Ministry Basics: Good, Quality Signage

Good signage in a must-have in kidmin.  Not only does good, quality signage add a touch of decor to your space but it also helps families navigate their way through your ministry area.

Last summer, our ministry had new logos designed (one for each of our 4 ministry areas) and those logos were a part of new signage for our entire Children’s Ministry space.

Here are a few of the signs that were added to our space:

Our ministry has two entryways; this is the sign above one of them
Our ministry has two entryways; this is the sign above one of them
Nursery entrance sign
Nursery entrance sign
One of my favorite walls - leads to our Preschool area
One of my favorite walls – leads to our Preschool area
Pre-K room sign
Pre-K room sign
Across the hall from our Preschool classrooms is a corresponding wall sign
Across the hall from our Preschool classrooms is a corresponding wall sign
One of our directional signs
One of our directional signs
Another directional sign
Another directional sign
Children's Library sign
Children’s Library sign
Sign above our Elementary Ministry entrance
Sign above our Elementary Ministry entrance
Directional sign to our Preteen Ministry area
Directional sign to our Preteen Ministry area

If you look closely, you’ll see that we were not afraid to use bright, kid-friendly colors on the walls.  We’ll save the story behind that for another post.

In the meantime…How do you use signage in your kidmin?  Share below – pictures are welcome!

2 Great KidMin Job Openings

Photo Credit: www.befoundonline.com
Photo Credit: www.befoundonline.com

Are you or someone you know searching for a new kidmin opportunity?  Feel free to consider these 2 great options, both located in the Baltimore, Maryland area.

Nursery/Early Childhood Coordinator, Central Presbyterian Church

My church, Central Presbyterian Church, is looking to hire a part-time (25-28 hours per week) Nursery/Early Childhood Coordinator.  Central Presbyterian is an evangelical Presbyterian Church with an average of 1000 weekly worshipers and 150 children (birth – 5th Grade).  The ideal person will serve on the Children’s Ministry staff under the supervision of the Director of Children’s Ministry (that’s me)!  In addition, the ideal person will provide leadership and care for every aspect of the Nursery and Early Childhood ministry environments (Infants – Kindergarten). Prime requirements for this position are: committed and growing relationship with Jesus Christ; called to Children’s Ministry and our core vision, direction and philosophy; degree in Children’s Ministry or related field, or at least 3 years of equivalent experience; strong leadership skills, including recruiting, training, equipping and shepherding volunteers; committed to overseeing Nursery & Early Childhood environments on Sunday mornings; and satisfactory completion of all background checks.

For more information on this position, click here or contact Kathie Phillips, Director of Children’s Ministry at kathie@centralpc.org.

Kids Ministry Director, City Church Presbyterian 

Another church in our community, City Church Presbyterian, is looking to hire a part-time Kids Ministry Director.  City Church is a worshipping community focused on the neighborhoods of North Baltimore City. The church was planted in 2013 by Chapelgate Presbyterian Church and Mission to North America and is a member of the Presbyterian Church of America.

The position will start at 10 hours per week but could quickly grow to a full-time position as the ministry develops. For more information on this position, click here or contact Patrick Donohue, at patrick@citychurchbaltimore.org.

Please pass along these great opportunities to anyone in your circles!

Dear Student Leader

One of our adult leaders called me last week to let me know what a fabulous job the student leader working with her was doing.  So, I wanted to acknowledge the student leader’s service with a personal note.  Here’s an edited version of what I wrote:

Dear [Student Leader},

I wanted to let you know how wonderful it is to have you serve as a student leader in [Children’s Ministry].  I’ve heard how great you are with the children – how you welcome them, help them get settled, how you make them laugh and how helpful you are to [the adult in charge].

Keep up the good work.  Serving as a student leader is a big responsibility.  When children come to church, it is our opportunity to share God’s love with them.  That opportunity is a gift from God, one that is very important and one that we must take very seriously.  

You are doing a fabulous job of sharing Jesus with the [children] and we are blessed to have you on our team.  You are awesome!

Love,

Miss Kathie

Do you have students serving in your ministry?  How can you encourage them this week?

Simply Put: First Things First

Happy New Year, friends!  I hope your New Year is off to a fabulous start!  My New Year started with a vacation – my first cruise – to the Caribbean.  It was a long overdue vacation and I did not have any problem relaxing…the weather was warm, the food was great, the company was sweet and the views were amazing.  See for yourself:

The view from my room on the cruise ship – Sunset over the Atlantic Ocean

When I returned home, there were lots of things to catch up on – opening mail, unpacking, laundry, grocery shopping, email, catching up with my family (who stayed behind while I was away).  “Where should I start?”, I asked myself.

Have you found yourself asking the same question?  Ministry – and life in general – can be filled with long to-do lists.  It can be overwhelming knowing where to start.  Here are a few pointers that have helped me:

Make a to-do list.  Simple, right?  It is a burden lifted when I take a few minutes to simply write down all of the things swirling around in my head.

Prioritize the list.  Take an honest look at what you’ve listed and determine what’s immediate, what can wait, what can be delegated, what can be eliminated.  

Move forward.  Work your list and make your list work for you.  Jump in and start knocking things off of the list.  Don’t procrastinate!

Set time limits.  What can you do in an hour?  What can you do in five minutes?  You might be surprised how much you can knock out when you’re focused and have a time frame to work within.

Eliminate distraction.  No social media.  No email.  Put your cell phone on vibrate.  Set your desk phone to “Do not disturb.”  Go to a quiet place (I love working at the library).  You get the idea.

Cross things off of the list as you work.  Seeing things scratched off the list can be one of your biggest motivators!

How do you keep ‘first things first’?  I’d love to hear what you do!