As a ministry leader, we spend so much time pouring into the lives of those under our care. That’s what we do, right? A good shepherd takes care of his or her flock. Sometimes we can do so much that taking care of ourselves takes a back seat while we tend to the needs of others.
When this is magnified in my own life, I feel a sense of what I refer to as ‘soul malnourishment’. Maybe you experience the same warning signs of soul malnourishment that I do: fatigue, weariness, irritation, dissatisfaction, feeling overwhelmed.
One of the best ways for me to feed my soul is to position myself in a posture of prayer, praise and worship. I do this to take the focus off of me and realign myself with Christ. This helps me to get myself back in balance. Oftentimes I do this on my own but occasionally I do this in a group setting.
One such event that has filled my soul was a Women of Faith weekend event that I attended years ago with the ladies in my family. It was a great day filled with upbeat praise, reflective worship, heartwarming stories and biblical, relevant teaching for all ages of women of various ethnic backgrounds and denominations.
After 20 years, the event is coming to an end but I was excited to hear about their new movie coming to select theaters in February and March.
About the film:
Over the last nearly 20 years, Women of Faith – http://www.womenoffaith.com/ – grew to become the largest non-denominational Christian women’s conference, touching over five million lives with personal stories full of laughter and tears. Stage events have included such inspirational and spiritual luminaries such as Campus Crusade for Christ’s Mary Graham, author & reality TV star Corie Robertson, author & popular speaker Luci Swindoll, author Sheila Walsh, and others.
The cinema event will take viewers on a journey of Women of Faith through the years, on stage and off, on their travels with World Vision, their impact on audiences, in short the way they’ve changed the world. Partly historical, and frequently hysterical, this unique cinematic experience will be packed with some of the most popular pieces from the beloved speaking team to include Anna Trent, Thelma Wells, Mary Graham, Luci Swindoll, Sheila Walsh, Jen Hatmaker, Sandi Patty, Patsy Clairmont, Nicole Johnson, and Marilyn Meberg as well as music and performances from Christian contemporary artists that appeared on the tour. Featuring never-before-seen interviews, outtakes, and behind the scenes footage, this event presentation will bring back memories for all those who have attended a Women of Faith weekend as well as create new memories for those experiencing it for the first time.
Limited engagement in select cinemas February 18th & 20th, and March 3rd & 5th
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SOCIAL • CORNER (Find out more by clicking a link below):
I pray often that God will equip me to be the best leader I can be. I take my role as a leader very seriously and want to honor God through my service. I would say that, as the oldest child in my family, leadership comes fairly natural to me. I often quote, “Well, somebody has to be in charge!”
Sometimes, however, I like to take a seat on the ‘back row’ and observe. I don’t always like to be in charge, especially in casual, non-ministry-related environments.
Case in point…last month, we painted my daughter’s bedroom. My sweet girl waited so patiently for many months’ worth of filled calendars and family obligations for her bedroom makeover. We set the date; she selected her color scheme; she purchased accessories with her own money; she and my husband prepped the walls and purchased supplies.
One of the finished walls – she loves her teal and purple color scheme!
But we were missing something: a project manager. No one was in charge of the project! This became frightfully clear after I watched my husband make three additional trips to the home improvement store when we ran out of supplies.
That recent home improvement experience brought to mind 5 reminders about leaders:
1. Someone has to be in charge. Why? Because:
It minimizes confusion. Knowing who is in charge helps keep everyone focused and on task.
It saves time and money. Because no one was in charge, we wasted time going back and forth to the store and spent hundreds of dollars more than we planned. Some lessons you only learn once!
A leader will think through a plan – what needs to be done, who needs to do what, what supplies are needed, etc.
2. A leader is responsible for having a vision and keeping that vision in front of the team. Remind people what you’re working toward and what it will take to get there.
3. A leader does not need to have all of the answers. It is not a sin to say, “I don’t know.” Not only does this keep you human and relatable but it also keeps you learning. Leaders are learners.
4. A leader does not need to have all of the ideas – or the best ideas. During our home improvement project, all of us had great ideas to make the project more enjoyable – and most of them did not come from me. Very refreshing!
5. A leader needs to be their team’s biggest advocate. As the hours went on and our bodies grew tired, I reminded everyone of how good a job they were doing. I even sang to my family to keep the mood light! (I know they appreciated that.)
As a kidmin leader:
Do you embrace and own your leadership role? Do you accept your role as a gift from God?
Have you asked God for wisdom and discernment for your ministry? Do you pray and spend time in His Word regularly? Are you in a position to hear what He’s telling you?
Do you have a teachable spirit? What are you learning?
Are you humble? Do you consider the ideas of others?
Are you your ministry’s biggest advocate? Do those under you feel you fight for them? Do you share all of the great things happening in your ministry? Do you ask people to pray for your ministry on a regular basis?
Keep the conversation going! Which of these points resonated with you the most? What would you add to the list?
Last week, I received an email regarding a new feature to CMConnect, the free kidmin network. It’s called CMConnect+.
CMConnect+ is an enhanced training group designed to network you with a community of leaders and will bridge training from event to event for you and your team.
Members receive the following:
access to a growing list of archived trainings (current value over $20)
a 10 to 15 minute exclusive monthly video from a thought leader in Children’s Ministry
exclusive weekly discussions hosted by INCM
bi-monthly MP3 uploads from INCM ($96 annual value)
Rate Plan Prices:
1 Month Membership: $4.95 USD
6 Months Membership $27.75 USD ($4.63 per month)
12 Months Membership $51.44 USD ($4.29 per month)
You will not only enhance your CMConnect experience, you’ll also improve your ability to lead in your unique calling!
I am thrilled to announce that CM Connect has authorized me to giveaway 20 free one-month memberships. All you have to do is be among the first 20 people to email me at kidminspiration@gmail.com no later than 12 noon on Wednesday, January 9th. It’s that simple!
All winners will be contacted via email.
What are you waiting for? Email me right away for your chance to take advantage of this incredible offer!
