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90 DAYS TO A "RE-VISIONED" CHILDREN'S MINISTRY!

Yes, we know - the spell checker says "re-visioned" is not a word. But it aptly describes what many of us need.
You are the children's ministries leader at your church. Are you feeling like the church's children's ministry is getting too "run of the mill"? Maybe a little stale? Need a refreshing touch in your own life? Or perhaps you are entering into a new children's ministry, and really have a desire to follow God's leading and direction.
Take 90 days to renew and revitalize! Get a re-visioned children's ministry!

What steps could we take when coming new into a children's ministry? Or what should we do to reevaluate and reestablish a children's ministry that needs an overhaul? To what new levels does the Holy Spirit desire to take the children's ministry?
The suggestions here are based on a church structure with a senior pastor and church staff, with the children's pastor or director a part of that staff. If your structure is different, please adapt accordingly.
This plan is meant to take place over a period of about 90 days.

Here we go! You may want to print this out for ease of use:

The First 30 Days - OBSERVATION
1. Take 30 days to observe the present children's ministries team in action, the flow and function of the department, and the already established goals, objectives and vision. Let God show it to you with new eyes. Begin to ascertain what areas are strong and what areas need shoring up, and where something new needs to begin. RESIST THE URGE TO DO SOMETHING! Just make observations (even take notes), and your own, private evaluations of the ministry Be very honest with yourself.

2. Especially important, begin building relationships with the church staff and your children's ministries team. Make sure your team knows you are there to help them be successful teachers, leaders, workers, etc. PRAY A LOT FOR GUIDANCE, WISDOM, and FAVOR!
   A. Beginning with the key leaders, schedule fellowship times with your team- invite them and their families to your home - just one or two at a time. Get to know them, and begin establishing friendships. Ask for their input regarding vision and mission, and some goals they would like to see happen. Keep the conversations positive. Ask them to dream BIG! And ask them to be prepared to share when you have your goal setting meeting how they believe God is leading their ministry over the next five years. Take a very little bit of time to share your heart. Spend a lot of time just listening and affirming them. PRAY TOGETHER! Over time (more than just the first 30 days!), try to have this special time with all the team.

   B. Communicate with the senior pastor about what you are doing, and your strategy. PRAY TOGETHER!! Have some fellowship times with him and his wife, and then do the same with other key church staff members. Let them know you are a team player, and really interested in networking the children's ministries with the rest of the church ministries, progressively and strategically building spiritual life into the children, teens and adults the Lord brings to this church.

3. Begin to formulate the vision and mission of the children's ministry - through prayer and the observations and the conversations you've had with the team. PRAY UNTIL YOU HEAR FROM GOD! Then, pray some more! Begin to receive the re-visioned children's ministry as the Holy Spirit births it in your heart.

The Second 30 Days - CONNECTION

1. Hold a goal setting meeting with your entire children's ministries team. PRAY TOGETHER. Make sure they understand how vital they are to the work of the Lord and the church's ministry. Help them realize that they are a team, and the impact they have in a child's life in their department coordinates with the ministries in all the other children's ministries departments, and with the church as a whole. Remind them that the Lord has given us the blessing and privilege of reaping in the ripest harvest field of all - little children. What an honor and a joy!
   A. Start 5 years into the future, and ask each department to verbally list what God has been telling them their ministry can be like by then. Write everything down on a large white board or butcher paper where everyone can see it. Record it all on paper as well for future use. Remind them that no one's ideas are bad ideas - everything is wide open. Strongly affirm each person as they contribute. After you get the majority of the 5 year goals, ask them what everyone would need to do within 3 years from now in order to achieve those 5 year goals. Again, write it on the white board or butcher paper for all to see, and record everything. Then, 2 years from now. And finally, 1 year from now. This is a faith-building exercise.

   B. PRAY SOME MORE, and then, share the vision that God has put on your heart. Let them know that this is not "set in concrete", and that you would like their input in forming a vision and mission statement for the children's ministries. Explain that everything you as a team plan and do together will flow from this statement. Give them a week to submit ideas to you. Refine the statement into a succinct, one sentence power statement.

2. Share the results of all the above with the pastor and the church staff. Make any alterations necessary. Get the pastor's approval.

The Third 30 Days - ARTICULATION

1. Hold a children's ministries team PARTY to capsulize and enthusiastically share the vision and mission power statement. This party needs to be highly motivational! Celebrate the re-visioned children's ministries and the team God has brought together, and those who will soon be a part of the team. Ask them to prayerfully commit themselves to this vision, to the team, and to the Lord's purposes.

2. Meet with the key team leaders and revisit the 5, 3, 2 and 1 year goals. Together, refine them to fit more closely with the vision and mission power statement. Ask them to set meetings with their departments to begin working the plans for fulfilling the vision and achieving the goals.

3. Begin sharing this vision and mission power statement with everyone in the church, in every way possible. Blast it everywhere! Repeatedly keep it in front of the children's ministries team, the parents of the children, and the whole congregation.

4. Now, begin to formulate your next year's budget according to the budget history (hopefully you have one!!), and according to the 1-5 year goals set in your meeting in step 7, shaped by the vision that the Lord has given, and the mission to accomplish it.

You'll be on your way with a re-visioned children's ministry! Hopefully this will be of great help to you. Much of it many of you probably already know. But sometimes we need to remind ourselves and our ministry team what we are really all about.

Remember, SuperKidz is here to support you in reaching the harvest of children and families in your region. Be sure to schedule a BIG EVENT with SuperKidz 4 Christ in your plans!!! Click HERE to schedule SuperKidz 4 Christ.

A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to "honor thy father and thy mother," she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?" Without missing a beat, one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered, "Thou shall not kill."

ROBB & JACQUI DUNHAM
Nationwide Children's & Family Advocates & Evangelists
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With many years of children's and Family ministries experience each, including 14 years as Children's Pastors and Early Childhood Ministries Directors, and Family Life Pastors, and 8 years as family and children's evangelists, we simply want to be a resource of blessing for you and your church.

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