Here’s what happened:

• Launched the Big Idea of Honor
• Watched KidStuf Live
• Hosted visiting churches for Sunday’s at North Point
• Observed the crowded hallways between services
• Listened in as a large group team debriefed
• Talked through a tough situation
• Cleaned up when a child threw up in the hallway (or our amazing facilities crew did!)
• Photographed our team dressing up for the Disney event
• Welcomed our amazing volunteers to a Disney training event

Here’s a few pictures!

We’re working on it!

From time to time I get the opportunity to tell the Bible Story to our kids in both Waumba Land and UpStreet. I love it!

As I hang out backstage with our different volunteers, I can see that everyone has a different way of preparing. Some methods work better than others and some people are more prepared than others.

I hate it when a communicator is not prepared. It always shows and is such a wasted opportunity. If you’re going to communicate to kids, give it your best!  Be prepared. The message is too important to just wing it!

Here’s how I prepare to communicate to kids:

• I receive the script early in the week and I read it through to get a good sense for what I will be doing and how difficult it will be to memorize or prepare. This lets me know how much preparation time I need to schedule into the week.

• Two or three days before Sunday, I read the script several times and work on the drama, the pacing, the use of props, and transitions. I practice how I want to deliver the script.

• On the day before, I start memorizing for real. I write the bottom line for the script at the top of a piece of paper and then I write simple statements that help me break the script into segments so that I teach to certain transitions. This is easier for me than memorizing the script as a whole.  Each point represents a paragraph or two of the script that I am memorizing. The statements are triggers for me and help me to map out where I’m going with the story and know the flow as I memorize.

Here’s an example of my notes from a few weeks ago:

BL: We should celebrate that Jesus is born!

1.     Transition from Never Ending Story opening video to God always had a plan.

2.     Shepherds were taking care of their sheep.

(video segment)

3.     Angels appeared & they were terrified.

4.     Angles told them where they would find Jesus, wrapped in a cloth & lying in a manger.

5.     Host of angels join - celebrating that Jesus is born.

(video segment)

6.     Shepherds go and find Jesus.

7.     Shepherds tell EVERYONE that Jesus is born.

(video segment)

8.     Shepherds celebrate.

9.     God kept his promise. He sent a Savior.

(celebrate video)

10. We should celebrate that Jesus is born - build to Celebrate Song

(worship team comes out)

• Arrive early and practice on the stage with the props. I’ve found several times that I misunderstood the prop or needed to work through where I would stand or where lighting cues would be. I practice several times without my script.

• I keep practicing until I go on. I’m not great at memorizing so I have to keep the script in my short term-memory until right before I go up!

There is nothing more frustrating than knowing that we’ve wasted an opportunity to communicate a clear and engaging message to our kids. Nobody does a perfect job, but preparation will carry you a long way towards creating an excellent experience.

How do you prepare to communicate to kids?

From a parent:
Thank you guys for pulling together such a fun and fabulous Family Birthday Celebration yesterday. It was a wonderful time with family and friends to celebrate Andrew’s decision to be baptized.

The process from beginning to end was so smooth. Sarah and Anna, thank you for shepherding our family through the steps. From JumpStart to filming the video…you made it easy. I appreciate you communicating the process simply and clearly.

And the day of, Andrew felt so celebrated. He was beaming when he told us, ‘Mommy, they called my name in big group at UpStreet!’  And then that afternoon, everyone was extremely helpful. From the decor and cupcakes to the production and music, you made it such a fun celebration! I love that Andrew will always be able to remember the day he got to tell everyone that Jesus lives in his heart. thanks for creating such a special memory for our family and especially for Andrew!

kv

P.S.
You guys have awesome volunteers. Andrew’s high school small group leaders invested their Saturday at KidVenture, Sunday morning, and then Sunday afternoon at Family Birthday Celebration all with Andrew. He thinks Erika and Jill are the coolest girls in the world. (And he’s right; they’re awesome!) Creating a volunteer culture where teenagers are that committed to the kids in their group is pretty amazing. — way to go!

Are students given significant roles in your ministry?

We don’t normally pack so much into one weekend, but that’s how it fell on the calendar this time. I can not tell you how many students I watched having fun with and loving on their kids throughout the weekend. What they are doing is significant!

Read more about how our students are INVOLVED in ministry!

This post was written by Patrick Mitchell. He is the Family Ministry Director at Ridge Church, our strategic partnership in Indian Trail, North Carolina. Patrick knows what it takes to start from scratch and build a great ministry. You can learn more from Patrick by checking out his blog renown.

Help! How can we use 252 Basics on a shoestring budget?

Many of the churches that use 252 Basics don’t have a large children’s ministry budget. So, how can you make Sunday mornings the best hour of every kid’s week when you have no money?

Here are a few practices that have helped us create an awesome environment while on a small budget.

* PLAN AHEAD

If you are only planning one week ahead for each Sunday it is really hard to stay within your budget! Plan ahead and watch how much money you can save!

* A CREATIVE TEAM IS YOUR BEST FRIEND

Bring a team of creative people around you to help you dream and create an amazing children’s ministry. Lead a creative meeting with them for each month/virtue.

In your meeting, think BIG and then edit! When your team has great ideas constantly ask the question “How can we do this cheaper/for free?”

You also need to surround yourself with talented people who can build, create, and make items for your environment and productions at a fraction of what it would cost to purchase the items!

* CREATE A “PROP” TEAM

We all know that the large group scripts, small group activities, and FX scripts from 252 require a lot of props! Buying all those props each month will quickly put you over budget! So, create a team of people who are willing to lend you these props! Many times people in your church will let you borrow these items for the month for free! (Hint: Moms who have a few children are the BEST for this team!)

Work together with other churches in your area and share props. Learning to share with other churches on the same mission is a beautiful thing!

* RELATIONSHIPS ARE FREE!

Your children’s ministry will never be able to compete with Nickelodeon, XBOX, or a Miley Cyrus concert. They will always have more money than you and be better entertainers than you. BUT, they can never compete with the relationships your team can build with children! Remember that.

Don’t be discouraged that your budget isn’t as big as you would like it to be! Create the greatest environment and production you can with the money that you have. Remember that it is the relationships your team has with your children that God will use to change their lives!

What other practices have you found that allow you to prepare curriculum on a shoestring budget?

Why? Because EVERYTHING that we do is dependent on the health and strength of our volunteer teams. And because EVERYONE is responsible to replace themselves and attract and lead other leaders.

Specific talents and expertise can be hired contractually. But to play a part on the team, you have to be great with volunteers.

One of our key staff positions is a Groups Director. Their primary job is to lead a team of coaches, who then lead a team of small group leaders, who then connect and lead our kids. Ultimately it is their job to make sure that each child has the best small group experience possible.

Groups Directors at our Browns Bridge Campus

Groups Directors at our North Point Campus

A win for their position: Every child is cared for by a consistent leader who is modeling and teaching the truth in a way that is relevant and engaging to them.

Groups Director - Job Description:

Connect, support, and inform 6 to 8 coaches through weekly communication and quarterly meetings.

Invest in the personal growth and be accessible to coaches.

Create small groups.

Evaluate the effectiveness of the small group dynamic.

Help determine when classes need additional staffing.

Help determine the best small group for each child and make changes for kids as needed.

Plan and complete the promotion of all small groups to the next age/grade.

Interview, train, and place coaches and small group leaders in their classrooms.

Maintain complete files on each volunteer.

Enter and maintain the computer database concerning volunteers and small groups.

Process volunteer applications and background checks.

Oversee the placement of all Student Impact volunteers.

Ensure that classrooms are fully staffed for Sunday.

Work all department special events and own certain parts of the event.

Communicate and enforce all safety and evacuation policies.

Ensure that volunteers are trained and prepared for teaching and using curriculum in the classroom.

Own a part of the curriculum development and preparation process.

Groups Directors at our Buckhead Campus (It’s a little more fun in Buckhead!)

We are blessed with a talented and caring team of Groups Directors.

Their job is vital to one of the most important things that we do every Sunday…

sitting children in circles,

with the same leader,

who knows them,

who cares about them,

who is leading them into a growing relationship with their heavenly Father.

How do you make sure you are living your life with purpose?

A great way to evaluate how you’re doing and to set goals for the future is to ask yourself, what are the roles that I play? What are the different “titles” that are connected to my name…to my life? Are you a leader? Mother? Father? Daughter? Minister?

Twice a year, I set aside time to evaluate how I’m doing in the significant roles that I play in life. I set goals, create learning plans, evaluate failures, and tweak my schedule…all through the eyes of the roles in life that matter the most to me.

Everyone is called to play a different part in life. What matters the most to me may not be the same priorities that you care about. That’s ok! The goal for me is to be aware…to be aware of the opportunities and influence that God has given me and to live life on purpose.

Here is one of the significant roles in my life and some of the questions that I ask to create a personal development plan each year:

Role: Personal

One of the greatest roles I play is in the area of self-leadership and self-development. The personal work and evaluation must be done in my own heart, on a consistent basis, before I can hope to have anything to pour out into the other roles that I play in life. These are the categories that I focus on that fall under the Personal role.

Spiritual Growth:

· What is my plan for spiritual development?

· Where is God speaking to me? Correcting me? Refining me?

· What do I need to read? Study? Memorize? Discuss with others?

Health & Fitness:

· How can I improve my health and fitness?

· Where am I struggling? How is my diet? What am I doing for exercise?

(This is always a tough one for me!)

Financial:

· Are we giving what we should be? Are there new giving opportunities to consider?

· How is our emergency fund looking?

· What are some big expenses coming in the next 12 months that we need to save for?

· Where can we cut back? Are there areas where our spending is out of control or undisciplined?

Mental/Leadership:

· What do I need to learn more about?

· What is coming that I need to be prepared for?

· What am I doing to grow as a leader?

· Who am I listening to and who do I need to be intentional about learning from?

· What am I reading?

These questions are a starting point. They get me thinking. They help me set realistic goals. They force me to change my schedule. They force me to start new habits. These questions are a starting point for a plan.

These are the six roles that I plan for, evaluate, and set goals for:

1. Personal

2. Wife

3. Mother

4. Family Manager

5. Ministry Leader

6. Extended Family

I tend to like a more structured and intentional process to evaluation, planning, and goal-setting. I’ve always been wired this way. My husband is wired very differently and he is no less purposeful.

You don’t have to do it my way. My hope for you is that you will live your life with purpose…that you won’t wake up one day and wonder where the time went.

My prayer for you is that you’ll seek your Heavenly Father and do what matters most to him every day!

Do you set goals for the new year?

Leadership development is one of the best ways to improve the quality of service and the level of excellence that your ministry is able to deliver. And, when you make the development of your leaders a priority, you communicate how much you value them.

All development does not happen in training meetings.  In fact, MOST development does not happen in training meetings.

Here’s the process we follow to create a PLAN to develop our leaders:

Get away with your team. Every year we get away and work on a plan to develop our leaders. At this meeting we ask…what is needed? What is most important? What would be most helpful to them? Where do we need to cast vision?

At this meeting we:
• Identify weaknesses that need attention.
• Identify skills that need to be mastered.
• Identify processes that need to be perfected.
• Outline the specific content that is needed.
• Decide the most simple and clear way to communicate this information.

Create a plan with MULTIPLE approaches. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to development. Some people will attend a meeting. Some won’t. Some love to read books. Some will listen to a podcast on their drive home on Sunday. Some want to meet you for coffee. Some need you to walk beside them while they do their job for a while.

Most people don’t learn things the first time they hear them. They usually need to hear the information a few times. Then, see what you’re talking about in action. Then, experience it for themselves. MOST people learn best by doing!

Our plan usually includes a mixture of:
• Two large corporate meetings
• Several smaller informal discussions, problem-solving oriented/round table-type meetings
• Apprenticing opportunities
• One-on-one evaluation, communication, and relationship building
• Weekly emails
• Leadership audio/video podcasts

Project manage every step of your plan. Now we have to make this plan a reality. We usually begin this part of the process by being realistic about our calendar and our budget. Then we assign team members specific ongoing responsibilities to keep the plan moving forward. They begin working on everything from centerpieces to video scripts.

Here are a few things we begin working on at this stage:
• Decide on the best time for each step of your plan and get it on the calendar.
• Layout a plan to communicate/invite your volunteers.
• Set deadlines and “reporting back” meetings for the planning team.
• Design printed pieces, scripts, speaking outlines, video shoots, room setup, etc.

As you begin to follow through on your plan, here are just a few more things to think about:

Never waste your volunteer’s time. If you do it once, you will probably never get them back again. It would be better not to meet than to waste their time.

Remember excellence attracts excellence. People want to INVEST in excellence. So be prepared for every coffee date. Have a checklist when you apprentice someone. Design amazing videos. Create unforgettable meeting environments. Do whatever you do with excellence or don’t do it.

Address a felt need. You can talk all day about what’s important to you, but if your leaders are struggling with a totally different issue, they won’t be able to hear what you are saying.

Keep it simple. Give them something they can actually walk away and do.

Infuse EVERY interaction with vision. Connect the details of their role to the bigger picture. People don’t care about improving their teaching techniques to two-year-olds unless they truly believe in the potential of connecting that little one to their Heavenly Father.

When we’re working on our volunteer development plan for the year, we start by dreaming and brainstorming what we could do and what we should do for our leaders. Then we begin to narrow it down and discuss the best way to communicate this information so that it really sticks. Then we get busy and make it happen!

What are your plans to develop your leaders in 2010?

Preschoolers learn best when they can use all of their five senses, so we take a very hands-on approach to teaching. The more that a child can participate in an activity, the better we like it! Repetition is a young child’s best friend. We repeat the same bottom line for the entire month so that we can ensure that our kids have time to master the concept.

It’s important to decide in advance what you want your preschool children to learn while they are with us. We have decided that our primary goal in Waumba Land is to introduce our kids to their heavenly Father. That’s why everything that we teach can be boiled down to the following Three Basic Truths:

God made me - CREATOR
God loves me – FATHER
Jesus wants to be my friend forever – FRIEND

Once a month we meet with our preschool content team and review the material for the upcoming months. We read through and make some changes to customize the content to fit our particular environments. We try to work two months ahead so that we have more time to prepare.

Although the message is simple, preparing to teach hundreds of preschool children is no simple task.  We want to know what you do to make sure you are ready to roll on Sunday mornings.

Post written by:  Kendra - Family Ministry

“Waumba” means Creator in Swahili. So, Waumba Land, means the land of the Creator.

Here’s what you really need to know about Waumba Land! Waumba Land is our environment for preschool aged kids (birth – pre-K). It is the place where parents bring their preschoolers and volunteers show up every Sunday to introduce these little ones to their Heavenly Father.

And that’s the MOST IMPORTANT thing we do for our preschoolers. We introduce them to their Heavenly Father. Our MISSION in Waumba Land is:

To make a FIRST IMPRESSION of the Heavenly Father, in such a way that it makes a LASTING IMPRESSION on the heart of a child.
Every week we have this incredible opportunity to make an impression of our Heavenly Father, of our creator, in such a way that our preschoolers will grow up ALWAYS believing that there is a God who made them, who loves them and who wants to be their friend FOREVER!

To learn more about Waumba Land, please visit our website at: www.waumbaland.org

Post written by:  Kendra - Family Ministry