Training — Ministry Leaders

It is very common in ministry to take personality tests and giftedness/aptitude tests. It can provide a great framework for understanding strengths and weaknesses. But there is more to ministry than just our “ability.” Did you know that you have an “ability rating” and a “likability rating?” That’s right. You may have an amazing “ability” to get something done. However, your “likability” also plays a vital role in how you can lead others and work in a team. You need to have ABILITY, but you also need to have LIKABILITY. Competence gets you in the room. Character keeps you in...

The goal is not to be THE best. It is to be YOUR best. Always bring your A-Game! One cannot over-emphasize the eternal impact and importance of your weekly investment into the lives of the children God has entrusted to you. It is during these formative years that children make decisions that will shape the direction of the rest of their lives. They need your best! Too often we compare ourselves to others and wish we were better — or get discouraged by what we can’t do. God makes no such comparisons. He asks only that we do our best...

Ministry leaders are no strangers to problems. Resource needs, facility challenges, volunteer shortages — there’s something to tackle every week. If you serve in ministry, you encounter problems. If you want to serve your ministry well AND lead up to your leaders, this is my best advice: Don’t come to them with problems, come with solutions. Overwhelm with excellence by approaching your leaders with proposals, not with problems. Busy leaders do not want to solve your issues. So don’t come to them empty handed. Do not come as a person with needs and no plans for how to meet those...

You may be taking on a whole new step in kid’s ministry, at a new position. Or perhaps you are tasked with relaunching your church’s kid’s ministry after a time of stagnation or closure. Starting from scratch can be daunting. Do these 5 things during the first year of your launch/relaunch: 1. Get acquainted. Learn the culture. What does this group of people hold sacred? Your leadership success in your new position will be based on the quality of your relationships, not on positional power or titles. What is working well? What seems to be broken? If you are from...

We all want children to know that God loves them deeply. But to really convey the depth of God’s love for humanity, we need to tell children about God’s love of two other things: justice and mercy Justice means that those who are guilty are punished for whatever they have done. Mercy means that those who are guilty are forgiven for whatever they have done. These might seem like irreconcilable opposites, but God brings them together. In fact, the essence of the gospel is God’s unique ability to be perfectly just and perfectly merciful. As Romans 5:8-9 tell us, God...