Lead Well

Photo by Cláudio Luiz Castro on Unsplash Since this is coming out on Black Friday, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about one of my passions. Video Games. I’ve been playing since I was a little kid and still play regularly. Also working in NextGen, I’ve seen a lot of kids exposed to games and media way before they’re ready because of their parents' ignorance. It doesn’t have to be this way though. Every game has a rating ranging from E for Everyone to M to Mature. (There is a higher Adult Only rating, but those games are few and far between.) As a parent or pastor knowing what games are going to be fun and appropriate for your kids is important. For this post, I’ll pick three games from each system that are family-friendly and can be played easily with multiple people. I won't make recommendations on consoles, but you can see my buying guide here.   In addition, many of these games are on sale for Black Friday. If you’re looking for Christmas or update the games

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash One of the best ways to retain your volunteers for years to come is to show them appreciation. So many jobs they do go unnoticed. What’s more, if you work in NextGen, your volunteers may never hear from those they serve that they’re doing a good job.  How many two-year-olds do you know tell you how great of a job you're doing? They can barely speak English! That’s why it’s important for you as the leader to express your appreciation for their tireless efforts. Even if they serve once a month. With Christmas right around the corner, you may be thinking this is a good time to get them a gift or something special, but you're at a loss for what to do.  With this in mind, here are 4 simple, yet effective ways to show your appreciation.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash Family services. Love them or hate them, they have their place. I'm an advocate for family services because I believe children’s ministry needs to be more than a ministry held in another room never to be seen or heard from. These services can be a great tool for emphasizing ministry to the next generation, highlight the great things that are happening, and give your volunteers a much needed week off. Some churches do them great and others never have them. The churches that I’ve served in have been on both sides of the spectrum and somewhere in between. Here are 6 Steps to a Great Family Service.

Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash It’s the most wonderful time of the year!  No, I’m not talking about Christmas or Thanksgiving (I’m a no Christmas until after Thanksgiving person).  I’m talking about planning for the next year. I know I’m weird like that, but I look forward to the meetings, vision casting, and planning of the next year with great anticipation. Whether you’re weird like me or hate having look at dates and times until you go cross-eyed, I thought I’d help by giving  6 steps to make next year’s ministry calendar.