Why is a philosophy of ministry so important?

I like to start my blogs with a question, and today I really want to answer the one posed above, “Why is a philosophy of ministry so important?”

However, I realize that for some, we need to first answer the question, “What is a philosophy of ministry?”

A philosophy might be defined as “a system of principles for guidance in practical affairs.” It’s what you believe about an area of study. In this case, a philosophy of ministry might be defined as what you believe about how ministry works (or doesn’t) based upon a rational, thoughtful study of the facts and known body of knowledge in this field.

But let’s take it a step further. One could say that EVERY ministry leader has a philosophy of ministry…even if that leader isn’t aware she has a philosophy or if he can’t articulate it for someone else. In fact, if you are a ministry leader, YOU have a philosophy of ministry (and even if you aren’t a leader). It’s what YOU believe about how ministry works and it’s what guides your decisions for ministry.

Let’s take a look at this in practical terms…

If you minister to children in a rural setting and you select your curriculum for Sunday school because a mega church in a city across the country uses it (or wrote it), your philosophy of ministry is that children are the same everywhere and every church setting can use the same materials. Unfortunately, this isn’t true, so your selection of curriculum may or may not be valid for your students.

If you’re a preteen leader and you start your youth group with wild games and loud music because the kids seem to have fun and be happy, your philosophy is that preteens are attracted by freedom and friends and that meeting their desires is your primary goal. Unfortunately, what some preteens want is not necessarily what they all want, nor what they most need, nor the best way to start a session.

If you teach an adult Sunday school class and you lecture your students because some of the people in your class don’t like discussing things, then your philosophy is that adults need to be taught in the way that causes the least disapproval! Unfortunately, discomfort is often the best way for an adult to be motivated to grow!

So a philosophy of ministry is essential, because if it is well-developed, it helps us apply to our own ministry the wisdom and knowledge we gain from others. As ministry leaders, it is our responsibility to make decisions based on the best information we can find, not just on what is easiest to use… or what someone else found helpful… or what “seems” to work in my church.

A sound philosophy of ministry is formed when we take time and energy to study and answer some key questions, like these:

• How do my students learn best? (Not, how would they prefer to learn?)
• What motivates my students to change long-term? (Not, what incentive does my co-worker use to coerce cooperation for the moment?)
• What are the real needs of those I shepherd? (Not, what would they like me to do for them?)
• How does God work in the ministry process? (Not, what’s the latest church growth principle?)

A philosophy of ministry is the grid through which you filter your decisions about what you do and how you do it. Make sure your grid is based on sound principles. We owe it to our students…our sheep…God’s kids!

Why should you mark your calendar now for the 2013 FourFiveSix Preteen Leaders’ Conference?

Last weekend, I was privileged to be a guest at the fifth annual Preteen Leaders’ Conference in Rocklin, California. I heartily endorse the work being done by the FourFiveSix team who lead this conference. So this morning, I have 17 reasons why you should mark your calendars for next year’s conference and plan on attending!

1.  Because last weekend you missed one of the best events of the year, and you don’t want to do that again!

2.  Because founder, Sean Sweet, will model incredible love for early adolescents and show you what really makes preteen ministry “tick!”

3.  Because this just may be the only place on earth to gather for an entire conference to focus on early adolescents and ministry to these great kids!

4.  Because leadership team member Mike Sheley will show you what servant leadership is all about!

5.  Because other people, just like you, will be there, too!

6.  Because leadership team member Heather Dunn will bring a level of spiritual devotion that is missing from too many ministry conferences!

7.  Because preteen ministry really isn’t the same as youth ministry, nor is it the same as children’s ministry.

8.  Because leadership team member Katie Gerber will bless your socks and be your new friend from registration on!

9.  Because you’ll get more than the latest wild games, new video clips and curriculum plugs…you’ll get thoughtful guidance from actual practitioners.

10. Because leadership team member Mike Branton will bring incredible ideas and tips and present them in a spirit of humility!

11. Because you really do need to know how to enjoy a Tim Tam Slam. (Google it, unless you’re already heating the cocoa as you read this.)

12. Because leadership team member Nick Diliberto will get you connected with someone and welcome you into the fold!

13. Because your heart will be encouraged, you will learn and grow, you will rest (emotionally, if not physically), and you will come home better prepared to minister to preteens.

14. Because leadership team member Nate Cummings will share his heart for preteens with you and bring his expertise from the trenches!

15. Because the conference brings you a philosophy of ministry to early adolescents that will help you take the next steps in starting or growing your own style in your own context.

16. Because leadership team member Patrick Snow will bring his incredible passion for preteens packaged in a classy, thoughtful leadership style!

17. Because you and your preteens deserve the investment.

So mark your calendar now for the next FourFiveSix Preteen Leaders’ Conference, April 17-19, 2013, at Mt. Pleasant Christian Church in Greenwood, Indiana.

How do preteens become missionaries? (Part 2 – Involve them)

Studies continue to show us that between 80 and 85 percent of all career missionaries make their commitment to missions before the age of 12. Preteens are ready to be challenged to make a worldwide difference for Christ!

Our job is to challenge our students by giving them opportunities to explore missions firsthand.

Involve Students in Missions

Preteens learn best by doing! So get yours involved in meaningful missions projects. Here are 12 ideas – enough for one each month of the next year:

1. Write to prisoners. Contact a chaplain or prison ministry team in your area and establish contact with incarcerated Christians. Don’t use last names and only the church address.

2. Visit a Native American reservation. These sovereign territories are spread throughout the U.S. They do not require an interpreter, but still offer a cross-cultural experience.

3. Feed the hungry. Contact shelters in your area to find opportunities for your preteens to serve meals – other than during the holidays.

4. Get professional training. Some cross-cultural missionaries within the U.S. offer daylong training seminars to help supporters understand their work.

5. Go international. Contact your local college campus ministries to find a missionary to international students. Encourage the families of your preteens to invite these students into their homes or join the group for a social event or athletic activity.

6. Go south, or north. If you are fortunate enough to live within a reasonable distance of an international border, do anything you can to cross it with your preteens. The impact is worth the effort.

7. Minister to the mentally or physically challenged. Contact your social services department for help contacting a group home in your area. Then take your students to sing, play and share with the residents.

8. Collect school supplies, cosmetics, or Christian magazines for use overseas. A variety of organizations will distribute these for you or you can make them available to missionaries your church supports.

9. Visit the inner-city. Find a needier church that you can serve downtown or one that you can partner with to execute a 5-day club or sidewalk VBS.

10. Gather toiletries for shelters. Have your preteens collect, package, and deliver soaps, shampoos, and lotions to local shelters for battered women and neglected children.

11. Share the sweetness of the good news. Layer pre-measured ingredients for chocolate-chip cookies into glass jars, attach hand-written recipes and explanations of the gospel, and give to neighbors.

12. Bring the Bible to kids. Gather crayons, markers, coloring books and Christian books. Label these with your church’s name and a greeting and then offer them to facilities where children wait like doctors’ offices and hospitals.

Since our kids want to change their worlds, we need to help them. And in doing so, we will also change their lives. Helping kids make a difference will help them cement their commitment to Christ…and to the lost and dying world He loves so much!

Join me this week at the FourFiveSix conference in Rocklin, California!

The FourFiveSix Preteen Leaders Conference is coming: April 18-20 in Rocklin, CA. And we hope to see you there!

How do preteens become missionaries? (Part I – Creating an interest)

An incredible trend is developing across our country.  Kids are getting involved in meaningful ways and are seeking to change their worlds.  “It’s easy for typically self-centered [preteens and young teens] to think of no one other than themselves from dawn till dusk – and then dream about themselves at night. Ironically, these most self-centered individuals find huge satisfaction in helping other people. They just need a little nudge.”[1]  Today’s preteens want to make a difference.

Our job is to challenge our students by giving them opportunities to explore missions firsthand. We need to create an interest in missions!

Involve preteens with teen missions projects.  Preteens want to do anything that the teens are doing.  So expose them to good role models by getting them involved in supporting your youth group’s members as they prepare for a missions trip.  One church has the preteen department host a spaghetti dinner in order to raise funds for the high school’s missions trip.  The older youth recognize and thank their preteen supporters in church when they return from their outreach.

Expose preteens to interesting missionaries…and only interesting missionaries.  Not every person called to the field is gifted to work with children.  Don’t bore your students by parading every visiting missionary through your preteens department.  Be selective and help each guest prepare by suggesting he or she share hands-on artifacts, cultural snacks or games that are common to the foreign field.

Connect preteens with real kids.  One way to hook kids’ interest is to have them financially support a child through a ministry designed to reach children their age, like KidZ At Heart International (kidzatheart.org), or a relief agency like Compassion International, Food for the Hungry, “Operation Christmas Child” through Samaritan’s Purse, or Reach International.

Another way is to help your students get to know kids just like themselves who are serving with their families on the mission field.  Have your kids send care packages, including tapes of favorite shows or new Christian groups, and of course, favorite foods not available on the field.  Throw a party for the missionary family when they return home for visits.  And have your students correspond with their peers, especially on birthdays and holidays. 

Join me this week at the FourFiveSix conference in Rocklin, California!

The FourFiveSix Preteen Leaders Conference is coming: April 18-20 in Rocklin, CA. And we hope to see you there!

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[1] Mark Oestreicher, Help! I’m a Preteen High Youth Worker! (Youth Specialties, 1996).

[2] Gordon & Becki West, Preteen Ministry Smart Pages (Gospel Light, 2005).

When does helping hurt?

I once heard paternalism defined as “doing good for others without their permission.”

Over the past decade, I’ve had a seat at the “global missions” table and I’ve gotten to meet thousands of well-meaning North Americans who truly want to bless people from other countries. Our own KidZ At Heart International board members, staff and volunteers all are included in this group! We want to make a difference in the kingdom; we want to equip people to effectively reach and teach the children of their own culture – for Christ! So, can our best efforts actually end up hurting those we seek to help?

This past week, I’ve been forced once again to re-think what we’re doing and how we are doing it. As God will often orchestrate, the thinking process kicked off from various sources…a combination of new ministry opportunities coming forward, a great book, a reflective mood and some gently probing questions from wise mentors.

In our case, we are seeking to launch KAHLA (KidZ At Heart Leadership Academy) in several key regions of the world. (Insert here whatever “project” or ministry you are currently considering in order to “help” someone else.) The purpose of KAHLA is to provide in-depth children’s ministry training for key leaders in strategic regions of the world. Our desire is to equip top-level leaders to be change agents in their churches, denominations, and countries! So what could go wrong?

Two of our board members, one who works with Wycliffe International, the other with the U.S. Center for World Missions, asked some great questions:

• Do we know what is really wanted?
• Is the energy for this project coming from North America (us) or local leaders?
• How do the local leaders want this to happen?

Wayne Muller, in his book Sabbath (Bantam Books, 1999), shares an entire chapter called, “Doing Good Badly.” As Muller puts it, “Doing good requires more than simply knowing what is wrong.” To the point, huh?

Like many visionary leaders, when I believe God has shown me the mountain top, I want to be there yesterday. Muller’s words (the morning after the board members’ questions) truly challenged me: “In our frenzy to make the world a better place, it is easy to presume that the romance and magic of our good intentions will protect us from doing unintended harm.”

Again, as God will often do, he spoke his will through several voices. The board members’ suggestions? Take our time, ask more questions, involve more key leaders, listen, pray, don’t move too quickly.

Muller’s suggestions? He identifies Sabbath as a key tool for slowing down long enough to hear from God, from ourselves, from others: “As we drive forward without stopping, even our generosity takes on the characteristics of a high-speed train, forcing compassion, wanted or not, right prescription or not, on everything unlucky enough to get in our path. Even a good heart can cause harm for ourselves and others if it has no rest in it” (emphasis mine).

God’s “suggestions,” pretty much the same…I think you’re getting a theme here.

So as we move forward to launch KAHLA (again, insert your ministry or project here), we’ll be trying to slow down long enough to listen to local leaders, to mentors, to ourselves, and…most importantly…to God.

What “Ought” You be Doing?

I have to confess. Recently, I attended a social function that I had no desire to attend. I felt I “ought” to be present, yet my spirit grumbled within. Afterall, I am very busy. I have things to do. When I do have a few minutes of free time, I don’t want someone else deciding for me how that time “should” be spent.

So what’s the problem with this scenario? While I was grumbling at the rest of the world, the one responsible for my choice was me. In reality, the “oughts” and “shoulds” of my life don’t come from without; they (at least primarily) come from my own internal programs.

In A Testament of Devotion, Thomas Kelly tell us “our real problem, in failing to center down, is not a lack of time; it is, I fear, in too many of us, lack of joyful, enthusiastic delight in Him, lack of deep, deep-drawing love directed toward Him at every hour of the day and night.”

When I focus on my busy-ness, my schedule, my rights, my interests, my reputation, my image, my success…and forget to focus on the deep love of God…I must confess that my choices of activities become centered on:

• What makes me look better?
• What keeps everyone from being upset with me?
• What “ought” I be doing right now?
• What “should” I accomplish today?

Instead, as Christians (especially as Christian leaders), we need to obey the Greatest Commandment and focus on our purpose for living: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). When God is my focus, moment by moment throughout each day, my choices of activities (and attitudes about them) become his choices and, thus, his very call on my life. I may still be busy, but I have the confidence that I am busy “about the Father’s business.”

And that changes everything.

Thomas Kelly describes the results in such an inviting manner, “life from the Center is a life of unhurried peace and power. It is simple. It is serene. It is amazing. It is triumphant. It is radiant. It takes no time, but it occupies all our time. And it makes our life programs new and overcoming. We need not get frantic. He is at the helm. And when our little day is done we lie down quietly in peace, for all is well.”

So what “ought” you be doing right now?

22 Reasons… to Pledge $22… to Reach 2.2 Billion KidZ… who Need Jesus

On October 31st, the KidZ At Heart matching fund campaign comes to an end. Here are 22 reasons we believe you will want to join us in raising $60,000 to launch KidZ At Heart Leadership Academies in Uganda, South Africa and India.

We need your help in these final hours…and beyond!   

Act now, before the October 31st deadline (Monday) to maximize your gift!

For more information, check out our updates. To make a tax deductible donation or pledge, please email us or give now or call 877-778-KidZ (5439).

Please prayerfully consider these 22 reasons…to pledge $22 per month…to reach 2.2 billion children…who need Jesus!

1.  2.2 billion children (under the age of 15) are travelling with us on this planet and need to know, love and follow Jesus.

2.  We’re almost to our $60,000 goal. We started with funds from Mission Increase Foundation and other KidZ At Heart Champions. Together we’ve raised almost $54,000! (You can help us reach the top!!)

3.  It’s only $22/month for one year. It’s doable!

4.  95% of the world’s kids live outside of North America, yet they receive only 5% of the world’s children’s ministry resources and training.

5.  We need you to be part of the “launch team” for KAHLA (KidZ At Heart Leadership Academies) in South Africa, Uganda and India, where children’s ministry leaders from each region will receive in-depth training to lead their churches and denominations in reaching and teaching the children of their own cultures.

6.  Any gift given or pledge made by October 31^st will be DOUBLED! That’s 2x the gift power!

7.  It’s time we shared!

8.  2/3 of all children are not yet following Jesus…that’s 1.5 billion kids without eternal hope!

9.  $22 per month is equivalent to cutting out one stop at Starbucks each week.

10.  More than 87 million kids are born into non-Christian families each year…Almost half of which have never heard the gospel.[1]

11.  We need you (and just 22 others) to pledge now to reach the goal! (you + 22 people pledging $22/month through October 2012 will complete the campaign by raising the final $6100 needed to maximize the matching gifts!)

12.  A classroom of Sunday school kids working together can raise $22 per month…and learn to give and pray for world missions!

13.  Many of you have been trained by KidZ At Heart trainers over the years…we are asking you to help us share that training with leaders around the world who have not yet had access to the equipping they need to reach their own children.

14.  2 Timothy 2:2 (catch the “2” theme?): “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also (NASB).”

15.  1/3 of all children have never heard the name of Jesus… that’s 750 million kids without access to the gospel!

16.  The probability of becoming a Christian for children ages 5-12 is 32%…teens 13-18 years, 4%…adults 19 and up, 6%.[2]

17.  With a gift or pledge by October 31, you become part of a huge ministry effort to train children’s ministry leaders to reach and teach their own kids.

18.  Your family could gather change at dinner each evening and give $22/month to reach kids on two continents.

19.  It’s only $22/month for 2.2 billion kids!

20.  Choosing to skip one family meal at McDonald’s will save $22 and help 2.2 billion kids know Jesus.

21.  “If you want to shape a person’s life – whether you are most concerned about his or her moral, spiritual, physical, intellectual, emotional or economic development – it is during these crucial eight years [5-12 years of age] that lifelong habits, values, beliefs and attitudes are formed.”[3]

22.  It’s a chance to double your giving and reach the kids of the world that Jesus loves! 

For more information, check out our updates.  To make a tax deductible donation or pledge, please email us or give now or call 877-778-KidZ (5439) (ext 599). Time is running out! Please act now, before the October 31st deadline (Monday) to maximize your gift!

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[1] World Christian Trends, Global Diagram 41.

[2] George Barna, Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions, p.18.                         

[3] Barna, p. 18.