Excellence...Showing Kids They Are Worth It

A while back, I wrote an article entitled "It Doesn't Matter...They're Just Kids."

I talked about the importance of being committed to excellence...especially when it comes to kid's ministry.

I'd like to expand on that thought in today's article. Let's dive deeper into why we should be committed to excellence when it comes to children and their parents.

Be committed to excellence for children. Children are often the decision-makers when it comes to deciding what the family will do. Where the family will eat (that's why the family drives past the steak house and goes to Mcdonald's instead). What movie the family will watch. Where the family will go on vacation. And yes...what church the family will attend.

An excellent children's ministry is a major factor when it comes to growing a church. Stats show that one of the top reasons why parents choose a church is based on their children's ministry.

When we are committed to excellence in our children's ministry, it sends a message to parents that their children are worth it.

In the last 20 years, we have seen many churches invest heavily in the look, feel and decor of their children's ministry. They have spent major money on creating environments that are welcoming to children. For many of them, it has helped their church grow and reach more families. Your facilities and investments send a message to families.

Walt Disney was known for his commitment to doing the little things well. He had an eye for detail and he wanted those he worked with to be just as committed to the details.

Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it, they will want to come back and see you do it again, and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do. -Walt Disney

Here are a few examples of their commitment to excellence...

• The manhole covers are specially designed with a Mickey Mouse logo in the center.

• The Merry-Go-Round is painted with real gold paint.

• Handrails that get a lot of wear and tear are re-painted every single night.

• If you have never heard the story about the birds in the Tiki show, read it here.

When kids are made to feel important and welcomed, they will return. Walt knew this. Check out what happened as they were developing the Disneyland stagecoach ride.

The stagecoach ride was the first attraction built for the park. As the stagecoach was being put together, the Imagineers, who built it, were getting very frustrated with Walt. As they were working on the final piece, the stagecoach leather straps, they simply could not get Walt to sign off on it.

Legendary Imagineer, John Hench, couldn't get Walt's final approval for the leather straps. He said this to Walt.

“Why don’t we just leave the leather straps off, Walt? The people are never going to appreciate all this close-up detail.”

Walt responded by saying this.

“John, you’re being a poor communicator. People are okay, don’t you ever forget that. They will respond to it. They will appreciate it. And they will keep coming back to the park again and again and again.”

The result? According to Hench, he ended up putting “the best leather straps on that stagecoach that you’ve ever seen.” Just as Walt said, people keep coming back again and again and again.

Being committed to excellence and showing kids they are worth it keeps you focused on the small details that lead to excellence.

In Disneyland, there is a store on main street called Coke Corner. If you look closely at the light bulbs in the store, you will see a bulb affectionately known as "Walt's Light bulb." The light bulbs in the store are a series of alternating red and white bulbs. The shape of the store requires an odd number of bulbs. Walt didn't want to break the alternating pattern so he personally grabbed a paintbrush and painted the last bulb half-red and half-white. Walt was obsessed with the details and his extreme commitment to excellence led to extreme excellence in family entertainment. The kind of excellence that causes kids and families to return over and over again. As we finish this article, I want you to remember a quote that came to me as I was pondering excellence in children's ministry.

"Excellence is the whisper that comes from the little things done well."

Strive for it. Show kids they are worth it.