Yippee! It’s the end of the school year! For many parents and children, it’s time to breathe a sigh of relief. Time to prepare to enjoy shorts, swimsuits, and sand. For the children’s minister, though, summer means a busier schedule. Playgrounds and popsicles, VBS, and the dreaded volunteer recruiting for the fall. So, here’s a…
Fall is always an exciting time in church world. People are coming off summer vacations, rest, and a different pace of life. They are typically ready to re-engage with church on some level. Kids move up into their new Sunday school class or small group. Then, youth group cranks back up with some kind of…
You’ve been waiting for what seems like an eternity. You’re antsy and even a bit sweaty. You’ve replayed this moment countless times in your mind. The minutes crawl, your heart races and your mind wanders. What will it be like? How fast will I actually go? What if I throw up? Suddenly, you realize ……
More than ever, pressure is being put on ministry leaders to “bring people back” to church. As I’ve spent time with youth ministry leaders over the past year, I’ve noticed that the idea of large-scale youth ministry events being the fix-all solution has seen a resurgence amongst churches of various denominational backgrounds and sizes. The…
If you’re anything like me, keeping the momentum going in the weeks after Lent is an annual challenge. After all, Lent is one of my favorite seasons to plan for in the church calendar. Yes, Ash Wednesday always comes too quickly and each year I find myself scrambling in January to pull everything together. But…
“Okay,” you say to yourself, “something with that many syllables in it better be good.” Well, give me a few minutes of your time and a chance to convince you! I must admit that “Preventative Maintenance Calendar” does not immediately stir the imagination, nor does it quickly inspire teenagers to new heights of faith and…
Years ago I landed my very first gig in Children’s Ministry, and I was in so deep over my head that I didn’t even realize I was under water. In complete fairness to younger me, the odds were well and truly stacked against me. The last staff person had come into the church in the…
It’s May and Spring has sprung! Flowers are pushing up through the earth, the snow has melted, and school is out soon. So, we’re all thinking about planning for the fall, right? Of course not! Many of us in ministry are doing good to keep up with the now; we’ve barely crossed the t’s and…