10 Things Great Children's Ministry Leaders Know

What makes a great leader? What sets apart a great children's ministry leader from a mediocre children's ministry leader?

Is obtaining a master's degree in children's ministry leadership the key?  While education is very important, I do not believe it is one of the big factors in great leadership.

Let's look at 10 things great children's ministry leaders know and do.

1. Great children's ministry leaders know how to build a team.

They turn the ministry focus toward enlisting and developing new volunteers.  They live out Ephesians 4 on a weekly basis.  Have you read my book "The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams?"  It is available at this link.

2. Great children's ministry leaders know how to partner with parents.  

They invest in and help parents grow in their role as the primary spiritual influencer.

3. Great children's ministry leaders know how to lead through change.

They know the steps and timing that it takes to see effective change.

4. Great children's ministry leaders know how to grow their leadership skills.

They are not content with being "status quo." They are constantly reading, stretching and growing their leadership skills.

5. Great children's ministry leaders know how to motivate volunteers.

They know how to motivate volunteers long-term.  A high percentage of their volunteers have been serving for multiple years.

6. Great children's ministry leaders know how to develop leaders.

They know how to find blind spots and help fix them.  They help people grow and expand their leadership skills.  The Advance Coaching program is a great way to do this. You can get more info. at this link.

7. Great children's ministry leaders know how to impact not only the children's ministry, but the entire church.

They help the entire church grow and expand.  Entire families come to Christ because of the children's ministry. 

8. Great children's ministry leaders know how to be a servant-leader.

They lead by example. They know it's not about how many people serve you. Rather it's about how many people you serve.

9. Great children's ministry leaders know how to correct the drift.

It is a natural progression for ministries to drift off course.  Great children's ministry leaders know how to recognize this and bring everything back in alignment.

10. Great children's ministry leaders know how to go the distance.

They pace themselves and avoid burnout so they can go the distance.  They keep their eyes on Jesus and know when to slow down. They know that ministry success is not measured in years...but in decades.

If you'd like more tips on how to be a great children's ministry leader, check out my book "Lead Well in Children's Ministry." It is available at this link.