Monthly Archive for October, 2007Page 2 of 4

Getting Along With Grown-ups

Published
by
Jim Wideman
on October 24, 2007
in Leadership and Volunteers
. 1 Comment

Most Children’s Ministers are more comfortable with relationships with children than relationships with adults. Yes, we must be able to communicate with students but we must also be able to communicate with adults. If you cannot lead and impact adults you’ll never have an outstanding ministry to children. Here’s twelve tips for dealing positively with adult helpers and co-workers.

1. Realize you need help. You must allow others to be involved. Sharing center stage is hard for some children’s ministers. Three Dog Night taught me years ago, “One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do.” Doing the job alone will never leave fruit that remains.

2. Let people get to know you. The lowest form of leadership is positional leadership. Share your heart with those you lead. Spend time with you workers and let them get to know you.

3. Lead by setting the example. Give others someone to follow. Set the pace. A good leader is a model. Show people what to do don’t just tell them. Never ask people to do something you are not willing to do yourself.

4. Explain how and why as well as what. Leaders are teachers of those they lead. Let those you lead ask questions. Remember, Jesus was never too busy for Peter’s dumb questions. He was always willing to explain.

5. Admit when you are wrong. Take responsibility for your mistakes
Ask for forgiveness. Be quick to repent. Don’t make the same mistake twice. I have a no surprises policy with those I lead. I don’t want to be surprised even if it’s bad news.

6. Always side with authority. Don’t open the door for rebellion. When in doubt be loyal and support the leaders above you. Remember, you reap what you sow.

7. Watch and inspect what others are doing. Use your M.B.W.A. degree. Management By Walking Around. It’s the best way to stay in the know.

8. Dare to confront. Situations don’t fix themselves. Do everything out of love and always coach leaders to their next level.

9. Say thank you. A good leader can’t say it enough. People know if you mean it. Don’t just say thanks, show thanks.

10. Solicit the ideas & opinions of others. Ask for advice. A smart leader values the opinion of others. Listen to those in the trenches. Don’t lean on your own understanding, get another take on it.

11. Be an encourager. See yourself as a cheerleader for your volunteer team, your staff, and your co-workers.

12. Serve those you lead as well as those over you. If Jesus came to serve and not be served, we must do the same.

Do you know about “Apple’s New Thing”?

Published
by
Evan Doyle
on October 23, 2007
in Culture and Leadership
. 1 Comment

OK, so it’s not such a new thing. In fact, it turned six today. It’s name is iPod. So you’ve heard of it? Yep, thought you had.

On the internet, there is a forum thread known as “Thread 500″. It is on MacRumors.com. Initially, people ridiculed it. Some of the comments made were:
“I still can’t believe this! All this hype for something so ridiculous! Who cares about an MP3 player? I want something new! I want them to think differently! Why oh why would they do this?! It’s so wrong! It’s so stupid!”

“Sure the iPod is cool, and yeah I’d love to have one, but only for half the asking price of $399.”

“The iPod requires me to change my lifestyle to meet it’s needs… I need round holes, not square holes. For $99 I might buy the toy, for $399? Why?”

Consider that the iPod sold 110 million units internationally as of September. All of this gloom and doom from those looking at the situation in 2001, but it turned out to be the most successful MP3 player on the market. And in the opinion of some, it became the best MP3 player. Continue reading ‘Do you know about “Apple’s New Thing”?’

Apple has guts. Do you?

Published
by
Ryan Frank
on October 23, 2007
in Leadership and News
. 0 Comments

Reports are surfacing that Apple fired 800 Apple Store retail associates who cashed in on the $100 iPhone credit on the phones Apple gave them for free in the first place. Back when the iPhone launched, people that were employed by Apple for over a year were promised and delivered a free iPhone. 800 of these people decided to cash in on the $100 rebate offer.

Good for Apple. They have guts. The easiest thing for the corporates at Apple would have been to waffle or bury their head under the rug. After all, this massive firing took place in the peek of their busy season. But they dealt with the problem and sent a strong message to their other employees.

This is the confession of someone who hates confrontation. Normally Type-A people don’t dread confrontation, they are fueled by it! Not this one. I have never liked confrontation. This story has reminded me of the importance of dealing with problems and not burying my head under the covers while hoping they go away.

If you’re in ministry, you’re going to have people problems and conflict. Conflict develops because in ministry we are dealing with people every day. Here are eight ways to deal with problems right now.

1. Identify it. You cannot solve anything if you don’t know what the problem is.

2. Make sure you’ve identified the real problem, not a rumor of another problem.

3. Talk to people you trust. Gather as much information as you can.

4. Decide what to do. There may be more than one course of action.

5. Keep in touch with leadership. I’m talking about your pastor, your board, etc.

6. Make a decision.

7. Choose your plan. What are you going to do with this decision?

8. Be the Rock of Gibraltar and don’t move. Execute the plan.

Most Americans take the Bible at face value

Published
by
Ryan Frank
on October 22, 2007
in News
. 1 Comment

The Barna Group released a new study today that says most people take the Bible at face value. Here’s what they said:

Americans may be skeptical about the claims of politicians, but they remain confident that some of the most amazing stories in the Bible can be taken at face value. A new nationwide survey conducted by The Barna Group shows that six well-known Bible stories are accepted as literal truth by an average of two out of three adults.

Read the entire article.

Why ministry people aren’t teachable

Published
by
Ryan Frank
on October 21, 2007
in Leadership
. 2 Comments

Why do so many people in the ministry lose the ability to be teachable? It doesn’t work and it leads to ineffective ministry. Face it, none of us know it all. If you aren’t teachable, you won’t be able to teach. You can talk, but you won’t teach.

Here are some reasons why I think people in ministry have a hard time learning.

1) It requires that you admit you don’t know everything. Big egos often get in the way of change.

2) You lack confidence in yourself. Being teachable might make you look bad.

3) You will make mistakes. People always do when they are learning.

4) You are trained to talk. Remember, preachers preach. Teachers teach. The Cowboy’s Code of Conduct says, “Never miss an opportunity to stop talking!” When we’re talking, we are not listening. When we’re not listening, we are not learning.

5) You’ve been told that ministry is “doing” instead of “being”. Ministers are suppose to work, serve, teach, visit, meet needs, etc. When your focus is on “being” (not just “doing”), you spend time studying, praying and learning.

6) Ministry can be the survival of the fittest. Consequently, you spend more time defending yourself and your agenda rather than learning from those around you.

Remember, being teachable demonstrates both a spirit of humility and a desire to grow. So what are you waiting for? Start learning!

Time to retreat?

Published
by
Ryan Frank
on October 20, 2007
in Leadership and Random
. 2 Comments

My wife and I just spent three days at our church marriage retreat. Because my church is short-staffed right now (if you know a good youth pastor looking for a job, please let me know) my wife and I led this year’s retreat. We had a special speaker from Family Life Today that did a great job.

Let’s talk about retreats. The coolest things about a retreat is not the teaching. I appreciate that, but I can get teaching online or in a classroom. It’s the fellowship, or in ministry terms, it’s the networking.

Here’s my idea. Someone should start a retreat for children’s pastors where the focus is not on teaching, but solely on networking and connecting. Here’s how you should organize the retreat:

1) Invite Jim Wideman, Roger Fields and some other stars in children’s ministry to participate.

2) Invite children’s pastors who want to rub shoulders with other children’s pastors and want to make some serious connections.

3) Don’t schedule much. Spend three days sipping coffee, playing golf, and staying up past midnight. Let people sleep in because most of them will be up late talking.

4) The topic of discussion? Whatever you and everyone else wants it to be.

5) When you plan this retreat, don’t promote workshops or breakout sessions. Don’t focus on keynote addresses. Remember the point is to learn from each other, to develop friendships, and to make life-long partnerships.

6) Oh, limit the retreat to 24 people so that when you leave you know everyone’s name and know what you learned from them.

Last year I was invited to speak on the Octane Children’s Pastors’ Cruise. Man it was a sweet time. My favorite part of the cruise was hanging out with Jim Wideman on the deck until 1:00 or 2:00 each morning talking. It was sitting around those tables after the clock struck midnight that Jim and I started the friendship we have today.

So what do you think? Longing to make some life long connections? To rub shoulders with others in the front lines of children’s ministry? Don’t necessarily need another workshop? Maybe it’s time someone plans a retreat.

Wow. That’s what I said.

Published
by
Ryan Frank
on October 17, 2007
in Events, Random and Technology
. 3 Comments

I love Tiger Direct. If you’ve ever been to one of my technology seminars, you’ve heard me drop their name. They are having a 72-hour sale where you can get a 1500 lumen video projector, a mounting bracket, and an 80 inch screen for $399. There’s no excuse for not having a video projector in kid’s church anymore.

The sale ends 10/19. You better call a special board meeting at church and get out the checkbook!

Wick’s pie and children’s ministry

Published
by
Ryan Frank
on October 17, 2007
in Leadership and Random
. 2 Comments

Last night I stopped at the grocery and brought home a Wick’s sugar cream pie. One thing I brag myself on is my ability to eat an entire sugar cream pie in two settings (and not gain a pound). Sick huh? Well that’s me. I love Wick’s sugar cream pies.

You’ve probably seen Wick’s pies in your grocer’s freezer. What I bet you didn’t know is that they hail from Indiana. In fact, my wife’s grandpa was friends with the guy who started the whole thing. Every day Wick’s produces 10,000 pies from right here in Winchester, Indiana!

Here’s the cool point about this blog post. Wick’s doesn’t make 50 different flavors of pie. They only make five, and of those five they specialize in sugar cream. 60 years ago D.E. “Wick” Wickersham (the founder) decided that they would find one product that would hit a home run and they would be the best in the world at it.

It reminds me of Jim Collin’s book “Good to Great” that I read last winter. Jim says that you need to find 1) what you’re passionate about, 2) what you can be the best in the world at, and 3) what you can be profitable at. When those three things come together watch out baby.

What are you passionate about? What can can you do better than anyone else? Does it profit you (not necessarily financially)? Get busy! Wick’s has learned to make a sugar cream pie so good that everyone wants to buy it. Especially guys like me who can eat the whole thing in less than a day.

So how’s the magazine coming?

Published
by
Ryan Frank
on October 17, 2007
in Blog Updates
. 6 Comments

k.jpgI’ve been so encouraged to hear this question from many people. I thought I would take a minute and give you an update on the magazine progress. The wheels for this new publication started turning back in June and they keep spinning faster and faster!

If you’re new to the blog or KidzMatter and haven’t heard, we are launching a magazine. K! Magazine is being created by people who work with kids just like yours every Sunday. If you want to read the story about how the magazine came to be, click here.

So here’s a progress report:

Our Editors – I think we have the finest team of editors anywhere. I am pumped about the energy level coming from this team. What happens when some of the most respected leaders in children’s ministry put their heads, hearts and hands together? You get something remarkable.

Our Senior Editor - Wait, that’s me. I am doing great, thanks to the strong support of my family and staff. I’ve told some of my friends that I don’t know why God told me to publish a magazine. I’m not exactly an expert at language arts (Proofreader’s note: AMEN!) and don’t know the difference between an infinitive and a participle. I never took a journalism class in college. I’ve never been in the publishing business. But we think that’s okay. It gives K! an edge. Because I’m a children’s pastor who rubs shoulders with tons of other children’s pastors, I have an idea of what they want and need.

Continue reading ‘So how’s the magazine coming?’

Luci turns three

Published
by
Ryan Frank
on October 16, 2007
in Random
. 3 Comments

It was three years ago today that I woke up in the middle of the night with Beth and we knew it was time. Both sets of our parents got a phone call at around 4am saying “the baby is coming today!” It wasn’t much longer before our little baby was born - 4 weeks early. Little Luci entered the world weighing 4 pounds. I still remember seeing her for the first time in the delivery room and my eyes filling with tears. What a miracle. Today we celebrate three years of life and thank the Lord for giving Luci to us. We pray that she will always love and serve God with all her heart.

I love Luci! Happy birthday!