Archive for 'Leadership'
Innovative use of technology for a conference
Posted on31. Aug, 2010 by Kenny.
As I posted earlier today, we held an annual Church Leadership Weekend at our church. For the last several years, we simply gather 400-500 of our leadership core in the auditorium for vision, worship and prayer. However, someone had the brilliant idea to try something really creative.
Rather than assemble the masses at the church on Friday evening for dinner and opening sessions, we decided to distribute the meetings around the city. Close to 30 leaders opened up their homes to host the opening session in their houses. People came to houses where they had relationship already or some people came to specific houses because the house was close to where they lived. Most of the houses were pot luck dinners, so the food and fellowship was amazing. Every house connected a laptop or computer to a large screen TV or projector and connected to our church’s live stream. During dinner, music was playing and occasionally our internet campus pastor would come online and give updates on when programing would start.
To connect everyone together with what was going on in the larger context of the city-wide gatherings, people were submitting photos of the groups at their houses as well as funny pictures of celebrity look-alikes. At a specific time, the live feed came online and our internet campus pastor and co-host welcomed everyone with funny dialogue and color commentary of the pictures submitted of home gatherings as well as celebrity look-alikes. It was a lot of fun.
Following this stuff, one of our teaching pastors kicked off the first session with a 15-20 minute message about what the weekend was to be about, where we are as a church and hints of where we are headed. I was absolutely amazed by how powerful it was. Around the crowded living room, 32 people were engaged in what was being said on the TV, being delivered live through the internet feed. Amazing to think that 400-500 others were engaged in the same experience all over Austin. I know my wife, who was home sick was also watching, so no telling how many people who couldn’t be at a house were still connected as well.
After the session, we had some live worship followed by a guided prayer time that my team and I led for our house gathering. For those that didn’t have live worship, one of our worship teams led worship through the live feed. We turned our TV off due to us having live worship, but I’m pretty sure the web version was just as powerful.
We all know that conferences and such are moving more and more to the online world, but I don’t think many people would think to host a local church leadership weekend (at least part of it) online where participants could gather in homes to experience the kickoff in the warm and inviting environment of someone’s home. It was very powerful and a total success. I know we have some similar things up our sleeve, I’m just looking forward to them right now.
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Leadership Weekend Review
Posted on31. Aug, 2010 by Kenny.
This weekend was Gateway’s annual Leadership Weekend. Every year it’s a Friday night and most of the day Saturday event where the core of the church comes to worship together, pray, be challenged and hear the vision for the upcoming year and engage in how God is leading us. This was my third such event at Gateway, and it was absolutely phenomenal. This year we laid out some pretty major challenges for the leaders of Gateway. The staff has been in an organizational restructuring for the last 6 months and the full plan of why we restructured and what the new structure is setting us up to do was revealed. It was met with excitement and zeal. The energy surrounding this weekend was absolutely contagious.
What’s really exciting is to see all the progress. I remember sitting in an off site meeting with our directional team a little over a year ago as we got stuck while talking through some issues. It was during this frustrating meeting where some ideas were brought up for the first time that led to where we’re headed right now. I also remember sitting in another overnight off site last Fall when early ideas were presented to the group, ideas that might address problems we were facing as an organization. Many people have prayed, fasted, discussed and strategized for thousands of hours to come up with what was presented this weekend. I’m totally excited about where we are heading as a body and it was thrilling to see the buy in.
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Book Review: Lead the Way God Made You
Posted on05. Jul, 2010 by Kenny.
I never had any intention of reading this book. Never is such a strong word. Actually, the cover and title of this book is very intriguing. It draws you in. You want to know more. That was the case when I first saw this book in the bookstore almost five years ago. I opened it up and started skimming the chapters. Drama Coach? Director? Production Assistant? Ummmm, that’s okay, I don’t do productions as a part of my weekend experience. I have a lot of books on my list to read and this one wouldn’t be the best use of my time.
That was my first experience with this book.
One time I even discouraged someone from reading this book. I told him that it wasn’t really a book about leadership, but about leading children’s ministry productions. Sorry Larry.
I’ll say it.
I was wrong.
A few months ago Larry Shallenberger asked for people to review this book for his blog tour. I’m not even sure why I agreed because I had already made up my mind that this book wasn’t for me. I think it was the promise of a free book. 
Well, I’m glad I got to review it because it may end up being one of the most important books I read this year.
This IS a leadership book that happens to tell a story as a narrative that illustrates the lessons being taught. The story happens to be about a Children’s Musical Production. While skimming, I missed the point and made incorrect assumptions.
More importantly, this book spoke to some of they areas where I’ve felt “stuck” as a leader. It spoke to my frustrations as well as some of the frustrations my team has been feeling. There are many different styles to leadership and no one possesses them all. Perhaps part of the reason I feel stuck is becasue I’m not allowing my team to lead the way God made them which in turn isn’t allowing me to lead the way God made me.
I’m not going to get into the details of the book here. All I can say is that as I read this book I often found myself nodding in agreement, “Yes! This makes perfect sense!” I also found myself getting really hopeful about the way things could be if people on a team actually led this way. Plenty of light bulb moments. I’ve already been talking to my staff about the concepts and we’ll be reading the book as a team this month. We’ll experiment with some of these concepts this summer and fall and if we see certain results, me may look into some organizational restructuring. It’s very exciting!
So, order this book right now! You may have a packed out reading list, but do yourself a favor, pop this book at the top of your list.
Oh, I also have an extra copy of this book to give away. I’ll make this really simple. This post went live on Monday morning, July 5th. The last comment on this post today (Monday) gets a copy of the book. So, leave a comment!
Also, spread the word, I’ve got another copy to give away. The last person to tweet a link to this post with the #kidmin tag today (Monday) will get a book. This should be fun, so tweet away.
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What should I read next?
Posted on01. Jul, 2010 by Kenny.
So, back in January I posted my reading list for 2010. I had 18 books on the list. For some of you, that’s a leisurely weekend of reading. For me, that’s an undertaking! So, we’re a little halfway through the year and here is where I stand.
So far I’ve read 5 books total, essentially 1/3 toward my goal of 18. I’m really not sure I’ll hit 18, but I still think I can kick it in high gear and get pretty close. Unfortunately, of the books on my 2010 list, I’ve only read 2, Orange and Mad Church Disease. I’m starting Parenting Beyond Your Capacity this weekend (another book not on my list), but I hope to hit my list again next.
I know a lot of you have read the books on my list. Based on what you’ve read, what book should I read next? Below is a little poll. Whatever book gets the most votes, I’ll read it next. I was going to suggest comments on what book needs to be on my list, but I think I just need to focus on the 16 I haven’t read next. Maybe next year I’ll crowdsource my reading list.
Okay, vote below (you can vote for more than one book… just to make it interesting). I’m anxious to know what I’m going to read next.
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A “not-so-new” (but great) leadership resource
Posted on30. Jun, 2010 by Kenny.
Leadership is an interesting thing, isn’t it. Some of us are born with a natural “know-how.” Others of us have to work really hard at it. All of us get stuck at certain places. As people who oversee ministries, we need it, need to know how to grow it and how to cultivate it. All of us know what our limitations are as a leader. I know mine. At times I’m embarrassed by mine. It’s good to know that this isn’t the end of the story, there’s plenty of time to develop and plenty of time to grow.
So, there’s a book out there that I want to point you towards. It’s called “Lead the Way God Made You.” I’ll be honest, it really spoke to where I am right now as a leader in many different ways. I’m doing an official review for this book on Monday, July 5th which I’m writing right now. It’s a holiday weekend and I’ve got a feeling that a lot of my regular readers will be soaking in some rays as opposed to reading my blog. On Tuesday, be sure to log in and read the review. I’m kinda excited about what this book might mean for me as a leader. Maybe if it helps me, it will help you.
Larry Shallenberger published this book five years ago and to celebrate the anniversary, he’s organized a blog tour. So far you can read Larry’s summaries here as well as the first few stops of the blog tour here, here and here.
If you haven’t read the book yet, go ahead and pick up a copy or two right here, I highly recommend it!
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Discover the next stage of your Kidmin career through job boards
Posted on20. May, 2010 by Kenny.
As I said yesterday, I think the best place to locate a ministry job is through the network you’ve created. However, depending on the situation you are in, you might need to exhaust all available options. If that’s the case, you need to spend some time on the ministry job boards. Landing that next job might be a little combination of utilizing your network along with searching the job boards. So many churches put available positions out there, so look regularly. Here are a few of the sites I’d recommend:
There are more than just these though, you just need to look around and wee what there is.
In addition there are a handful of ministry search firms, one of which is the Shepherd’s Staff. I had a pretty phenomenal experience with them. There were several churches that I had made connections with about a possibly position, but it was them that brought me to Gateway, and I’m really happy about that.
Another place to search are Christian university websites. Many of them have career centers and job boards, specifically if they’re connected to a certain denomination. I’ve tracked down some great leads in the past from those job boards in particular. Another place to look is on the websites of specific churches. A lot of your larger churches that actually have someone on staff than handles HR will usually post open jobs on the website. So, if there are 10-20 churches that you follow that you know would be the kind of church you’d love to work at, check their websites every week just to see if something is open. It could be that there’s an open position that would at least get you on the team with room to grow.
Hopefully this will give you a place to look every few days. However, don’t neglect the process of networking. Searching the job forums is the “easy” fix, but for long term success, CONNECT!
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Childrens Ministry Networking to find that job
Posted on19. May, 2010 by Kenny.
How does that statement go? “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. When it comes to landing a job in Chidlren’s Ministry, nothing is more powerful than the network. Over and over and over again you’re going to hear me talk about how you need to network, learn from others, blog, tweet, comment on blogs and connect with others doing what you do. I think it will add so much to your life. However, when it comes time to find a new place to serve (or first place to serve), being well connected will help you in so many ways.
On a regular basis (probably monthly), I have pastors looking for a Children’s Pastor call me or email me asking me if I know anyone. Many of these churches aren’t advertising on the big church job websites. They’re looking to fill the position from within or through someone they know. Often times, these are the churches where cool and exciting things are happening. You’ll never get this opportunity unless you’re plugged into the network. Does that make sense?
To some degree, my network helped me get where I am right now. I was very new into networking when I wandered into unemployment land over two years ago. I had a few connections, not nearly as many as I have now. I connected with Shepherds Staff, a ministry search firm that first connected me with Gateway. However, as Shepherd Staff was getting to know me, I knew people that they knew which gave me come credibility. My small network that interconnected with their network provided some built in references. Just a few weeks before my first phone interview with Gateway, I had dinner with Jim Wideman. I told him about my opportunity with with Gateway and he knew Gateway. He had consulted with them and knew the man who would become my boss. Jim spoke very highly of Gateway and I’m not sure what all he did, but I think he gave a good word for me as well. Again, that’s the power of the network.
So, you may not be searching for a job right now, but one day you will. Start building your network. Even if you’re currently a college student or barely into ministry, get out there and connect. Everyone has something to offer. Share! Everyone has questions. Ask! I’m even amazed by the number of volunteers out there who are massively networked. I’ve mistaken several as children’s pastors only to discover they’re volunteers in their churches.
I’m also going to encourage you to break out of your molds and diversify your network. Kidology is a great place to connect, but you’re hurting yourself if that’s the only place to connect. CMConnect is a great place to network, but everyone’s not there (or active there). There are dozens of blogs and communities following the blogs. Some of these mini-networks connect, many don’t. Expand your web of connection as far as you can, even if you only dedicate an hour or so a week to it.
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Childrens Ministry Career: Starting options
Posted on18. May, 2010 by Kenny.
Yesterday I talked about answering some essential questions before starting your job search. You’ve got to decide those things before you start sending your resume out to every church looking to hire someone. Trust me, as you’re being interviewed, you’re going to sound a lot more attractive as a candidate as you clearly describe who you are and what God’s called you to be. There’s something powerful in that. Some of the more successful interviews I’ve been in where where I described God’s call on my life, the plan he has for me and how I could apply it in this particular church. Pastors love a candidate with a specific plan.
So, what are you options. Maybe you know who you want to be, but you don’t have any real experience. You’re pretty sure that the kind of church you want to serve at isn’t going to be interested in your vision alone, they’re going to want to see some experience on that resume. The other option is that you have loads of experience, but it’s in a totally different kind of church than the kind you have experience in. I’ve met people who have been on staff in pretty conservative churches and they want to make a change to a very contemporary church, but the contemporary churches aren’t willing to take the risk. This is a problem, but it’s not an impossible problem to get around. You need some good experience in the type of church you want to end up in. Here are two options to consider.
Church plants
There are so many churches getting started it’s not even funny. In addition, a lot of these church plants are unique and most church planters I’ve talked to understand the importance of a strong children’s ministry and are looking for someone with great vision for Children’s Ministry. It’s a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor. You can build something from the bottom up. Children’s Ministry in a church plant is hard, but it’s great experience as you get to lead at so many different levels and as the church grows, you get to overcome the challenges of leading a growing ministry.
Do your research. Many church plants are connected to organizations that fund our help them. See if there are plants in your area or if there is one somewhere you’d be excited to relocate for. Take your time to get to know the pastor and his vision for the church. Be sure he’s someone you can love doing ministry with because you’re going to be working very closely with him. One of the downsides is that many church plants can’t afford to pay a Chidlren’s Pastor and if they can, it isn’t much. This may just require some bi-vocational ministry time. It’s not ideal or convenient, but it may be what it takes to get the experience you need. Consider it your education.
Volunteer at an existing church
When I say volunteer at an existing church, I’m not talking about getting on their volunteer rotation of serving every other week. I’m talking about scheduling a meeting with their Children’s Pastor and telling him or her your plans of a ministry career. Tell him or her that you want to learn everything there is about Chidlren’s Ministry and tell them that you want to be his or her “star” volunteer. You’ll be willing to do anything and everything to learn everything you can. Again, this is one of those times you’ll need to be bi-vocational, but the stuff you’ll learn is insurmountable. I honestly wish I had done this at some point. I had to learn a lot of things the hard way because I did ministry alone.
You may find a church around you that is knocking it out of the park. That might be your option. If you’re really serious about learning from the best, consider relocating to work with the best. I can think of 4-5 churches that I’d do this with. Again, it does mean sacrifice, but it’s a little sacrifice in the context of a life-long career in ministry.
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Starting/Restarting your Childrens Ministry Career
Posted on17. May, 2010 by Kenny.
Okay, I wanted this little series about Kidmin as a career to be highly practical. Last week was a lot of philosophy, but it was important foundational stuff for getting started. I understand that I might be speaking to two different audiences here.
- You might be thinking about going into full time ministry either as a young person fresh out of school or someone who is looking to make a career shift into full time ministry.
- You might be currently in ministry, but you want to make a shift. Your values don’t line up with the values of your church or your denomination. You’re looking to make a radical shift to a different kind of church.
I’m going to do the best I can to address both.
First of all I feel I need to say this. Everyone truly can serve in a church they would chose to attend if they weren’t on staff. Secondly, everyone should serve in a church they would attend if they weren’t on staff. If your presence at a church is simple a job, how far you’re able to go will always be limited. Find that church with the DNA you love and make that the place you serve. I’ll be honest though. I have served at a church I don’t think I would have attended if it hadn’t been for the job. It wasn’t a bad experience by any means. I got tons of experience while still in college and the church I served at got a strong Chidlren’s Pastor for more than 4 years. I don’t have any regrets, but if I knew then what I knew now, I probably would have made a different decision. I’ll have to talk about that in another post.
So, before you begin your search, you really need to search your heart. Who are you? What kind of ministry to you want to lead? What kind of team do you want to serve with? Decide those things before you begin your search. Last week I wrote about the problem with Kidim and the revolution it needs. If you see yourself in this fight to revolutionize Kidmin, then look for the kind of church that will allow you to be that kind of Children’s Pastor. Does that make sense?
You may ask, “but finding a church like that is really hard!” Yup. It is. You may say, “but there aren’t many churches like that.” You’re right, they are the minority. However, I’d rather wait 6 months to a year to find the church perfect for me than take a great job at a church I can only tolerate. I’d rather make some significant sacrifices to get to where I need to be.
Okay, I’ve written too much already. Seriously consider these questions. Who are you? What kind of Chidlren’s Pastor do you want to be? When you know the answers to these, the next step will be a lot more clear… which we’ll talk about tomorrow.
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The Kidmin Revolution
Posted on13. May, 2010 by Kenny.
On Monday I started this series on starting or changing your career in Children’s Ministry; however, the conversation hasn’t gone in the direction I intended. That’s a good thing though, I feel like a good foundation was put in place here and some important things have been processed… for me at least. Next week I’ll get into the highly practical stuff of resumes and searching for an open ministry position. The following week I hope to talk about the interview process. I really do hope that this little series will be a great resource for those preparing to enter the ministry or make a jump to a different stage of ministry.
This post; however, I want to wrap up a theme that’s emerged this week. I’ve been in Kidmin long enough to see that a real change has taken place. When I started 1997, there were not a lot of resources. Sunday School was king and no one was talking about small groups. Kids music consisted of Arky Arky and Father Abraham, the same songs I sang as a kid 10-12 years earlier (wow, I was a young CP). A decade later, we have a flood of resources and there’s never been a better time to be a children’s pastor. However, I still see two flavors of Kidmin. One tends to still be hanging on to some of the older ways of doing things. They may not be doing Arky Arky anymore, but there are systems and processes that haven’t changed in ten years. Then there is another side that is reinventing what Kidmin looks like. It’s not just the style of music or technology used or way of presenting the message (although that is part of it), but it is the philosophy underneath. It is leadership driven. It’s using creative and innovative ways of leveraging influence in the lives of the kids through schools, teachers and parents to make a lasting impact.
This second flavor of Kidmin is still the minority. Although some of the biggest and loudest ministries in the world are home to these types of ministries, the average church in the average town hasn’t made this transition yet. That’s where this revolution needs to begin. That’s where the change needs to happen. So if you’re a current Children’s Pastor, it would do you well to evaluate where your ministry stands. Does it need a revolution? Is your ministry creatively using innovative strategies to make an impact, or does it use what it’s always been using? Are you getting ready to go into Children’s Ministry? Decide now what kind of Children’s Pastor you want to be. Don’t let the church you go to or the church you think you want to work at dictate what kind of Children’s Pastor you’re going to be. You always have a choice.
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