I am a Disney fanatic. I love Disney and since moving to Southern California we bought season passes for my family for the Disneyland Resort and take advantage of having fun in the park almost on a weekly basis.
I’m captivated by their attention to detail, their excellence, their ability to tell a compelling story and their ability to capture our imaginations. Almost everything they do is top notch. I have written much about Disney and here is a small snapshot of how I feel kid’s ministry can benefit from Disney’s example. I use DISNEY MAGIC as an acronym to help me remember…
Details
Innovation
Story
Nurture
Extra mile
You
Moments
Attitude
Generational
Intuitive
Characters
I’ll break down how we do our best and how you can do your best to bring some of that same “Disney magic” to your children’s ministry. And, if you’re too religious, don’t get caught up in the “magic” part. Obviously, we don’t really believe in magic.
D: DETAILS
If it’s one thing Disney does well it’s details. Where most theme parks cut corners, Disney invests—or at least gives the impression—in the details of their park. From cleanliness to fresh paint to the way they hide construction to costumes to everything they do it’s all about the details. In fact, most ministries do 80% of ministry well, it’s the last 20%—the details that separate good ministries from great ministries. It’s not that there is anything wrong with Knott’s Berry Farm, Six Flags, Cedar Point, etc., it’s just that Disney pays attention to details. It’s why they are the theme park kings. It’s why they are the standard to which every other theme park measures themselves.
Next time you go to a Disney park look around. Pay attention to the sculptures, the actors, the hand painted murals and costumes. They pride themselves in the details. It’s one of the reasons I enjoy going back. I always notice something new because there’s so much to take in.
As a ministry, are you paying attention to the details? We do our best from greeting our guests to our “uniforms” to paint and carpets, everything deserves our attention. I’m a t-shirt nazi. We give all our volunteers a Kid Nation t-shirt and it’s my expectation that all our volunteers wear their t-shirt. It’s important that we make a good first impression. For us, that means wearing our Kid Nation t-shirts with a lanyard walking new families through the check-in process, walking them to their classrooms and answering questions about children’s ministry or our church as a whole.
I want to make sure cords are not hanging out, banners are straight, the stage is clutter-free, the floors are swept and every other detail is done. The details are what separate the good from the great. I have determined in my heart and ministry that we want to be great. It doesn’t mean we’re perfect. Even Disney misses here and there. It’s not about perfection, it’s about creating a culture of paying attention to the details.
I: INNOVATION
I love Disney’s ability to innovate. It’s unparalleled. From Walt’s very beginning of the infamous Steam Boat Willy to the first full-length animated feature Snow White to the many rides of Disneyland and beyond, Disney knows how to innovate. I love how they don’t do something the easy way, instead they dream outside the box and give themselves no limitations when dreaming up the next project. Even when their innovative ways started to wane they were able to recognize that and find a way—or I should say purchase a way—to be innovative (i.e. acquisition of Pixar and Marvel, etc.)
What are you doing as a children’s ministry to be innovative?
Innovation is putting no limitations on your dreams. I totally understand finances or lack thereof, but I believe innovation is bigger than that. We have some innovative ideas that are shelved until we have the means to make it happen, but we have many innovative ideas that we make happen now. We feel that we were innovative in writing our weekly teaching as it starts on Wednesday and ends on the weekend with family discussion points in between.
Innovation can be…
1. If it’s not being done in your area—do it. In other words, find what’s working for someone else and do it. It’s innovation for your community.
2. Something totally new that no one is doing. Whereas the point before is copying something that’s working for someone else, this is doing something totally original.
To relieve some of you who feel like you’re not creative or don’t have the means of mega-churches. Innovate is described “making changes to something already established.” Think about how people tell stories of the Bible. How can you innovate story telling? The list could go on.
What kind of innovation have you done or are you thinking about?
