Author: Kathie Phillips

Orange Tour Notes (Part 1)

Kathie Phillips

Last week, I attended the Orange Tour at National Community Church in Washington, D.C.    The theme was “Lead Change…Lead Small.”  The first half of the day was spent talking about leading change (in various ways) while the second half of the day spoke to the importance of small groups and leading small groups.

It was my very first time hearing Reggie Joiner speak and I thoroughly enjoyed the passion and inspiration that his talks offered.  He spoke for all three main sessions.  In addition, I attended two breakout sessions that corresponded to the theme.  Here are my notes from all three main sessions.  (I will post the breakout notes tomorrow.)

Opening Session – “Lead Change” – Reggie Joiner

Change is not an option, but how you respond to it is.

3 Possible Responses to Change:

1. Ignore it and drift nowhere.

2. Hold on and let it drive you where you don’t want to go.

3. Make an adjustment and use it to get where you want to go.

When you lead change you decide to make adjustments to present methods for the sake of a sacred mission.

25% of Americans treat Sunday like a holy day.  Everybody else treats Sunday like a holiday.  What if you stopped counting the people who come to your church every Sunday and started counting the people who don’t?

If you don’t change, you run the risk of being:

  • Irrelevant
  • Disconnected
  • Ineffective

It’s time to change:

  • How we treat every FAMILY
  • How we communicate our MESSAGE
  • How we develop LEADERS
  • How we prioritize for SMALL GROUPS
  • How we DISCIPLE a generation
  • How we redefine the CHURCH

“At some point, most of us stop doing ministry out of our imagination and start doing it from memory.”  Mark Batterson, Pastor of National Community Church

Session 2 – “Lead Small” – Reggie Joiner 

Our strategy doesn’t matter if God is not a part.

What you do for a FEW will always have more potential than what you do for MANY.

If you are a small group leader, it’s just as important that you know what you ARE NOT as that you know what YOU ARE.

Nothing is a substitute for relationships.

  • God created us for community.
  • Jesus illustrated community.
  • The Church practiced community.

(1 Thessalonians 2:8)

Small Group Leader “To Do’s”:

1. Be present.  Connect their faith to a community by:

  • Showing up predictably (consistently)
  • Showing up mentally (coming prepared)
  • Showing up randomly (at events important to the child)

2. Create a safe place.  Clarify their faith as they grow by:

  • Leading the group
  • Respecting the process
  • Guarding the heart

3. Partner with parents.  Nurture an everyday faith by:

  • Cuing the parents (parents should know the plan)
  • Honoring the parents
  • Reinforcing the family (do not compete with family time)

4. Make it personal.  Inspire their faith by your example by:

  • Living in community–your small group of kids is NOT it!
  • Setting priorities
  • Being real

5. Moving them out.  Engage their faith in a bigger story by:

  • Moving them to someone else
  • Moving them to be the Church
  • Moving them to what’s next

You should start packing a student’s bags the day he or she shows up.  The goal isn’t to keep them; the goal is to launch them.

Session 3 – “Personal Challenge” – Reggie Joiner

We should not SIGN UP for ministry; we should be CALLED to ministry.

There’s no way to do what you do without getting messy.

There was no way for Jesus to do what He did without getting messy (John 6:53-54)

The Gospel is messy because the cross was messy.

There’s no way to make disciples without THEM getting messy.

Jesus did not call to you to follow Him to safety.  Jesus called you to take up a cross and engage in a MISSION.

When serving your children, you have two choices:

  • You can protect them; or
  • You can engage them.

Did you attend the Orange Tour?  What impacted you the most?

Is Your Ministry Prepared for an Emergency?

Kathie Phillips 2 Comments

As I write, our area is under a flood watch and high wind warning as Hurricane Sandy approaches our area.  My family took precautions to prepare for the storm by securing outdoor items, putting down the storm windows, clearing leaves from the storm drains and stocking up on bottled water, non-perishable food, batteries and flashlights.

In the same way, ministries should be prepared for emergencies (weather-related and otherwise).  Help your ministry be ready by keeping the following items on hand for each classroom:

  • First aid kit
  • Flashlight
  • Spare batteries
  • Portable radio

In addition, make sure that you have an evacuation plan established.

  • Train your volunteers on your evacuation plan.  You should set aside time at each volunteer training to address this issue.  Include a written plan, including diagrams, in their handbook.  You may also find it beneficial to walk your volunteers through the process, showing them where to exit and what to do.  Have a designated place for each class to meet outside of your building that is a safe distance away.  Instruct volunteers to take their attendance roster and conduct a head count when they arrive at their designated evacuation location.
  • Be sure that parents know your evacuation plan.  They should know where to meet their children and what the procedures are for retrieving their children at the designated evacuation location.
  • Ensure that your plan includes procedures for babies and children with special needs or physical limitations.
  • In addition to a written plan, have an evacuation route map and plan outlined and posted in each classroom.  Your map should include your church’s address and an emergency phone number and/or contact number to be reached.  It should also outline your current location, the nearest exit and their designated evacuation location.

Contact www.redcross.org for additional information on how to prepare for emergency situations.  You can also request a copy of our ministry’s emergency plan by leaving a comment below.

What steps have you taken to ensure that your ministry is prepared in the event of an emergency?  

The Beauty of Partnering With Parents

Kathie Phillips

“Partnering with parents” is a very popular phrase for those in children’s ministry and student ministry.  We realize that (or we should realize) that this is one of the key relationships that we should foster as ministry leaders.

I have always struggled somewhat with what it means to truly partner with parents.  Sure, we can send home a take-home page that reviews what was taught in class, knowing very well that these pages will either be left behind on Sunday mornings or serve as mats in the car.  Don’t get me wrong.  I think it’s very important to put resources into the hands of parents.  But we can’t stop there.

As I continue to wrap my brain around this concept, I am convinced more and more that true partnership is (1) each partner knowing what the common goals are, (2) knowing what role each partner plays in moving toward the common goals and (3) communicating effectively and regularly about the progress being made.

This weekend, I’ll wrap up teaching our three-week Communion class for 2nd-5th graders and their parents.  Having the parents attend with their child is great because they are able to not only hear what we’re teaching their child but it allows them to engage in dialogue about their own spiritual walk right on the spot.  (Parents are also provided a tool to use in continuing the conversation at home about what was provided in class.)

In my opinion, true partnership between the church and parents happens when there is conversation between them as well as resources being put into the hands of the parents.  There is also a responsibility for ministries to encourage and provide venues for conversation between parents and children.

For the past two weeks, I have witnessed parents and children talking at the tables and parents helping their children understand what it means to be loved by Christ, forgiven and welcomed at The Lord’s Table.  Parents were happy to share and children sat in awe of hearing their parents share with them.  It was  priceless exchange.  No take home page could replace that.

What are your thoughts?  How do you partner with parents in your ministry?  If you’re a parent, what ways does your church help you to be a better parent and spiritual leader?

All-Inclusive Recruiting: 16 “Outside the Box” Volunteer Positions

Kathie Phillips 1 Comment

As leaders, we spend a lot of time recruiting for weekend programming–teachers, assistant teachers, greeters, techies, worship leaders, ushers, just to name a few.  As important and valuable as these roles are, not everyone is gifted or available to serve in our ministries on the weekends.

It’s important to remember to make our ministries all-inclusive, meaning that we seek to include volunteers who might be able to serve in capacities outside of the weekend that would greatly benefit your ministry.  These opportunities might be a great way to incorporate more teens and college students, stay-at-home parents, working parents, grandparents and older members of your church into your ministry without a weekly commitment.  Here are 16 ways that you can think outside of the box when recruiting:

1.  Artists can help design and build sets or make-over your classroom.

2.  Sorters can sort curriculum, take-home pages, parent resources, worship bulletins, crayons, etc.  They could also sort and discard broken crayons, dried out markers and glue sticks, etc.

3.  Re-stockers can use a check-list to restock classroom supplies that are used each week.

4.  Technology lovers can keep your ministry’s social media sites up-to-date.  They might also be able to help you design cool power point presentations for worship or other uses.

5.  Social butterflies can make reminder calls to volunteers and recruit volunteers for your events.

6.  Those who love to cook can cook or bake for events.

7.  Readers might love to edit your digital curriculum.

8.  Decorators can plan and set up for events with a keen eye to details.

9.  Those who love to shop can purchase snacks and other supplies.

10.  Marketers can brainstorm ideas to help you effectively publicize your events.

11.  Writers can send cards to your children and volunteers.

12.  Crafty folks can help prepare crafts by cutting out shapes, patterns or templates.  They can also sew costumes and help make props.

13.  Trainers or skilled professionals can come in to lead training for your volunteers or staff.

14.  Surveyors can look into and evaluate curriculum options, Bibles, books and other resources.

15.  Organizers can help organize your resource room/craft closet and classroom cupboards.

16.  Researchers can help you find that perfect craft or object lesson, a great ice-breaker for your next volunteer meeting or an active and messy game that your 5th grade boys would love.

One of our jobs as leaders is to help those in the body find their place.  Be sure that your ministry is all-inclusive!  Think outside of the box!

Let me know what you would add to the list!