You can learn a lot from a kaleidoscope – even about children’s ministry. Here are five lessons I’ll share with you.

Change things up.
What’s a kaleidoscope if you look in it and never twist the tube and change it up? Your ministry needs to change. In the last 15 years, I have changed the way I do Kid’s Church about 15 times.  Never be resistant to change. You need it.

No two kids are the same.
A kaleidoscope is nothing more than a tube containing loose colored little objects. These different pieces are blended together to create something beautiful. Similarly, no two kids are the same. Everyone looks different, acts different, and learns different. This is one of your greatest tasks – blending a group of kids together and creating an environment where they can all learn and grow.

Children’s ministry is blending.
The coolest part of a kaleidoscope is seeing all those colored pieces blend together. Think of everything you have to blend in children’s ministry. There’s learning styles, behavioral needs, personality differences, social and economic backgrounds, just to name a few. This is cool though because this is how God works – He is in the blending business. God said that one day “every kindred and tongue, and people, and nation” will stand before the Lord (Rev. 5:9).

Kids want to move.
Your kaleidoscope works best when you put it up to your eye and begin to move those small objects around. Sure, you can look through the kaleidoscope without moving the tube and it’s going to be pretty, but it pales compared to what some movement will bring. Your kids want to get up and move. They want to do something. This is why you can ask for a volunteer and every hand will go up even before they know what they have to do. Let them move.

Everything is beautiful when you look through the light.
That kaleidoscope sure isn’t worth looking at in a dark room. You have to look at it through the light. Did you know that every one of those kids in your ministry are beautiful when you look at them through the Light (capital L). They are special people, created in the image of God Himself, and He has a plan for their life.

So, what did I forget? Are there some other ministry lessons you can learn from a kaleidoscope? Tell me what you think!

We’ve all heard of staph infections. A staph infection is a bacterial infection that grows deep below the skin. This bacteria usually enters the skin through open cuts and can be life-threatening. Today I am writing not about staph infections – but staff infections.

Staff infections are grow deep below the skin too. They enter through the mind and go right to the heart. They can threaten the life of your personal life and ministry and must be avoided at every cost. Go ahead and pat yourself on the back for reading this blog post – you’re on the right path.

Do you ever wish you could vote your senior pastor off the island? Guess what, at some point he has wished the same thing about you. You’ll never be effective in children’s ministry until you learn to do more than survive with your senior pastor. You’ve got to go from surviving to thriving. Over the next several days I’ll share some tips with you for energizing your relationship with your pastor.

Tip #1: Make communication a priority.

I have a great relationship with my pastor but it’s been work. Hard word. We are opposites in so many ways. I’ve learned the hard way that communication is critical in our relationship. I do my best to communicate with him every way I can. I Bcc: him on important emails. Any time we print something for our children’s ministry, I make sure a copy gets in his mailbox. He gets a copy of every memo. I talk to him whenever I suspect there is a problem with a volunteer or member of the church. I touch base with him on big projects and keep him up to speed.

In your efforts to make communication a priority, don’t barrage him with minute-by-minute updates. Remember, he’s a busy guy. But the minute you hear about a serious problem, let him know right away.

One last point, I learned years ago that my pastor doesn’t like to be surprised. He doesn’t have to be involved in every decision, but he doesn’t like to be surprised. I bet your pastor hates surprises too.

One of the best ways to fight staff infections is to start talking to your pastor.

Today I got a call on my cell phone from one of my volunteers. They had a golf cart accident on their street. Her daughter fell out, hit the road pretty hard and experienced a small concussion. She was calling to ask for prayer and to tell me that she wouldn’t be at VBS tonight.

Beth and I made a special effort to show that we care. Before VBS we took dinner by their house. It wasn’t homemade – we aren’t that good! It was some fried chicken and sides that we picked up in town. We stopped by and visited with the family on our way to church.

The old saying is true: People don’t care how much you know until you know how much you care. The devil wants to get us so busy that we don’t have time to focus on the important things in life – like relationships. I wish I could tell you that I always get this right. I don’t. I need to do better just like we all do.

Remember what matters most and give it your time and energy! Relationships matter.