The main reason–legendary service begins with knowing that there are two sides of the service counter.  Not only are behind-counter tasks important, so are things on the front side of the counter.  This means cleaning and forming conversations with customers.  A lot of Starbucks partners have forgotten this fact.  They, quite frankly, don’t care about the other side of the counter.  It makes them just like any other fast food employee.  It’s not legendary.

No, I haven’t forgotten I’m writing on a kid’s ministry blog and not a business blog.  Just give me a second.  We as kids’ ministry people (and ministry people in general) have a tendency to barricade ourselves.  Behind the stage, on the stage, in a back room, in a sound booth.  Instead of heading out before the service and hanging out with the kids, we’re too busy “hiding”.  Yes, I realize you have to prepare.  I get that.  But don’t forget that you’re serving those kids.  Your ministry is to share the love of Christ with them.  You have to spend time with them to do that.  They’ll remember you more.  They’ll connect with you more.

I’m far from innocent in this area.  I feel that most of us are probably that way.  Make a special effort to talk to some kids this Sunday.  Don’t make them come to you.  Go talk to them.  Remember- there’s two sides.

Appreciating your volunteers is important, especially in younger generations like mine.  We like to know that we’re really being helpful and doing good.  It’s important to us in any area of life.  There’s an issue though.  In a lot of ministries, “volunteer appreciation” means a sheet of paper that says “You’re a lifesaver!” with a mint in the middle.  The thought is appreciated, but it usually doesn’t mean much.

When was the last time you shot off a phone call or email to a volunteer just to say, “Thanks for changing the life of a child”?   Better yet, when is the last time you took your volunteer to lunch just to say thank you?  Make volunteer appreciation more than a cheesy candy gift.  Make it something real- something a volunteer can walk away from and feel encouraged and cared for.  Make it personal.

This evening I was reading through my devotional book I read every night, Extreme Devotion.  (It’s really great, and you can check it out by clicking its picture to the left.)  Today’s devotion was about a missionary who went to Korea in the 1800s with a Korean Bible in tow.  The missionary was killed before he ever spoke to a single Korean.  However, his Bible is still read today by Christians in the restricted nation of North Korea.  Over 150 years later, his action and subsequent death are still a testimony to Korean Christians.

You know what’s so cool about that?  He had nothing to do with the growth but planting the seed.  It’s kind of like he planted a garden then had to move away, so someone else started tending it.  That’s where the parallel comes in.

Sometimes (no, most of the time) we have trouble letting go of our “gardens”.  You know them: the ministries, events, duties, etc. that you’ve always done.  It might be camp, VBS, summer outreaches, or whatever you may do.  It’s your baby and you don’t want to let it go.  The thing is, sometimes in order for it to really grow, you need to let go of it.

The death of any great ministry can be a leader who won’t let go.  It’s just like a parent who won’t let go of their child once they’re out on their own.  God has put volunteers in your church specifically so you can let go.  I appreciate being able to serve under a children’s pastor like Ryan, who’s willing to let go of these projects when he can.  For instance, a good portion of our VBS planning has been handed off to one of our best volunteers, Carol, for several years now.  There was an opportunity to let go, and he took it.  It’s helped both Ryan and our VBS in the long run having someone with the resources necessary to really invest in the ministry.  He recognized that a volunteer was put in his path to be a great resource for him.

So what this summer could you hand off to one of your “resources?”  Look at the things you refuse to let go of, but could really use someone else to tend to them who has the time and know-how.  Use the amazing volunteers God has blessed you with to their fullest!  It is called “summer break” after all.

1. Ask for the right volunteers.
   I know you’ve probably heard this a kajillion times, but don’t beg for volunteers.  Instead, start your summer volunteer search with an intimate time with God, asking Him to provide the volunteers you need.  I love the way the Message puts this passage from Matthew 9: “So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples. ‘How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!’”  When you involve God from the very beginning, things change.  He’ll bring the volunteers you need.  That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask for volunteers.  Just involve God.
2. Remind them that what they’re doing is important.
   Something that has always helped me as a volunteer to keep from being burnt out is remembering how important what I’m doing is.  I’m helping to show children that a really cool, amazing God loves them and has a plan for them.  I’m helping their families grow together.  I’m helping the children’s pastor to not lose his/her mind.  (Most of the time.)  Make sure your volunteers aren’t serving out of obligation, but because their actions matter.  It may just be one or two weeks a summer, but their volunteering still matters.  It’ll make all the difference in keeping them interested.
3. Treat them well.
   Even though I’m a volunteer, I still enjoy treating the other volunteers.  Every summer, I try to bring homemade cookies and coffee (good stuff, not the Sam’s Club brand junk) to share with the other volunteers at our events.  It’s always appreciated.  (Or so they tell me.)  Care for your volunteers.  You’re not the queen of a beehive in charge of hundreds of worker bees who are in charge of the children.  You’re in charge of people.  Treat them right!  They’ll respect you more, and they’ll have a better attitude too.  I speak from experience, amigos.

How do you keep your volunteers around?  How do you get them?  Let us know in the comments!

That got me to thinking: that guy would be a great children’s pastor.  He could probably rebuild the entire used sound system from “big church” using gum, duct tape, and some old socks.  (Admit it, you’ve used creative tools before.)  Children’s pastors seem to have a unique knack for making something out of absolutely nothing.

So in celebration of that spirit, we want to know what the most creative thing you’ve ever done to stretch your ministry budget was.  Whether it was giving every kid half a Tootsie Roll Midgee for being quiet to building a new children’s ministry building using only popsicle sticks and glue sticks, we want to hear about it.

As a little incentive to get you to share, we’re going to have a giveaway!  Just put in your name and email below (your email won’t be seen but anyone but us!), then tell us your budget-stretching story.  On March 7, I’m going to pick the most outrageously creative story.  You’ll win a children’s ministry music prize pack, containing at least 6 CDs, and more if we randomly decide to!  Make sure your submission is in by 11:59 PM EST on March 6, or it doesn’t count.  We all look forward to seeing your crazy ideas!

 It’s called Hope Lives.  Hope Lives is a book by Amber Van Schooneveld about compassion and poverty.  I’ve just flipped through it,  but it looks great.  In conjunction with the book, Group has released  curriculum to go along with the book.  They have a  children’s ministry kit, youth kit, pastors kit, and small group kit.   They’re cheap too: your whole church could get involved with Hope Lives for less than $150 for a 5 week series.  

The whole purpose is to help you encourage your children to develop a compassionate response to poverty.  It reminds them that hope lives.  It helps them put it into action.  If you’ve been looking for a way to get your kids involved in poverty outreach, Hope Lives is a great way to start.  You can check it out at group.com/hopelives.

Proverbs 20:4 (NCV) “Lazy farmers don’t plow when they should; they expect a harvest, but there is none.”

I find myself like that lazy farmer a lot.  It’s hard to part with old things.  They’re just comfortable.  I’m pretty sure you know what I’m talking about too.  What are those policies, programs, ideas, or people that are comfortable and are so hard to get rid of?  They’re like the old crops for the farmer.  We try and tell ourselves that we can add this new thing to the old thing, and it’ll be better.  Take this hypothetical classroom for example: you have an old, grumpy, generally angry guy teaching a class.  So you think, “Well, if I just put someone less grumpy in there with him, it’ll all be OK.”  The thing is, the problem is still there.  You’re just masking it.  You can throw fertile new young hearts out onto that soil, but few of them will take.  You haven’t plowed the problem.

Sometimes, plowing things up and getting rid of the old is painful.  It takes a sharp blade to plow.  You’ll make people mad.  It’s guaranteed.  I realize you can’t just go around offending everybody.  That’s poor leadership.  There’s also a point at which you let yourself be walked on too much.  That’s poor leadership too.  It all comes down to what’s more important.  Offending a few adults who have had years to grow in their faith, or turning an entire generation of kids with fertile new hearts (seeds) off to the Gospel because you weren’t willing to plow up the old stuff?  Take a look at your ministry today: what can you start plowing up?

1.  Imagine being Mary and Joseph, lying in the stable looking the living, breathing Son of God right in the face.  Imagine the task of parenting a perfect child for the next 30 years!  (Most parents probably wouldn’t complain.)  He’d be courageous, relentless, and brave.  He’d love a world of sin.  Nothing we could do would keep us from the intimate love he would give.  He overcomes it all.  This is our God.  These are some of the ideas from the song, “This is Our God” that our choir shared tonight.  Remember that you serve a living Savior.  He came as a baby for you.  Even when you’re burned out, you have the knowledge of His unspeakable gift to you to drive you on.  That’s a crazy thought.  Here’s some of the highlights of the lyrics from this song:

Who is this child asleep in the manger?
Tender and mild, this intimate Stranger?
Recklessly, wildly loving a dangerous world
Who is this light invading our darkness…

This is our God, living and breathing
Call Him courageous, relentless, and brave
This is our God, loving and reaching…

Who is this One who will not condemn us?…
Nothing we’ve done will keep Him from giving us grace.
Who is this One we watch and we’re speechless?
God’s only Son embracing our weakness…

This is our God, love sacrificing,
All that is holy, accepting our cross…

Aren’t those powerful words?  You can pick it up from iTunes if you’d like to hear more of it.

2.  Last night, I was reading Romans chapter 8.  I came across verses 17 and 18, which read (NLT):

But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.  Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.

Those verses say it all.  You may be running on empty from all of the Christmas work that you’re involved in in your church and family.  Throughout your life, you may just get tired and feel like quitting.  You may lose your job.  You or a loved one may become extremely sick.  You can’t know the future.  Yet no matter how bad things get here, they can’t compare to the glory we’ll see in heaven.  They can’t compare to getting to worship at the feet of Christ.  The song the church choir sang this evening that inspired this section was All Rise, a great song by Babbie Mason.  Here’s the words of the chorus:

All Rise! All Rise!
Stand before the throne in the presence of the Holy One!
All Rise! All Rise!
As we worship the Messiah,
All Rise!

Remember, the reason you serve isn’t for praise and adoration here on earth.  Those are nice encouragers all of the time.  The real reason we serve is so we can stand shoulder-to-shoulder one day with the children we ministered to and face the throne of God, and rise up and worship.  Millions of believers from centuries past, all gathered together to worship in the glory and splendor of the King.  That’s why we serve.  That’s why we celebrate Christmas.  To be able to stand one day at the throne of the “Baby” Jesus and worship.  That’ll change your entire outlook.

I hope you’ve been encouraged.  Have a great Christmas with your families.  In the midst of presents and tradition, don’t forget the true meaning.  That’s the way I see it.

1.  Great speakers and music.  Orange has always done a great job of getting and keeping the best minds in children’s ministry, and the greatest musical talent.  If you want to be encouraged, uplifted, and worship, you can’t beat the group the team at reThink has brought together.  It’s an amazing conference in this area- one of the best in the industry.

2.  Spread out.  One of the most common complaints I hear about Orange is just how many people are in one place.  Orange may need to consider doing two sites in the future- help reduce overcrowding a little.  They’ve started on this already by moving to a larger venue, but it’s still something to look out for.

3.  Keep the loose schedule.  One of Orange’s strengths is how loose their schedule is.  You’ve got plenty of time to take some time to refresh and recharge, check out Atlanta, and whatever you want.  You won’t feel rushed through the day, without feeling like you’ve got too much free time.

4.  Diversify their interests.  Orange was started primarily to be a family ministry conference, and they’ve done really well as such.  But in order to be even more successful than they are now, they’re going to have to start diversifying a little of what they talk about.  The conference needs to be more open to other forms of ministry, rather than just one.  They must still keep what makes them them, without excluding everyone else.

So those are my thoughts about Orange.  What do you think?