CPC Live!

     I had a wonderful time last night watching the INCM Children's Pastors Conference with my pals on CMConnect. INCM (International Network of Children's Ministry) has setup a free online community called CMConnect. From there they are live streaming CPC San Diego for free. There will be two more sessions - one tonight and one tomorrow night. You might need to setup an account to start the live stream, but setting one up is easy. (You don't have to fill in all the questions right away.) Once you're signed up, you can connect to other kidmins, read about what is working in their ministry, ask questions, and exchange ideas. There's also a chat feature that allows you to talk to online members in real time. Last night I was able to chat with other kidmins at the conference while streaming it from my home. If you couldn't go to a conference this year (or wish you never came back from one) this is the perfect opportunity for you to learn and network.
   
The next session is tonight at 6:30 Eastern. Hope to see you there!

CPC Live! on CMConnect!

Friday's Find: Godtube and Gospeltube

     Godtube and Gospeltube are the top free Christian video sharing websites available. Despite getting off to a slow start Godtube has flourished and expanded to a sister site called Gospeltube. Both Godtube and Gospeltube are very similar to Youtube in their layout and very user friendly. Videos are organized into categories such as sermons, comedy, music videos, and drama. You can search, watch, comment, and share just like on Youtube. Play funny videos to open your service instead of buying countdowns. Introduce your kids to Christian music artists by playing music videos during drop-off or pick-up times. E-mail inspiring videos to your volunteers during the week. You might even find a video to illustrate your lesson. You can use these videos in so many ways. These sites re definitely worth checking out.

Leadership Tips from Undercover Boss

     Did anyone watch Undercover Boss last Friday night? Enrique "Rick" Silva, CEO of Checkers and Rally's, went undercover at his own company pretending to be a failed pharmacist who wanted to start his own franchise. At his first undercover location he soon realized that the employees were not following the procedures outlined by the company and could not even tell him what they were. The general manager barked orders to the employees, criticized, put down, and even threatened them at one point. Finally, Silva had had enough and called the GM out to the parking lot where he asked him why he was being so disrespectful to others. After a short confrontation, Silva revealed his identity as CEO and demanded that the manager shut down the restaurant. The manager realized that he could not pretend anymore. He confessed to Silva that he had never been trained as a manager; in fact, not a single employee at that location had been properly trained. The general manager position was dumped on him when the previous GM quit. "I'm doing the best I can," he said, but Silva did not agree that this was his best. He had pretended to know what he was doing and had overcompensated for his insecurity by lording his new position over his employees.
     Sometimes unexpected or unwanted responsibilities are forced upon us, and ministry is no exception. When the youth pastor at our church moved away, my parents were the only ones available to keep the youth group running until another pastor came along. It was brand new territory for us, and even with our whole family working together we didn't know how long we could keep it going or if we were making the right choices. Whether it be a single class, event, or entire ministry department, most of us have had responsibilities dumped on us or been thrust into leadership roles that we feel unprepared to handle. If you're in such a position or new to ministry, you may feel inadequate and pressured to meet certain expectations. We all react to this pressure and insecurity in different ways, but tying to act the part and do it all on your own is the worst mistake you can make. Nothing will burn you out quicker.
     If you feel under qualified, connect with another pastor or mentor who is qualified. Don't be intimidated by the term leader; ministry is a team sport. Find yourself some teammates, and don't go it alone. And remember that humility, passion, and wisdom can make up for a lot of training. Ask God for these things and  for help in your ministry. Remember that the true success of any ministry is based on His will and your willingness to follow, not on the strength of your abilities.

Friday's Find: GroupMe

     GroupMe is a website and free app for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry. Our volunteers love it! It allows you to mass message a specific group of people. Once a group is created on GroupMe, it's members can communicate instantly. All members of the group can see all of the messages sent within the group. Another pro is that you don't have to download the app or even have a smart phone to participate. Those who don't have the app will receive all the group's messages as a string of standard text messages and can reply to the group by replying to those same text. If you scroll down, I've explained some more about GroupMe's features.
     This is our volunteers' new favorite communication tool. We share news, ask questions, and post prayer requests. No one has to find out important things after the fact. It helps keep our team connected the entire week, not just on Sun. or Wed.

If you plan to or are using GroupMe, here are some things to remember:

• Face to face is still the most efficient means of communication. GroupMe is a community builder and a communication enhancer, but it can't work alone.
• Be mindful of others. Not everyone has a smart phone or unlimited texting, so check with your team first to see if they are interested in using GroupMe.
• Keep your groups focused. Some people get carried away with chit-chat, and it can be annoying to have your phone ringing or vibrating all day long when no one has anything important to say. Let your team know what the purpose of the group is. Perhaps, instead of forming a group called "Children's Ministry," you form a more specific group such as "Prayer Chain."
• Never let a group become a place where negativity is spread unchecked. Just because the group is private does not mean that is is the appropriate place for complaints or gossip. Keep things positive.

GroupMe's Features:

Here's a screenshot of my GroupMe home screen (on the Android system):

     It's a little rough, I know - but I hope you can see that I belong to three groups: Crossfire Kids, Praise Band, and Family. You probably also noticed that I can "Invite" people to join GroupMe and view my GroupMe contacts via the "Contact" button on the bottom. "Featured" suggests groups I might want to start. "News" alerts me to new things on GroupMe and the activities of my group members. The green button brings up a menu that allows me to start a new group, pose a question to multiple groups, or send a private message to an individual member. The "Search" button in the top right corner opens the search box so I can find a specific group or member.

Here is what a group page looks like:

     It's like a private chat room. Every member can see what all the other members are saying. My replies appear on the right of the screen and are highlighted green. Other member's replies appear on the left and are blue or grey. At the top right corner is the "Settings" button; from the settings page I can change the Group's Options (group name, group image, my nickname in that group) or my Global Settings (my own GroupMe profile and preferences). Also near the top are buttons that allow me to view this group's members or use the map feature. If I press and hold on a single message, a menu appears prompting me to Share, Like, Copy, or Hide that message. I can also send photos to the group from the camera icon in the bottom left corner.

If you have any questions leave a comment or shoot us an e-mail. We would love to hear from you!

Volunteer Training Ideas from Dale Hudson

     Dale Hudson runs a great ministry blog called Relevant Children's Ministry. Over the last few days, he has posted some great articles on building a team of volunteers. Everyone should go check it out! Many of the ideas he has posted (such as the 10 min. huddle, free food, and building a family) have been implemented and seen great success in recent years at my own church. I commented on one Dale's posts, and I hope lots of people do. Training and encouraging volunteers is something that all kidmins seem to struggle with to some degree, and this is a great way to get the conversation rolling and share ideas. So head on over to Dale's and check it out!

Oh! And check back on Friday because I'm going to share with you our ministry's new favorite volunteer building tool for our Friday Find. I think you all are going to love it!

Friday's Find: Guildcraft VBS Blog

     The Guildcraft VBS Blog posts free seasonal and holiday pdf's every Friday.  These printable projects include coloring sheets, puppets, origami, decorating patterns, postcards, and so much more. These are perfect time-stretchers, and I think preschool teachers will especially like using these as easy lesson add-ons. The Bible memory projects such as the Valentine's Day Verse Mix-up Game and the Trinity Shamrocks would be great for connecting the elementary ages to God's Word. So go check out the new Valentine's Day post today!
     If you have a great resource that you would like to share, contact us! We might post it as our Friday Find.

10 Habits of a Good Learner

     If you work with kids, then you know that you can never stop learning. I recently attended a seminar by Jim Wideman (http://www.jimwideman.com/) who listed ten ways to keep the learning happening.

Here are my notes:

10 Habits of a Good Learner

1. Read. This includes blogs, tweets, and online newsletters.
2. Listen to teaching. You can't very well teach what you don't know.
3. Ask questions constantly. Questions show your willingness to learn. Ask away.
4. Develop relationships with those you esteem. Connecting with those you admire gives you a chance to learn from the people who inspire you
5. Visit creative places. Give your imagination something to feed on.
6. Go to conferences. One-stop shopping for ideas, encouragement, and networking buddies.
7. Surround yourself with peers you respect. Be choosy. Remember, iron sharpens iron.
8. Be a fly on the wall and listen, listen, listen. This might be a hard skill to perfect, but it is invaluable. Good learners are good listeners.
9. Study successful people. What worked for them might work for you.
10. Join a coaching group. Everybody helps everybody.

So tell me, what keeps your brain going? How do keep learning?