children's ministry Archives - Page 42 of 50

My Life as a Blogger: One Year Later

05/20/201305/20/2013 Kathie Phillips 4 Comments

For the past year, I have walked down a familiar, yet unfamiliar path. You see, the path is both familiar and unfamiliar because while I have trusted God in unchartered territory before, this has been a different type of faith journey. This type of journey would be done so in a very public format.

If you’ve followed me for some time, you know that my entrance into the blogosphere was filled with fear, trembling and trepidation. (You can read all about that here.) No one wants to fail but failing in such a public way is even more frightful.

My greatest desire in writing here is to share my Children’s Ministry experiences with others. This blog has evolved over the course of the year and that has been so exciting to watch. It has been fun to be creative on my own terms and to learn how to find my own voice in this platform that God has given me. There are some great blogs out there, but I need to be myself and speak like myself.

Here are a few things I’ve learned along this amazing journey:

God has really knock my socks off! I have had some incredible opportunities and met even more incredible people as a result of this blog. So much for thinking that no one would read my posts! But really, it’s amazing how sharing what God places on my heart has blessed people in the ways it has.
I can’t be afraid to change things up a bit. KidMinspiration started out as a blog primarily geared towards Children’s Ministry leaders. It has grown to now include Children’s Ministry volunteers and parents. Volunteers and parents are naturally a part of Children’s Ministry, so why not make it accessible to people invested in kidmin? My writing also tended to include volunteers and parents, so it was a natural progression.
Personal stories make me feel more at ease. One of the best ways for people to know me better is to include personal stories. Who doesn’t love a story? In addition to being a kidmin leader, I’m also a wife, mom, daughter, sister and friend so giving you a peek into my life was also a natural progression.
Blogging takes time. Whew – I underestimated how much time it would take to take a blog post from beginning to end. Answering questions like What will I write about? When will I sit down to flesh that out? What type of media should I include? Have I used too many words? Or not enough words? Is it clear and compelling? For someone who’s not a professional writer, these things can be a little daunting but it’s getting a little easier.
There’s a lot to learn about blogging and how to blog well. There is a plethora of resources out there for bloggers. I am so grateful to read ways to become a better blogger. This girl needs all the help I can get!

Thank you so much for being part of my life for the past year. I honestly didn’t think that I’d last 3 months but God is so good to me. I am thankful for everyone who reads my words, shares my words and allows my words to impact their life and ministry. You have blessed me beyond measure.

Here’s to (hopefully) another great year together! Be blessed!

What has been your favorite KidMinspiration post? Let me know by commenting below!

From the Archives: Ministry and Motherhood

05/06/201305/06/2013 Kathie Phillips 1 Comment

Note from Kathie: As Mother’s Day is rapidly approaching, I thought I’d pull a post from my archive to share with you (again). If you are a KidMin ministry mom, please consider joining my Ministry Moms group on CMConnect. You can find the group here.

Balancing ministry and motherhood is something that I’ve tried to manage for the seven years that I’ve been on-staff in Children’s Ministry. It hasn’t always been easy. Sometimes I feel like I pour too much of myself into my work while neglecting time with my children and vice versa. Instead of thinking of it as either-or, I have tried to intertwine the two. Here’s how:

I involve my children in my ministry. This won’t work for every family (my children are teenagers) but my children actually enjoy being a part of my ministry. In fact, they call it “our ministry”. They are able to offer great insight into music choices, games, events and resources. My little test group, if you will. Not only does this help me stay relevant and “cool” with the kids at church, but it helps my children feel like valued members of our ministry (which they are).

As a result, I’ve seen them use their gifts and talents. My son has seen me lead Sunday School and is now a teen small group leader for 6th grader boys at our church. He not only prepares his lessons ahead of time but he finds ways to shepherd the boys as well as provide an atmosphere of community within the group. He has also taught me a thing or two about technology (namely how to design a PowerPoint presentation). My daughter is extremely artistic. She has helped design brochures as well as sets and bulletin boards. She has also researched craft projects and has written skits for the children.

I ask their permission before signing them up for events, etc.. I value my children and their need for personal boundaries by not signing them up to help me at events. I don’t automatically assume that they will be present or fill open slots. Because of this, they look forward to going to church and volunteer to serve in various ways.

I value their opinion. When I was presented with a new ministry opportunity last year, I talked it over with my children (and my husband). Because the opportunity would involve changing churches, their opinion was vital to my decision. Talking it over with them and getting their insight strengthened our family and helped them to love, not resent, moving to our current church.

I am aware of negative talk about the ministry. Volunteers don’t show up. Someone may disagree with a decision I’ve made. Someone may complain about this or that. But my children don’t need to hear that. It’s not their burden to carry.

As often as I can, I take them along with me when I travel for work. My children are unsung heroes of my ministry, so taking them along with me is a reward for them. Those trips have been some of the best times we’ve had as a family.

I value them by leaving work at work. I love Children’s Ministry. I love to read about it and talk about it. But I also love my family time and try to protect that at all costs. Saturdays and Sunday afternoons are reserved for family–movies, good conversation, a delicious meal, a road trip. Just good, quality time to connect.

Although I love Children’s Ministry, motherhood is my most important ministry. But having my children integrated into my ministry is the best of both worlds! I could not imagine ministry life without them! 🙂

If you are a mom in ministry, how do you make it all work? Share your thoughts below!

Latest Release from What’s in the Bible & Mother’s Day Giveaway

04/29/201304/29/2013 Kathie Phillips 4 Comments

Now Available: Volume 11 Spreading The Good News!

Volume 11 Spreading The Good News! will send your family on a journey through the book of Acts – starting with Pentecost, following Jesus’ disciples as they spread the Good News through the world, and watching the conversion and ministry of Saul.

You can view the trailer here:

Win a KitchenAid Mixer or Lisa Leonard Jewelry for Mother’s Day!

The Mother’s Day Giveaway begins on April 29 and the winner will be selected on May 6.
All entries will receive a free download for the Mother’s Day Fun Pack featuring a “Mad About Mom” mad-lib and coloring page greeting card printables!
You can enter to win one of these great prizes here.

Year-Round Volunteer Appreciation Ideas

04/18/201304/18/2013 Kathie Phillips 2 Comments

Yesterday, I mentioned that Volunteer Appreciation Week is next week. I shared ideas to get you started in thinking about how to show your volunteers how much you care. You can find that post here.

Today I’d like to share seasonal ideas that will make your volunteers feel appreciated any time of the year.