Category: Administration

Three Things to do Five Minutes Before Every Event

Administration, Personal Development

It is five minutes before VBS/Sunday School/Children’s Church/Mid-week clubs and you are trying to finish setting up while two volunteers want to discuss their schedules and the kids are running around screaming. Does this scenario sound familiar?

I think it is all too familiar for most Children’s Ministry leaders. Rather than letting the chaos control you, take five minutes to reset. There are three things that all leaders should do 5 minutes before every program or event.

Three Things to do Five Minutes Before Every Event

First, check the schedule. Look over what is about to happen. As the leader, you need to know what is scheduled and who is responsible for what.

Second, pray. Ask God for wisdom, love, and creativity. Most importantly , ask God to give you clear focus during the event to see opportunities to share the gospel and to build relationships with kids and volunteers.

Third, remember that it is all about making disciples. No matter the purpose of the specific program you are leading, everything in Children’s Ministry is about making disciples. What is going to happen during this event that will help you do that?

This is a good habit to develop but it’s not going to work unless your volunteer team knows that this is important to you. Tell them what you are doing and how long you need to do it. Then suggest that they develop the same habit.

Duck out of the room and find a quiet place to go through these three steps.

If everyone on the team is doing these three things and understands the importance of them, prep work will get done sooner so that there is time for this reset.

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Make Sure You Don’t Make This Mistake When Writing Volunteer Job Descriptions

Administration, Volunteers and Recruiting

childrens-ministry-mistake Writing volunteer responsibilities can be the hardest part about putting together a volunteer job description for Children’s Ministry. Just how much information is necessary? Should you err on the side of too much information or too little? How do you find the balance?

Too Much Detail

Here’s an example of a preschool Sunday School teacher job description that is way too detailed:

Specific Responsibilities:

During the week

  • Make a list of the children in your class and pray specifically by name for each child. Also, pray specifically for the Sunday School ministry.
  • Prepare for the lesson you will be teaching on Sunday by following these steps:
    • Find the correct date on the schedule you will be given and the matching lesson number from the curriculum you will be given.
    • Once you have found the lesson you will be teaching, read over the Bible story it is based in your Bible early in the week and make sure you understand it yourself.
    • Look at the Bible point early in the week.
    • Read through the whole lesson.
    • Choose the activities you will use during the lesson (hook, games, crafts, etc)
    • Make sure you have everything you need. If there are supplies needed that weren’t supplied with your curriculum, they may be in the supply cupboards. Check the inventory list.
  • Be in contact with your team to make sure everyone knows what their responsibilities are on Sunday morning.
  • You are responsible for finding a replacement for any weeks you will be absent. Contact the ministry leader at least one week in advance if you are unable to find a replacement for your absence (or as early as possible in the case of illness).

Sunday Morning

  • Arrive at the church at least 15 minutes before the class starts in order to give yourself time to prepare your room and meet with your team.
  • Pray with your team, including your class’s prayer partner, before the children arrive.
  • Note the attendance of each child as they arrive by putting a sticker by their name under the correct date on the attendance chart. Make sure the child have the appropriate identification for pick-up after the service.
  • Teach the Bible lesson in a creative way so that children will learn and grow in their faith.
  • Prepare and serve the snack that will be provided.
  • Stay in the classroom at all times when children are under your supervision. Never leave children unattended in the classroom.
  • Take children to the bathroom according to the Children’s Ministry policies and procedures.
  • Have a fantastic time getting to know the kids in your class, and teaching them about loving God and loving people. Sunday School is a fun ministry. Smile and don’t be afraid to laugh!
  • Report damaged toys/equipment to the Ministry Leader.
  • Report any classroom supplies that are needed to the Ministry Leader (pencils, markers, glue, etc.).
  • Wear your identification name tag whenever you teach Sunday School.
  • Leave room clean, neat, and in good condition after teaching.

Too Little Detail

Here is an example of a job description for a preschool Sunday School teacher that is way to general:

Specific Responsibilities:

  • Prepare and teach Bible lessons for the preschool class.

Find the Balance

The first example had far too much detail for a job description. The second example had hardly any detail at all. When writing responsibilities for a job description, include enough detail so that the potential volunteer has as accurate understanding of the responsibilities of a specific role. It is not necessary to include every single detail of the responsibilities, nor is it necessary to include personal preferences for accomplishing those responsibilities.

Here are some tips for writing responsibilities for Children’s Ministry Volunteer Job Descriptions:

  • If it’s expected, include it – If something is expected of a volunteer for a specific role, include it in the job description. For example,
    • If a volunteer is expected to arrive at a specific time, include it in the job description.
    • If a volunteer is expected to take attendance on a regular basis, include that responsibility in the job description.
  • Include enough information to be clear about responsibilities without going into unnecessary detail.
    • If a volunteer is responsible for teaching the lesson each week, say so without going into detail about how they are to prepare and teach the lesson (save that for training sessions).
  • Differentiate between the responsibilities of volunteers and good ideas for volunteers.
    • In the above example, one of the responsibilities of the preschool teacher is to prepare for the lesson during the week. A good idea for teachers is to prepare early in the week. So, the job description only needs to state that the volunteer is expected to spend some time preparing for the lesson they will teach.
  • Leave space for individual personalities.
    • Responsibilities for volunteers are constant; how each individual volunteer handles those responsibilities is a matter of personality. Don’t make the responsibilities in a job description so specific that individual personalities and creativity is stifled.

Job descriptions are such an important tool for Children’s Ministry leaders and helpful resource for volunteers. When writing job description responsibilities, be specific, clear, and brief.

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Your Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Job Descriptions for New Children’s Ministry Programs

Administration, Volunteers and Recruiting

pen in hand

  1. Download the job description template available here. You will be using it so keep it nearby! This step-by-step guide was designed to be used in conjunction with the job description template. It will not make much sense without it so don’t skip this step!
  2. Download the job description instruction guide available here. It contains hints and tips for completing the template that you may find helpful.
  3. At the top of a piece of paper write down the name of the new program in your Children’s Ministry.
  4. Under that heading, list every volunteer position required for the new program. Carefully review all possible volunteer roles required for this new program. You will want an accurate list before you start writing job descriptions.
  5. Grab a blank job description template and get ready to start filling it in!
  6. The first blank space is titled Ministry Position. Choose one of the volunteer roles to start with and write it in here.
  7. In the blank space beside Ministry Leader write the name and contact information of the person who is in charge of this program. This will be the person that a volunteer will contact with questions, concerns, etc.
  8. The last area to fill out in this first box of information is ministry area. Here you want to provide detail about the specific department, for example, “Preschool Sunday School.” If you are a small children’s ministry this may not be pertinent. If this part of the template is not something you will use, delete it. The great thing about this job description template is that is it customizable. Tailor it to fit your situation!
  9. Once you have filled in the basic information about the volunteer position, it’s time to provide more detailed information. A good job description tells a volunteer how long they are committing to a position. Since this is a new program, you may want volunteers to commit to a full year to give the program a chance to take off. You may be testing out a new program and therefore want a commitment of three months from volunteers. Be specific in this section.
  10. Fill in the amount of time each week the volunteer role requires. This part of the job description template is called “Time Commitment.” Be specific about how much time each week this role requires. Include the time at the program, any preparation time, and any before and/or after program expectations. Since this is a new program, be generous in the amount of time required of volunteers. They would rather discover that it takes less time per week than they thought than more time then they would told.
  11. The next section of the job description is where you will specify the qualifications volunteers need to have in this volunteer position. 2 or 3 requirements should be enough. What do you require of your volunteers? If a background check is required for this position, add it to this section.
  12. A good job description will include the training offered to volunteers in this position. Be specific. What training is currently provided for volunteers in this position?
  13. Finally, describe the specific responsibilities of volunteers for this position. In order to be as specific as possible, record the responsibilities during the week (these would include preparation time, for example) and responsibilities the day of (including set up and clean up). Describe exactly what it is you are asking volunteers to do when they agree to this role.
  14. Repeat all the steps for each volunteer position in your new program.
  15. Give a job description to every volunteer who is considering and/or agreeing to the new position.

Here are other articles that you may find helpful:

Why Do You Need A Job Description?
Your Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Job Descriptions for Current Children’s Ministry Programs

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6 Ways that “Boring Forms” Provide Essential Insight into the Pulse of Your Ministry

Administration, Programming

It can feel like you are inundated with forms. There are so many forms to fill out for every program and the administration of it all can end up feeling overwhelming. So you end up with a stack of forms on your desk that you barely look at except to check that they are filled out and to ensure you are aware of any allergies.

Children's Ministry Paperwork

But I believe that these forms have so much more value. Registration forms and attendance records particularly are valuable tools in Children’s Ministry. These records offer more than compliance with insurance companies and contact information for families.

Here are 6 ways registration forms and attendance records provide essential insight into the pulse of your ministry:

1. Trends in Attendance

Look at attendance records over a quarter and over the whole year. You will notice trends that can help you make decisions about how to plan for the future, when to begin and end programs, and see when there might be significant drops in attendance.

For example, you notice that attendance dramatically drops off of your clubs program after June so that might be valuable information to consider shutting it down for the summer.

2. Ratio of Churched Kids to Unchurched Kids

Registration forms can tell you how many churched kids are attending your programs and how many unchurched kids are attending. This is especially helpful information for outreach and evangelistic programs.

You might notice that your outreach program only has 10% non-churched children and 90% churched children. In this case you need to look at ways of encouraging those kids to invite their friends and of ways of getting the word out in the community.

3. Consistency in Attendance

Attendance records can tell you who attends programs consistently and who doesn’t. Looking at these records will also tell you if a student who has been consistent suddenly drops off.

When reviewing attendance records you may notice that a certain child has been missing from the program. You may want to follow up and find out why.

4. Awareness of Family Schedules

With families busy with so many different activities, it can be difficult to know when to schedule events or programs. Taking a look at your attendance records can help you become more aware of the family schedules in your church.

You may notice that attendance as a whole drops off at a certain point in the year. You may want to do some investigating and find out why. The answers might help you schedule the program to fit the needs of families better.

5. Drop in Specific Program Attendance

It’s valuable to take a look at registration and attendance over a number of years.

You may notice that certain programs that were well-attended in the past have far fewer attending now. This may mean you need to look at changes to the program or the possibility of ending the program if it has run its course.

6. Registrations for Kids Who Don’t Actually Attend

You may notice that you received registration forms for children who are not actually attending the program. You may want to follow up with parents and find out why this is.

As you can see, all that paperwork that you feel inundated with in Children’s Ministry is actually essential. If you take the time to review your records you will find insight into the pulse of your ministry.

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How to Schedule Your Day When It Feels Like You Have Too Much to Do and Not Enough Time

Administration, Personal Development

Overworked businessman.There is always something to do in Children’s Ministry. It is easy to feel overwhelmed. But there are a few simple things you can do to schedule your day and help you wrest back control of your time and your responsibilities.

Plan Out Your Day

The last thing you should do at the office before you go home is plan out the next day. What responsibilities do you have; what phone calls do you need to make; what meetings do you have scheduled; what projects do you need to work on.

Taking the time to plan is really important, especially when you feel you don’t have the time. It is all too easy to get caught up in the tyranny of the urgent. But if you take some time to plan your day, your week, your month, and your year, you will find yourself being more productive and less overwhelmed. Don’t feel guilty taking a day or two to plan for the upcoming year. Take 10 minutes on a Friday to plan for the upcoming week. Take 5 minutes at the end of the day to play for the next day. It is time well spent.

Figure Out When You’re the Most Productive and Then Make the Best Use of That Time Slot

My husband has figured out that he is most productive in the mornings and so he has been getting up at 6am to work. His productivity has skyrocketed. If I got up at 6am to work, I would spend hours staring blankly at my computer screen wishing I was still in bed. Everybody’s different, but everybody has a peak productivity period during the day. Figure out when yours is and make the best use of it.

Use your peak productivity period for creative work, for long-term planning, vision casting, and completing projects. Save phone calls, emails, filing, etc. for the rest of your day.

Prioritize Your Tasks

You know what needs to be done in your day and you know when your most productive time is, now prioritize what you need to do. Prioritize what needs to be done during your peak productivity period and prioritize what needs to be done outside of that block of productivity.

Figure out what the most important thing is and do that first. Then move on to the next most important or time-sensitive thing on your list. We can’t always tell how much time it will take to complete certain tasks, so do the most important or time-sensitive tasks first.

 

Plan out your day ahead of time, figure out when you are most productive, and then prioritize your tasks. These three tips will help you to schedule your day.

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