Leading Children's Ministry: What I would do if I could do it all over again...

For almost 5 years I had the privilege of serving as children's pastor at Memorial Baptist Church in Tulsa, OK, working primarily with babies through 6th graders, teachers and parents.  In my previous blog I discussed some of the things I had learned and re-learned about church, ministry, family and life over the past several years.  Here now are a few things I feel I would do differently - or do better - if I were given another chance to start over in the same position.  Though I am now pastor of a new church plant, I have the opportunity to put into practice what I've learned in order to continue striving to be who God wants me to be and lead His church to be all He wants her to be.

I would have:

• spent more time with God on a daily basis.  
• spent more time personally on the fundamentals of being a Christian.
• spent less time doing things for God and focused more on being who He wants me to be.
• spent more time planning ministry to my family rather than just planning children's ministry events and programs (and thus neglecting the priority of ministry within my own family).
• taken more time to intentionally develop leaders both as a team and one-on-one.  
• taken more time to build unity, cohesiveness and a shared vision among our leaders so that we would be a more effective team.
• spent more time just getting to know people, hear their story, and listen to them.
• spent more time equipping leaders of all ages, including adults, teens, and children, so they could do what God had planned for them to do.

• more effectively (through being strategic and intentional) enlisted and empowered people to do the work of the ministry that God had for them.
• said thank you more often and communicated it more often.
• provided more opportunities for different generations in our church to get to know each other; provided opportunities for the older people to invest even more in the children of our church.
• celebrated more often, especially in the little things.
• found ways to have more fun and experience God's joy in being the church and doing ministry as the bride of Christ!
• been intentional in equipping parents for the task and privilege of training their children in all aspects of life, but most importantly, their children's spiritual growth.
• studied more and worked harder at knowing God and understanding His Word in order to better communicate to children who He is, what His Word says, and what He wants us to do.
• shared with more people who Jesus is, what He's done in my life, and how others can know Him too.

For more on my growing pains, check out What I've Learned Over the Last 4 1/2 Years!