Creativity and Innovation

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I’ve always been a big fan of dynamic duos like Batman and Robin, Sam and Dave, Sonny and Cher, Peanut butter and jelly and also Paul and Silas, Barnabas, and Timothy. The thing I’ve noticed about dynamic duos, is they are more dynamic together than they are apart. Just like the home and the church working together can do more than either on their on to reach the family, the same is true with creativity and innovation they are better together than either by themselves.

Children’s leaders are some of the the most creative people I know. It just seems like creativity runs through their veins as well as blood. Back in 1988 I put on a different kind of conference at the time called the Children’s Ministry Idea Explosion. It was held in Orlando and as part of the conference it included a day at DisneyWorld. Now this was not my first trip to this creativity megaplex but I think I got more ideas on that trip than any before or any since why? The answer is simple I went to a creative place with a bunch of creative people. All day long we bounced off ideas of “what if?” and “how could we?” off children’s pastor after children’s pastor.

I’ve never forgotten that day and the conversations that came from it. But conversations alone don’t make things come to pass. I’ve always heard, “After everything is said and done there’s usually more said than done.” This is why I think creativity without innovation is not as powerful as the two working together as a dynamic duo!

To help us understand these two let’s take a look at what Mr. Webster says about each one.

Creativity according to the dictionary is the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work. 

Imagination is a powerful tool. As most of you know I am a grandfather. One of the wonderful benefits of grandchildren for this children’s pastor is He has reminded me of things I knew about children and childhood that I forgot raising older children. My grandson’s imagination seems to be limitless. Every time he comes over to my house, his mother (Yancy) has to introduce who he is pretending to be which seems these days never to be Sparrow. He never breaks character until it’s time for a costume change and bam another super hero, doggie or hockey player breaks out. This has been a wonderful reminder of both the power of imagination and also the importance of string up my imagination. I don’t know why as adults we don’t make time to stir up our imagination and make time to think creatively and encourage original ideas.

I think one of the things that is lacking in children’s ministry today is the lack of original ideas. Now I know it’s been said there is nothing new under the sun but there’s stuff that’s new to you. 

You’ve heard me say over and over again that same action brings same results but did you know same thinking does also and we have to be willing to think differently and to think in ways we have never thought before to come up with original ideas. I think people in ministry develop bad habits over time because of how busy we are. Instead of taking time to be creative and try to come up with original ideas we just rely on the ideas of others. I’ve used this joke for years that one of my favorite tools in my kidmin arsenal of tricks is “selective creativity” that’s right I’m highly selective who’s ideas I rip off. There’s nothing wrong with borrowing a great idea in fact it’s smart but sadly one of the things that bothers me that has happen in children’s ministry we rely on the ideas of others rather than to continue to cultivate creative thought and original ideas in our own life and ministry.

Another excuse busy people use is we say we are not creative. I don’t believe that, especially for the believer because Genesis 1:27 tells us God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. We were created in the image of the creator, the one who created the universe and everything that was created. I think what we are really saying is we have chosen to not take the time to be creative and to get together with others to create creative meetings and sessions to brainstorm and think as well as rethink, to use our imaginations and dream what needs to happen differently as well as what needs to be created that just doesn’t exist in our ministries that needs to exist. In the early years of children’s ministry we were forced to be creative and innovative because stuff just didn’t exist.

I have enjoyed working more closely with the folks at Orange this past year. I have learned a lot about the importance of surrounding yourself with creative thinkers. I’ve learned that one of the things that encourages creativity is to begin to ask questions and then throw out new ideas.

One of the tools that I have started using that helps me with encouraging creativity is the creative board. (I’ve been using the web app version www.creativeboard.com, I love it!)

Don’t think because you are the leader you have to be the source of all creativity in your ministry, 1. Pray get the creator involved, 2. Surround yourself with creative thinkers, 3. Create a safe and idea welcoming environment that’s coved under the umbrella of mercy and even crazy, way-out there stretches of the imagination are welcomed.

Innovation is the action or process of innovating. To innovate means you make changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products. I think you can’t evaluate your ministry and life too much. The missing piece from anything moving from good to great is evaluation. To innovate really requires the rethinking of what’s being done and being willing to change your systems, processes and methods to give birth to a new way of achieving a desired outcome. As a person who wants to see results we’ve never seen why would you just want one of these? I’m a systems guy and love systemic thought the problem is not all creative types are good at implementation and not all systems folks are great at creativity. That’s where we join forces and create teams that bring both, creativity and innovation together. Change begins when you realize one or both of these are missing. 

So my question to you is who do you need to invite to your meetings and to evaluate what you’re doing creative folks or innovators? What needs to be that isn’t so that your ministries are effective, healthy, growing and bearing the fruit God wants they to bear. A wonderful mentor in my life used to say it doesn’t take leadership to change something that’s not working, it takes true leadership to take something that’s working good and add creativity and innovation to make it better!  Decide total to let this dynamic duo work for you to help you see God’s dreams for your life and ministry come to pass.

 

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There’s A Brand New Jim Wideman Book Available Now!

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Over thirty years ago, I began a journey that I’m still on today—a quest to move past “live well and do well” and to actually “lead well.” After fifteen years on the job trying to do my best and working hard, I realized there was more needed than just hard work, or even smart work for that matter. I realized true authentic leadership doesn’t come from a position or even a title; it comes from who you are, as well as, from who you are becoming. It comes from the inside out, and it is not a one-time choice; instead, it is the result of a daily choice to say yes to all of Jesus’ invitations.

One of the good things that came out of the shut down of 2020 for me is that my first book (Children’s Ministry Leadership “The-You-Can-Do-It-Guide”) that I  published more than twenty years ago, the rights, came back to me. Hallelujah! My idea was to read through it and make some updates and self-publish it and make an updated version of this popular book that has served as a textbook on Children’s Ministry Leadership for many colleges and seminaries.

As I started reading the book I realize more than the information inside had changed in twenty years. I had changed! In fact, I realized quick that I am not the same person I was when I wrote it the first time. I don’t think in the same ways, I don’t lead the same way. Although I am still involved in Children’s Ministry, my role had totally changed.  As the Executive Operations Pastor at my church. I mow oversee the finances, the data base, the facilities, HR, legal, security, guest services and car park, as well as Children’s Ministries. I have known from consulting and coaching with churches of all sizes, that the principles of leadership I live and teach work in every area of church ministry not just Children’s Ministry. 

That’s why, this is not the same book. I ended up not updated old material but totally re-writing the book from a whole different viewpoint and perspective as well as as over forty five years of hands-on experience.  What a wonderful opportunity I’ve been given to have a second chance to add, to take away, and to make the changes that I’ve wanted to make for years, as I have coached and taught through this material over the last twenty years.

I hope that wherever you are on your leadership journey that you’ll listen to Holy Spirit and apply what He will be speaking to you through this new book. We all have been called to be learners, and Jesus is not done leading us and showing us what He wants us to know and become, no matter what area of ministry you are currently leading.

I am so excited to announce beginning  October 5th, 2021 my new book “Authentic Leadership That Lasts” will be available for purchase. Right now you can pre-order it here at jimwideman.com  and be one of the first to receive it. I’ll also include a free digital copy as well for ordering from me. So follow the link and order your copy today! If you’d like to purchase multiple copies, reach out for quantity discounts. This new book is filled with gold, so get ready to dig.

 

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Family Ministry Starts At Home

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I love working with kids and families of all the things I could have spent my life doing this is truly an honor. But even greater than this has been the wonderful privilege of being Julie’s husband, Yancy & Whitney’s Dad, and Sparrow and Rhythm’s “G”! Being an Orange thinker you’ve heard me say this before, “What you teach and train your children about God matters!” It’s my responsibility, priority and privilege as a parent to do this. But it’s also my responsibility, priority and privilege to teach them about marriage and family by setting an example and modeling God’s Word. You’ve also heard me say this before in conferences, articles, books and blogs, “What happens at home is more important than what happens at church.” God’s original plan for world evangelism and the mission of the family is laid out in Deuteronomy 6:6-7 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your heart. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. How do we do this? In my book CONNECT WITH YOUR KIDS I give you twelve things you can do as a parent to connect your kids to God. Here’s just a few to get you started.

Family ministry starts at home. Decide you and the inhabitants of your household will serve the Lord. You have heard this verse a thousand times Josh. 24:15   But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” What does this mean? It’s simple; make Jesus an everyday part of your lives. Live out what you are asking the families at your church to do at their house. We never did devotions as a family instead Julie and I still to this day take advantage of every opportunity to apply God’s Word to the thinking of every member of our family (including each other) not to allow a stronghold to be formed. A stronghold? Yes, I define a stronghold as wrong thinking that does not line up with the truth of God’s Word. As parent be careful what and who you allow in your home. It’s easier to start strict when kids are young and relax as they get older and allow them to make good choices based on the Bible. The bottom line is be an example!

Love your spouse the way you want your children’s spouse to love them. I don’t know why we think we can have a strong family and not have a strong marriage. Great marriages are a work in progress and happen when you make it a priority. You’ve heard me say if you aim at nothing you hit it every time. You need a plan to make your marriage strong. What ever you did to win your spouse’s affection is the same actions you need to choose to keep their affection. Spend as much time together as you can. Also spend quality time have a plan for your time together. Communicate well. Learn to be a listener. Be intentional when it comes to dates, trips and make special times together to be a regular part of your life. Set a night to be date night and make it a priority. Just like we want our children to see we love the Lord first and foremost let your spouse see firsthand that other than Jesus there is no other person on this earth we love other than them including our kids.

Spend lots of time with your kids. My kids are my third priority so when it comes to controlling my schedule and not letting it control me I have to make making time for my kids a lifestyle choice. Julie and I chose from the beginning of us becoming parents that it was both of our desires to be a close family. Even though our kids are grown this is still a priority. Because of the time we invested when our children where young they make time for us now that they are grown. Our children know they are always invited to go on family vacations. Sunday lunch is a special family time for us. Long before my girls ever went on a date they had dates with Dad. I’ve tried to make the time I have with my kids all about them not just including them in things I want to do. I’ve tried to not miss anything that was important to them. If I worked hard to plan the times at church I have with the kids of my church why don’t I look for ways to make off days and evening special for the kids ho live t my house.

Seek to understand how God has made each member of your family differently and allow them to be different. My wife and I are very different and I believe different is a good thing. I’m a spender and Julie is a saver. I am overly generous she can be a little tight. We need each other. Our kids are a different mix of both of us. Even though our girls had the same parents ate the same food and lived in the same house they are as different as night and day. I realized when I first started working in the local church. God makes us all different as part of His plan. We are the body of Christ and just like every part of His body has a different purpose and function so does the members of our family. Different personalities calls for differences in how we parent, how we discipline and how we communicate our love as well as how we communicate information. Celebrate how differences, strength and gifts of each family member and dare to speak in their language in a way they can receive and understand you. Dare to be an encourager. To encourage mean to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope, to spur on; to give help to. Be a helper, an encourage and a cheerleader for every member of your family especially your mate.

Be open and honest at all times and admit your mistakes and demonstrate repentance. Why do we try to hide our mistakes from the people who see them the most? My Mom taught me early in life, “Things are not as bad as I think they are. She also told me I’m not as wonderful as I think I am either, it’s always somewhere in between. Our families know firsthand our struggles and inconsistencies but what makes the difference is when we don’t try to hide them or pretend they are not there but we admit them and let they see we are doing something about it. Your family needs to learn from your example Godly repentance. You see there’s a big difference in “I’m sorry and true repentance.” Repentance calls for different behavior. When your family sees you modeling repentance it’s easier for them to apply this in their own lives.

  Establishing a family ministry starts with your family. Others will follow your example! It’s never too late to make right choices, I am so thankful we serve a God who is the God of a second chance for me and my family and the families I get to minister to at church.

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Leading With Help

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Life can be a very stressful and even overwhelming at times! As rewarding as ministry can be it too, can be overwhelming. I worked for a wonderful pastor  who used to say,“Ministry is a privilege, but sometimes it looks a whole bunch like work!  As I have studied people in ministry, especially people in kid’s ministry  over the past forty-five plus years, there are two things that are apparent to me: One, we have a tendency to want to do things all by ourselves and secondly, at times (More times than most) in our own strength. This is not good. I should have listened to “Three Dog Night” years ago they told me “One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do!” (google this milenials) or maybe the “Beatles” they not only sang about needing “help” but also “help from our friends.” Better yet I should have listened to Jesus. John 15: 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. God never intended us to do the work of the ministry by ourselves! For that matter He never intended us to live the Christian life by ourselves. Jesus told his disciples that He would send them a helper or another counselor to be with us forever. He also said in John 14:26 “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Verse 27 adds “Peace I leave with you; My Peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” This is good news! It’s also the only way to live and lead effectively and handle the stress and demands of life and of ministry.

Mr. Webster defines stress as “the physical, mental, or emotional pressure, pull or force exerted on one thing by another; strain; tension” Pressure is normal and can be helpful at times but not knowing how to handle it causes us problems. Trying to handle it by ourselves is not God’s plan for us that is why he has sent us Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit (who is not a THE, He’s a person) is our teacher, He is our guide, He is our helper and He is our comforter! Just because stress exists doesn’t mean it cannot be managed and controlled. Electricity like stress can be deadly but when it is harnessed and controlled it is a powerful and helpful resource. Pressure is an excellent test of your ability to lead or your current leadership level. But when pressure and problems come, you don’t need to try to handle them in your own strength but in the strength and power of Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of the living God! Just because you are doing the “Lord’s work” doesn’t mean you won’t have problems and challenges. We all have issues of life to deal with. Psalm 34:19 tells us, “A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 says “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” I believe this verse describes us as “getting up people! When we lead with the help of “our helper-Holy Spirit, we are not leading in our own strength but in the strength of Jesus’ promised power source.

I learned a very valuable lesson about relying on my helper several years ago. One day as I was leaving for work I had an impression in my spirit that I needed to bring my bass guitar with me to church. Rather than be quick to obey I started reasoning with myself and to make a long story short I blew off the leading and went to work. No sooner as I walked in my office the phone rang and it was my Wednesday Night bass player in my pre-youth class informing me that he just got to work and found out he had to work late and asked if I could play bass myself for him. My helper (Holy Spirit) wanted to help me save time. As I drove back home to get my bass I saw that the more I listened to the voice of Holy Spirit in small things the easier it was to hear him in major decisions. I also realized it would have been better for me to brought my bass and didn’t need it, than to blow off the voice of Holy Spirit, my helper. I’ve also learned through the years to never disobey a check in my Spirit. If I sense a strong leading to not go somewhere or to not do something or to pass on a certain worker or team member, even if I can’t explain it, I trust my helper! With these things in mind here are Ten Ways I allow Holy Spirit to help me Lead in ministry.

1. Let the Peace of God rule and reign in your lives. How do you do that? I’m glad you asked. Make time to meditate the Word about peace daily as well as in stressful times. Make time to pray! When you don’t know how to pray let Holy Spirit guide you and lead your prayers. Give no place to fear! Fear is faith in reverse.

2. Meet every situation with a spirit of faith. Holy Spirit gives us boldness.

Be positive and speak faith words! Speak what God’s Word says not your doubts. Remind yourself what God has done for you. One of the jobs of our helper is to remind us about what Jesus has done and said. Don’t go by what you see, feel or hear. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight:

Don’t listen to the devil, his messengers or to bad or evil reports.

3. Be strong and courageous. Acts 1:8 says But you will receive power when Holy Spirit comes on you. I believe a good measurement of the Spirit in us is how strong we are. What ever you are full of comes out of you when you are shaken. When you are full of the Spirit, His strength and courage comes out of you when life shakes you! Don’t be a baby, instead be strong! Thirty-three times in the Bible we are told to be strong, and an additional ten times will are told to be strong and courageous!

4. Ask for the Spirit to guide your plans. The Bible could not be more plain on the subject of Gods plans are different than our plans. That’s why we should be sensitive to the leading of Holy Spirit for God’s plan. Don’t be afraid to be detailed in your planning. Learn to think backwards from the desired outcome and break your plan down into steps. Don’t wait to the last minute. Never equate flowing with Holy Spirit to flying by the seat of your paints.

5. Learn to allow Holy Spirit to help you Identify things that need correcting and ask Him to teach you why it needs fixing as well as how. To me my friend and helper Holy Spirit works in our lives like a spot light He shines or illuminates things that need to be brought to light. I also rely of Holy Spirit to help me identify areas of improvement in my ministry. The Spirit is a safe guide, one whom can always be trusted. The voice of wisdom and the voice of Father God is always the same thing. Our helper Holy Spirit will lead us to all truth and will never disagree with the voice of wisdom or God’s Word!

6. Trust your guide. I used to illustrate this in Children’s Church by blindfolding a child and give them verbal instructions that they had to carry out without bumping into things. It’s impossible to walk by faith and not by sight in our own strength. Then I would ask another child to come be a guide (just like Holy Spirit is our guide) and guide the blindfolded child to safety. It’s much easier with a guide to follow Father’s Word . I have found practice make perfect not only in playing an instrument or developing a skill but also in trusting our guide!

The more we practice walking this out, the more reflexive it becomes.

7. I rely on the help of Holy Spirit to lead me to people I need to develop to be on my team. I refuse to wait on people to show up that I need to lead. I’m on a mission from God to connect with those He leads me to. Jesus was out and about when he found the twelve disciples. I ask the Lord daily to lead me to the right people who need to be a part of the team He is building!

8. Learn how to let Holy Spirit refresh you. The biggest challenge for people in ministry is to learn how to leave the stress and pressures of life and ministry at the church or the office and don’t bring them home. I have learned to pray in the Spirit on the way home and allow Holy Spirit to refresh me. It helps me to be able to enjoy my family more. One of the things old Jim would tell young Jim is to take time off. Rest is part of God’s plan just like work. I guard my day(s) off and use my vacation wisely. Retreat when you are at your busiest. When we study the life of Jesus here on the earth Holy Spirit led him away from work and those he was leading to pray and be refreshed.  I believe when we pray in the Spirit it refreshes our spirit and builds up or edifies us! Holy Spirit still leads Christ Followers to times of refreshing and renewal.

9. Take care of the temple. 1 Corinthians 3: 16 asks “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If this is true and it is then it’s important we take care of the temple. I have learned the hard way as I age I must exercise, eat healthier, take vitamins and supplements as well as get plenty of sleep. I don’t stay up all night anymore.

10. Holy Spirit helps me discern what is right for me to be involved in. What’s of God and what’s not? Learn to be sensitive to Holy Spirit’s involvement and presence and recognize or discern if something is good or God as well as bad or evil. Not every good idea is Father’s will for me now. Not everything that is wrong or bad for now is evil, it’s just not the right timing. If every believer has Holy Spirit on the inside and they do then how much more do we in leadership need  Holy Spirit’s help to be the leaders God has called us to be.

Proverbs 3:5 & 6 tells us “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. 

Aren’t you glad we have a helper to lead us to be the leaders we need to be. Listen to your guide, our helper, Holy Spirit is with us, always. Listen to Him, Learn from Him, do what He says. Every leader leads better with help, no matter what they are doing!

Thanks Holy Spirit, for being our helper, we need your help, more now than ever!

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Fifteen Smart Things To Do Your First Year

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FIFTEEN SMART THINGS TO DO YOUR FIRST YEAR

It’s your first day on staff at a new church. The senior pastor has introduced you to the staff, donuts from your first day welcome party have been reduced to crumbs in the bottom of an empty box, and you’re sitting alone in your office. Now what? How you handle the next few months will have a tremendous impact on the remainder of your ministry. Let’s make sure you get off on the right foot. By the way, this advice applies whether you’re launching a ministry from scratch or you’re the new staff pastor at a church of two thousand plus.

1. First, do nothing.

Spend a few months not changing anything that’s currently in place. Use the time to find out what’s been done in the past. Ask lots of questions. Observe carefully. You need to understand exactly how the pastor, parents, kids, and current volunteers define a “great” children’s ministry. It’s likely that their definition won’t be in complete agreement, but everyone will assume your definition of “great” matches his or her own.

 2. Now Fix Something- but something small.

Find one small problem and fix it. Don’t tackle anything big yet; nobody knows you well enough to trust you, and you may create a bigger problem than you solve. Find something- anything- that makes life a little better for your kids, teachers, or kids’ families. You want people to realize that you’re actually good for the organization and worth listening to.

3. Connect with your leader.

When you go into a church to serve as children’s pastor, decide you’ll be committed to and support your senior pastor. I believe every church staff member should give the senior pastor what the leader wants. We need to all be working toward the same goal. When you come into a church, ask yourself, “What can God teach me through this pastor?” Your teachable attitude will allow you to do significant ministry and also grow spiritually.

4. Figure out where you are.

Once you understand the pastor’s vision for the area of ministry you’re overseeing, see if you have the resources you need to meet it. Is the correct leadership in place? Do you have the right tools—the curriculum, furniture, and rooms? Summarize on paper how you view your current ministry situation. Summarize where you think the ministry should go, too, and share what you’ve written with your senior pastor. This is your pastor’s chance to fine-tune your direction before you set out and make changes.

5. Join the team.

Go to lunch with other people on your church staff, one at a time. Ask what’s important to them.  Hear their heartbeat for ministry. Remember that even if the youth group consistently leaves the room you share in chaos, you and the youth pastor are on the same ministry team. Next year you’ll be releasing some of your children into the care of that youth pastor. Esteem that pastor and offer your support. If we want others to respect us, we need to respect them. That means respecting everyone on your team. Don’t fall into the “Us versus Them” trap. “We’re all on the same team.”

6. Determine where you’re going.

Set goals for your area of your ministry. What are the needs? Be specific. Here’s a great exercise to help you develop goals: Ask yourself what do you want the people you minister to become?. Make a list. You want them to know Jesus? Write it down. Want them to have a servant’s heart? Write it down. Want them to be givers? Put it on the list. Now you become those things, and put people who do those things in front of them. Teach others what God’s word says about those things, and model what living it looks like. Let your ministry be a place where people see what God wants them to become and where they can practice serving, giving, and being faithful. People follow people with a plan. If you haven’t developed a plan in your first three months to get from where you are to where you’re going, people aren’t going to follow you.

7. Communicate with the right people.

Most ministers spend 90 percent of their time working on communicating. That’s great, but you need to communicate with other audiences too. Working with young people? Create a newsletter that tells parents what you’re teaching and what’s on the schedule. Since you can’t assume that “take-home papers” make it home, create an app, e-mail, or even a worker webpage. Look for ways to keep information flowing to your team also remember to communicate upward.

8.  Update job descriptions.

Everyone needs a job description. I like to give every volunteer his or her job description, plus everyone else’s job description. When volunteers know where they fit, everyone does better. Write your own job description first, and submit it to the senior pastor for tweaking. Then write everyone else’s description. When your job description aligns with the pastor’s vision, and the other job descriptions align with yours, you’re all on the same page.

 9. Build a team.

We say team building is important. We even believe it. So why don’t we do it? If you don’t allow others to learn by doing—coaching and encouraging them as they go—there’s no way you’ll build a team. See yourself as a coach and a mentor whether you have a team of two hundred or a volunteer staff of two. Delegation is good: it’s letting someone represent you in accomplishing tasks and duties. You need that. But even better than delegation is duplication: creating an exact copy of an original. When you instill your heart and passion in another children’s worker, you’ve gone beyond just delegation and actually duplicated yourself.

10. Be visible in worship.

It’s important for your own spiritual life that you be in worship. It’s also important for your own spiritual life that you be a worshipper. Your actions set an expectation that every ministry volunteer should be growing in his or her faith. Sit right down front, and be visible as a cheerleader for the church, not just for your own ministry.

11. Use the church calendar.

Make sure your church office has a central, master calendar and use it. Staying coordinated with other ministries avoids facility conflicts. It also increases participation in your ministry because families don’t have to choose between conflicting meetings.

12. Tend to the budget.

Find out how budgets are done, by whom, when, and what the approval process is. Become an expert in the process before you have to produce an annual budget. You can accomplish more with money than without it, so don’t be shy about figuring out how to ask for money. To create a budget, ask yourself what you want to accomplish in the lives of those you minister to. Then develop on paper a ministry that meets those goals. Price the programs and total them up. That’s the budget you’ll ask for.

13. Shelve the great program you did in your last church. 

The program that went well in your last church may not meet the needs of folks in your new church. Always start by identifying needs and then finding a program or curriculum that addresses those needs.

14. Be creative and open to change.

Creative people are open to new ideas. They put things together in innovative ways. They tweak and twist and rearrange stuff. And they don’t accept the first solution offered just because it’s the easiest. That tiny change you wanted to make in your first few weeks may just be adding some direction signs so that people can find their way from one place to another. A small change, but a huge difference.

15. Do the job only you can do.

The first priority for any person in ministry is to work on leadership skills. We have to be problem solvers, encouragers, cheerleaders, coaches. You simply cannot spend all your time speaking. Ask the Lord if you’re more valuable to your pastor being a leader of leaders and a problem solver than as a teacher. There are other people who can teach but you may be the only one who can do your role. 

This might not seem like a full year’s worth of things to do but believe me, these fifteen things will keep you busy. It’s not easy doing all fifteen of these at the same time. Some will be easier to accomplish than others. The key is to remember this first year is all about relationships. One of the best words of advise I could give a person in a new position or church would be to remember that ministry is a marathon it is not a sprint. Don’t try to do everything that needs to be done all at one time. It’s also important to remember that your family also needs you. They are new too. They’ll make the needed adjustments they need to make if they have you leading them. Don’t be an absentee parent. Be the leader at home as well as at the church.

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