The boldness of Paul

Reading through Galatians, right now. Paul's boldness amazes me. I can't say how many times I've read through Galatians 2 and yet the more I develop as a leader the more I appreciate his willingness to call a spade a spade. Despite Peter's boldness in the Spirit post-Pentecost, he obviously continued to struggle some with the 'people-pleaser' side of him. Paul stepped up to let him know that his actions contradicted his theology.

How many times do my actions contradict my theology? More often than I think... I'm sure. Like Peter... I know what is right but it's easier to do what is accepted.

In the Fast Lane

Okay, so maybe I was in the 'granny' lane... the way I kept getting passed!

My team and I went to Pole Position (an indoor karting joint) in the city last Thursday. Still paying for it. Apparently those little race cars generate a lot of vibration and my shoulders took the brunt.

But it was amazing to go that fast!

So it IS all about me...

I recently read a post by Kem Meyers taking an interesting twist on the well known phrase, "Church is not about you!". Although Kem's idea is designed for a capital campaign, easily the concept translates to the ongoing challenge of recruiting volunteers to serve within the ministry.
Try this on for size...
"It's my story, it's my decision, it's my chance to make a difference..." http://kemmeyer.typepad.com/less_clutter_noise/2007/02/theming_a_capit.html

Is there a better approach to recruiting? A more effective way of communicating that a well-placed volunteer is not just filling a hole but is rather fulfilling a God-given opportunity to change someone's world.

Even as a ministry leader, I find myself trying to figure out how ministry fits into my life rather than how my life fits into this ministry. If I need to be reminded of the reality that it's 'my story, my decision, my chance to make difference...', then why am I surprised when a volunteer needs it?

It's my blog and I'll change if I want to...

So I made a few changes...

I like the idea of making this my personal blog rather than a representation of LifeKIDS or LifeChurch.tv. More freedom when you don't have to make it 'look' right.

I'll continue to communicate thoughts, challenges, and ideas regarding OKC LifeKIDS and kids ministry in general. I encourage you to participate in the conversation.

More than that... continue to search for other sources that challenge your thinking. When you find something... share with the team. Happy hunting...

KONNECT Attendance... Where are the kids?

60%? What's up with that?

Justin and I took a close look at the Sunday KONNECT Attendance Trackers today. We noticed a direct correlation between the group attendance and the attendance of their leader. If the kids in a Circle Group had poor attendance we looked at the attendance of the group leader. Turns out if the kids in the group were 'on again/off again', the Circle Group leader had the same attendance record.

Now, which one is the cause? The group's poor attendance brings about a group leader that is less committed b/c they feel less effective/needed, etc? Or vice-versa? Probably just another 'chicken vs. egg' story. Doesn't matter in the end. I'm sure one feeds the other only to perpetuate the situation.

The real question is how do we reverse the trend in these groups with sporadic group leaders? We start one group at a time.

Justin is speaking to his leaders this week about the number of weeks we have left in this semester. The limited amount of time before the '06-'07 year ends. Justin will be rallying the troops this week, motivating them to refocus and remember the goal... changed lives.

Pray for the leaders. Pray for the kids. Pray for a dramatic shift in attendance. Pray for one kid on the bubble to make a personal connection with their group leader this week.

Credit where credit is due...

Okay... a little celebration, here. Speaking of small steps:

• How do we increase the 5:30 CM team by 5%? Well, this week the CM 'Needed vs. Present' is 81%! Bringing our overall total average for the week (KONNECT included) to 98%! That's phenominal! Great job, Toni!

We're seeing a direct result of a great recruiting drive. A few things can be tweaked... done a little differently... but overall, it was a very simple and effective method of drawing attention to serving in LifeKIDS.

The momentum was great! Now comes the challenge of keeping them. Don't get me wrong. I'm not interested in white knuckling someone, begging them to hang on just to fill a hole. But I'm very interested in becoming experts at fostering an environment that allows a Cast Member to really be effective in their role. It seems that when a Cast Members 'feels' effective then they tend to stick through all the ups and downs. What does that look like?