So, here I sit in the Indianapolis International Airport waiting for my very delayed plane to Orlando for CPC! (We were supposed to take off at 6, now it’s 9) I am so excited. The entire airport is blanketed in AT&T Wi-Fi, which is actually very expensive. But I have an advantage. I am an AT&T DSL subscriber, and therefore get free Wi-Fi. So therefore I am writing this here blog post to you. They’ve given me an advantage to choose them over another service.
That’s something important to remember in ministry. What advantages are you giving the members of your church? What reasons do your members have to continue attending your church? Do they see a church that is alive? Do they see a church that is giving them a reason to keep coming in each and every week?
Remember that the church is in the construction business, not the maintenance business. Keep the kids (and workers!) in your ministry not just alive, but growing! Always keep ministry in mind. And that’s the way I see it from IND.
The Indiana State Fair, officially “The Great Indiana State Fair”. (Yes, I know it’s cheesy, but every state has a State Fair. And Indiana’s is by far the coolest.) On August 9, I was at the Indiana State Fair. It almost hit 100 Fahrenheit (that’s 38 celsius for our overseas friends) that day, and it was downright oppressive. We were there to see Jeremy Camp and Casting Crowns at 7:30 that night. Before the concert, we had a ton of fun. If you ever get a chance, visit our awesome state fair (I would say most awesomest state fair like ever, but that might get me arrested by the grammar police), and swing by KidzMatter on your way through.
But that is all beside the point. Here’s some good ministry insights gleaned, from all things, the State Fair:
Continue reading ‘Lessons from the State Fair’
Ministry can get crazy…so many things to do, so little time. I’ve learned a little secret that will make your efficiency in ministry blossom. Here’s the different chip values.
BLUE CHIPS: the most important, biggest impact stuff
RED CHIPS: the somewhat important, medium impact stuff
WHITE CHIPS: it’s usually the most fun, yet extremely low impact stuff
As your to-do list grows with weekly responsibilities, events, planning, meetings, rehearsals, team building, ministry, etc. ASSIGN A CHIP VALUE TO EVERY SINGLE THING. Start giving the majority of your time to only your blue chips. Even though white chips sometime’s need to get done, don’t give them much time. Kind of like keeping track of the food you eat or the money you spend…this will really change how you focus your time on your ministry.
After implementing this myself…I realize I used to spend the majority of my time on WHITE CHIPS. Now I say no, delegate, or spend an extremely small amount of time with them. BLUE CHIPS are my new thing.
Yes…it’s true. I’m an official Kentucky Fried Chicken taste-tester. Once every three months I get to paid to go to the test kitchen at the headquarters and eat chicken and fill out extremely detailed surveys on what I liked and didn’t like about the chicken (or mashed potatoes, macaroni, creamy cheese and broccoli, etc.). Today was my day…it’s was hot wings this time. We taste the same product numerous times, but with slight variations. Some slightly hotter, spicier, more salty, more tender, crispier breading and so on.
I’m always amazed and the number of people they pay to do taste-tests, and the extreme care that goes into the whole process (I’m guessing millions of dollars). It’s because they know that if they want to have a successful company it’s imperative that they offer not only food that people like, but food with exact specifications to our liking. We children’s ministers should take note of KFC’s dedication to finding out what works.
We have a term at church called being “store blind.” It means that you are in and around your ministry so much that you fail to see things that might stick out like a sore thumb to others. Quite often, the fix is simple. Getting feedback from others is a great way to restore your sight.
The next time you have a camp or VBS…gather some people together and have a debrief. Find out what worked and what didn’t and implement the changes next year.
Is your ministry needing some revamping? I challenge you to get a few kids and parents together for an idea sharing lunch or dinner. Ask them a variety of questions regarding specific areas of your ministry, brainstorm, ask them what works and what doesn’t. I guarantee it will be the best $50 you’ll spend this year.
KFC has chicken. We have Christ. They collect data from thousands of taste-testers to make sure the chicken they offer is actually working (tasting good). Shouldn’t we do the same thing to make sure that we’re presenting the Gospel in such a way that it’s actually working with the children and families we minister to?
