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40 Must-Have Skills For Every KidMin Leader

Today is a very special day – it’s my 40th birthday!  Recently I read an article that shared 10 skills all homeowner’s need to have and that got me thinking…What skills should kidmin leaders possess?  Since ’40’ is the number of the day, I made a list of 40 skills, none of which are in any particular order.

As a kidmin leader, you should know how to:

  1. Clean up vomit.
  2. Have a difficult conversation.
  3. Invite people to serve.
  4. Answer a child’s ‘curve ball’ question.
  5. Deal with an irate parent.
  6. Handle criticism.
  7. Build an effective team.
  8. Stop a nosebleed.
  9. Take a day (or two or seven) days off.
  10. Unplug with a non kidmin-related hobby.
  11. Identify current movies, music, video games, apps that kids are using.
  12. Buy in bulk.
  13. Prepare and stay within a budget.
  14. Celebrate the ‘wins’.
  15. End ineffective programs.
  16. Lead a child to Christ.
  17. Clearly cast vision and strategy.
  18. Collaborate with a team.
  19. Submit to the authority over you.
  20. Laugh – a lot.
  21. Plan a great meeting – with an agenda.
  22. Stick to the meeting agenda.
  23. Step out of your comfort zone.
  24. Be flexible.
  25. Own your mistakes.
  26. Continue investing in yourself with workshops, conferences, books, etc.
  27. Set healthy boundaries.
  28. Give credit where credit is due.
  29. Know when to cancel a meeting.
  30. Regularly appreciate your volunteers and staff.
  31. Carve out regular, quality time with your family and friends.
  32. Bribe with food – yep, I said it!
  33. Know when to let things go – physically and literally.
  34. Say ‘no’.
  35. Not only delegate tasks but delegate responsibility.
  36. Work basic a/v equipment.
  37. Be a servant – dump trash, sweep floors, etc.
  38. Allow God to be in control.
  39. Pray without ceasing.
  40. Stay in the fight when you feel like quitting.

Now I can go and read Dale Hudson’s article for children’s leaders over the age of 40!  (You can read that article here.)

In the meantime…What would you add to the list?

Great Questions for Small Group Discussion

Photo Credit: secretan.com
Photo Credit: secretan.com

 

This past Sunday, I sat in on one of our elementary small groups.  For the next few weeks, I will be coaching one of our leaders on how to effectively lead her group by (1) best utilizing her time – she has 30 minutes, (2) redirecting behavior, and (3) facilitating discussion.  I thought I’d share the highlights of how I encouraged her to facilitate discussion with her group.  I really want to see this leader succeed but she told me, “I really want the children to succeed, too.”

One challenge of teaching elementary children is that there is a good chance that they’ve heard the Bible story that is being taught on any given Sunday.  So how can you make it come alive in fresh, engaging ways?  Since the context of our conversation was pertaining to small groups vs large group teaching time, the question became how can we help these children see and process the story in more meaningful, personal ways?

I gave this sweet leader some tips on how to do this.  When it’s time to review or discuss the Bible story, ask:

  • Was there anything that surprised you in today’s story?
  • Did you learn anything new?
  • If you could ask God one question about today’s story, what would you ask?
  • What do you think is the most important thing you should remember about this story?
  • How does this story make you feel closer to God?
  • Is there anything you need to start/stop doing because of this story?
  • What did you feel as you read/heard/saw/acted out this Bible story?

These questions go beyond children giving the ‘right’ answers and help them really think about what the story means to them.

You can also find creative ways to ask those questions.

  • Put questions on a cube or spinner, have kids draw a number and those whose number matches the one the teacher calls gets to roll or spin.
  • Place 2 or 3 colors in a bag.  Have kids draw a color and then their color will dictate what to do activity-wise.
  • Review/discuss and get the wiggles out by tossing around a beach ball with questions written or taped on them.

Kidmin Leaders: How do you coach your small group leaders to facilitate discussion?

Small Group Leaders:  What questions do you ask to help children process and apply the Bible story to their lives?

This is How I Work

Late last year, my friend Trevor Lee and I spoke about me being included in his “How I Work” blog series, which is dedicated to sharing the tools, technology, wisdom and resources ministry leaders use to lead.  Something about this was intriguing but I was very apprehensive.  So apprehensive that I told Trevor – and this is an exact quote – “If you need an average, run-of-the-mill kidmin leader, let me know.”  His response – “Average…LOL!  Seriously, is there such a thing as an ‘average’ kidmin?”  

So, I decided to do it.  Trevor and I have connected on social media but it wasn’t until last week that we made a face-to-face connection (virtually – gotta love technology!)  I even had a chance to meet his lovely wife.

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to get a peek into the life of an average kidmin leader, today’s your lucky day.  You can learn more about how I work by jumping over to Trevor’s blog and reading all about it.

Thanks, Trevor, for a great conversation and for nudging me out of my comfort zone!

 

Own Your Mistakes

Last week, I received an email from Target’s CEO regarding the store’s recent data breach. The email contained an apology for the incident and steps the company was taking to be proactive in remedying the situation.

No one in a leadership position is perfect.  We all make mistakes.  The real test comes when things go wrong.  Will you own the mistake and take steps to correcting the situation or will you sweep it under the rug, pretending that nothing happened or – gasp – passing the blame onto someone else?

In my opinion, smart leaders:

  • listen intently before speaking
  • take ownership for any wrongdoing
  • ask for forgiveness
  • work to find a solution to make things right
  • listen some more

Doing these things will not only make you a stronger leader but you will gain and keep the trust of those you lead.

What would you add to the list? What else can leaders do to remedy situations gone wrong?

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