GinaMcClain.com

How are leadership and snack packs connected?  Great question.  My friend, Matt Grimes, made a great analogy a few weeks ago.  Thought I’d share it with you.

Those little snack pack pudding cups remind me of leadership.  Many times leadership truths need to come in small snack-sized portions.  I’d prefer to feed my volunteers small portions over a long period of time rather than large doses concentrated in a short period of time.

I like that.  So, we’re trying out a new way to pour into our volunteers in fpKids.  Every week before each service we have 10 minutes to reconnect and pray together before everyone rushes to their rooms.  A very brief amount of time that holds great potential when done right.

Something I consistently hear from my boss, Chuck Carringer, is,

We want to add value.  If it adds value, people will make a point to come.  If it doesn’t add value, they won’t.

(if you’re a leader and not reading his blog… you should.  just sayin’)

So, the goal is that these 10 minute meetings aren’t just routine, but they add value to those that attend.  Taking a tip from my friends at LifeKIDS.tv, we’ve begun using Habitudes to teach nuggets of leadership truths to our volunteers.  This is great stuff.

As a staff team, we watch a 10 minute video teaching on a Habitude leadership topic during our weekly staff meeting.  We might spend a few minutes discussing how the message impacts us but generally we let the truth simmer within us.  Then we use the same leadership lesson in the form of a postcard to teach from in our volunteer meetings throughout the weekend.  We don’t spend more than 5 minutes on the lesson and the volunteer leaves with the postcard to remind them of what was shared.

We’ve done this two weeks in a row and I like what I see so far.  After the initial weeks I think I’d prefer to camp on one lesson for a few weeks before moving to the next.  So I’m going to test that out this weekend.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

Tomorrow I’ll share some of what I’m learning from these ‘snack pack’ leadership truths.

Curve balls are part of life.  You can’t avoid them.  Rarely can you control them.

As a ministry leader, I’m keenly aware of how I respond to curve balls.  Because my response sets the tone for how my team will respond.

I want a resilient team.  So my response should be resilient.

I want a team with a “can do” attitude.  So my response should be “can do”.

Last week we were thrown a curve ball.  Could it have been avoided?  Sure.  But mistakes happen and sometimes things are missed.

Preparing for our monthly “First Wednesday” experience, we realized that a video in one part of the service was crafted using clips from the movie Passion of the Christ.  Recognizing that elementary age kids will be in the audience there was no doubt that something had to change.

I had an option.  Have them omit a video with a very compelling message so kids are spared the graphic images.  Or come up with an alternative.

I opted for the alternative.

Since this “First Wednesday” experience was an annual “Prayer Labyrinth” (never heard of one before but I was intrigued), it was a great opportunity to create something tailored just for families.  During one segment of the “First Wednesday” experience we led all our families out of the main worship center and into our elementary space.  Allowing the remaining adults in the service to watch aforementioned video.

In the elementary space were 3 self-directed centers: Communion, Prayer Journals, Baptism.  We provided directions at each center that walked adults (and kids) through the discipline of Communion and Prayer.  The third center was optional for those who wanted to learn more about baptism.

We had worship music playing in the background as families huddled throughout the room.  It was a cool moment.

Moms led their kids through communion.

Dads talked to their kids about how to pray through the A.C.T.S. model.

Kids shared their thoughts on praying for their teacher and other leaders in their lives.

Grandparents shared their own experiences about baptism.

The thing that struck me the most was the response from parents.  I saw no hesitation… no frustration… no sense of “why did I have to leave the adult service for this?”.

What I witnessed were adults willing to take more time than was allotted so they could squeeze as much as they could from each conversation.  I witnessed kids soaking up the attention and interaction.  Families of all types engaging over spiritual matters for a few minutes.

Would I do it again?  Definitely

There are things I would tweak.  There was way more content than 20 minutes could contain.  Simplification will be the approach when we do this again.  But given 24 hours to pull it off I’m proud of what the team produced.

You can find the documents used in the prayer labyrinth here.  Your feedback makes us better.  How would you change them?

It seems every time I have a conversation with ministry leaders I hear of more and more opportunities in kids ministry.  From a church in Florida to Pennsylvania to Oklahoma to Tennessee… the opportunity is out there.  The question is… who’s the right fit?

Though I hesitate to cross this line and post career opportunities on my website, the churches listed below are people that I know and believe in.  If this is a way that I can be a part of what God is doing in their church, then I’m willing to take this step.

If you’re seeking a kids ministry position, then check out the information below & contact me here.  (Include resume, please)

• New church plant in the Oklahoma City metro area seeking a Children’s Pastor to build kids ministry from the ground up.  The area is diverse in culture, socio-economics and lifestyles and the ministry is highly outreach driven.
• Growing multi-site church in Florida seeking a Family Ministries/Children’s Pastor to lead children’s ministry at all campuses.  This church is different from most in structure and uniquely focused on connecting within the community.
• Growing church in Pennsylvania looking for a Children’s Pastor to lead kids ministry.  Currently this church is bursting at the seems and needs a leader to bring solid direction to their Children’s Ministry.  Connecting with the family and equipping parents is a high priority for the Senior Pastor.

If those aren’t options, there happen to be a few on my team at Faith Promise.  Are you interested?  Here’s what I’m looking for:

• Volunteer Coordinator:  This high-energy, gregarious, “can-do” individual will recruit and coordinate over 300 volunteers.  This role is not for the faint of heart but if you’re the right fit… you will love it.  This person will work closely with our elementary and preschool coordinators to invite, invest and equip a dynamic team of volunteers to do the work of the ministry.
• Resource Coordinator: This meticulous, highly organized (almost OCD) individual will bring order and systematic excellence to our ministry resources at the Pellissippi Campus while creating duplicatable systems to all Faith Promise campuses.  Adaptability and strength in working with and through volunteers is a must.
• Preschool Programming Coordinator: This outgoing, creative leader will work with a team of people (volunteers & staff) to shape the preschool experience every week at fpKids.  This role requires a strong leader capable of recruiting, equipping and shepherding a team of volunteers to create an unforgettable hour for our kids birth to preK.  This individual will work closely with the Volunteer Coordinator and Elementary Coordinator to ensure the volunteer team is well informed and well equipped to do the work of the ministry.

Are you a candidate for any of these?  Contact me here (include resume) and we’ll chat.