A few weeks ago, I shared importance of leaders staying connected to the Vine (you can read that post here). In that post, I shared why it’s important – and necessary – to stay connected to the Vine, Jesus.
If you’re like me, you lead a busy life. Sometimes that busy life can get exhausting and overwhelming. Sometimes we are asking God for clarity, wisdom or direction. Sometimes we just need to sit quietly in His presence. Sometimes all we have to cling to are the promises of scripture. According to bibleinfo.com, there are over 3,500 promises in the Bible. I know when things get particularly difficult for me, I go back to those scripture verses that I’ve memorized and/or verses that I’ve highlighted in my Bible.
I thought I’d share just a few of my ‘go-to’ verses when my soul needs to be encouraged. You can download a copy of those verses here. Feel free to print it off, hang it up or tuck it in your Bible or journal. Stay connected to the Vine!
What are your ‘go-to’ verses when your heart needs encouraging? Share them below and I’ll add them to our list!
Last week, I shared that I was coaching one of our elementary small group leaders in effectively leading her group. (If you missed that post, you can read all about that here.)
This past Sunday, I sat in on the group again and saw something AMAZING. The entire atmosphere in the group had been transformed – for the better. Here’s what I observed:
A new routine was established.
Last week, I suggested that the leader establish a routine when the children arrive to the group after the large group teaching time. She determined the following routine: When you come to the small group area, grab your Bible and circle up on the floor. So this week, the children who were there the week prior did just that – amazing! Of course, the children who weren’t there didn’t know what to do but that takes me to my next observation…
The routine and simple guidelines were reviewed.
She asked me to review the routine and the guidelines with the group of nine children. I began by praising the children who remembered what they were supposed to do when they came to the small group area. Then I explained the routine to the children who were absent the week prior and why this routine was being implemented.
Then I explained the guidelines, which we’ve intentionally kept short, sweet and simple:
Respect the adult in charge. (I gave examples of what that looked like.)
Respect the other people in your group. (I gave examples of this too.)
I briefly explained the ‘whys’ behind the guidelines. All in all, this took about two minutes to explain. This wise investment of time made for a more calm, pleasant environment even though more children were present this week.
The Bible story was reviewed in a more engaging way.
The leader did a fabulous job engaging the children while reviewing the story. She asked great questions (mentioned here). She also kept children engaged by regularly referring to them by name.
The leader was more aware of when it was time to change things up a bit.
Because the children were more within her eyesight, she was able to notice when children were getting restless. When she noticed this, she changed things up a bit. How? Read on…
The children were able to move around after the discussion time.
Last week, I suggested that the children get up and move around after the discussion time on the floor. She had them complete their journal activity at the table before doing a Bible verse activity at the whiteboard. It was very effective. Changing up the ‘scenery’ came at just the right time because she was more aware – and prepared.
The leader was more confident.
I wish you could have been there. Her voice was surer and her posture more upright. She was prepared with her ‘cheat sheet”. She was more relaxed. Her body language screamed, “I can do this!” It was such a God-thing to see this after just one week.
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My goal in coaching this sweet leader was to not only help the children have a great time but also to help her strengthen her leadership muscles. I think she’s on the right track! Moving forward, I suggested that she:
1. Take time at the beginning of each session to briefly review the guidelines.
2. Have fidgety children sit on either side of you or directly across from you. This will allow you to correct behavior with a gentle hand on a shoulder or eye contact.
3. Sit where you can see the clock. This will help you keep track of time. (Note: There is no clock in this leader’s area, but there will be next week!)
4. Break up your 30 minutes into three 10-minute segments.
5. Build anticipation for next week with comments like, “I can’t wait to see you again next week!” or “Next week, we’ll ____. I hope to see you then!” or “If you come next week, you’ll hear more about ____.”
Now it’s your turn to share…How do you coach your small group leaders to lead effectively? Post your tips below!
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:
Clean up vomit.
Have a difficult conversation.
Invite people to serve.
Answer a child’s ‘curve ball’ question.
Deal with an irate parent.
Handle criticism.
Build an effective team.
Stop a nosebleed.
Take a day (or two or seven) days off.
Unplug with a non kidmin-related hobby.
Identify current movies, music, video games, apps that kids are using.
Buy in bulk.
Prepare and stay within a budget.
Celebrate the ‘wins’.
End ineffective programs.
Lead a child to Christ.
Clearly cast vision and strategy.
Collaborate with a team.
Submit to the authority over you.
Laugh – a lot.
Plan a great meeting – with an agenda.
Stick to the meeting agenda.
Step out of your comfort zone.
Be flexible.
Own your mistakes.
Continue investing in yourself with workshops, conferences, books, etc.
Set healthy boundaries.
Give credit where credit is due.
Know when to cancel a meeting.
Regularly appreciate your volunteers and staff.
Carve out regular, quality time with your family and friends.
Bribe with food – yep, I said it!
Know when to let things go – physically and literally.
Say ‘no’.
Not only delegate tasks but delegate responsibility.
Work basic a/v equipment.
Be a servant – dump trash, sweep floors, etc.
Allow God to be in control.
Pray without ceasing.
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.)
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?
