Money is tight right now, I don’t have to tell you that. My friend Roger Fields asked the question, “Has the current economic situation impacted your children’s ministry?” Hundreds of children’s pastors said yes (over half said they felt a significant impact).

Here are three quick ways to stretch your budget dollars.

1. Learn where to shop. Go downloadable whenever you can. You save money on shipping and you can be more picky. For example, you might not like every song on a DVD, but on sites like KidzMatter you can download only the music videos you want. Instead of buying new DVDs, pick up gently used ones on Amazon. Shop online at stores like TigerDirect for your computer and tech stuff. You get the idea. You’ll save some green and score points big time with the finance committee.

2) Learn how to shop. Rome wasn’t built in a day-your resource room doesn’t have to be either. Take your time. When I started 11 years ago as a full-time children’s pastor, I began buying one DVD (VCR tape back then) every month. In 11 years, I have built a nice collection.

3) Get creative! Apply for a grant at WalMart. Your local WalMart gives thousands of dollars away and would love to send some of that money your way. Have contests with the kids. Last year we did “Pennies for a Projector” and had a penny war (click here to learn what on earth a penny war is). We used the money to buy a video projector. A few years before that we did “Pennies for a Puppet.”

Budgets are shrinking but your purchasing smarts don’t have to! Be smart! I’d love to hear what you are doing to stretch your budget. Tell me in the comments.

I kind of accidently stumbled across a simple post I first wrote shortly after the inception of this blog.  It was simply a quote from a Starbucks cup (you know the ones), but I thought it was worth repeating here nearly 2 years later.

This week on the blog, we’re all writing about our favorite resource for summer events.  Mine is a little bit of a “different” resource to consider.

This evening I was reading through my devotional book I read every night, Extreme Devotion.  (It’s really great, and you can check it out by clicking its picture to the left.)  Today’s devotion was about a missionary who went to Korea in the 1800s with a Korean Bible in tow.  The missionary was killed before he ever spoke to a single Korean.  However, his Bible is still read today by Christians in the restricted nation of North Korea.  Over 150 years later, his action and subsequent death are still a testimony to Korean Christians.

You know what’s so cool about that?  He had nothing to do with the growth but planting the seed.  It’s kind of like he planted a garden then had to move away, so someone else started tending it.  That’s where the parallel comes in.

Sometimes (no, most of the time) we have trouble letting go of our “gardens”.  You know them: the ministries, events, duties, etc. that you’ve always done.  It might be camp, VBS, summer outreaches, or whatever you may do.  It’s your baby and you don’t want to let it go.  The thing is, sometimes in order for it to really grow, you need to let go of it.

The death of any great ministry can be a leader who won’t let go.  It’s just like a parent who won’t let go of their child once they’re out on their own.  God has put volunteers in your church specifically so you can let go.  I appreciate being able to serve under a children’s pastor like Ryan, who’s willing to let go of these projects when he can.  For instance, a good portion of our VBS planning has been handed off to one of our best volunteers, Carol, for several years now.  There was an opportunity to let go, and he took it.  It’s helped both Ryan and our VBS in the long run having someone with the resources necessary to really invest in the ministry.  He recognized that a volunteer was put in his path to be a great resource for him.

So what this summer could you hand off to one of your “resources?”  Look at the things you refuse to let go of, but could really use someone else to tend to them who has the time and know-how.  Use the amazing volunteers God has blessed you with to their fullest!  It is called “summer break” after all.

As I mentioned earlier, I am doing Standard’s Studio Go! VBS at my church this summer. We are pretty excited about it.

Last week, my friends at Kidmo sent me a copy of the new Starlight Rescue VBS. Kidmo and GodRocks! have partnered together to bring you an edgy media-driven VBS. I reviewed it for Ryan’s Reviews in the next K! Magazine. I was impressed. The videos and music are really out of this world. If you’re looking for a VBS and media-driven is your thing – this might be what you’re looking for.

Click here to check it out for yourself.

Okay so I opened a can of worms last week. I have always had a gift for this. I remember at my first church that what we paid a guest to come in and do a week long Kid’s Crusade was more than my budget for children’s church. When I added up travel costs, hotel, and food. It was way more than my yearly budget for props, puppets, characters, etc. (and you could forget about an a/v equipment.) So I had an idea what If I took the money we would spend for a crusade and buy all new stuff that would be new to the kids but then also I would have it all year long. It made a lot of guests mad at me. I believe in guests, I’m having KidzBlitz, Yancy,and Miss Patty Cake for Easter this year. But some time because of budgets, because of the need to re-think and re-invent what you do you have to come up with an alternitive. What are some of your plans and ideas for VBS, Camp, Crusade and other alternatives for summer programing. Let us hear from you. I’d love to hear what you are doing differently this summer.

As you’ll recall, last Friday we launched a contest to see who could come up with the most creative budget-stretching idea.  Last night marked the end of our contest, and we now have a winner.  You probably want to know who the winner is, don’t you?  It’s probably driving you insane in suspense.  All of this endless rambling is just put here to delay the inevitable task of actually telling you who won.  Are you ready?  Then you’re going to have to click on to see the winning idea! Continue reading ‘Wiper Sock Winner!’

OK, so it doesn’t even have to be VBS.  It could be camp, craft fairs, sports events, or just about whatever you do during the summer.  I’ve got a unique perspective on this, because I’m still a volunteer!  So what are a couple of ways you can keep your summer volunteers vivacious?

1. Ask for the right volunteers.
   I know you’ve probably heard this a kajillion times, but don’t beg for volunteers.  Instead, start your summer volunteer search with an intimate time with God, asking Him to provide the volunteers you need.  I love the way the Message puts this passage from Matthew 9: “So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples. ‘How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!’”  When you involve God from the very beginning, things change.  He’ll bring the volunteers you need.  That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask for volunteers.  Just involve God.
2. Remind them that what they’re doing is important.
   Something that has always helped me as a volunteer to keep from being burnt out is remembering how important what I’m doing is.  I’m helping to show children that a really cool, amazing God loves them and has a plan for them.  I’m helping their families grow together.  I’m helping the children’s pastor to not lose his/her mind.  (Most of the time.)  Make sure your volunteers aren’t serving out of obligation, but because their actions matter.  It may just be one or two weeks a summer, but their volunteering still matters.  It’ll make all the difference in keeping them interested.
3. Treat them well.
   Even though I’m a volunteer, I still enjoy treating the other volunteers.  Every summer, I try to bring homemade cookies and coffee (good stuff, not the Sam’s Club brand junk) to share with the other volunteers at our events.  It’s always appreciated.  (Or so they tell me.)  Care for your volunteers.  You’re not the queen of a beehive in charge of hundreds of worker bees who are in charge of the children.  You’re in charge of people.  Treat them right!  They’ll respect you more, and they’ll have a better attitude too.  I speak from experience, amigos.

How do you keep your volunteers around?  How do you get them?  Let us know in the comments!

I’m not a fan of VBS. I’ve never seen one that brought tons of new families into a church. One of the problems is when you have them, the first week out of school to me it’s just bad timing. In many communities it seems like churches all have them at the same time. I have seen better success moving my VBS alternitive event to a date in late July when nothing is going on. To keep from doing a traditional VBS, I’ve done Kids Crusades, Day Camps, Music or Art Camps.Kid’s Day Out every Tuesday in the Summer, and many others. One goal of mine is to provide a school of rock for kids in the near future (I’ll be Jack Black) I’m really excited about a new product from Kidzblitz called “Fitness Camp” I ordered it at CPC and can’t wait to use it. I think another factor that makes me not a fan of traditional VBS is it’s hard to get workers in the daytime because of families needing multiple incomes. If I was going to do VBS I would do it at night and no matter what I wouldn’t call it VBS. I had great success getting families to and in our church by doing a Summer Sizzling Film Festival the 4 or 5 Sundays in July, We did special stuff the kids weren’t use to, adding huge visitor contests will great prizes for weekends and Wednesdays that month and saw great results. I’ve also done a different special guests every weekend plus the other stuff I mentioned. I also added more chances and points for kids bringing their parents to church. I think it’s time to give VBS a makeover and do something different to get better results than what most churches see from the same ole VBS. I know not everyone’s going to love this post but I for one am willing to take a punch or two to make people re-think new and creative ways to reach today’s kids in a more unique way. Sorry VBS lovers, that’s the way the old guy sees it.

I still love VBS! Even in the day of lots of summer programming options. Here’s why:

Recently I was evaluating our summer ministries, specifically, Vacation Bible School. We do VBS each summer to fulfill the Great Commission (reach kids with the Gospel and make disciples) and to engage our community. I looked at other summer programming options—there are lots of new programs we could start to help us reach these goals. When I stopped to ask which new program would be best, it dawned on me: I already have a program that does what I’m after. Why should we start several new programs to do the work Vacation Bible School was designed to do? I left that evaluation session with a renewed passion to make Vacation Bible School the biggest thing of the summer.

I still love it and can’t wait for this summer. What do you think?

PS. This year, we’re doing Studio Go! Game Show at my church.

The youth pastor at my church, Mike, just returned from the National Youth Ministry Conference. He was very excited and had a great time.

One thing cool about the conference was that at registration, each attendee was given a wide lanyard with their name tag. They chose from several buttons (Jr. High Ministries, Senior High Ministries, Rural Youth Ministry, Urban Youth Ministry, Small but Mighty Youth Ministry, Big Youth Ministry, etc). They were to put their buttons (as many as they wanted) on their lanyard. The idea, as you can see in the picture, is that the attendees looked for other attendees with the same buttons. This created opportunities for networking with others in similar ministries as yours. Very fun.

You might not being wearing buttons all year, but find someone (or a group of people) and start connecting. While there are cool sites like cmconnect.org to connect online (I love that site!!!!) find someone in your town or area and get some lunch. We need each other!