Home Children's Ministry Leaders Articles for Children's Ministry Leaders Preventing Ministry Failure: Avoid These 10 KidMin Mistakes

Preventing Ministry Failure: Avoid These 10 KidMin Mistakes

4. Making kids ministry all about FUN.

I decided a long time ago: My ministry is defined by what I do intentionally. Each week I intentionally lead kids into an encounter with God. I create an environment that children want to attend. Where God can move. Where kids can hear the voice of God and decide to have a relationship with Him. If your primary focus is fun, you’re missing out on what God wants to do in your ministry. Kids ministry must be more than fun!

5. Lacking balance in the ministries you lead.

An average children’s department comprises between five and 10 different ministries. Nursery, preschool, elementary, midweek, seasonal, boy clubs, girl clubs, VBS, outreaches, and so on. You must overcome the temptation to spend all your time, energy and money on the area you directly lead while starving the other areas.

Don’t play favorites when it comes to the ministries you lead. Ask yourself: Where do I spend my ministry funds? Where do I add the most volunteers? Which volunteers do I appreciate the most? The answers will be revealing.

6. Talking about needs rather than vision.

If you need more volunteers, more resources, more space, talking about the need motivates no one. It’s better to share your vision, passion and goals for ministry. When people hear what God is doing in your ministry, rather than what is lacking, they’ll want to be involved. And they’ll want to give toward it.

If all you ever say is how many leaders you need or how little money you have, people will avoid your ministry like the plague. Check out Recruiting to vision not a position.

7. Failing to multitask

If you’re like me, you tend to focus on the things you enjoy while neglecting or procrastinating on other things. Kids ministry has a lot of moving parts, all happening at the same time. A few tips: Know what’s expected of you. Learn to manage your time, your work space, and your thoughts. Develop routines and punch lists, master tools that will help you stay organized and get more done. Two books that helped me with this are Getting Things Done & Eat That Frog.