Orange is thinking through questions like this …. What if your church thought in terms of strategy, not just programming ?  What if the church- the light (yellow), shining bright combined its efforts with  family- the heart of home (red) and partnered together  to bring kids the Message of God’s love? What if you combined the two? What if you taught LESS to achieve MORE?  It would create ORANGE!  Leveraged influence the parents, who are the primary source for spiritual training of their kids, with the church who presented God’s timeless Message in fresh, fun engaging ways?  It attracts kids.  It attracts families.  It energizes volunteers.   ITS ORANGE!   www.whatistorange.org

As a ministry leaders are you picking up the daily manna? There are so many great blogs/helps/articles out there that are God inspired to help YOU lead.  Like never before  there are resources for ministry leaders to be fresh in ministry presentation.  Don’t sit in your tent waiting. Go out and find the Manna so you can be filled and ready to do your job!  Daily doses of leadership challenges and inspiration are there for you.  Take them in.  Use them!

Some of you have been doing ministry for awhile think you have got this all under control… like attracting volunteers and families just happens? LOL!  Creative, strategic fresh ministry will bring health and life.  Don’t be afraid.  Its yesterday’s Manna that isn’t so fresh for you.   Don’t get me wrong.  The Bible and God’s truth is absolutely timeless.  Its a done deal.  But HOW its presented at your church should  be as fresh and inspiring as the miracle of daily manna.  Its a trust test.  Trust Him to new ideas and strategy my friend. Its like  my summer tomato.  Real deal.

As I read about that proverbial ant in Proverbs today, I thought about (gulp) …Fall.  The Bible says the ant plans in the warm summer for the harvest time. (Prov. 6:8) We are told to consider the habits ants have.  The ant simply prepares to be ahead of the game when fall rolls around, and my feet get cold again.

So what are you thinking through NOW over summer to help in the fall as you endeavor to be most effective to kids and families?  Status quo, no matter what you have done just won’t fly for long.  Switch it up.  Add new.  It can be remarkably uncomfortable being in uncharted territory.  But when you consider the times in the past you “stepped out there” look how God showed up!

How about some BIG asks for volunteers?  Now is when (like the ant) you prepare. Step up the game and ask your volunteers to commit to a FULL month each time (same people/same virtues) to serve as a small group leader.  How about the entire fall or spring season? Big asks from your volunteers yield reward IN your ministry area to the kids. Whatever the next step is: do the BIG ask!  Don’t  go into another fall season apologetically asking for help. Dispel the notion that someone is needed to fill a spot spot VS partner with you to make a difference! There is a difference in the two! One looks like an obligation on the calendar, the other is a ministry opportunity.

Ministry leaders I speak with know that a change needs to take place.  We all need to make changes. Keep in mind people navigate change in different ways.  The vision casting of what the end will look like will help those who are reluctant.   Keep casting vision.

Start planning for a beautiful ORANGE colored fall.  As ministry leaders we can be like that Proverbs ant.  Consider the Fall now while its summer by reading Reggie Joiner’s book THINK ORANGE.  You may just need to  begin and find out about this ORANGE coloring of ministry to kids and families.

Orange is uniting home (red the heart) and church (yellow=the Light). These are two huge influences!  Combining ministry programming around that red and yellow will make greater impact equals ORANGE!  But be warned… it will mess with you.  I think its the BEST plan in the long term fight for the family!   And I’ve been in the trenches of  “ant work” for many years.  Plan while its summer!

Consider the ant my friend.

The dictionary defines the word cheer a : something that gladdens: a shout of applause or encouragement. I believe God is all over that! He rejoices over us. He lifts our head. He brings encouragement. That’s my kind of cheer leading for the challenging game of life.

As a leader, you need to be the biggest cheerleader for your volunteers. Notice things. Encourage people as you see their gifts in action. Funny, but sometimes we don’t recognize that we are gifted in an area until someone else notices. Cheer for volunteers and affirm their gifts. What does cheering for them do? It helps your team members to realize the difference they can make. Cheering for your team is making time for celebration. Let others know about your team and how they sacrifice to be faithful to minister to kids. Hooray for what God is doing through ordinary people like us.  Celebrate partnering with God and the gifts in people.  What will happen?  More people will be attracted to join the team.   As a leader you must be the biggest fan of your team and shout it out loud often!

Go Team!

These leaders are making compelling vision casts to their pastors. They are evaluating multi-programmed services that send multiple messages, (what Pastor does this for the adult congregation on a weekend?!) They are seeing the value in teaching less is more!  These leaders are CLEVER at figuring out you can leverage influence when you send the same message each time you meet with purpose. There are clever leaders engaging parents AND kids at the same time in a service designed to be shared for those IN and OUT of the church. Yep, they are clever like that! These great people are going above and beyond the committee and task force days of old to cast a compelling vision to those they report to with passion.

Jesus gave high priority to kids- and said don’t you hinder them. Clever. Make your mission crystal clear each time you get the opportunity to have kids come to your ministry area. Be clever like that and don’t you dare shrink back!

My prayer for all who experienced the Orange Conference last week is a that there is lots of “coming together” happening in churches. I pray that leaders never go back to  “corners” of ministry, rather they unite to form  a circle of influence that is ORANGE in the local church. No islands. No silo’s. We know too much. We’ve seen what division can do.

There’s a new day of collaborating with lead pastors, student ministry and kid leaders.  They  must collide for maximum impact.  It won’t happen over night. But just think about the baby steps being taken this very day.  I am smiling as I think about it.  The Gospel is too precious- to glorious to shrink back and do mediocre ministry to kids and families.

Churches are purposing to:

1. Integrate strategy
2. Refine the Message
3. Reactivate the family
4. Elevate Community
5. Leverage Influence.

It’s like removing the bushel so the light can shine!  A beaming light to point all to the Savior.  What are you doing to take those steps today???

Don’t forget to check out www.orangeleaders.com and www.whatisorange.org

What do you want to walk away with ?  Pinpoint with your team as you travel what some goals are.  Gather all the info you can.  PLAN for great things to happen within you and your team!

And after a long day at a conference I recommend you meet and recap.  Have each team member share highlights of their takeaways from the day.   Talk about all of them.  Pray together.  Laugh some more.   And make a note about people you meet.  Pray for them.  Connect with them.  The power of networking has never been so strong as today!    Remember iron sharpens iron! And on the road home?  Yep, recall it.  Process information and filter through what God is calling your team to do in your local church.

Can you imagine the possibility for impact on kids/parents/volunteers/churches/leaders?   Shout “road trip” and  “amen”  somebody!

Can’t  BE  at Orange>  You can still  join in on a live webcast starting Wednesday night at 7:15pm  www.makingoforange.com and throughout the conference.  You ARE part of the team.     Click on BACKSTAGE.

On this Easter may you remember Easter through the eyes of a child.
May your Messages be child targeted- remembering the WONDER in kids.  At the right time Jesus died for us. He conquered death and is King. Tell it. Tell it real good like! (kid language)

PS  Give peeps not chicks to a child.  Trust me, I know.

Seeing this through the eyes of a Children’s Ministry leader,I’ve got to ask,  are we sold out to get out of the status quo- the holy huddle to reach seekers?  If we think like Paul and  LEVERAGE the influence we have around us, it could change our community.   Those families are out there everywhere.  People like Paul talked with that day on Mars Hill.   Families who may be lost, yet sometimes think about some unknown God . Those families may be invited to your church. Will they find a holy huddle?

Design your ministry strategy to leverage influence. Churches who ask what influences this generation of kids we teach,  then take it and leverage it  will flourish.  It will be fresh.  Paul had the crowds attention because he made reference to what they were familiar with. He didn’t bash it- he USED it to steer conversation  and further the Kingdom.  In my neighborhood we call that clever!  Ask the Holy Spirit to show you ideas and ways to leverage influence and get out of that holy huddle to reach kids and families.  Think combining influences.