Success

Success is really a complex concept. It's contextual and as such, it's definitions vary widely. I've had the opportunity to share with other people in ministry to children what I think success looks like. That has been fun. But more often, I am asked what things I have personally done that account for any success we've had in swcc kids. This is a little more difficult because of the varying definitions on "success in ministry". However, regardless of what those definitions are, I can feel confident in offering a few insights.

In order to have "success" in ministry:

JUST SHOW UP...I am completely serious about this one. I noticed early on that children are the victims of a culture that moves at an increasing rate of speed. Teachers, coaches, friends and sometimes even parents move in and out of their lives haphazardly and without warning. There is very little they can count on and find faithful. When people ask me, "What do you do it get the kids to love you and listen to you?" my answer is: I just show up. I'm consistently a part of their lives. And if I'm not going to be there, they usually know about it and are prepared because they know I'll be back. They trust me because I just show up.

LISTEN TO GOD...The Christian publishing industry inundates me with ways to "take my kids to the next level". Here is the problem with that - they don't know my kids. As well intentioned as those people are they are writing curriculum from an office and packaging a product. On occasion, God has led me to some spectacular products but I always asked him first what he wanted me to teach. Listening to God is becoming a lost art. Instead of frustrating myself by listening to all the gurus that are convinced they know what my kids needed to know, I just learned to ask God. I never had to wait very long for an answer either. He really is an excellent communicator if we would just be willing to listen.

PUT A STAMP ON IT...Now many of you aren't going to believe this, but I will go to my grave saying the most effective things I did were notes I put a stamp on and sent out to encourage the body of Christ. Both postcards to kids and cards to volunteer staff members - these are the most important things I did. We live in a world that is constantly trying to make us loose our focus on Christ. It is a long time between Sundays. Just giving small reminders to people that they belong to God and have inherent value for that fact alone has made the biggest difference in my day to day ministry. I actually made it a discipline of sorts. No matter how big a disaster an event or a Sunday was, I could always find at least 3 people to praise God for. After I did that in prayer, I'd send them a note telling them the same thing.

DON'T PLAY SCARED...One of the biggest criticisms I have faced is that I am "too passionate" about what I do. I guess people could say worse things about me than that I was just over the edge of reason for Jesus Christ. During my time in leadership, I read the Sermon on the Mount continuously and let it drive my work. I looked at the way Jesus ran his ministry and it inspired me to preach, teach and lead with wild abandon. I asked the impossible from people in the name of our risen Christ...and I got it. I pleaded that they serve our Lord with unwavering commitment because of what he did for them...and they did it for Him. I wasn't afraid to expect people to be powerfully affected by the gospel message...and they always were. I didn't play this game of ministry scared. I played it and I played it hard. I always went for it on 4th down. After listening to God, I called the hard plays and trusted the Holy Spirit to empower a rag tag bunch of volunteers the same way he did the first disciples. I let the Holy Spirit have it's way with me and with our ministry to children...and boy, did he ever.

I know this isn't the practical checklist everyone would like me to produce. I could go over best practices for administration and curriculum development (and I will for anyone who really wants to know). I could talk about marketing and communication and other stuff like that. But on reflection, the things I listed are really the only things I know for sure I would do exactly the same way again.

Just show up for God. Make it a practice to listen to Him. Encourage one another (and put a stamp on it and mail it so they can have it to look at later). And for heaven's sake, quite literally, don't play scared.