Building team

In our last article of the kid min basics series we talked about recruiting volunteers. But having recruited them how can we build a team? I’m going to suggest 3 simply keys to strengthen your children’s ministry team.

1.        Pray together.

Unless you think you can build the ministry without God’s help (!), you will need to pray together! In praying we catch God’s heart for the ministry and see God’s intervention in individual children’s and family’s lives. In prayer we remind ourselves why we are in ministry and are encouraged by the Spirit to keep going in the hard times. Building in a healthy routine of prayer will not only invite God into all you are doing but will strengthen those who are working with you to do it.

Prayer is not a tick box that we do because we are Christians it is the lifeblood of the ministry. It is both the demonstration of our dependence on God and the invitation for Him to come and do His work. As the Psalmist says in Psalm 127:1 ‘Unless the Lord builds the house they labour in vain who build it, unless the Lord guards the city the watchmen stay awake in vain.’

We may be able to teach a Bible story, say a prayer and sing a song in our own strength, but if we are to see lives rooted in God and children kept with Him we are dependant on Him every step of the way. 

2.        Love your team

Regularly thank and celebrate your team. When based in a large church in London with hundreds of leaders I would send out a couple of thank you notes each week to thank different members of the team. Receiving a small card by post brightens their day and shows them that they are appreciated. In a busy ministry it would be easy to miss some of the team members (it took several years to get through everyone) but the importance of more than a verbal thank you added to the appreciation.

T-shirts can help build identity as a team (as well as making people easily identifiable) so people know they belong and are an important part of what God is doing.

As people go through different seasons and challenges in life, we have the privilege of loving and supporting them. Don’t shy away from being a friend in a time of need.

As you love and get to know each person, be asking the Lord what their strengths are. Encourage them to step out of their comfort zone to try something new in the ministry and be supportive of them. When people are given opportunities to grow many rise to the challenge.

And, of course, random doughnuts arriving on the occasional Sunday morning all add to the sense of value and appreciation.

All these things take time, but your leaders are the greatest earthly resource for the ministry God has entrusted to you so this investment is critical. Indeed as we love our team and build a loving community the children seen this and this in itself becomes part of the ministry to them as we model Christian community working together.

3.        Keep the vision clear

It’s easy to lose sight of what we are trying to achieve and why we are doing what we do. When this happens the ministry becomes mundane, enthusiasm wanes and it is harder to both keep and recruit leaders.

Testimonies are vital both to highlight what God is doing and to remind everyone the direction we are facing. A house divided against itself cannot stand, but when we all work in the same direction we achieve much. 

It’s easy to become bogged down in the issues and miss what God is doing. As part of Early Steps with Jesus course for creche leaders, we encourage leaders to reflect each week on what the Lord was doing. That discipline of pausing at the end of what may have been a chaotic day and realising that the Lord was actually at work in some of the children keeps that clear sense of vision and purpose before us and allows us to be thankful for what the Lord is up to.

Building strong team takes time and requires you to be intentional. What can you do to strengthen your team this week?