My Three Things From Orange

It's been three weeks since the Orange Conference and there was so much to process after coming home. Since I was the only one from our children's ministry team that was able to attend, it was my job to bring all of what I learned home to share with everyone. Knowing that attending Orange is like drinking from a fire hose for days, I had to process before passing on anything. Sam Luce gave me some great advice the first year I attended the conference when I explained that I was a bit overwhelmed. He said to pick three things that I learned and work on those. I went to work on writing up everything on what I wanted to share and presented them to our director.

So here are my three things.

All three things are from from Gina McClain's workshop.

Gina had spoken about how essential it is to highlight the win by sharing stories. These stories will communicate what is important, that there are valuable things happening, and could potentially be an invitation to get involved. 

Prior to Orange our team had briefly spoken about doing some videos to share with the church during service, but they were mostly going to be informational. What I suggested is that we create videos that would tell the stories of why we serve and all that God is doing in the lives of our kids. Informational videos while necessary and definitely useful, often only engage those who actually have children in our ministry. So in addition to the series promotional videos, we are also sharing the stories that we hope will reach everyone.

Gina expressed the responsibility we have to empower our small group leaders with clear goals and values. That everyone should know what to do and how to do it, what is a priority, and what is expected of them. 

The most common ways of communicating these goals and values are a handbook and verbally giving these directions. We had been doing well verbally, but needed to update our handbook for our adult volunteers and create one for our junior volunteers. We took this a step further and wanted to create one not only for small group leaders, but for all leaders in our ministry. We have just finished our junior volunteer handbook and are currently working on one for the adults.

Gina discussed helping small group leaders to think small and that how they are equipped matters. She spoke of empowering small group leaders by giving them a roster of the kids in their group and explaining that these are the ones to know, love on, and pray for each week.

We want our small group leaders to take ownership of their groups and this is a fantastic way to do that. We have completed the roster and are working on additional information to provide leaders including addresses and birthdays of each child. Not only will this provide a list of children to pray for each week, but will also allow them to connect and build relationships outside of Sundays.

These are just a few things I brought home to share with our team that we are currently working on applying to our ministry.

What were your takeaways from Orange?

How are you implementing them?

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Can You Hear Me Now?

Communication is key when it comes to volunteers and leadership in children’s ministry. Typically, many of these conversations happen at church on a Sunday morning and more often than not are completely spontaneous. However, trying to have a conversation before service, between services, or after service can be a challenge, and trying to effectively communicate your thoughts in those times can be near impossible.

I am sharing a few things you can do to help these spontaneous Sunday morning conversations be more effective at my friend, Jill's place today.

You can read more here.

Blessings,

Soul Tattoo: Living Out What God Put in You - Craig Jutila

These are my notes from Craig Jutila's breakout

Soul Tattoo.

The Sacred Heart is a medieval symbol of Christ's sacrifice.

The sacred heart signifies the redeeming love of God. 

Those who devote themselves to the Sacred Heart do so to create 

within themselves the love and compassion as taught by Christ.

Guard your heart above all else, 

for it determines the course of your life. 

Proverbs 4:23

Guard means to keep. Keep something of high value. 

If you have something of high value you do whatever you can to guard or protect it.

The Heart Symbolizes Kindness 

In Judaism, the word 'heart' represented the core of the person. The heart was considered the center of spirituality. The heart was the emotional center, and from there flowed love and kindness. 

Let the LORD remove every memory of him from the earth, because he did not remember to be kind. He drove oppressed, needy, and brokenhearted people to their graves. 

Psalm 109:15-16

The Crown Symbolizes Suffering 

A.W. Tozer said, It is doubtful that God will use you greatly until he has hurt you deeply.

My sacrifice [the sacrifice acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart [broken down with sorrow for sin and humbly and thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise. 

Psalm 51:17

Broken Things

Jacobs Hip 

It was not until Jacob’s natural strength was broken that he came to the point where God could clothe him with spiritual power. 

The Soldiers Jars 

It wasn’t until Gideon’s three hundred soldiers “broke the jars in their hands” that God’s power brought terror to their enemies. 

Esther and The Law 

It was not until Esther risked her life and broke through the strict laws of the King’s court that she received favor to rescue her people from death. 

Jesus and the Bread 

It wasn’t until Jesus broke “the five loaves” that the bread was multiplied to feed the five thousand. 

The Perfume Bottle 

It wasn’t until Mary broke the “jar of perfume” that the fragrance filled the house. 

It is through the process of brokenness and suffering that miracles occur.

The Dagger Symbolizes Courage 

It symbolizes the willingness to take action, to be bold and fearless. A Dagger Tattoo that appears to enter the flesh with the tip often reappearing symbolizes that an individual has been wounded in life. 

Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord. 

Psalm 27:14

Take Courage...Don’t Wait For It!

The Rose Symbolizes Hope 

A tattoo of a rose with thorns reminds us that beauty does not come without sacrifice. The road of hope often has a few thorns along the way but at the end of the thorny branch is something beautiful. 

But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun] 

Isaiah 40:31a

The Flame Symbolize Passion 

Passion is a strong emotion that has an overpowering or compelling effect. Apathy is the opposite of passion. Lack of interest, listless, unconcerned or indifferent.

Why People Loose Their Passion 

1. Familiarity 

2. Keeping The Wrong Company 

3. Nothing to Fight For 

4. A Hard Heart 

How To Get It Back 

1. Get Around Passionate People 

2. Pray For It 

3. Keep Daily Reminders 

Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow 

and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord. Romans 12:11

Keep my commands and live...

Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. 

Proverbs 7:1-3

Craig Jutila is an author, leadership coach and communicator speaking to audiences and teams throughout the country on the topics of marriage, family, leadership and living lives of health and balance. In their most recent book, “From Hectic to Healthy: The Journey to a Balance Life”,” Craig, along with his wife Mary, share their story of a life lived out of balance and how they had to fight to find the right seasonal pace for their life and family. Craig also serves as president of Empowered Living a company that provides leadership and resources for parents, families, children and leaders.

Blog: www.whowillyouempower.com

Twitter: @craigjutila

Through the Looking Glass

Sometimes attending a conference can overwhelm you with all the information shared there. You might not know which great idea to implement first or what change needs to happen right away. You attend main sessions and workshops where speakers pour into you. You have conversations with others in ministry who do what you do and close friends that speak into your life.

The Orange Conference was different for me this year. Instead of feeling like I was drinking from a fire hose, it felt more like taking a looking glass to my life. Much of it made me ask some really important questions about myself that will take some time to truly ponder.

One thing became very clear to me at a conference that's theme was focus. It clarified my passion - creating community, deepening relationships, and transparent conversations.

Because it happened at a children's ministry conference, does it only apply to my role as a volunteer in our children's ministry? I don't believe so. I think that it runs across the board in every area of my life - from being a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, and a volunteer.

Now ask me to explain what this looks like and I will tell you that I honestly don't know right now. I just know that this is what God spoke to my heart during the time I spent with Him at the conference. There is change coming - something new. I feel a bit restless and unsettled by it, yet hopeful and excited about all He has in store for me.

No one’s ever seen or heard or imagined anything like this. 

What God has arranged for those who love him. 

You’ve seen and heard it because God by his Spirit 
has brought it all out into the open before you. 

The Spirit dives into the depths of God 
and brings out what God planned all along. 

1 Corinthians 2:9-10

Blessings,

Orange Main Session - Andy Stanley

Here are my notes from Andy Stanley's main session.

I want to encourage you to rethink your approach on how you teach and talk about the scriptures to kids and students. We have for generations perceived ourselves to be the majority. It effects the words we use. We aren’t the majority anymore, but we are so accustomed to speaking as the majority. I wish we could all take a big step back and not act as if we were the majority. In the first century they knew they weren’t the majority. They were lion food. Outcasts. Once upon a time there were a handful of people who believed that Jesus rose from the dead.

 

Our approach determines people’s response to what we have to say.

-  We have to approach each child differently.

We must adapt our approach depending on who our audience is.

-  In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, Paul adapted to speak to each person’s differences.

-  His goal wasn’t to be right, and make a point. His goal was to reach some.

- The approach may change, but the goal always remains the same.

You inherited an approach that assumes biblical authority.

- You do not believe what you believe because the Bible says so.

7 Guideline to Communicate Scripture

- Choose a passage of scripture and stay there. Bible story – is it a story? Its better than a story. It’s history.  Make it interesting and clear. Bring your energy to the text. Stop using all your energy for the illustration. You read things to discover if they are true.

- Give people permission not to believe or obey the scriptures. We do not want our children to think that the reason we do this is because it is in the bible. 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 – What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church. All the local church is supposed to do is one another one another. When people see that, they want that. Let’s be so good at what we do they can’t help but lean in. The attraction of the church is look at all those one anothers one anothers not this is what is in the bible. The authority of the local church was look how they love one another not this is what the bible says.

- Teach in a manner that emphasizes the identity of Jesus over the authority of scripture.  They believed in Jesus because He rose from the dead not because the bible says so. The foundation of our faith is a moment in history – Jesus rose from the dead.  People must come to terms with the identity of Jesus and his authority before they can believe. The foundation of your faith is a group of people that expected to find a body and didn’t.

- Don’t refer to the bible as a book. Never say god wrote the bible. It’s way better than a book.

- Cite authors not the Bible. James was the brother of Jesus. What would you have to do to convince your brother that you were the Son of God? We should not expect people to believe that Jesus rose from the dead because the bible says so. We believe because the witnesses said so and they saw it.

 - Acknowledge the odd as odd. There are some odd things in the Bible. Just say they're odd. We believe the Old Testament is true because Jesus believed that it was true. Anyone who predicts his own death and resurrection, I just go with what he says. Jesus said the Old Testament was scripture.

- Don’t create the impression that one must choose between faith and science. You want people who understand why things work like they do. 

And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult 

for the Gentiles who are turning to God.

Acts 15:19 

Let's not make it difficult for our kids.

10 Things I Do to Learn, Lead and Network with Others - Jim Wideman

Today I attended my second workshop by Jim Wideman

10 Things I Do to Learn, Lead, & Network with Others

Here are my notes.

We need each other.

The human body has many parts, 

but the many parts make up one whole body.

So it is with the body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12

We take the body for granted.

We sometimes don’t value one another.

Don’t try to do this alone. 

Life is too short not to spend it with others.

The real problem with leaders

- People don’t see the need to continually learn.

- Being a learner must become part of your lifestyle.

- Some leaders think they’ve arrived.

The intensity of how you pursue exploring and learning

is what sets you apart as a leader.

10 habits a leader must develop to be a master networker and learner

1. Read - (books, blogs, twitter, instagram) Look at blogs to see who they follow. Make appointments to read. Make other people’s learning your own. Have a reading list. Find out what others are reading and why. Don’t just look for facts. Look for the how and why they think something.

2. Listen to teaching - Get podcasts, buy the CD, keep your iPod loaded with teaching. Find some things that you need to hear.

3. Ask questions constantly - Jesus was the master of teaching and encouraging by asking questions.

4. Develop a relationship with people you esteem - Add people you learn from to the list. Keep those that sharpen you.  Lose those that don’t.  Spend time with people.

5. Visit creative places - Visit other churches. Go to theme parks.

6. Go to conferences - Network and connect with others. Bring someone with you. Expose them to that bigger thinking. Ask them what they saw and what they learned. Make a conference within a conference. Set up meeting with those you want to learn from.

7. Surround yourself with peers you respect - Look for ways to connect with other leaders in your area. Have coffee and lunch. Know other people who have your job. Develop a relationship with someone whose church is same size.

8. Be a fly on the wall to learn - Write stuff down that you hear said. Sometimes you just need to stand there listening and learn.

9. Study successful people - Undercover Boss and The Apprentice (great learning tools)

10. Get a coach - Everyone that is successful has a coach. Group coaching. You need a small group. You need a place where you can ask tough questions. Accountability. Iron sharpening iron.

How to make this happen

1. Get out your calendar and plan to include these networking steps

2. Set appointments

3. Make some calls and or emails

4. Start a local networking group

5. Give away what you are learning

Start writing what you’re learning.

Start looking for someone to mentor and share what you know.

You reap what you sow.

Look for ways to raise the ability of those you lead.

Look for ways to help other churches.

We are all this together.

Jim has provided all his workshop notes to be downloaded here.

Jim Wideman is considered to be an innovator, pioneer and one of the fathers of the modern children’s ministry movement. He has trained hundreds of thousands of children’s ministry and student ministry leaders from across the U.S. and around the world over the past 35 years. Jim currently oversees Next Generation & Family Ministries, which includes birth through college, at World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Jim and his wife, Julie, have two fabulous daughters, two handsome son-in-laws and the cutest grandson ever born!

Blog: www.JimWideman.com

Twitter: @jimwideman

Orange Day Two

Today is Day 2 here at The Orange Conference 

and I am super excited for all God has in store!

Here are the workshops I will be attending today.

10 Things I Do to Learn, Lead, and Network with Others

Jim Wideman

The Missing Link: Marriage Ministry in the Local Church

Ted Lowe

Soul Tattoo: Living Out What God Put in You

Craig Jutila

Better Off Without Jesus

Chuck Bomar

If you weren't able to make it to Orange this year, you can tune in via live stream. You will be able to see what's happening on and off stage, watch sessions and interviews with speakers, learn more about resources and enter giveaways.

I will be blogging and tweeting throughout the conference along with many others.

You can follow all the Orange Bloggers listed here.

You can also follow along via Twitter using the hashtag #OC13.

Blessings,

Coaching the Small Group Leader - Gina McClain

Gina is a fantastic friend and I love hearing her heart for small group leaders.

Today I attended her workshop

Coaching the Small Group Leader

Here are my notes.

How to Best Coach Your Small Group Leaders

Clear Goals. Clear Values.

Goals tell people where we are going. Goals give them direction and something to focus on.

Values are the behaviors that you want your small group leader to embrace.

They are a foundational piece that must be in place.

Why are goals and values important?

Empowering

Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work

and build up the church, the body of Christ.

Ephesians 4:12

Ways clear goals and values empower

Knowledge

What do you want me to do and how do you want me to do it?

Priorities

Small group leaders are inundated with information.  

Let them know what the bottom line is that you want the kids to leave knowing. 

Make sure they know that prayer time is important.

Expectations

Sit down and actually tell them what is expected.

What’s ok and what’s not.

Language

Give them the words that communicate the values you want them to embrace. 

You can use the ones shared in Lead Small.

If you create your own – keep it memorable and simple.

Have a strategy to cultivate your goals and values.

What sows your goals and values into your ministry?

They have to encounter them every way every time they serve.

Prioritize your influence

You speak into their lives.

You leverage influence of your key influencers.

Invest time. Invest vision. Invest heart.

Highlight the win

Share stories with your small group leaders, parents, and your Pastor.

When you highlight the win you communicate what is most important.

Communicates that there are valuable things happening there and I want to be involved.

That parent is potentially a small group leader. They just haven’t said yes yet. Telling a story can make the yes happen.

Ask the right question

How did it go? Vs. how did the kids connect with the story?

This will cause them to not only look at what they’ve done but also how they will lead in the future.

Help them think small

How you equip them matters.

Supplies, information, and kids

Supplies (communicates for the group of ten rather than all kids)

Information (communicate what matters most – bottom line, prayer time, connections made in group) kids (roster of kids for each sgl – those are your kids. They know who they are connecting with and praying for each week. Love on these kids and really know them.)

They won’t fully invest in their 10 the way I want them to until I give them the 10.

Area matters.

Large rooms vs classrooms

Emphasize small within the big (greatest tool – rug for each small group)

Deepening your bench

Find your best equippers.

They can help build your 2nd string. 

(pair them up with new leaders. They can explain what we do and why we do it.) 

They become stronger leaders.

Develop a culture of invitation.

Make it part of what you do – constantly invite.

Church wide vs ministry specific.

Gina McClain is originally from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. A graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma, she worked in International Banking before joining the staff of LifeChurch.tv in 1999 where she remained for over a decade. Currently, Gina is the Children’s Ministry Director at Faith Promise Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Gina is driven by the idea of equipping parents for the journey of teaching their kids how to follow Christ. Based upon her experience as a mom, she identifies with the everyday challenges parents wade through. Gina and her husband, Kyle, have three kids, Keegan, Josie and Connor.
Blog: www.GinaMcClain.com
Twitter: @gina_mcclain

NextGen/Family Ministry Leadership: Leading 360 Degrees - Michael Bayne

Michael is an incredible leader and friend.
Today I attended his workshop
Next Gen/Family Ministry Leadership
Leading 360 Degrees

Here are my notes.

Most of the problems we face have nothing to do with our call and our passion. 

My ability to lead is where most of my problems begin.

What I do with my time here matters greatly. How I choose to lead is a really big deal.

In order to make not just a big impact but a lasting impact, you will have to lead with courage.

Leadership is learned.

In a messy leadership situation, in a church without clear direction, 
how am I going to be able to make an impact?

If you want to make a real difference you have to expand your leadership influence
and fight for the health of the church and not just your family ministry.

We are called to ensure our churches are not pushing the next generation away.

The church needs us to remind them that we are called to have the heart of a child …

a willingness to learn, risk, experiment, laugh, explore, and love.

Lead up

Embrace authority.

Treat those in authority over you the way you want those you lead to treat you.

Build the relationship.

Get to know who your leaders are.

Deliver consistently. 

Build trust by doing great and consistent work.

Discover your leader’s strengths.

Not just know but celebrate.

Fill the gap.

You’re at your church for a reason.

Publicly support.

Public support leads to private influence.

Lead Across

Leading across is not a one-time event, not a project, it’s an ongoing process.

Care about more than just what is on your to do list

Don’t pretend to be the perfect leader

Build bridges not silos

Develop authentic friendships

Strive for production not politics

You want to lead across well? Say you're sorry. Admit your mistakes. Be real.

Bridges…how can we support the big picture?

Authentic friendships

So many unhealthy churches are due to no depth of relationships.

I want to be about the family of God and not the corporation of God. 

Family knows each other. Family spends time together.

Leading Down

Walk slowly.

Know the people you’re leading.

Believe in your team.

Look at potential, discover their strengths. 

Everyone needs someone to believe in them. Be that leader.

Give away opportunities to lead

Model the behavior you desire

Continually repeat the vision

Reward results

You can view Michael's notes on his blog here.

Michael Bayne is a follower of Christ, husband, dad, and pastor passionate about reaching the next generation for Christ. Michael serves as the Executive Pastor at Grace Community Church in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Blog: www.MichaelBayne.net
Twitter: @michael_bayne

Leading You: The Art of Self-Leadership - Jim Wideman

Anytime I have an opportunity to sit under Jim's teaching,

I am always incredibly blessed.

Today I attended his workshop

Leading You: The Art of Self-Leadership.

Here are my notes.

Nobody was born organized. Everything is learned behavior.

Almost everything shared is from Jim's book, Beat the Clock.

Leadership is a privilege. It also has its challenges. 

Some people are easier to lead than others.

My biggest challenge is leading myself.

The H Factors in Leading You

Heart

Sometimes we are so busy doing the work of the ministry
that we don’t guard our hearts.

It will really help your ministry to know Jesus.

Make an appointment with Jesus. 

Treat those appointments as your first priority.

 You have to make deposits before you can make withdrawals.

Home

You’ve got to have your home organized. 

God created the family before He did the church.

What happens at home is more important than what happens at church. - Reggie Joiner

The time you spend at home and what

you do with that time is important.

Your family is your greatest sermon.

Your family is God’s will.

Health

Your health is very important.

You need to take care of yourself.

Head

Watch your thinking. Take every thought captive.

You cant control what happens in life. You can control how you respond.

Hours

If we all have 24 hours, it is important to God how we spend them.

Planning must always go before action.

How do you want to spend your time?

Every job goes better with the right tools.

Look at events and deadlines.

Make a list of 3 things you want to improve on.
Set deadlines.

Look at meetings we need to have.

Arrange meetings to go over what needs to be done
then release team to do the work.

Read Death by Meeting by Patrick Lencioni

Set appointment for everything that is important.

4 Keys to Time Management

Planning

Most put end date on calendar but don’t include appointments to work on project.

People follow people with a plan. 

Preparation

Use to-do lists. 

Things for Mac. Kickoff texting program for projects. Things has multiple to do lists.

Set alarms and reminders. Set priorities.

Will work on this now and work on that later.

Evaluation

Quit writing down what you want to do and evaluate what you have done.

Ask – Is it working? How do we define the win?

Identify time wasters.  

Identify something you did today that you can improve tomorrow.

How do I need to spend time that I am saving?

Delegation

It is important that you allow people to lead. 

Someone let you sorry all over kids and get better. You have to return the favor. 

What are you doing that someone else could do? 

What does God want you to do? 

Help organize others so you can use their time. 

There are some people in my ministry that need to be needed more than I need the help. 

Top 10 List for Managing You

Account for your time

Plan your time offensively

Keep your priorities in order

Delegate to the faithful

Plan for the interruptions

Respond rather than react to a crisis

Don’t procrastinate

Get some help

Plan for growth

Pray

Jim has provided all his workshop notes to be downloaded here.

Jim Wideman is considered to be an innovator, pioneer and one of the fathers of the modern children’s ministry movement. He has trained hundreds of thousands of children’s ministry and student ministry leaders from across the U.S. and around the world over the past 35 years. Jim currently oversees Next Generation & Family Ministries, which includes birth through college, at World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Jim and his wife, Julie, have two fabulous daughters, two handsome son-in-laws and the cutest grandson ever born!

Blog: www.JimWideman.com
Twitter: @jimwideman