KidMin Conference 2013 – Days Three & Four Notes

Days 3 & 4 of the Group KidMin Conference were awesome!

Sunday Morning – Workshop (Secrets to Sustainable Children’s Ministry – Building Teams That Win by Jeff Dunn-Rankin)

To be honest, this session didn’t start off as I had thought.  I kept thinking, “This material is not what is in the description.  I’m in the wrong workshop!”  I kept flipping to the description and looking at the handout, convinced that I was in the wrong room.  After an hour or so, gears switched and the content began to line up with what I was looking for.

Here are the highlights:

Six Steps to a Simple but Difficult Recruiting Process:

1. Make a list of your needs – weekly, special events – every big event have someone co-lead with you so that they can eventually be the point person.

2. Create the pool list – who do we want to see in CM one day – past or present – ask the children who they’d like to be in class with them. (this list should be 4 times bigger than list #1 – get your team to help brainstorm)

3. Rank those on the list – (1) tag as relational, behind the scenes or both and (2) rank dream team [a], next level [b], etc.

4. Match the lists.

5. Make the calls – call ‘heavy-hitters’ first.

6. Follow up – call intentionally when people are at work so that you can leave an exciting message for them to think about.

Saturday Afternoon – Workshop (5 Reasons Why People Won’t Volunteer for You by Craig Jutila)

This workshop intrigued me because I really wanted to know why people won’t volunteer.  The workshop’s disclaimer: “We are not going to find ways to get more volunteers or even how to keep the ones we have.  We are going to look at the 5 reasons why people won’t volunteer and more specifically, why they won’t volunteer for you or for me.  You will learn specific ways to change your thinking about your volunteer leadership.”

Here are the highlights:

Reason #1: You appear unsuccessful.  There is hopeless desperation (begging); nearsighted vision (not thinking long-term); no plan (no vision, mission, values); and over-publicizing (i.e. bulletin announcements week after week – after a while, people stop listening).

Reason #2: You are asking for renters instead of buyers.  Some volunteers rent and other volunteers buy into your ministry vision.

Reason #3: You are taking too much of their time.  What you are offering is not valuable enough.

Reason #4: You appear disorganized.

Reason #5: You inherited an estate (meaning they have had a negative experience someone else and are less likely to volunteer again.)

Common Complaints about Negative Volunteer Experiences

• Lack of recognition so encourage them.
• Lack of proper training so equip them.
• Absence of team motivation so energize them.
• Volunteer assignments are too limiting so empower them.
• Mismatched skill and interest with task assignments so evaluate them.

Sunday Night General Session – Dave Stone

Dave Stone is the Senior Pastor of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY.  He spoke about Celebrating Family.  Here are some highlights:

3 Gifts Every Child Needs

1. Celebrate family by giving value to one another.

When there is no concern for the church of tomorrow, there is often very little power in the church of today.

2. Celebrate family by extending grace to one another.

We show grace because we need grace.

God is more concerned with your direction than your perfection.

3. Celebrate family by showing love for one another.

We can get wrapped up doing things instead of loving people.

We can get busy doing the work of the Lord and forget the Lord of the work.

Activity for Christ doesn’t replace intimacy with Christ.

Satan knows you by name but calls you by your sin.  Jesus knows your sin but calls you by name.

Monday Morning General Session – Danielle Bell

The conference concluded with my friend, Danielle Bell, speaking on Celebrate Jesus.  Here are a few highlights:

• Do I get that ministry is not about me?
• Instead of studying God’s Word to teach it, study it to live it.
• How am I getting in the way of what God wants to do.  “He must increase, I must decrease.”

Danielle blogged on this over at her blog, dWell.  You can read her notes here.

Were you at the conference?  What struck you on Days 3 & 4?  What were you biggest takeaways from the conference?