I am entering my second year as a campus pastor and have discovered something I aways suspected but now know. Leading kids ministry and leading adult ministries are very similar. Leadership is leadership. Leadership is hard. Leadership takes grace.
No matter what size your organization/ministry is, you should be leading leaders. If you are kids ministry and have been so for more than a couple of years you should be leading adults as much if not more than you lead kids.
Here are some things adult ministry can learn from kids ministry.
1. Remember peoples names – I am awful at this. Kids ministry is so much easier because of name tags. I think everyone should wear name tags to church. People want to be known by someone no matter how big your church is.
2. People care how much you care more than how much you know.
3. Theology matters. – Kids need to understand why we believe what we believe as much or more than adults do.
4. Adults need another adult in their life that they can call, cry, and believe God with as much a kids need friends who believe the same thing they do.
5. I think most kids ministries do a great job of connecting with kids of all learning types. This is one area that adult ministry needs to work on much of the programing for adults is focused mostly on those who are auditory learners.
Definitely some truth here. Hoping I get much better at leading adults!! Thanks for the thoughts as always Sam!
Great Post! I constantly struggled for years saying I’m great at relating to kids, it’s the adults that are hard! And guess what God put me in a position to do? Lead adults to lead kids! Thanks for the insight, and keep it coming!
Nice. It’s the same lesson we’ve heard 1,000 times, but it never gets old.
– It’s about the people.
– Everything rises and falls on leadership.
Great reminder. Thanks Sam.