Children’s Ministry: Helpful tips for those involved in children’s ministry
By: Michael Gomulka
Get Volunteers! What’s the big deal? This is not just a children’s ministry but a calling, it is a task with eternal consequences where you either have a choice to advance God’s kingdom or not. Calling Before you roll up your sleeves and start to climb the mountain, make sure that you are called into it otherwise you will fail and the people you serve will be disappointed and discouraged How do I know I’m called? Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations Jer 1:5 (NASB) Here are some tips to recognize the call by Boe Parrish Faithfully serve your employer and your lay ministry Involve your spouse in the decision process early on Listen to God’s voice and receive His peace and direction Cont. Spend plenty of time in prayer and seeking God before going forward Hold on to the Word that says, “For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29 (NIV) Recruitment Rule of thumb: Do not get people into a position just because you need to fill in an empty space! PEOPLE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN PROGRAMS Next few slides will be a summary of recruiting and “volunteers that stick” by Jim Wideman Creating a “volunteers welcome” culture Have fun Get their needs met Hang out with them What do you believe about volunteers? 4 truths God has promised to meet all your needs Every Christian is called to do ministry Every Christian has at least one gift to share Every Christian has a particular function in the body of Christ Volunteer Careers We bring right volunteers on board We let people do what God’s wired them to do We notice volunteers and keep noticing them We provide growth opportunities Right people, right places, right time, right reasons Don’t get wrong people because: a. they take forever to train b. They often don’t do a very good job c. they keep the right people from participating Recruiting like Jesus Recruited Jesus demonstrated enthusiasm Jesus recruited by vision Jesus made everything a matter of prayer- including recruitment Jesus took his time to fill the roster Jesus instituted a draft Jesus seized opportunities Cont. Jesus talked about rewards Jesus reacquired commitment, not just sacrifice Jesus went after good people Jesus let his volunteers do recruiting Jesus demonstrated how to do ministry Cont. Jesus coached and corrected volunteers Jesus expected results Jesus entered into a relationship with his volunteers Job description; code of conduct Every volunteer must be in agreement with our church’s tenets of faith People must be members of our church and have attended for at least six months before volunteering Volunteers must be willing to make a minimum of six months commitment Cont. Volunteers must be loyal to the pastor and leaders of the church Volunteers must be faithful to their assigned positions Volunteers must live a separated Christian life Volunteers must attend all worker’s meetings and work-shops Cont. Volunteers must be faithful in attending regular services Volunteers must give at least 3 days notice if they know they’ll be absent Volunteers must be at their designated post thirty minutes before services start Cont. Volunteers must be neat in their appearance Volunteers must complete appropriate training courses required in their area of ministry Volunteers’ home lives must be in order Volunteers must give thirty days’ notice when resigning a position Interview and placement Interviews let you nudge volunteers in the right direction Interviews let you minister to potential volunteers Interviews give you permission to do background screening Cont. Interviews let you understand volunteers’ motives Interviews help you refer volunteers Interviews get the right people into the right jobs Get your interview ready Decide where you’ll refer problems Determine where you’ll keep information Identify a place to do interviews Create a standard interview form Placement process Children’s ministry volunteer application The In-Person interview Offer…or not Follow up after interview Following up again in two months Following up one month before the end of the term service Cont. Celebrate longevity in service Orientation, training and evaluation Things to cover at formal orientation: Your ministry’s vision statement and mission statement History of your church and children’s ministry Basic logistics The organizational chart Cont. Safety information Communication Performance expectations Handling of money Distribution and review of orientation handbooks The secret of volunteers who stick
Keep doing what you been doing. Execute
the fundamentals you’ve just put into practice Essentials by: Craig Jutila PATH Passion Attitude Team work Honor Kids remember us by what we do not by what we say It is important to smile and have a passionate attitude We should treat children’s ministry as a goal and not a stepping stone We need volunteers, we cannot do it by ourselves It is important to take a rest if we feel as if we are burning out It is better to run out of breath than lose your mind We must prepare for ministering to hurting kids Children’s ministry involves not only kids but also their parents as well We might be the only Jesus that these kids might ever see It is a privilege to minister to children Children’s ministry is a stewardship As soon as we fall we must get up and keep on going, obstacles are only stairs to the main goal We must be transparent with people We must keep our promises Honor is to be protected at all cost We need a vision and goals Keys to remember by Boe Parrish
We must recognize our calling
People are more important than programs We must recruit volunteers Set up a children’s council Greet the children Children’s ministry is not a means but a goal Reward your volunteers Be submissive to your pastor Think of ways to multiply the ministry Come up with fund raising strategies Let the volunteers lead, let them do their job Equip the volunteers Keep your spouse up to date with your goals and vision Enlistment tools for effective ministry Be creative with themes like: Who Will Teach the Children? Make a Difference in the Next Generation Serving in Preschool/Children’s Ministry Can Change a Life Forever Will You Be the Light of His Love to a Child? Publicity options include: Bulletin boards, signs and special interest displays Announcements in bulletins, brochures and church newsletters Events: Children's Day or a Children’s Emphasis Week/Month Media: video and slide presentations Testimonies of parents and teachers Drama, skits and dialogues Additional ideas include: Conduct prospective leader training classes. Review the church directory and church membership rolls. Encourage current leaders to brainstorm names. Observe participants in adult ministry activities. Helping Preschoolers Get Ready for "Big Church" 1. Use the Bible Often 2. Demonstrate Worship Activities 3. Plan a "Show and Tell" Activity 4. Take Children to a Portion of the Worship Service 5. Encourage Parents 6. Be a Child Advocate Job Descriptions for Childhood Ministry Growing Christian Called by God to teach Church member Loves children Willing to plan Teachable Flexible Team player Understands child development Committed to the Sunday School Strategy Cooperative Sense of humor Likes being with children Screening Procedures for Childhood Ministry Involve all ministerial staff, church leaders and appropriate committees in researching and educating themselves regarding this matter. Consult your church's attorney for help in all aspects of the screening process, including the questions you ask, the forms you use and the confidential records you maintain. Consult with your insurance company. Build church awareness and support through presentations, printed information and discussion groups. Document official church action regarding policies and procedures. Encourage all ministers and staff members to undergo the screening process to set a positive example for others. The Screening Process You will need release forms signed by all teachers permitting you to conduct reference, background, and criminal checks. Contact all references and complete the background checks prior to the personal interview. You will need written documentation of contacts you make with references and information you discuss in the personal interview. During the personal interview, document the person's responses regarding his Christian testimony, special interests in working with children, past teaching and volunteer experience, interest in receiving training and other related information. All of this information is confidential and must be kept filed in a secure area. Helpful Websites http://www.cmbookmarks.com/ http://mintools.com/children-resources.htm http://www.luthersem.edu/cyf/children/ http://www.livingstreams.org.sg/childrenpastor/li nks.html http://www.childrensministry.com/ http://www.childrensministry.org/ http://www.childrensministry.net/ http://www.wdbydana.com/childministry.html http://www.kidology.org/ http://www.childrensermons.com/sermons.htm http://www.ebibleteacher.com/children/ http://www.moodychurch.org/ministries/children/l inks.html http://www.childrensministry.org/content/lessonh elps.htm http://www.pray.org/children/kidresources.asp Conclusion …my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body. Eccl 12:12 (NASB) The above are just essentials, there are many other things that could have been mentioned… THE END