Working Together. (1 of 4)

You need to start with the end in mind. What is the goal of a successful children’s ministry?

I have had a few conversations with children’s pastors who seemed happy that kids don’t want to leave their ministry. To me that is very self serving and unnatural. I believe a successful children’s ministry works hand in hand with the youth ministry.

What success looks like to me.

1. How well do kids transition to the youth ministry
2. Are we preaching the same values the youth department is.
3. What is my relationship with youth pastor like?
4. Am I genuinely happy when the youth ministry is successful?
5. Are there places where young people can be involved in ministry?
6. Am I helping the Youth Pastor develop leaders through their ministry involvement.

YouTube Friday: Hillsong is the collective man!

I know, I know I am starting to sound like a Hillsong groupie. I saw this video last week and was blown away. It is a fantastic, fun, out of the box camp promo. It is a great take on how guys view camp vs. how girls view camp. I would say that I am drinking Hillsongs’ cool-aid but that analogy hits to close to home for religious institutions. Needles to say I am a huge Hillsong fan, I love that they successfully think outside the box and realize that if doing things different is what it takes to reach seekers than so be it. Definitely have to visit some time and look up Dave and his crew.

Big News!

We are hosting our first ever Youth Worker/Children’s Worker conference. Very excited.

What is this conference all about?

Context is everything. As youth and children’s workers we need understand the proper way embrace culture and use things from culture to communicate the lifechanging truth of God’s word. Jesus did this all the time. He understood the power of proper context. He used what his audience knows and understands, fishing, farming, ect to communicate the unchanging truths of the kingdom.

It doesn’t matter if you come from a church of 100 or 10,000 we all need life giving realationships Pipleline started from a philosophy that Youth and Children’s ministries are inseparable. We need each other. This conference will be more than just some great ideas but our hope is that it will birth strategic alliances between Youth pastors, and Children’s pastors.

Who is speaking?

Aaron Reynolds
Bill Wilson
Jude Fouquier

When is it?

November 14th and 15th, 2008

Who should attend?

1. Senior Pastors
2. Youth workers
3. Children’s workers

It will be cheap enough that whole ministry teams can afford to come.

Truth in advertizing

Went to this store called “Rice to Riches”. First off I hate rice pudding, but went into the store because I love great design. I went in was impressed by the design tried the pudding and was surprised how good it was. What I liked most was in this day and age of we are green, we are low-fat, no animals were harmed, they were non-PC. Loved it look at this sign.

Staff Retreat 2008

We are pounding it out at our yearly staff meeting, in the heart of NYC. Good stuff

Youtube Friday: Bethany and Jeremiah

Here is the highlight reel from my latest wedding. Michelle yours is next!

Children’s Pastor: Help Wanted

What are most churches looking for in a children’s pastor.

1. Education
2. Experience
3. Passionate about God
4. Passionate about kids
5. Organizational skills
6. Vision
7. Works well with volunteers

I think that church should look for:

1. Passion for God
2. Education
3. Passion for kids and families
4. Chemistry with staff especially with the youth pastor
5. Ability reproduce themselves in others
6. Vision to attract leaders
7. Ability to sell vision to leaders.
8. Able to recognize gifts and abilities of others. Know how to place who where.
9. Creativity
10. Ability to fail well.

Trying to keep this post short this time but head over to Children’s Ministry online Kenny has a much better list than me check it out.

Why are Children’s Pastors so lame?

I want to attempt to answer my own question, Why do most young people going into the ministry want to be youth pastors? But first a couple of your responses.

From jonathancliff.com He had lots of other great thoughts check out his whole post here.

Why most Children’s Pastors wanted to be youth pastors?
Because it’s when we’re teenagers or college students that we really start trying to live out our Christian walk; and the first ‘church’ relationship we ever had was with our Youth pastor. Therefore, making the youth pastor role the coolest one we’ve ever known! On a side note… it could also be that children’s ministry leaves a bad memory for many…

Sarah Thompson had the following to say on her blog.

Did I see that excitement and passion in Sunday School? Nope! Did I see it at Youth Group? Absolutely! Youth Group is where the action happened. It’s where I saw God turn up.

Reasons why do most young people want to be youth pastors and not children’s pastors

1. Teens are more social and youth groups have become more small group socially connected in and out of church.
2. Teens are thinking more about the future and what they want to be is by in large decided more in High School than elementary school.
3. More churches value youth ministry and more time and energy are put into that age demographic
4. College’s and Seminaries have many ministry tracts focused on Teen ministry and very few focusing on ministry to kids.
5. Most kids have a negative or neutral children’s church experience.
6. Youth pastors are just to cool. They are our youth pastor is no exception up on culture, fashion and are typically great communicators.
7. Teens think to be a youth pastor you have to be a retired female teacher or ex-christian school male principle.

What can we do solve this problem.

1. Start off by doing what we can do.
2. Focus on the power of the Holy Spirit and the power of relationships with others.
3. Have small group leaders that take ownership beyond sunday morning.
4. Make every sunday powerful, exciting, different, and FUN.
5. Push the value of kids in every forum God give you.
6. Recognize the gifts and callings God has given kids in your ministry and help the parents develop those gifts at home and in the context of church.
7. Take fashion and culture advise from your local youth pastor. Just kidding sort of.

I would like to add that for me one way I know I am doing my job is when kids that grew up in my ministry that thrive in the youth ministry. I rejoice because I know I had a small part in seeing that kid become whoever God has for them. I truly believe that youth and children’s ministry are inseparable.

What does it take to be a children’s pastor?

In my previous post I was talking about the lack of desire from young people to be a children’s pastor. Of all the teens, young adults and especially those in Bible college I have asked what they want to do in the ministry almost all say youth pastor. I don’t say this in a bitter way at all because I was one of those who said the same thing I want to be a youth pastor.

Before I post my thoughts I do want to back up a bit. At age 13 I had a dramatic experience and knew that God was calling me to full time ministry. I went to four years of bible college took classes to prepare for youth ministry. I did a youth pastor internship for a summer in the church I currently serve as a children’s pastor.

My pastor approached me at bible college and asked me to work full time at the church with the youth. I moved out to utica right out of bible college. I arrived in Utica helped my friend Mike Servello start the youth group. I was here for about a month when one of the pastors sat me down and explained to me that I was in charge of all the kids ministries.

Honestly I was devastated. I felt I was called to work with youth. I just moved across the country. I prayed and asked God if this is what you want me to do then you have to give me a passion for it. It didn’t happen overnight but it did happen. I now feel so passionately about kids ministry that given a choice I will always choose kids ministry.

To be a children’s pastor you need the following:

1. Passion for God
2. Need to be very administrative. You can’t be a children’s pastor without some level of administrative ability.
3. You must be more kingdom minded than department minded.
4. You have to realize that what you do may not be seen by man and be genuinely ok with that.
5. You have to know how to recognize the gifts that people have and know how to implement them.
6. You have to know how to reproduce yourself in others.
7. You need to be able to communicate truth and vision to adult and kids in a simple manor.
8. Work well with the youth pastor. I love our youth pastor. He loves God, so do I and loves Guess again so do I. Check out his blog.
8. You need to have ADD – well that may not be a requirement but it does help, and most children’s pastors I know have a touch of ADD if they were really honest.

Let me know what i am missing.

The cool-aid tastes great!

I love apple! I have been geeking out watching the WWDC on my day off. This December my Verizon contract runs out. Merry Christmas to me here I come At&t.