Finding A Ministry
“Deciding To Become A CM Director or Not”
Thoughts on considering an offer to become a CM Director in light of your current life priorities.
“Finding The Right Ministry”
Trusting and following God as He directs you toward the ministry He has for you.
“Staying or Leaving In Biblical Perspective”
How to face the challenges of ministry and to discern if it is time to leave.
“The First Thing To Do In A New Ministry”
Some advice for a slow and cautious start to a new ministry.
Refreshing The Ministry
“The 3 P’s of Refreshing The CM”
How to protect the People, Programs and the Process of the CM when refreshing the ministry.
“Taking The CM To The Spa”
How to give your CM some “therapy” that will help it return to its original vigor.
“Ideas For Refreshing The CM”
Some basic ideas to consider if you have felt that the CM needs some updating or “refreshing.”
Organizing The Ministry, Children, And Programs
“Age Based vs Grade Based Divisions”
Considering the needs and effects of the two basic ways to organize the CM programing.
“Function-based CM Leadership”
A different approach to organizing your CM leadership team.
“Hybrid Large/Small Group Setting”
Some ideas for creating a “hybrid” approach to organizing your CM programing.
Attracting And Keeping Children, Parents, And The CM Team
“Attracting And Keeping Parents, Children, And CM Team”
Ideas for improving the CM and attracting more people, using the wisdom of Walt Disney.
“Assessing The Needs of The Church And Community”
How to understand the needs of the church and community as you build or refresh the CM.
“Caring For The Needs”
Using simple observations to make adjustments that care for the CM team, the children, and the parents.
“Children’s Ministry Image Improvers”
How to improve the “image” of the CM using what is seen, felt, smelled, and heard.
“Creating A Memorable Guest Experience”
Improving the experience the parents have in the CM by applying the simple examples of Disneyland.
“Making The Children’s Ministry A Destination”
How to make every “zone” of the CM a pleasant “destination” that draws parents and children back for more.
“Raising The Value of The CM”
Increase the value or respect of the CM among the church leadership and those who attend the church.
Developing Leaders
“Bubbling Up Leaders”
How to recognize potential leaders and effectively advance them (“bubble them up”) to leadership positions.
“Passing Off A Ministry”
How to pass off the CM to a new leader with respect, dignity, and honor.
“Qualities of A Good or Bad Hire”
Know the “good” or “bad” qualities of a person before you hire. What to do if you need to release a “bad” hire.
“Stages of Ministry Leadership Development”
As the CM grows, knowing how to recognize and use the growth stages to foster CM health.
“The Care And Feeding Of Leaders”
How to nurture those on your CM leadership team.
“The Dangers of Creating A Leadership Vacuum”
Protecting yourself and the CM from a “vacuum” when a CM leader is removed or shifted to another area.
“The Pastoral Readiness Scale”
How to determine if a potential candidate for a CM leadership position is ready to take on the responsibility.
“The Right Person For CM Leadership”
A concise description of the “right person” for a CM leadership position.
“Value and Care of Coordinators”
How to support and empower those on the CM leadership team who supervise a department or area of the CM.
“What A CM Director Needs”
A concise document that gives an overview of the environment in which a CM Director flourishes.
“Writing Ministry Job Descriptions”
How to create CM job descriptions that protect and support those in CM leadership.
Building The Ministry
“A Leader Sees Further Down The Road”
A reminder to keep your eyes on the ministry vision and to see problems before they occur.
“Basic Principles of Children’s Ministry”
The basic principles of a healthy, growing CM with a reputation for being a rewarding place to serve.
“Biblical Principles Dealing With A Resistant CM Leader”
Using the leadership principles of Jesus, how to deal kindly with a CM leader who resists change.
“Building Your Ministry From Ground Up”
Some basic steps in building a healthy CM “from scratch.”
“CM Team Development Barriers”
Some typical “barriers” to a growing CM team, and how to break down those walls.
“CM Outside The Box Ideas”
Using some new, creative ideas to enhance the CM’s effectiveness and strength.
“CM Production Ingredients”
Create an effective large group CM production that thrills the children and communicates a clear message.
“Components of A Healthy CM”
Creating the right “ingredients” that build a healthy CM.
“Developing The Children’s Ministry”
Using the setting of a baseball diamond to develop a strong CM.
“Growth And Stagnation In CM”
Knowing what leads God to bless a CM will help you analyze the CM and prevent it from “stagnation.”
“Options For Monitoring and Maintaining Service Roster”
Ideas for organizing and monitoring the service schedule of your CM team.
“Qualities of An Effective Children’s Ministry”
Specific qualities that an effective CM includes.
“Strengthening The CM”
How to strengthen the three major areas of the CM: The “Corporate” CM, The CM Leadership, The CM Team
“Team Development Cycle”
A description of the yearly cycle of team development efforts.
“Building The CM ‘Nest’”
Directions for building a “safe, warm nest” that attracts and protects the CM team members.
“The DNA of A Healthy CM”
A study of the internal essence that make a healthy CM.
“The Pathways To A Healthy Ministry Team”
A simple overview of how to build a healthy CM team using an analogy to a hiking trail.
“Using Teens In Ministry”
How to navigate the use of teens in the CM.
“Worship Program Guidelines”
The basic principles of creating a large group worship experience.
Communication
“Children’s Ministry Leadership Zones”
How to use the 4 basic “zones” of personal leadership abilities in balancing your CM leadership team.
“Five Ps of A Board Presentation”
How to use “Professional,” “Punctual,” “Polite,” “Purposeful,” and “Positive” in board presentations.
“Leadership Bump Up Guidelines”
Deciding when to communicate with the supervising leadership, and when to handle the challenge yourself.
“The Basics of A Good Meeting”
How to have a fun, effective CM team meeting that is worth attending.
“The Leadership ‘Dance'”
Working with the CM leadership team to communication with, and support each other smoothly.
“The Zones of Communication”
Use the various “zones” of communication so that information is shared carefully with those on the CM team.
“Types of Leadership Communication”
When to communicate with fellow CM leaders to show respect, ask for help, or to share decisions.
Evaluating The Ministry
“CM Evaluation Sheets”
Sample evaluation forms to be used to evaluate CM programs.
“CM Exit Surveys”
Sample survey questions to be used to get feedback from parents, children, and CM team members.
“Designing A Survey”
How to design a survey that gives you the information needed to build a strong CM.
“Monitoring The Ministry Indicators”
Understanding the health of the CM by using “indicators” much like the medical field does.
“Sample CM Program Survey”
A sample survey to use in evaluating CM programs.
“Sample CM Team Survey”
A sample survey to use in evaluating the CM team.
“The CM Scales of Health”
An evaluation tool that uses ranges of effectiveness to evaluate the health of the CM.
Keeping The Ministry “Potent”
“A Saltless Ministry”
How to keep your CM “salty” and effective.
“Adjusting The Ministry To Reflect Society’s Changes”
As society changes, how to possibly adjust the CM while still staying true to biblical principles.
“Dealing With ‘Hot Topics'”
Determining if and how the CM should deal with the world’s “hot topics.”
“Old And New Wineskins In Children’s Ministry”
How to deal with CM team members who might be “old wineskins” in the face of changes.
“Staying Trendy”
Stay informed about today’s “trends,” while keeping the CM true to the vision and the “Great Commission.”
“What’s Best For The Children?”
Use this simple “tool” to solve conflicts or to clarify decisions in the CM.
Working With The Senior Pastor
“Understanding The Senior Pastor”
Understanding him, and how to support him.
Ministry Wisdom
“CM Ministry Wisdom”
Miscellaneous wisdom gleaned from years of CM leadership.
Flourishing In Ministry
“Overcoming Discouragement In Ministry”
How to handle discouragement in ministry by using the experience of Elijah.
“Holding Onto The Things We Do Understand”
How to hold onto things we understand while being faced with things we don’t understand.
“PK prevention program”
How to prevent being the parent of a “PK” child.
“Sift Out Push Away”
How to not take the work of the ministry home with you. How to find rest in the middle of the challenge.
“Struggle Between Flesh And Spirit”
How to build a protective shield around you and win the battle between the “flesh” and the “spirit.”
“Taking Your Thoughts Captive”
How to protect your emotions by taking your thoughts captive.
“The Challenges of Being A Shepherd”
Lessons from a shepherd that relate to leading the CM.
“The Importance of Rest”
How to protect yourself from exhaustion by resting strategically.
“The Loneliness of Ministry”
An overview of the dangers of being lonely as a CM director, and how to combat it.
“The People Behind”
Understanding the value of people who are “behind you,” and how to be that person for someone else.
“The Spiritual Protection Grid”
Asking God to create a “grid of protection” around your mind and thoughts as you lead the CM.
“Turn Away Look Up”
Applying lessons learned from our parent about not looking at disturbing things
“Vision and CM Job Description”
How to use the CM vision to create powerful CM job descriptions.
“Who What Where Who”
Discover who you are, what you’ve been called to do, where you’re going, and Who is supporting you.