This week I pulled together with some ministry leaders and had a Blab conversation about volunteers.
[bctt tweet=”I could sit back & limit God in my ministry by saying ‘no’ for someone. @bekabullard”]
If you’ve never blabbed before… it’s kind of fun. The video above shows the ‘Brady Bunch’ style format as each person video chats together. Check it out here.
The four leaders on this call lead in Children’s Ministry at multi-site churches in Ohio, Chicago & Tennessee. And though our multi-site contexts might look very different, our methodology in leading & building volunteer teams is remarkably similar.
[bctt tweet=”The best indicator of a strong volunteer leader is that people follow them. @sjdinardo “]
Listen in on the conversation and find out more about how these leaders navigate the world of leading volunteers. The conversation jumps right into the tricky world of social media and posting things we wish we hadn’t posted! Then see how the conversation progresses:
How do you recruit high-level volunteers? (7:53)
[bctt tweet=”A strong volunteer leader is the person willing to ask hard questions. @debbyalbrecht”]
How do you help a volunteer avoid burnout? (20:15)
[bctt tweet=”A stretched volunteer may not say they need help. @bekahbullard”]
How we empower volunteers & how we might hinder them? (27:00)
[bctt tweet=”Can your volunteers make a decision w/o you? Have you given them the opportunity? @bekabullard”]
Hear about our experience requiring parents to serve because they have kids in our ministry! (39:40)
[bctt tweet=”Require parents to serve in #kidmin? Sure! I should fix your car b/c I own one. @debbyalbrecht”]
And find out about one of the biggest personal mistake I’ve made in my 16 years of leading in ministry. (28:49)
[bctt tweet=”Only elementary age kids can appreciate my dance moves. @gina_mcclain”]
The annual review of the past 12 months… the wins… the growth… the learning points.
The look ahead to the coming year when you ask yourself, where are we headed, where do we need to grow, and how do we get there?
Goal setting is a non-negotiable for leaders. Like mile-markers set out to guide us on our path, goals help to ensure we are focused on a prescribed destination. Goals ensure we focus on the right outcomes. Goals ensure that we steward our resources successfully.
[bctt tweet=”Goals ensure that we steward our resources successfully.”]
But goals are tricky to write.
I’ve led in ministry for 16 years and I’ve written goals every year.
Personal growth goals.
Professional growth goals.
Fitness goals.
Spiritual-discipline goals.
Leader-development goals.
All for the purpose of posturing myself to grow.
I’ve learned in recent years how to write more effective goals. Ones that are measurable and closely aligned with Organizational values so they truly advance us toward our mission.
But this past year, our team has refined our goal setting to a greater degree.
Like turning the dial up, the format we are using can increase focus and accountability 10-fold.
And it’s uncomfortably exciting.
Taken from the methodology taught by the Studer Group, goals are written in a very specific way.
They include:
an intentional action (i.e. Increase, Decrease or Maintain)
what you want to measure (i.e. team collaboration)
from (current performance; i.e. 5.3)
to (target performance; i.e. 7.5)
by what time period (i.e. weekly, monthly, annually)
by what measuring tool (i.e. Collaboration Survey)
Here’s an example of a completed goal statement:
Increase Employee Engagement from 5.3 to 7.5 by 4th Quarter 2016 as measured by Employee Engagement Survey.
The way in which the goal is stated is specific as to what I want to grow (Employee Engagement), by how much I want to grow (>2 points), when I want to achieve this (4th quarter next year), and how I plan to measure.
Here’s what I like about this format:
Clean
It’s so clear what I set out to achieve. There is no ambiguity. Time has taught me the value of clarity. In the past I preferred goals that left a lot of ‘wiggle’ room so I could adjust as the year progressed. But using language that creates ‘wiggle’ room can produce a goal that is so broad, you’re not sure you’ve achieved.
[bctt tweet=”Language that offers ‘wiggle’ room produces a goal so broad, you’re not sure if you achieve it.”]
Open
The goal targets the desired outcome without defining the process. I’m left with the freedom to maneuver and adjust as the year progresses. If one action doesn’t score points on the board, I have the freedom to adjust my tactics and try something different.
In the past, I’ve been known to make a tactic my goal. i.e. Increase brainstorming sessions with Creative Team. Yet tactics are intended to achieve a greater end (i.e. increasing collaboration among the team) which achieves a greater outcome… Engagement. And ultimately, it’s the greater outcome that I want to accomplish, not the tactic.
Understanding the difference between a goal and a tactic is where I’m still deep within the learning curve. But I’ve enjoyed this process, nonetheless.
How do you form your goal statements? And how effective have they been moving you closer to your mission?
Want to know how to turn the up on effectiveness? Check my next post on prioritizing your goals.
In the early days of this blog I offered advice on parenting. At the time I had younger kids that were relatively compliant. Parenting in that season yielded challenges most parents encounter.
It seemed that daily we were addressing issues like irresponsibility, disobedience, or lack of respect for others. I wouldn’t suggest it was on a chronic scale. Just typical opportunities to teach our kids how to be responsible, how to care more about others, how to respect authority, etc, etc.
Today we parent teenagers.
You’ll notice I haven’t offered parenting advice on my blog in quite a while.
Maybe I will AFTER I’m done parenting teens. Then again, maybe not.
Parenting teens is different.
It’s kind of funny because when I review the list above, it isn’t as if you no longer address those issues. Actually, you lean into them more. The difference with parenting teens is you’re always navigating the relationship in such a way that you keep the door to their hearts open.
And that can be tough to do.
You see, we strive to raise adults who can make wise decisions for themselves no matter what they face in life. At some point they have to learn how to make decisions for themselves. And allowing them space to do that while they are still in our home is the best time. The stakes are lower right now. They can mess up and the consequences are not as severe.
But creating this culture within our home requires consistent conversation. And introducing conversation in the elementary years is the best way to establish that culture.
Spiritual development is not a singular event. It’s not a say-a-prayer, get-’em-dunked, one-and-done moment. It’s a series of conversations, moments, and experiences that help a child adopt a faith that impacts their every day life. An every day faith.
And an every day faith involves constant conversation.
Not a monologue.
Lord, have mercy. Don’t monologue! (I’ve tried… it doesn’t work.)
Talking implies an exchange. You talk, they listen AND they talk, you listen.
And you’ll be far more successful establishing a pattern of conversation with your teens if you start when they are in elementary school.
That’s why I really like Brian Dollar’s new book, Talk Now and Later.
Brian does a great job establishing why conversation is so critical to helping our kids grow into healthy adults. In fact, the book addresses some key conversations you want to have with your kids about hot topics like Sex, Self-Image, Divorce & Friendships.
These are tough conversations every parent is likely to encounter with their kid. Brian does a great job offering help to navigate them.
You can grab a copy of his book on Amazon or visit the book site here. You’ll find it’s a great resource for your parenting journey.
I’m a parent of 3 amazing kids: 16, 13 and 10 years old. The internet is a reality in my world. If I’m not thinking about what they might be exposed to on the internet, I’m thinking about how much time they’ve spent on their devices.
As a parent, I anticipated arguing with my kids over homework, chores or how late we let them stay up at night. I even figured there’d be some disagreement over how much TV time they had each day. But I really wasn’t prepared for the reality of a device that infiltrates every aspect of their life.
I wasn’t prepared for a device to become an extension of my child’s right hand.
The access my kids have to the internet is one I simply didn’t have as a teen. Avenues by which I could explore my curiosities looked dramatically different than my 13 year old today. Like carrying raw steak into a den of hungry lions, an innocent inquisitive search on the internet can yield something far more dangerous than intended.
From the time our oldest received his first device, we’ve used a variety of tools to manage usage and access. Some with greater success than others. In fact, we’ve found that we have to use a variety of tools (both software & hardware) to gain the level of control we want.
Circle is a smart device & app that allows you to manage all of your home’s connected devices. With Circle, I can filter content, limit screen time and set a bedtime for every device in my home.
Where I’ve used 3 different sources (software or hardware) to manage the internet usage of my kids, Circle will allow me to reduce to a single device. That excites me.
In fact, I’m so excited I’m encouraging all my friends in the blogosphere to check it out. Find out more here.
We’re all looking for great ways to keep our kids safe. Circle by Disney gives parents the level of control they want and need to create the safe place home should always be.
It’s one thing to break someone else’s rule. That kind of stinks.
But when you break your own…. dang. It’s just bad form.
Let me explain… I started blogging in 2006. Since that time the blog name has changed a few times and the topics I choose to write about are a little more focused. More than that, the intent of my writing has evolved over the past several years. You learn a few lessons here and there when you throw your thoughts out to the general public. Some people agree with you. Others don’t. Some people share those disagreements respectfully. Others take your thoughts out of context in order to elevate a point they are passionate to prove. I understand. We all want to be heard, don’t we?
The challenge with blogging is that your growth as an individual isn’t always apparent. Unless you were to read my posts consecutively over the past decade, you wouldn’t necessarily see the development. But there has certainly been development.
Some posts I’ve crafted convinced they would inspire conversation yet only fell into obscurity. Other posts I’ve spouted off with no real intention yet they spread virally. I’ve posted things I wish I could use as the standard by which others see me. And I’ve posted things I wish I could retract.
As a writer, I’ve grown to adopt a better ‘filter’ so that no matter the response, I can stand by what I’ve written. It’s a filter that I hope ensures that what I post adds value to readers… and not just a verbal vomit of my random thoughts. Carey Nieuwhof sums it up well with the question, “Is it helpful?”
Is it helpful? Will the content of the post help someone else to lead better and grow more. Does the post challenge common thinking in a respectful way? Is the tone open? Does it invite challenging perspectives? Or does it shut down all other ideas that might contradict with my own?
Ultimately I want to provoke a conversation. Maybe that conversation is with others on the blog. Maybe that conversation is in your personal or professional circles. Where the conversation happens doesn’t matter to me. I just hope the conversation happens.
Last week I broke my own rule. As the Halloween holiday approached I knew there would be some conversation on social media about the “rights and wrongs” of Christ-followers participating in the festivities. Some years I choose to remain silent on the topic. Some years I venture in and offer my thoughts. This year I entered the conversation… kind of.
Truth be told, I dug into my library of past blog posts and grabbed one I’d written in 2010. I tossed out the link on social media and didn’t give it another thought… until the first comment hit my FB page.
The comment was respectful yet challenged my position. It caught me off-guard. In fact, I had to go back and read the post to find out why the reader disagreed.
Then I realized what I’d done.
I didn’t use my filter.
In 2010 I didn’t have that filter. Not to the extent that I wish I had. If you read several of my posts from that season you would see that too many times my motivation for posting was to prove a point… not to start a conversation. My driving purpose was to share my opinion… not to help other leaders.
In the past 5 years my posture toward if and how Christ-followers participate in holidays such as Halloween hasn’t changed a lot. I’m still passionate about leveraging opportunities to interact with your community. I still love the idea of flipping on that porch light, planting myself at the end of the driveway, passing out candy and meeting people I don’t often see.
However, walking door-to-door through a neighborhood not knowing what to expect at each house as you approach isn’t the best option for every family. Some families need a more controlled environment for their kids. A fun, festive event sans the scary, unnerving costumes. My opinion shouldn’t deter a family from pursuing the best option for their kids.
Nor should my perspective define actions for a ministry leader considering a holiday alternative for families in their community. If the best move for this holiday is to offer an event that families can engage and increase your connection with your community, then you should run with it.
My opinion hasn’t changed. I still lead in this manner. I still want to lead families at my church to engage their neighborhood as often as possible. If a safer, more tame environment is needed then I wholly support their pursuit of local community options that are a better fit. What I regret is the tone of the post.
At the end of the day, if I’d written that post in 2015 it would look different. I’d filter it through that powerful question, “Is it helpful?” Paired with my thoughts would be an open posture towards the differing opinions of others.
Working with Gina was one of the best learning experiences of my career. Gina not only brought a sensible, no-nonsense attitude to the table, she had a way of casting vision that I have rarely seen. In a few short months, she was able to bring our team together with a common mission and goal. She was able to build and help us implement processes and procedures into our systems that had been missing for years.
Gina's strategic mind combined with her deep care of those she leads is a combination that leaves a mark on anyone who is fortunate enough to sit under her leadership. I'm forever grateful for the impact she has had and continues to have on my life.
Gina is willing to listen.
Working alongside Gina and her leadership is a blessing because she allowed me to learn from what I produce from the coaching tools she delivers. As a leader, Gina shows that she is not perfect, and expects imperfection from her team as well.
The biggest aspect that I love about Gina and her leadership is her willingness to listen, and not just look for a solution.
Gina is a strong leader.
She is gifted in strategy, vision, and communication. Not only is she gifted, but she cares deeply for the church and seeing people come to know and understand how loved they are by their perfect Heavenly Father. Gina has great experience in family ministry and has personally helped develop me as a leader for the next-generation!
Working with Gina has been a gift.
Working with Gina the last several years has been such a gift to me! She has a way of asking questions and sharing her wisdom to help you move your ministry in a direction you never thought possible. She helped me take a ministry that relied heavily on one person and create a structure that supported teams of leaders and teachers. Our ministry today has so many people that are owners of their areas of ministry because of the coaching I received. Her counsel in my life personally and with ministry has been such a gift to me! If you are looking for someone full of Godly wisdom and practical advice that will challenge and encourage you along the way, she is it!
Exciting, Rewarding and Challenging
While the world of working in ministry is ever changing, the goal never wavers. Staying true to the vision becomes increasingly important and Gina has an ability to bring clarity to that goal, while inspiring and challenging leaders. Working under Gina's leadership was exciting, rewarding, and challenging. Gifts were brought to light, hurdles were broken and clarity was brought to every situation. Even in the moments of feeling stuck in leadership, movement happened. Gina has a gift for providing the next step no matter where the start point may be, but always in the direction of the end result.
An Incredible Mentor
Gina McClain has been an incredible mentor and coach of mine for the past several years. Her real world experience and humble vulnerability make her advice both wise and relatable. She is great with processing strategic systems, brainstorming new ideas, casting vision, and seeing the big picture. Gina has helped develop me into a much better leader and see things differently with new ways to grow.
Working with Gina was an absolute joy.
She has the amazing ability to take things that seem jumbled and disconnected, zoom out, and bring clarity of vision to any situation she’s faced with. Gina’s a unique leader who isn’t able to just cast strong vision but can actually give you the steps to make it happen! And of course the added bonus is that it’s just plain fun to work with Gina!
She Makes Things Fun
It was one of the greatest honors to lead under and alongside a leader like Gina. She has a powerful gifting to bring clear vision and strategy to teams while also stopping to walk through individual scenarios with care and intentionality. She makes things fun and understandable while leading a team always with the greatest balance of strength through vulnerability and wisdom. I have been changed as a leader because of working with Gina.
Thriving Culture
She guided our team towards a coaching structure, selection of key leaders, and ensured we had an optimal environment to welcome kids and families while not wavering on a safe and engaging experience.Her leadership and guidance not only strengthened the foundation, our team naturally grew because people were seen and known. The team quickly became a community with a thriving culture that people wanted to be a part of.
