite, but there's enough that just makes my heart leap out in worship and adoration.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. I get the strangest sense of melancholy when I hear this song. It's not that the message is bad. It's a nice, sentimental song, with affirming lyrics. But when I watch a Christmas movie or television show, what happens? The main character arrives at the lowest spot in his life. Things are bleak, he is in despair. The snow is falling. And then comes "Have yourself a merry little Christmas.....you pathetic loser you!" It's almost mocking the hero of the show. Go on, watch a holiday drama and you'll see what I mean.

Anything by Andy Williams.  No, that's not the name of the song or album, just Christmas songs by the famous and popular singer.Whenever I hear "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" or even the "12 Days of Christmas" adaptation "A Song for the Christmas Tree," I remember long hours sitting in the living room, listening to our stereo record player (which was the size of some modern home theatre systems!).  Happy memories of growing up on Walton's Mountain...I mean, uhhh, growing up in southern Colorado.

What Christmas songs stir up the emotions, memories, and thoughts in you?  Share them in the comments below or on Facebook.

CHRISTMAS WAR, PHASE TWO

I said it before and...no seriously, I said it before.  Right here in this post.  So I said it before and I'll say it again: I don't have a problem with the expression "Happy Holidays."

There is a cute music video making the rounds that has prompted me to once again lay out my thoughts regarding holiday greetings and the war on Christmas.

Yes, it's a cute song, but it misses the point: if all the decorations and every ounce of atmosphere is connected with Christmas, then how does saying "Happy Holidays" negate that?  The song lists all the fun things that would be eliminated without Christmas, yet I see no loss of the fun things where I shop. Nor do I know of non-Christians who have walked into their local mall, seen the tree, the lights, the ornaments, and a fanciful re-creation of a Christian saint and said, "All these Christmas decorations deeply offend me.  I was going to storm out of this mall in protest until one of the clerks wished me 'Happy Holidays.'  Now I feel better."

I used to work for a retail company owned by some nice gentlemen who were not Christian.  One was a self-proclaimed agnostic, both were fairly liberal in their world view, but they were both members of another faith tradition, which they practiced, uhhh, religiously.  Yet every December, they'd make sure all their stores were decorated in Christmas finery.  They would pass out Christmas bonuses. They would encourage each location to have an employee Christmas party.  I asked my manager (who happened to be a believer) about why our non-Christian owners would push Christmas so much.  The manager smiled and said, "it's good business."

There could be a million signs saying "Merry Christmas" (and yes, some stores have those signs).  But like the chain I worked for, it did not mean the same thing to me that it did to my employers. Now please don't misunderstand.  I think it is silly and illogical to have all the trappings of Christmas, but not call it Christmas. And yes, people need to be reminded of what Christmas is all about.  But the girl at the check stand making minimum wage is not the enemy in our annual war, anymore than was Bing Crosby as he crooned "Happy Holidays" in 1942.

For me and my house,  "Merry Christmas" will continue to be a theological statement, not just a greeting. And if somebody asks, I will be ready to give a reason of the hope that is in me (1 Peter 3:15). Meanwhile, folks: be nice...let's fight the war on the right front.

REMEMBER THE SWEET TREATS

You've no doubt heard the news that Hostess is shutting down and that the ubiquitous Twinkie will soon be a rare commodity. A friend of mine lamented about how a part of childhood will soon be gone.  Twinkies could bring a smile to kids' faces.  They were spongy, packed sugar, with a shelf life of a few millennial.  But Twinkies made no pretense of being a "nutritious" snack.  They had one function: to be a sweet treat.  That's it.

Yes, Twinkies were a sweet treat that could bring a smile to a child's face.  Could it be, as we get older, we forget some of these simple pleasures, even to the point of becoming cynical?

What is it about a singing purple dinosaur that proved to be a hit among millions of younger kids? And why did it seem like the adult world was so bent on cutting him down?  Granted, Barney was not high brow entertainment.  The acting would never win an Oscar.  The songs were not the stuff of Broadway legend.  The whole gist of Barney was in its theme song: "I love you, you love me, we're a happy family...."  Grown ups gag.  Little kids love it.  It's a sweet treat.

Have you ever seen a Miss Patty Cake video?  I heard one parent shake her head and say, "I'd go into a diabetic coma if I watched too much of this."  Harsh words, but her kids were mesmerized.  I've had the privilege of meeting Miss Patty Cake.  She is one of the most pleasant, level-headed adults I've ever met. I'm sure we could have a deep conversation on the intricacies of Christian education and the use of media in an increasingly secular marketplace.  But if there are preschoolers around, it's a "Patty Cake Praise day!".

"Yes," you may argue, "They are sweet treats, but at least they have a message.  They're trying to teach something.  Twinkies have no nutritional value at all."

But does that mean they're without value?  I've got to wonder, what is the cost of a child's smile? Is it okay to make a child laugh for no other reason than to experience the joy of hearing his or her joy?
In our children's ministry, we used fun things to illustrate, fun things to teach, fun things to help kids learn.  But we also used fun things for no other reason than fun.  For example, we used video countdowns prior to the kids time.  One of the countdowns (which we used near Thanksgiving) has a goofy cartoon turkey running away for some unknown reason!  The kids laugh.  It's funny. Aside from being a visual transition from one element of the service to the next, the countdown video serves no other purpose than to be funny.

But wait a minute...it's a transition from one part of the service to the next.  The kids are learning that a church service has different parts and that there is a particular time to fellowship with my friends and a time to get ready to sing.  I've been in adult services where the leader pleads in vain from the microphone to get folks back together after "greet one another" time.  Perhaps they'd benefit from a running turkey video countdown!

I believe we've lost some of the fun.  We've tried to make kids into young adults, expecting them to conform to the understanding of a teenager or above.  And we've forgotten the joy.  Jesus said to let the little children come to Him.  I've had enough experience with kids to know that, in general, kids don't like hanging around cynical, grumpy, world-weary adults.  There was something about our Savior that children liked.  I won't speculate on whether Jesus would multiply Twinkies for kids, but I'm sure He knew what fun and joy were all about.  May we never take that away from our children.

So grab a Twinkie (if you can find one), plug in an old cartoon, and remember.

(after writing this post, I've learned that some other companies may possibly buy the brand and save Twinkies from extinction!)