When was the last time you stopped and asked yourself, ‘what could go right?’ (I mean, I am guessing you have asked yourself, ‘what could go wrong, before? Am I right?)
I thought about the high capacity leaders I have worked with and those who have mentored me over the years. The following are some of the character traits I would use to describe those leaders: solid decision makers, intrinsically motivated, creative problem solvers, engaging and a maintain a positive mindset.
Leaders set and maintain the tone and the culture for their team.
Most people aren’t struggling to identify things that have ‘gone wrong’ in this season. One hour of the local news or some time scrolling social media is all it takes. There are however, people in your circle, on your team and in your church in light of this season, who ARE struggling to imagine ‘what could go right’?
When we believe that ‘the best is yet to come,’ we can hold an expectancy that the future holds undiscovered possibility and potential.
If you lead or serve on a kid’s ministry or student ministry team, what culture are you setting for your team? We can be intentional in shifting our focus and helping shift the focus of our team. I know there are things that you miss from this season; kids, families, corporate worship, full environments, hugs and handshakes. And you probably have a list of things that haven’t worked and need to be revamped. What are the positives though, that already HAVE happened or that COULD be outcomes from this season?
I spent some time dreaming about, ‘what could go right’ and I came up with a list of possibilities. See if any of these resonate with you and the team you lead.
1. Your church can serve the community in ways like never before.
As the needs in communities have increased, so has outreach. Student ministry programs have created opportunities for teens to partner with senior citizens. Graduation ceremonies have been done in the driveway. Hot meals have been provided. Childcare has been offered for parents who have to work outside the home. Front line workers have been cared for. Food pantries have been stocked to feed those who may otherwise do without. Masks have been sewn.
People and churches have stepped in to provide love and the hope of Jesus in tangible ways when people need it most.
2. The closing of the church doors shifted our focus to those outside of the church doors.
So much of our society has been digital for a long time. Social media, online classes, banking, shopping, doctors appointments, digital calendars, google hangouts, just to name a few. The church, in many cases was holding steady with programming that required people to ‘come to us.’ Those who stayed outside the church building walls, did not have access to the programs, content, learning, relationships that were taking place INSIDE.
When church buildings were forced to close, church leaders created church for people at home. Our focus shifted to those OUTSIDE the building. I can not imagine the stories that will be told for years to come about the life change that began because someone gained access to their local church – from inside their home!
3. Exhausted and outdated programs are moved out.
Let’s be honest; you had a program or event on your calendar prior to this season, that you were holding onto as a formality. It became ineffective years ago, but everyone expects it, so you continue to offer it. Now, you have a clean slate. Tired, ineffective programming moves out to make way for creative, innovate, effective ways to reach kids and teens.
4. New relationships across ministry teams.
We are better together. As content has shifted online, I am guessing you have gotten to know some different staff members much better. The new, closer-than-ever relationships you have with the web designer, graphic designer, tech team, etc. are a great benefit of this season. You have some additional creative minds on your campus that have gotten glimpses of all that the kids and student ministry teams do. The more creative brains looking at projects, programs, events, the better the content you can produce.
I also don’t want to miss a chance to point out the long-term benefits that come with have senior leadership getting to observe your ministry area. Their full support is a significant factor in the success of your ministry. (I know that I don’t have to tell you this…) Sometimes full support requires a front row seat to all that is required and maybe some peaks into what has been missing.
Healthy, growing churches have healthy growing kids and student ministry programs.
5. Where more is expected, more is achieved.
Your volunteer team may currently be a skeleton crew. But do you realize the opportunity that creates? Volunteers have opportunities to step into new roles and additional responsibility. You get dream and volunteers get to be challenged. I have been surprised time and again when I have made an ask of a volunteer that I was certain would be a NO, and they actually said YES!
There are people serving on your team and even some NOT SERVING currently that are just waiting to be asked. You may have the next high capacity leader just waiting in the wings for you to make a big, bold ask. Set high expectations, make the ask and then watch people rise to the occasion. The right people for this season are already there. Have you found them yet?
6. Small group leaders develop authentic, intentional partnerships with families.
When the church and families partner together, it benefits both the church and families. We are more effective in reaching kids with the gospel when we partner with parents, who have the most hours and most impact on a kid’s life. Now that kids and students are not showing up ‘like normal’ to church buildings, it really adds an urgency and priority to personal relationships. If your team hasn’t shifted their focus to more relationally driven, now is the perfect time!
The following video shares some specific and purposeful ways you can link arms with parents in this season.
7. Motivation to create digital on-boarding procedures.
Have you created training videos yet? What if you took some of the training for new volunteers that you have in place and created training videos? There are two key benefits to this. You free up some face-to-face time on site with volunteers, by allowing them to complete training at home, during the week. (Which ultimately can result in getting to the hands-on training more quickly.) Second is that you ensure that ALL new volunteers are hear the same language and messaging regarding expectations, policies and procedures.
What could go right?
I recently heard one of the pastors at our church share a personal, family story. His daughter has really been struggling to navigate ‘fear’ that she has been feeling. It was something they were trying to help her overcome. After participating in kid’s ministry one Sunday, she proudly announced to her dad that she ‘didn’t need to be afraid anymore because ‘Jesus is with her.’ The simple, age-appropriate and fun way that the kid’s ministry team taught that week’s lesson resonated in a relevant way to her.
Stories like this story and countless others are being written. Right in, in the middle of one of the most challenging seasons of ministry lives are being changed. AND your ministry is getting primed and ready for the next season, to be your best season yet. Keep going ministry leader. Don’t quit even when the season feels long.
The best is still to come!
In the event that you are struggling to find excitement about ‘what could be‘ please take a few minutes to read ‘Bend and Stretch, But Please Don’t Break’. You can find it HERE. And last, please give yourself some grace. This is a difficult season for everyone. Fight to see the positives and remember that you are not alone.
“He who calls you is faithful. He will surely do it.”
1 Thessalonians 5:24 ESV