It Worked For Us
Best Practices for Ministry With Children and Families
By Judy ComstockAbingdon Press
Copyright © 2009 Abingdon Press
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-687-65992-0Contents
Administration,
Strategic Plans by Judy Comstock,
How To Publicize Your Events by Pamela Burton,
Getting Inside Your Pastor's Head by Alan Nelson,
Children's Ministry Finance by Earl Radford,
Early Childhood,
Children's Ministry Begins at Conception: Birthing a Cradle-Care Ministry by Amy Fenton Lee,
Starbucks for Preschoolers by Dienna Goscha,
Creating a Learning Environment for Babies, 1's & 2's by Ann Edwards,
Over-the-Top Preschool Bible Stories and Worship by Karen Apple,
Elementary,
Children's Church ... It's,
the "Main Service!" by Rev. Eric N. Hamp,
Bible Exploration Club by Nick Ransom,
Christianity in Public Schools: Our Only Hope by Finn Laursen,
Family Ministry,
How to Conduct a Wildly Successful Family Event by Roger Fields,
Children's Ministry That Empowers Parents to Impact Their Homes and Communities by Kirk Weaver,
Family Ministry by Jim Weidmann,
Yours, Mine, and Ours ... a Role for the Church by Judy Comstock,
Global,
Think Globally, Act Locally ... by Pam Burton,
Hung Used to Go to Bed Hungry by Jodi L. Cataldo,
Models,
The Workshop Rotation Model and How to Get Started by Pamela Riedy and Mary Jane Huber,
What I've Learned About Rotational Learning by Daphna Flegal,
Mixed-Age Matters by Patty Smith,
Using Media With Children by Daphna Flegal,
Living Large While Connecting Small— Building a Large Group/Small Group Program by Lisa Hiteshaw,
Personal Growth,
Shepherd or Sheepherder by Karl Bastian,
Networking by Beth Morrison,
Unlocking Your Leadership Potential by Craig Jutila,
Keeping Life Simple by Jim Wideman,
Preteens,
Who Are They? A Look Into the Life of Preteens by Kim Vaught,
Reaching Tweens With the Gospel by Chad Miller,
Spiritual Growth for Tweens in Transition by Dr. Rob Rienow,
Tweens and Service by Marcia Joslin Stoner,
Safety,
Volunteer Background Checks by Brad Snellings,
Safety and Security in Children's Ministry by Loralee Boe,
Special Events,
UGSFAW! A Unique Way to Build a Vibrant Summer Program by Kurt Goble,
Why Do VBS? And How Should Churches Plan for It? by Betsy Nunn Parham and Linda Tozer,
Sports Camps by Nick Ransom,
Successful Seasonal Events by Sharon Stratmoen,
Going Green = God's Plan? by Dienna Gotscha,
Special Needs,
A Mother's Heart to Impact Special Needs by Mary Ann McPherson,
Understand the Diagnosis, Understand the Individual by Amy Fenton Lee,
Placing the Child With Special Needs by Amy Fenton Lee,
Special Needs: Your Best Resource May Be Outside the Church by Amy Fenton Lee,
Special Needs: The Volunteers' Blessings by Amy Fenton Lee,
Spiritual Formation,
Prayer: Opening the Door by Karyn Henley,
Who Are We When Nobody Is Looking? Character, Character Education, and Character and Spiritual Formation by Vernie Schorr,
Leading a Child to Christ by Dave Welday,
Technology,
If We Do Nothing, Nothing Will Be Done by Tracy Carpenter,
Kids and Technology: Rotary Telephones in a Cell Phone World by Erik K. Jarvis,
So You Want to Shoot and Edit Video? by Kurt Goble,
Volunteers,
The Three R's of Volunteerism by Kim Vaught,
Training Without the Meeting by Michelle Romain,
If You Build It ... by Deb Moncauskas,
CHAPTER 1
Strategic Plans
by Judy Comstock
Like many of you, I have participated in brainstorming sessions that were promoted as "strategic planning." The time spent brainstorming during these meetings was a healthy way to list our joys, concerns, and dreams. However, these sessions left me asking the question, "Now what?" At the end of the day we had a long list of ideas, but no clearly defined objectives or action steps. In other words, we had ideas but no plan to get us from point A to point B.
During the years I served as Director of Children's Ministry at Church of the Resurrection, our department was expected to develop an annual strategic plan, as were all of the other departments at the church. A businessman from the church taught us how to use an effective planning approach and how to organize our ideas into a workable plan. The resulting document would align children's ministry around common goals that support the church's mission statement. The plan would be used as a guide to accomplish amazing and necessary goals. Each department director was held accountable during a mid-year assessment meeting and a year-end report.
One of the best examples of how this approach worked effectively relates to our move into a new building. The space that would house our church preschool, the nursery, children's ministry classrooms, children's ministry offices, our resource room, and an electronic welcome center was 64,400 square feet. Yes, that area would hold a lot of chairs, tables, bulletin boards, rocking chairs, toys, and teaching supplies. The big move was scheduled during the week preceding Palm Sunday. We had to recruit our own team of volunteers to move the supplies and equipment, to decorate the bulletin boards, and to assemble the nursery equipment. We had plenty of questions. Where would we get all of the boxes?
Who would create the decorating plan? How would our children and Sunday school teachers know how to transition from their classroom into the new sanctuary for the Palm Branch Parade? Due to safety restrictions enforced by the builder and our facilities director, only designated staff members had been allowed into the new structures. How would we reduce the anxiety that our staff, volunteers, the children, and even the ushers had about safely escorting the children from their classrooms into the new sanctuary for the Palm Branch Parade and back to the secure children's ministry area? Our strategic plan would need to have action steps that answered all of these questions and clearly described a successful transition.
Fast forward to Palm Sunday. We were told that this was the smoothest move in our church's fifteen-year, four-building history. I am convinced that the use of our strategic plan was the reason. The positive results are why this approach has been adopted by other churches and by the staff and board of directors at International Network of Children's Ministry. It is my joy to describe how you can develop a strategic plan and use it for your benefit. Using the components of this strategic planning approach will result in measurable goals, shared duties, and reduced distractions.
Schedule Your Initial Meeting
Here is how we have done strategic planning. First, schedule a time and place for your initial planning meeting. Invite key leaders, volunteers, and parents who have a voice in the department or organization. The planning team should involve ten to twenty people. Designate a scribe to ensure that the details and decisions are recorded. You may want to involve your administrative assistant. Allow at least three hours for the meeting. To ensure involvement of your key players, you may need to provide childcare. If the meeting must take place over a lunch or dinner, offer food that requires very little preparation. This might be a good time for pizza to be delivered. In other words, don't let the food distract you or...
