Be Proactive

When I first started in kid’s ministry I saw myself as a victim. I loved the kids, but I felt like my ministry was totally at the mercy of other people.

I played the blame game a lot. Things would get better if:

….parents place a higher value on their children.

….more people would step up and volunteer.

….my pastor understood how important kids ministry is.

This type of thinking does not get you anywhere. You need volunteers to help you minister to the kids, but people will not follow you just because you think they should.

A proactive person does not focus on the things he can’t control.

Ask yourself this question, what are the areas in my life that I have control over?

1) Your Words. You can use your words to build people up or to tear people down. People do not respond to guilt. They respond to passion. If you are excited about kid’s ministry people will want to follow you.

2) The Kids. You are the person who has the most influence over the kidmin program. Quit whining about people that don’t see your vision. Make your kids ministry the most exciting ministry in the church. Only you can do this. Nobody is going to do it for you.

3) Your Anger. Stop getting angry about things you can’t control. We all get angry about things that happen in the church. If you get angry, learn to channel your anger in a positive way.

One day my pastor announced in a staff meeting that he had booked a special speaker for a New Year’s Eve service. The service was starting at 8 PM and lasted until midnight.

I was not happy about having to plan a four-hour kids service in the middle of the holidays. My first thought was self-pity, which then led to anger.

After I got over my pity party I got a great idea. “What if I planned a New Year’s Eve Lock-In” for the kids? Instead of trying to babysit the kids for four hours I planned the worlds largest slumber party.

Kids arrive at church at 8 PM. At 10:00 PM we loaded the bus and took the kids to Chuck E. Cheese for pizza and games. At 2:00 AM we reloaded the buses and went back to church for a lip sync contest. Eventually the kids rolled out the sleeping bags. Kids, parents and volunteers all had a blast, so we made it an annual event.

A highly successful children’s pastor is proactive. We don’t have time to have pity parties. Stop thinking about all the things you can’t do and pour your energy into the things you can control.