"Take aim so your programs hit the bull's-eye to meet kids' needs every time"
by RaNae Street
Your children's ministry is much more than programs. And that's a good thing because programs don't change people; only God changes people.
Yet your children's ministry includes programs. Lots of programs. The question is, are the programs meaningful to your children and volunteers?
The Four R's
It's not the quantity of programs that counts in children's ministry - it's how effective each program is in carrying out your church's mission and vision. Our goal for every program we host is to help connect children and their families with our church. We want to form healthy relationships with children. Those relationships prompt kids and their families to come back.
Pause and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your existing programs. Are they meaningful for children? How can you really know?
Here's an easy way to measure whether a program will be meaningful and life changing: Ask if the Four R's are present in each program. If you see that a program is Relevant, Radical, Reflective, and Relational, you've got a great one. Here's what those words mean…
* Relevant - Programming needs to be relevant to kids in your church and kids in your community. Research kids' interests. Identify the specific needs of your church, area schools, and the families in your neighborhood. Every community is different, so avoid the temptation to simply import a program that's been successfully done elsewhere.
Don't rely on written surveys alone. Instead, make personal contact and actually ask what programming would be relevant. Pay attention to available resources. Prioritize program ideas so you meet people's expressed needs first.
* Radical - Churches lose their effectiveness when they try to offer programming that meets all the needs of children, their families, and their communities. Instead of trying to do it all and failing, focus on creating a program that's unique to your children's ministry. Intentionally select the one thing that'll set your children's ministry apart from other churches in your area; then do it very, very well. You won't be shortchanging your kids or their families because you can refer families to capable, Christ-centered, community-based resources that your church simply can't provide.
The challenge is that to do one thing well, you may have to stop doing several things poorly. There's a cost when you ask your church to stop doing programs that have outlived their effectiveness, but it's a cost worth paying if you can redirect resources to support truly meaningful programs. "The way we've always done it" may no longer meet the needs of your children.
* Reflective - Children love exciting and fun things, and meaningful children's ministries reflect excitement and fun. Meaningful programs are active, carefree, enthusiastic, and inspiring. They reflect what children love to do, mirroring children's creativity and enthusiasm for hands-on learning. Meaningful programs also reflect real day-to-day situations that kids encounter and help children apply what they're learning to those situations. Most importantly, meaningful programs reflect God's unconditional love and acceptance.
* Relational - Of the four R's, relational is the most vital. Too often we focus on giving information, not transforming lives. Meaningful programs aren't focused on tasks. Rather, they cultivate an environment where relationships can be built.
Relationships matter! We need to help children make new friends and help families build a network with other families and church leaders. Jesus' ministry is a great example of the importance of relationships. Jesus nurtured others through compassion and invested deeply in people who later changed the world. Our programs need to be places where children are turned on to faith through the power of relationships.
The Four Options
At the heart of most children's ministries are Sunday school and midweek programs. Many churches focus nearly all their attention and finances solely on these two programs. But are these two programs enough?
Here are four children's ministry program options, each designed for a different purpose. A well-rounded, meaningful children's ministry includes each of these program options. Why? The goal is to engage a child at any point and move that child toward the center of the target. A word of caution: Hosting a poorly executed event is worse than not hosting one at all, so plan for excellence.
1. Momentum programs are designed to bring new people into the faith community. They're "come and see" events that provide positive first impressions of your ministry. Think of them as entry-level opportunities that facilitate numerical growth. Momentum events include theme days, special events, and community outreach events.
* Theme days promote excitement among children who are already part of your ministry and encourage children to invite friends. With a bit of creativity, you can turn nearly any day or event into a theme day. Possible theme days are Super Bowl Sunday, Ice Cream "Sundae," Dinner at the Movies, and Day at the Beach.
* Special events are often seasonal. Involved families are encouraged to invite their friends to join them for fun. Special events offer kid-friendly activities, food, and time for families to get to know each other better Special events include a New Year's celebration, bike rally, or back-to-school event.
* Community outreach programs fill needs or interests in your community. They provide partnerships between your community and your church. Outreach programs offer families that aren't drawn by traditional Sunday school or church the chance to be exposed to spiritual people and biblical lessons. Examples of community outreaches are team sports and skills camps, child-care centers, fine arts lessons, and storybook hours.
2. Support programs offer assistance to families and children who are dealing with challenges. Support programs provide a safe place for children to learn, talk, and express their feelings.
Many support programs are offered as classes or small groups that last between six and eight weeks. The goal is to help kids explore issues in the context of God's Word. Support programs offer more than just coping skills; they also provide hope. These support programs exist to help children with issues such as school, grief, character development, homework, or divorce recovery.
3. Service programs involve children in opportunities that help them develop a heart for serving others. Service programs help children cultivate a servant attitude and the desire to make a positive difference in the world. They're great opportunities for children to develop friendships.
Service opportunities can be inside your children's ministry, such as puppets, drama, clown ministry, multimedia ministry, or hospitality. Or service projects can benefit the larger community. You'll have to decide if you want one-shot, short-term, or long-term projects. Either way, keep service programs open to newcomers at all times.
4. Discipleship programs build a community of kids who want to grow deeper in their Christian faith. Discipleship programs aren't for first-time visitors or sporadic attendees. They're designed to help children dive deeper into spiritual development as they study the Word of God, pray, develop friendships with other believers, and share their lives. Children experience a personal relationship with Jesus and also disciple others as they build up each other's faith.
Discipleship classes can be long- or short-term, but they're intentionally more intimate so children can connect with each other. Experiences where children encounter God and make life-changing decisions are the bull's-eye of the target. It's where you want every child to ultimately end up.
The Six Questions
Answer the following questions before you begin any new program to determine whether a program will be meaningful to your children and church.
* Who will lead? In his book Doing Church as a Team, Wayne Cordeiro suggests that before launching a new program, the first step needs to be building a team of four other leaders to serve with the program leader. This team becomes a support system that shares responsibilities of the program and provides accountability for each other. A strong leadership team also helps prevent frustration and burnout.
Accurately predict the number of servants needed to support a program. Do you have enough leaders? The right leaders? Are they equipped? Are they all on the same page regarding the vision?
* What will you do? To be meaningful, any program you develop must connect people with an experience they'll value. Meaningful programs also bridge people to your church and toward relationship with your church family.
Have you considered the culture and daily life of kids you want to reach? Have you found a name for the program that's interesting and inviting? Have you decided precisely what need you'll meet?
* When will you meet? Timing is important. Schedule a day of the week and a time in the day that's convenient for families. Be considerate of young children and their routines.
Consider God's timing for the program. Great program ideas move forward and become reality only with God's blessing. You may be able to recognize God's timing for your program as you evaluate how easily the components of your action plan come together. What would happen if you chose not to launch a program until you had all the volunteers you need in place?
* Where will you meet? Whether you have a huge facility or a tiny one, space is always an issue. Be creative as you search for the ideal location.
Some events and classes need to be held at your church building, but others may be appropriate for a neighborhood park, community building, or back yard. Growing a children's ministry may require you to go where the kids are. Take into consideration what supplies you'll need and what setup is required when thinking about where you should meet.
* Why are you considering this new program? Is the program aligned with your church's vision and children's ministry philosophy? What's your desired outcome? Will you seek to expand your current children's ministry, offer support to children and their families, provide service to your community, or develop disciples? How will this program engage kids and move them toward the center of the target?
* How will you move ahead? This question may be the most important because your answer becomes your action plan for making the proposed program a reality. You'll sort out the program's goals and determine publicity, budget, and team communication. Decide up front how you'll evaluate your effectiveness — so you can make midcourse corrections.
But it isn't just a matter of logistics. A detailed plan also ensures your program will be meaningful for children and volunteers. Remember that what counts most isn't pulling off a spectacular event. What counts most is what kids learn and how relationships develop during the course of the event — from the initial brainstorming meeting to sweeping up after the event ends.
The One Target
Anyone can pull together a slapdash program to entertain kids. But creating a meaningful program requires something more.
It requires that you're intentional about building a program that's relevant to your kids, that meets the needs of your church and community, and that's radical in its creativity and uniqueness.
Meaningful programs also reflect God's love and mirror how kids learn and what kids already love to do. Meaningful programs encourage transforming relationships.
Creating excellent children's programming is hard work, but it's rewarding, too. You'll touch kids' lives in ways that have lifelong impact and draw children closer to God. It's worth the effort!
RaNae Street is a children's ministry director in Tipp City, Ohio. This article is excerpted from the new Children's Ministry That Works! (Group Publishing, Inc.).
© 2002 Children's Ministry Magazine. Used by permission.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Guerrilla Training
by Cynthia Crane and Keith Johnson
Creative training approaches that can happen in hallways, over the internet or phone lines, or any old place.
You've just finished one of the greatest summers in children's ministry history! Now it's time for you to kick off a new school year, plan a Halloween alternative, get ready for a Christmas musical, recruit volunteers, sort curriculum, get the newsletter out, put the bulk mailing dates on the calendar, reserve rooms, coordinate child care, and train volunteers. So much to do...so little time. Let's talk about the ever-present need to train volunteers.
When can you fit that in? The world tells our team members that a packed calendar is a sign of success. When will they fit in training? Besides, training events sound optional; do people really have to go to those—every time?
When can you train? On Saturday...no, that's soccer-baseball-water-ski-family day.
Okay, how about Sunday? Pleeease! Today alone three teachers needed subs at the last minute; next week the kids are singing in big church...Sundays are jammed!
Could you schedule it during the week? Wait! Miss Debbie can't come on Mondays because she's at Weigh Down Workshop; the Campbells can't come on Tuesdays because that's ballet night.
Sound familiar? Time-crunched families and volunteers are the norm today. So maybe training doesn't always have to be a set time, place, or agenda. Instead you can sneak in training when your volunteers least expect it. The following guerrilla training ideas can refocus your time, energize your team, and mobilize your teachers to remain faithful to their calling!
1. E-Team—You don't have time to meet personally with each volunteer. So create an "E-Team" that'll be in charge of encouraging and equipping others. Meet with your E-Team to develop a quarterly game plan so everyone on your team receives encouragement. Use these criteria to select your E-Team members: creative, supportive, sensitive to people in need, and detail-oriented.
2. Coffee Break—Do you have someone who struggles more than most with the lesson? Meet with that person one-on-one at a coffee shop and share several ideas for a successful Sunday school class time. Help him or her design four to six weeks worth of totally awesome lessons! Follow up with this person each week to ask about how a specific lesson went.
3. Success Stories—Use play-by-play videos or digital photos each Sunday to show great things that are happening in classrooms. You can play the video as children arrive, or post the photos in hallways. Volunteers will not only learn from one another, but they'll be encouraged to see they share similar challenges with others.
4. Party Time—Throw a planning party for your teachers to celebrate individual successes and the things people are doing right. It's the ultimate volunteer training because they'll learn from each other.
5. Snack Time—Bring in leaders from other churches on Sunday morning to mingle with your team during a continental breakfast or coffee break. Your guests can ask your volunteers questions to help you assess who's struggling (because sometimes they won't tell you) and what's working (because sometimes we get home-blind and don't see all the good things).
6. Conferences—Send teachers to a conference and make sure they drive together. Their discussions before and after the event are sometimes even richer than the conference itself. It's especially helpful for conference attendees to wrestle together with how they'll apply what they learned.
7. Tag-Team Training—Match new recruits with experienced volunteers for one class. Then have the new recruits share what they've learned. This is a great way to get your veteran teachers-who may feel they can't learn anymore-to learn how to transfer their years of knowledge relationally.
8. NIMBY (Not in My Backyard) Day—Give your Sunday school teachers a day off to visit another church, then have them report what they saw. Because most teachers have families that they'd bring with them, include the stories of children in those reports. Print the reports in your monthly newsletter or weekly teaching tip sheet. Or simply have your "scouts" tell their stories to your other volunteers at a coffee meeting or planning committee.
9. Task Force—Do the above assignment but with a twist. Assign volunteers different ministry aspects to research, then have them share what they learn. Empower them to make the difference!
10. Prayer—Organize prayer groups with no more than six people. As your volunteers pray together, they'll also encourage one another and share helpful training insights.
11. Testimony Night—A night to honor kids turns into kids giving testimonies about specific volunteers who've changed their lives. Take photos to put in your newsletter, and add specifics that'll help your volunteers see the big picture. It's important for your volunteers to see the results of their labor in the hearts of changed lives.
12. Online Tutor—Send an e-mail with some great websites that have ideas you know your volunteers can use. Or send your volunteers to childrensministry.com's Children's Ministry Magazine Live Training Institute. Your volunteers can read one of 22 brief tutorials and then answer three questions related to the topic. Push one button, and they fire off an e-mail to you to let you know they've completed a training piece.
13. E-mail Training Tips—Send out a weekly teacher's tip sheet via e-mail! Let your teachers know that you're praying for them. List prayer requests, birthdays, anniversaries, and helpful hints. A good way to do this and solicit some discussion is to offer a "problem of the week" where people can e-mail a solution. Post answers in your next newsletter.
14. Book Club—Many volunteers love to learn on their own. Their best approach to instruction is self-discovery. So give the same book to three different volunteers, and have them each share the top three things they found in it with each other during a coffee discussion.
15. Book Review—Read through a book with your volunteers and share how it touches each of you.
Cynthia Crane is a children's pastor in Huntington Beach, CA. Keith Johnson is the field services manager for Group Publishing, Inc., leading more than 200 REAL learning specialists to provide training and consultation to churches.
© 2001 Children's Ministry Magazine. Used by permission.
Creative training approaches that can happen in hallways, over the internet or phone lines, or any old place.
You've just finished one of the greatest summers in children's ministry history! Now it's time for you to kick off a new school year, plan a Halloween alternative, get ready for a Christmas musical, recruit volunteers, sort curriculum, get the newsletter out, put the bulk mailing dates on the calendar, reserve rooms, coordinate child care, and train volunteers. So much to do...so little time. Let's talk about the ever-present need to train volunteers.
When can you fit that in? The world tells our team members that a packed calendar is a sign of success. When will they fit in training? Besides, training events sound optional; do people really have to go to those—every time?
When can you train? On Saturday...no, that's soccer-baseball-water-ski-family day.
Okay, how about Sunday? Pleeease! Today alone three teachers needed subs at the last minute; next week the kids are singing in big church...Sundays are jammed!
Could you schedule it during the week? Wait! Miss Debbie can't come on Mondays because she's at Weigh Down Workshop; the Campbells can't come on Tuesdays because that's ballet night.
Sound familiar? Time-crunched families and volunteers are the norm today. So maybe training doesn't always have to be a set time, place, or agenda. Instead you can sneak in training when your volunteers least expect it. The following guerrilla training ideas can refocus your time, energize your team, and mobilize your teachers to remain faithful to their calling!
1. E-Team—You don't have time to meet personally with each volunteer. So create an "E-Team" that'll be in charge of encouraging and equipping others. Meet with your E-Team to develop a quarterly game plan so everyone on your team receives encouragement. Use these criteria to select your E-Team members: creative, supportive, sensitive to people in need, and detail-oriented.
2. Coffee Break—Do you have someone who struggles more than most with the lesson? Meet with that person one-on-one at a coffee shop and share several ideas for a successful Sunday school class time. Help him or her design four to six weeks worth of totally awesome lessons! Follow up with this person each week to ask about how a specific lesson went.
3. Success Stories—Use play-by-play videos or digital photos each Sunday to show great things that are happening in classrooms. You can play the video as children arrive, or post the photos in hallways. Volunteers will not only learn from one another, but they'll be encouraged to see they share similar challenges with others.
4. Party Time—Throw a planning party for your teachers to celebrate individual successes and the things people are doing right. It's the ultimate volunteer training because they'll learn from each other.
5. Snack Time—Bring in leaders from other churches on Sunday morning to mingle with your team during a continental breakfast or coffee break. Your guests can ask your volunteers questions to help you assess who's struggling (because sometimes they won't tell you) and what's working (because sometimes we get home-blind and don't see all the good things).
6. Conferences—Send teachers to a conference and make sure they drive together. Their discussions before and after the event are sometimes even richer than the conference itself. It's especially helpful for conference attendees to wrestle together with how they'll apply what they learned.
7. Tag-Team Training—Match new recruits with experienced volunteers for one class. Then have the new recruits share what they've learned. This is a great way to get your veteran teachers-who may feel they can't learn anymore-to learn how to transfer their years of knowledge relationally.
8. NIMBY (Not in My Backyard) Day—Give your Sunday school teachers a day off to visit another church, then have them report what they saw. Because most teachers have families that they'd bring with them, include the stories of children in those reports. Print the reports in your monthly newsletter or weekly teaching tip sheet. Or simply have your "scouts" tell their stories to your other volunteers at a coffee meeting or planning committee.
9. Task Force—Do the above assignment but with a twist. Assign volunteers different ministry aspects to research, then have them share what they learn. Empower them to make the difference!
10. Prayer—Organize prayer groups with no more than six people. As your volunteers pray together, they'll also encourage one another and share helpful training insights.
11. Testimony Night—A night to honor kids turns into kids giving testimonies about specific volunteers who've changed their lives. Take photos to put in your newsletter, and add specifics that'll help your volunteers see the big picture. It's important for your volunteers to see the results of their labor in the hearts of changed lives.
12. Online Tutor—Send an e-mail with some great websites that have ideas you know your volunteers can use. Or send your volunteers to childrensministry.com's Children's Ministry Magazine Live Training Institute. Your volunteers can read one of 22 brief tutorials and then answer three questions related to the topic. Push one button, and they fire off an e-mail to you to let you know they've completed a training piece.
13. E-mail Training Tips—Send out a weekly teacher's tip sheet via e-mail! Let your teachers know that you're praying for them. List prayer requests, birthdays, anniversaries, and helpful hints. A good way to do this and solicit some discussion is to offer a "problem of the week" where people can e-mail a solution. Post answers in your next newsletter.
14. Book Club—Many volunteers love to learn on their own. Their best approach to instruction is self-discovery. So give the same book to three different volunteers, and have them each share the top three things they found in it with each other during a coffee discussion.
15. Book Review—Read through a book with your volunteers and share how it touches each of you.
Cynthia Crane is a children's pastor in Huntington Beach, CA. Keith Johnson is the field services manager for Group Publishing, Inc., leading more than 200 REAL learning specialists to provide training and consultation to churches.
© 2001 Children's Ministry Magazine. Used by permission.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Make No Assumptions
By Becky Ussery
Your teacher training session is just around the corner, and you're staring at a list of volunteers—a mixture of people from various backgrounds. You have Rookies, Veterans, and Experts with a wide range of abilities and teaching experiences. How can you possibly meet all their needs?
Identify which category your volunteers fall into, and then customize training to meet their unique needs. Rather than having individual meetings for Rookies, Veterans, and Experts, sprinkle in a variety to meet all their needs. The following ideas will help you understand your volunteers and provide them with the basic skills needed for each experience level.
ROOKIES
Your new teachers and assistants come to training with preconceived ideas about what's going to take place in their classrooms. They're either eager to pitch in and make a difference—or terrified at the possibility of being asked to pitch in and make a difference! This is your opportunity to set their minds at ease, inform them about the basic ins and outs of their responsibilities, and let them know what's really going to take place in their classrooms.
Training Needs
Relationships—Introduce all new teachers to your team. Let your Rookies know that they're a welcome, valuable part of your team. Present each new teacher with a tote bag of supplies or a tub of materials as a welcome gift. Intentionally plug Rookies into relationships with Veterans and Experts by having them pair up for discussion and prayer times.
Mission Statement—Provide Rookies with the written mission statement for your ministry. Let them know that accomplishing this mission will be their motivation for all that takes place in their classrooms.
Job Descriptions—Develop job descriptions for the different positions within your ministry. By the way, these can be one paragraph long. Give each Rookie the appropriate job description.
Age-Level Characterisics—Provide age-specific information for the grade level each Rookie ministers to.
Curriculum—Review the curriculum you've chosen with your Rookies, focusing on each component of the lesson. Consider having a mock classroom to demonstrate teaching a lesson. (Your Experts can even teach this.) Include a suggested schedule that'll also be posted in the classroom as a backup reminder to keep things moving in class.
Safety—Review safety procedures and administrative policies regarding finding substitutes, chain of command, discipline methods, and confidentiality agreements.
Supplies—Tell Rookies about your resource area. Discuss your system for checking out resources, purchasing supplies, and adhering to classroom budgets.
Partners—Pair Rookies with Veterans or Experts in classrooms. Have partners evaluate the teaching sessions in four-week intervals. Encourage teaching teams to pray together for the children in their classes as well as for each other.
VETERANS
With one year in children's ministry under their belts, your Veterans can be a valuable resource. They've learned by trial and error how to run a classroom and have experienced success in making curriculum and schedules work. It's time to take your Veterans to a deeper level and further develop their skills and interests to make an even greater impact on children.
Training Needs
Mission Statement Review—Keep your mission statement and policies in front of your Veterans. Everyone needs a "refresher course" on these topics.
Job Description—Have your Veterans review their job descriptions to see if they've been taking on too much or if there are responsibilities they've let slip through the cracks.
Skill Development—Help Veterans pinpoint their "specialties" so you can help further develop those skills. Provide training from guest speakers or team members on worship, prayer, Bible teaching, and creativity geared toward children.
Growth Plan—Have Veterans identify personal areas for improvement. Connect your Veterans with other volunteers who have strengths in these areas.
Deeper Training—Provide in-depth training on teaching skills and understanding the needs of children. Discuss learning styles, involving the five senses in lessons, delegating responsibilities, in-home visitation, and outreach projects.
Veteran Stories—Have your Veterans share testimonials with Rookies about what they learned during their first year in the classroom. Use their enthusiasm to make announcements to the congregation about children's events and recruiting needs.
EXPERTS
Volunteers who've put in five or more years of service are unique in their own way. They've gained a great deal of experience in the classroom and have seen their assistants and other teachers come and go. They may've begun teaching out of guilt or just to fill a slot, but they've found a reason to stay. Your best way to provide continuing training for your Experts is to find out why they've stayed in the game and maximize on their desires. Show respect for the years of service your Experts have given to children's ministry. Help them stretch beyond their experiences by introducing them to new resources and strategies for ministry.
Training Needs
Ministry Reminders—Remind your Experts of nuts and bolts of your ministry, such as your mission statement, administrative policies, and procedures. Provide Experts with age-level characteristics, curriculum overviews, and administrative policies annually. Go over any changes to curriculum, schedules, classroom assignments, or teaching teams on paper and in person. Ask for Experts' feedback the first week after any changes have been implemented.
New job Descriptions—Have your Experts create or edit their job descriptions to fairly represent all they're doing. This will provide affirmation about the impact they're making on children. It'll also give them an opportunity for personal evaluation in areas where they may've started "coasting" through the preparation process out of familiarity with the curriculum or children.
Personal Touch—Spend one-on-one time with your Experts outside of your regular training sessions. Ask for their input on special events and additional programs for your ministry. Train them to handle responsibilities in these areas with less involvement from you. Ask these volunteers to tell you what's working in their classrooms. Affirm them for the work they're doing and ask how you can help. What areas of development would your Experts like to explore? Just ask them. Have them suggest possible topics to cover in future training sessions, and see if they'd be willing to serve on a question-and-answer panel or teach about a topic they've suggested.
Extended Training—Pay for your Experts to receive training at national and regional conferences where they can choose the seminars they want to attend. Have them report what they learn to your Rookies and Veterans.
Leadership Development—Help your Experts recognize their opportunity to make contributions to the teachers with whom they teach as well as the children in their classes. Pair these teachers with Rookies and Veterans. Your volunteers will learn from each other if you promote these relationships.
Feedback—Allow Experts to offer advice on problems in the classroom and share common experiences and struggles. Before making any dramatic changes in curriculum choices, teaching teams, or classroom assignments, ask for your Experts' feedback. Valuing their opinions and insights will make them stronger team players when changes are implemented.
Update—Some Experts may feel close to retiring from your team because they think children today have changed too much since their first classroom of kids. Other Experts are teaching in your children's ministry because they know it's what God created them to do, and they wouldn't consider doing anything else. Either way, Experts need to keep in touch with today's kids. Create a "What's Hot" list detailing the interests of kids in each age group. Include movies, books, hobbies, clothing trends, and other details, with a brief description or blurb about each topic. Give your Experts their own copies of Children's Ministry Magazine to keep them in the know. Better yet, encourage your Experts to survey kids about their interests. Although members of your ministry team have different levels of experience and talents, your training can level the field and help all of them, regardless of their years of service, feel confident and equipped to accomplish the mission the Lord has laid out for them and the children in your church. Your sensitivity to your volunteers' needs and understanding of how to effectively address their concerns and interests will lay the foundation for a strong and effective team that sticks together for the long haul.
Encouraging Long-Term Service
While many people are willing to volunteer for a year or so, long-term workers are harder to find. What can you do to turn your Rookies and Veterans into Experts? Make a strong start with the following steps.
Pray, pray, pray. When facing the challenge of recruiting volunteers and assigning teachers to classrooms, ask God to lead you to the specific people he wants ministering to children.
Make it personal. Approach each individual personally, focusing on gifts rather than availability. When you know the specific positions you need filled and the best types of people to fill them, seek out individuals who are good matches—not just warm bodies.
Connect consistently. You've only begun your job when your classes are staffed with equipped teachers. Your volunteers need to see your face and hear your voice weekly. Lend support verbally and physically. Offer to serve as an assistant from time to time. Volunteer to take over a class to give a teacher a non-vacation related break. Call, visit, and send notes.
Listen as you lead. Ask for input from your teachers about ideas, implementing as many as you can to give them ownership in children's ministry.
Offer timely training. Meet in large and small groups throughout the year. Hold weekly or monthly prayer times whenever possible.
Develop relationships outside of your roles. Take time to invest in the lives of your volunteers, not just in their ministries.
Practice what you preach. Demonstrate the level of commitment you expect from your workers. Treat your volunteers as if they were your class.
Be flexible. Keep in mind that children's ministry isn't the only area where your workers are involved. They need personal ministry, time with family, and occasional breaks from the grind. Keep the doors of communication open so you're approachable when your workers need to ask for getaways. Better yet, build into each person's job description a clause that provides for refueling and time off at the end of a yearly rotation. When people know they have a break coming, they're likely to be more consistent.
© 2001 Children's Ministry Magazine. Used by permission. To learn more about Children's Ministry Magazine and how to subscribe go to Children's Ministry Magazine. Use your browser's back button to return to ChristianEdWarehouse.com
Your teacher training session is just around the corner, and you're staring at a list of volunteers—a mixture of people from various backgrounds. You have Rookies, Veterans, and Experts with a wide range of abilities and teaching experiences. How can you possibly meet all their needs?
Identify which category your volunteers fall into, and then customize training to meet their unique needs. Rather than having individual meetings for Rookies, Veterans, and Experts, sprinkle in a variety to meet all their needs. The following ideas will help you understand your volunteers and provide them with the basic skills needed for each experience level.
ROOKIES
Your new teachers and assistants come to training with preconceived ideas about what's going to take place in their classrooms. They're either eager to pitch in and make a difference—or terrified at the possibility of being asked to pitch in and make a difference! This is your opportunity to set their minds at ease, inform them about the basic ins and outs of their responsibilities, and let them know what's really going to take place in their classrooms.
Training Needs
Relationships—Introduce all new teachers to your team. Let your Rookies know that they're a welcome, valuable part of your team. Present each new teacher with a tote bag of supplies or a tub of materials as a welcome gift. Intentionally plug Rookies into relationships with Veterans and Experts by having them pair up for discussion and prayer times.
Mission Statement—Provide Rookies with the written mission statement for your ministry. Let them know that accomplishing this mission will be their motivation for all that takes place in their classrooms.
Job Descriptions—Develop job descriptions for the different positions within your ministry. By the way, these can be one paragraph long. Give each Rookie the appropriate job description.
Age-Level Characterisics—Provide age-specific information for the grade level each Rookie ministers to.
Curriculum—Review the curriculum you've chosen with your Rookies, focusing on each component of the lesson. Consider having a mock classroom to demonstrate teaching a lesson. (Your Experts can even teach this.) Include a suggested schedule that'll also be posted in the classroom as a backup reminder to keep things moving in class.
Safety—Review safety procedures and administrative policies regarding finding substitutes, chain of command, discipline methods, and confidentiality agreements.
Supplies—Tell Rookies about your resource area. Discuss your system for checking out resources, purchasing supplies, and adhering to classroom budgets.
Partners—Pair Rookies with Veterans or Experts in classrooms. Have partners evaluate the teaching sessions in four-week intervals. Encourage teaching teams to pray together for the children in their classes as well as for each other.
VETERANS
With one year in children's ministry under their belts, your Veterans can be a valuable resource. They've learned by trial and error how to run a classroom and have experienced success in making curriculum and schedules work. It's time to take your Veterans to a deeper level and further develop their skills and interests to make an even greater impact on children.
Training Needs
Mission Statement Review—Keep your mission statement and policies in front of your Veterans. Everyone needs a "refresher course" on these topics.
Job Description—Have your Veterans review their job descriptions to see if they've been taking on too much or if there are responsibilities they've let slip through the cracks.
Skill Development—Help Veterans pinpoint their "specialties" so you can help further develop those skills. Provide training from guest speakers or team members on worship, prayer, Bible teaching, and creativity geared toward children.
Growth Plan—Have Veterans identify personal areas for improvement. Connect your Veterans with other volunteers who have strengths in these areas.
Deeper Training—Provide in-depth training on teaching skills and understanding the needs of children. Discuss learning styles, involving the five senses in lessons, delegating responsibilities, in-home visitation, and outreach projects.
Veteran Stories—Have your Veterans share testimonials with Rookies about what they learned during their first year in the classroom. Use their enthusiasm to make announcements to the congregation about children's events and recruiting needs.
EXPERTS
Volunteers who've put in five or more years of service are unique in their own way. They've gained a great deal of experience in the classroom and have seen their assistants and other teachers come and go. They may've begun teaching out of guilt or just to fill a slot, but they've found a reason to stay. Your best way to provide continuing training for your Experts is to find out why they've stayed in the game and maximize on their desires. Show respect for the years of service your Experts have given to children's ministry. Help them stretch beyond their experiences by introducing them to new resources and strategies for ministry.
Training Needs
Ministry Reminders—Remind your Experts of nuts and bolts of your ministry, such as your mission statement, administrative policies, and procedures. Provide Experts with age-level characteristics, curriculum overviews, and administrative policies annually. Go over any changes to curriculum, schedules, classroom assignments, or teaching teams on paper and in person. Ask for Experts' feedback the first week after any changes have been implemented.
New job Descriptions—Have your Experts create or edit their job descriptions to fairly represent all they're doing. This will provide affirmation about the impact they're making on children. It'll also give them an opportunity for personal evaluation in areas where they may've started "coasting" through the preparation process out of familiarity with the curriculum or children.
Personal Touch—Spend one-on-one time with your Experts outside of your regular training sessions. Ask for their input on special events and additional programs for your ministry. Train them to handle responsibilities in these areas with less involvement from you. Ask these volunteers to tell you what's working in their classrooms. Affirm them for the work they're doing and ask how you can help. What areas of development would your Experts like to explore? Just ask them. Have them suggest possible topics to cover in future training sessions, and see if they'd be willing to serve on a question-and-answer panel or teach about a topic they've suggested.
Extended Training—Pay for your Experts to receive training at national and regional conferences where they can choose the seminars they want to attend. Have them report what they learn to your Rookies and Veterans.
Leadership Development—Help your Experts recognize their opportunity to make contributions to the teachers with whom they teach as well as the children in their classes. Pair these teachers with Rookies and Veterans. Your volunteers will learn from each other if you promote these relationships.
Feedback—Allow Experts to offer advice on problems in the classroom and share common experiences and struggles. Before making any dramatic changes in curriculum choices, teaching teams, or classroom assignments, ask for your Experts' feedback. Valuing their opinions and insights will make them stronger team players when changes are implemented.
Update—Some Experts may feel close to retiring from your team because they think children today have changed too much since their first classroom of kids. Other Experts are teaching in your children's ministry because they know it's what God created them to do, and they wouldn't consider doing anything else. Either way, Experts need to keep in touch with today's kids. Create a "What's Hot" list detailing the interests of kids in each age group. Include movies, books, hobbies, clothing trends, and other details, with a brief description or blurb about each topic. Give your Experts their own copies of Children's Ministry Magazine to keep them in the know. Better yet, encourage your Experts to survey kids about their interests. Although members of your ministry team have different levels of experience and talents, your training can level the field and help all of them, regardless of their years of service, feel confident and equipped to accomplish the mission the Lord has laid out for them and the children in your church. Your sensitivity to your volunteers' needs and understanding of how to effectively address their concerns and interests will lay the foundation for a strong and effective team that sticks together for the long haul.
Encouraging Long-Term Service
While many people are willing to volunteer for a year or so, long-term workers are harder to find. What can you do to turn your Rookies and Veterans into Experts? Make a strong start with the following steps.
Pray, pray, pray. When facing the challenge of recruiting volunteers and assigning teachers to classrooms, ask God to lead you to the specific people he wants ministering to children.
Make it personal. Approach each individual personally, focusing on gifts rather than availability. When you know the specific positions you need filled and the best types of people to fill them, seek out individuals who are good matches—not just warm bodies.
Connect consistently. You've only begun your job when your classes are staffed with equipped teachers. Your volunteers need to see your face and hear your voice weekly. Lend support verbally and physically. Offer to serve as an assistant from time to time. Volunteer to take over a class to give a teacher a non-vacation related break. Call, visit, and send notes.
Listen as you lead. Ask for input from your teachers about ideas, implementing as many as you can to give them ownership in children's ministry.
Offer timely training. Meet in large and small groups throughout the year. Hold weekly or monthly prayer times whenever possible.
Develop relationships outside of your roles. Take time to invest in the lives of your volunteers, not just in their ministries.
Practice what you preach. Demonstrate the level of commitment you expect from your workers. Treat your volunteers as if they were your class.
Be flexible. Keep in mind that children's ministry isn't the only area where your workers are involved. They need personal ministry, time with family, and occasional breaks from the grind. Keep the doors of communication open so you're approachable when your workers need to ask for getaways. Better yet, build into each person's job description a clause that provides for refueling and time off at the end of a yearly rotation. When people know they have a break coming, they're likely to be more consistent.
© 2001 Children's Ministry Magazine. Used by permission. To learn more about Children's Ministry Magazine and how to subscribe go to Children's Ministry Magazine. Use your browser's back button to return to ChristianEdWarehouse.com
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Important VBS Ordering Information
We can't emphasize enough how important it is to order your VBS materials now! The VBS season is in full swing, and at this point we can't guarantee we have everything you need in stock. We're constantly getting orders in, so we'll get everything you need ASAP. But we can't tell when the most popular items will stock out for good! View a list of items going fast, backordered, or stocked out.
When churches order VBS materials after the “For Best Service” date (which was April 30), it’s like your teenage son brought six of his hungry friends unannounced to dinner. Sometimes we have to scramble. We’ll do our best, but because we haven’t anticipated your order, we don’t always have inventory of each one of the more than a thousand VBS items we offer. The simple reason is that since VBS programs run for one summer only, the publishers can’t afford to be left with extra inventory at the end of the summer (and neither can we!). Therefore, many items stock out before the summer is over. View current stock-outs and backorders.
So...put "Order VBS" on your to-do list for today, and visit Shop VBS to place your order. Ordering is really easy and we have lots of information on our website! Or if you'd prefer to talk to someone, call us at 800-854-1531. Be sure to use the money-saving coupons below!
Have a great VBS,
Your friends at Christian Ed Warehouse
(Click image for a larger view.)
P.S. The same goes for Sunday school curriculum! We recommend ordering your summer curriculum by May 1, so if you haven't ordered yet, please do so now!
When churches order VBS materials after the “For Best Service” date (which was April 30), it’s like your teenage son brought six of his hungry friends unannounced to dinner. Sometimes we have to scramble. We’ll do our best, but because we haven’t anticipated your order, we don’t always have inventory of each one of the more than a thousand VBS items we offer. The simple reason is that since VBS programs run for one summer only, the publishers can’t afford to be left with extra inventory at the end of the summer (and neither can we!). Therefore, many items stock out before the summer is over. View current stock-outs and backorders.
So...put "Order VBS" on your to-do list for today, and visit Shop VBS to place your order. Ordering is really easy and we have lots of information on our website! Or if you'd prefer to talk to someone, call us at 800-854-1531. Be sure to use the money-saving coupons below!
Have a great VBS,
Your friends at Christian Ed Warehouse
(Click image for a larger view.) Friday, May 15, 2009
Hints and Tips for Teaching Grades 5-6
More Teaching tips can be found on our website.
Positive Feedback for Preteens
All students respond well to positive feedback. The key is to teach your point in a positive way, even when you feel like saying something negative. Following are a few tips:
Bible Verse Word Search
For your students who enjoy word-search puzzles, prepare this simple Bible memory verse review activity. Write the week's Bible memory verse on the bottom third of a sheet of paper. Underline ten or more key words in the verse. Above the verse, create a word-search puzzle that includes the underlined words. Make a copy of the page for each preteen. Hand out a piece of candy or a sticker to each student who completes the word search and brings it back to you the following week. Follow up by having the children take turns creating a similar word-search puzzle for each memory verse of this quarter. Have them create a corresponding answer key too. Each week, have the child say his verse for the class. Then duplicate that puzzle for the entire class.
Positive Feedback for Preteens
All students respond well to positive feedback. The key is to teach your point in a positive way, even when you feel like saying something negative. Following are a few tips:
- Positive feedback must be a result of student behavior. This tells students that you are aware of their performance individually and in a group. Students will begin to see that you give feedback to the best performance of every individual.
- Positive feedback should be given matter-of-factly. Flowery, emotional praise can embarrass preteens. Positive feedback should not imply that you are treating students any differently from the way you would treat an adult.
- Use descriptive statements that briefly tell students what was worthy of comment.
- Positive feedback to individual students should be relatively private. Preteens can be embarrassed by comments that single them out as the "teacher's pet."
- Give feedback to student groups whenever possible. Frequent group praise helps establish a sense of cooperation and community among your student group.
- Eliminate pauses after giving positive feedback. For preteens this can be very uncomfortable. Instead say, (Julie), good job on reading that Scripture, now let's turn to…
- Be persistent. Some students feel uncomfortable with praise because they have had so little. But every student needs to learn that he or she has enough self-worth to accept recognition from someone else.
- Give negative feedback in private. Conclude in prayer.
Bible Verse Word Search
For your students who enjoy word-search puzzles, prepare this simple Bible memory verse review activity. Write the week's Bible memory verse on the bottom third of a sheet of paper. Underline ten or more key words in the verse. Above the verse, create a word-search puzzle that includes the underlined words. Make a copy of the page for each preteen. Hand out a piece of candy or a sticker to each student who completes the word search and brings it back to you the following week. Follow up by having the children take turns creating a similar word-search puzzle for each memory verse of this quarter. Have them create a corresponding answer key too. Each week, have the child say his verse for the class. Then duplicate that puzzle for the entire class.
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