Lead Well

A few months ago, I wrote a post about leaving well . The inevitable happens when you leave something. You start something new. But leaving something and starting something are two different things. They both have their hurts and their joys, but you have to approach them differently. Now that I’ve been in the new ministry for almost a year, I can look back at that first month or two and realize what helped and what didn’t. Here are 5 things you can do to start a new ministry job well. 1. Listen  When you’re first starting out you don’t know what you don’t know. There are new processes, programs, events, people, jargon, and ways of doing things that will be different from where you came from. It’s important that you listen to everyone. Ask questions in a curious and non-confrontational manner. The first week is always tough because of all the on-boarding, but if you come in with a teachable spirit, it will help you go further faster. But this goes beyond...

About a year ago, I made a huge change in my career and left my church of 7 years in Montgomery, Alabama and moved to Sarasota, Florida for a new church and new children's ministry.  Next week, I will post about how I tried to start there well, but today I want to talk about how to leave well. When I first felt the release from my assignment in Montgomery, I wasn’t sure if it was the pizza I had the night before, the frustration I was feeling in my current position, or if it was God nudging me in a new direction. This had happened to me before, so I decided to wait and pray. I didn’t tell anyone, not even my wife for the first several weeks, while I sought the Lord. After a few weeks, I realized that this may be the direction I should go, so I asked my wife to pray as well, and I reached out to a couple of my mentors to help me think and pray. Jim Wideman’s Stay or Go resource was invaluable at the time. His best quote was, “If it’s time for you to leave, it has to be...

Leading my first VBS If you’ve worked in ministry for any length of time, you know that ministry and events go hand in hand. Most people just volunteer for them. Then, you move up the ranks and start planning or leading different elements. Then before you know it, you’re in charge of the whole thing, and you’re not sure where to begin. This was my story. I had led things before and interned with a children’s pastor over the summer. I knew how much work went into putting on a great event, or at least, I thought I did. A year later, I accepted my first job as a children’s pastor. The senior pastor really wanted to bring back VBS and wanted me to be the one to do it. I had 12 weeks. Also, I was getting married in 13 weeks and starting a brand-new college a few weeks after that. It was a little stressful. I can’t say that that VBS was a disaster. I look back on it with fondness and a great learning experience for me. Over a hundred kids came, and many accepted C...

VBS was 5 days away. I’ve been working on it for weeks. There was a booth in the lobby, an announcement in the bulletin, posters in the children’s hall, volunteers recruited, and supplies arriving every day. It was on my own social media channels including the kids Facebook page, but I needed it to be said on the main church social channels. I created the content and sent it over to the social media manager. He said he loved it and would get it cued up for sharing. The he asked, “When is it?” “Monday.” Face palm. To be fair, the guy was new and didn’t have kids. He knew it was coming but hadn’t paid attention as to when. Parents and volunteers are sometimes worse. You can talk about the event or program over and over again. You put up posters, make slides, and make an announcement from the stage, and you get crickets. Or even worse, the week after your event, someone asks you when it is. I hope your story isn’t like this, but mine has been. It’s frustrating ...

If you’re like me when I first started out in ministry, I didn’t think about follow up. All I focused on was doing a great event or service, and then move on to the next. But just like following through when you swing a bat is key, follow up is as well. It doesn’t feel necessary but is essential to pulling off a great event. We recently wrapped up our VBS at my church using this plan, and it has been well received. 7 steps to a great follow up plan for Sunday and everything else.

Since starting my new position, I've had to build a team of dedicated volunteers to accomplish our mission or developing an authentic faith in Jesus Christ in kids that will last a lifetime. Most of the team I'm building right now are Small Group Leaders. In the past, these leaders were Sunday School teachers, so I am working on transitioning them from Sunday School to Small Group. Some people may say that these two are the same, but in fact, their main goals make them fundamentally different. In Sunday School, the goal is discipleship through instruction.  We're worried about whether or not the kids know the difference between the northern kingdom or the southern.  We make sure they know the different places Paul traveled on his three missionary journeys. Most importantly we teach them about Jesus and what he did. In Small Groups, the goal is discipleship through relationship.  We're worried if a kid knows how to apply what their learning about the Bible....

I have led vacation Bible school (VBS) almost every year of my ministry and had participated in VBS for as long as I can remember. When I first heard about MEGA Sports Camp (MSC), I was resistant, because I was very happy with the curriculum I was using. I had systems and procedures in place to put on a large VBS without having to reinvent the wheel every year. However, over the past few years, I’ve seen a shift in my area. I was doing some well-known VBS programs, and our church was just one of many churches in my town doing those same programs. I also kept seeing the same kids from other churches come to our VBS without experiencing any real life change. I knew I had to try a different curriculum. A ministry of my church takes place at a private school that serves kids from six weeks old to twelfth grade, and that has all the sports facilities and equipment I needed for MEGA Sports Camp. Hosting the camp seemed almost like a no brainer, so I decided to give it a shot this sum...