Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” Matthew 18:5 If you have never thought about your nursery being a ministry, I hope these few thoughts will change your mind! Your nursery workers may be the first contact parents (visitors) have with the church and their impressions are important. Parents want…
Why is it that some ministries are more successful than others? One church reaches hundreds while another reaches tens. One church disciples it’s people, while another distances them. One church grows while another groans. So what’s the difference? There are a lot of things that go toward a church’s level of success. However, there are…
First off, I love Anthony Bourdain. Beyond all of the great writing, incredible food and interesting people, his show provides one element that separates it from the rest of the massive food television market: location. From Russia, to Peru to the DMZ of the Korean Peninsula, “No Reservations” took the viewer into some of the…
And one standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer; three is even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12 This passage makes me smile when I think about it in the context of children’s ministry. Have you ever been the only volunteer in…
No matter what your ministry context is or what denomination your church is a part of, we all have a common problem. As a matter of fact, it’s probably the greatest challenge church leaders face in ministry. If we don’t find a way to overcome it, we will shortchange our ministry potential. But if we…
It is interesting how collective subconscious forms within organizations and people groups. Without people ever really talking about a subject in much detail they can often begin to collect around a given topic, adopt a common set of vocabulary and then ultimately become a substantive force to be reckoned with. It is very interesting that…
Imagine Kaylee, a 7th grader who is new in town, comes to your youth group this week. Her mom made her. You want to make sure she feels welcome, so you greet her at the door with, “Ich bin sehr froh dass du hier bist.” She gives you the blank stare. “Bona sera principessa,” says…
How many of you are permanent youth directors working in churches or other ministries right now? I was a permanent youth director in Nashville for about two years…until I moved. Then I was a permanent youth director in a suburb of St. Louis for four years…until I was called to another church. I’m coming to…