4. Everything Rises and Falls on Leadership.
Your ministry will rise only to the level that you and your leaders can take it. (I’m assuming we’re not taking God out of the picture, but he typically moves through leaders.) This is true in any situation, regardless of size, location, culture, structure, or any other factor. Leadership matters.
And if this is true, then what’s the single most important thing you can focus on in your ministry? Developing leadership—in yourself and your team.
- What’s your plan for personal leadership growth?
- What are you doing to develop leaders around you?
Remember: Leadership growth doesn’t happen in a day. Rather, it happens daily. Every day you must invest in personal and corporate leadership growth. And if you grow yourself and your team as leaders, you’ll grow your ministry. Plain and simple, I’ve never seen any other result from true leadership growth. How are you doing that?
Need some help with these children’s ministry leadership lessons? I recommend two of John Maxwell’s earliest, most practical books on this topic:
5. As a leader, you must think beyond your own job description.
It’s very easy to get completely wrapped up in our own little world of children’s ministry. That world is complex and demanding. Kidmin is where we’re comfortable and have the greatest sense of meaning.
But it’s not the only thing happening in the church. And we aren’t the only leaders with a vision. In fact, our vision must be aligned with that of the church’s senior leadership. (If it’s not, you need to get it aligned or find a new place to serve.)
Here are a few children’s ministry leadership lessons about thinking beyond your own job description:
- Support your pastor. Not just when it’s convenient. Not just when you agree. Not because you want a raise. Simply support your pastor. Carry their vision and verbalize it positively. Defend them (appropriately) and disable negative talk. Also, actively seek ways of encouraging and engaging with them. It does not mean you can’t seek clarification or greater understanding or more support. Just do that in private and with appropriate respect.
- Engage your co-workers. Other people on staff are just as passionate about their ministry as you are about yours! Never diminish what they do. Don’t seek to outdo or undermine them. Instead, view and approach them as partners. And keep doing that, even when they don’t reciprocate.
- Network with peers. Learning from others who are in the same trenches is priceless. So broaden your network, both locally and nationally (yes, you may need to create a Twitter account, or invest in a conference). Through networking you gain education and encouragement. And remember: It goes both ways. You have a tremendous opportunity to educate and encourage others who might need exactly what you have to offer.
- Learn from mentors. I have life mentors who go back to my early days in ministry (Skyline, under John Maxwell). These include John, my former Executive Pastor Dan Reiland, and my former mentor Tim Elmore. I’ve learned tons about leading effectively from children’s ministry peers and friends, including Craig Jutila, Chris Yount-Jones and Dale Hudson. Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know,” or accept the fact that we all need to learn more. Identifying and learning from mentors is one of the most valuable children’s ministry leadership lessons I can suggest.
Thinking beyond your own job description shouldn’t be intimidating; in fact, it’s empowering. Doing so allows you to grow as a leader and, as a result, to grow your ministry.
Follow all these children’s ministry leadership lessons for more effective, fruitful, rewarding work!
