Challenges in ministry abound, no matter your church or program. Confronting and avoiding challenges is especially vital in children’s ministry. Read on for 10 common but costly mistakes—and how to avoid them.
Have you heard the term “unforced error”? It’s often used in sports like tennis or basketball. An unforced error is a mistake, a missed shot, or a lost point that’s entirely the result of the player’s own blunder. It usually refers to an easy shot in a non-pressure situation. Typically, we call them mistakes.
In children’s ministry, unforced errors are especially costly. So I want to share 10 of the most common mistakes kidmin workers make. Often we do these without even realizing it. I’ve made every one of the mistakes below. Sadly, I’ve made many more than once. That’s why I’m on a mission to prevent challenges in ministry.
I hope you learn from this list and avoid these mistakes. More likely, you’ve already made some and need to take action to stop future errors. Use this as a learning and growing experience for preventing ministry failure. Then share the list with your entire kidmin team!
Challenges in Ministry: Watch Out for These 10 Unforced Errors
1. Spending all your time, energy, and resources on kids.
I love kids. That’s why I serve in children’s ministry! I love kids, but I put up with adults. Remember that you work with one set of kids and three sets of adults: parents, volunteers, and church staff. For a healthy ministry, you must be able to interact with and lead them all.
2. Neglecting your own faith.
Have you ever been so busy doing ministry that you ran out of time to read your Bible, pray, and attend worship? You cannot replace time with God with helping others and still have a relationship with God. Neglecting your faith is the fastest path to burnout in ministry.
3. Failing to care for or build a team.
Next realize that you can’t do everything yourself. If you try, you will limit what you can accomplish. You need a plan of how to add new volunteers while appreciating and keeping your current team. The healthier the team, the healthier the ministry.
