Most new leaders when they first start leading a small group want all the children to like them and thus struggle to set clear boundaries for the group. Leaders don’t want to be the one that all the kids say is the grumpy leader so instead of setting boundaries they allow the children to run riot. This is not the way we are meant to lead!

Over the years I have discovered that the opposite is true, children look up to and respect those who set clear boundaries. They actually like the leader that is firm more than they do the soft leader who let’s them run riot but only if ONE VITAL ingredient is included…LOVE.

It’s no good being the leader that sets boundaries if you aren’t also the leader that tells them they are a champion, asks them about their sport match and prays with them. If you couple setting firm boundaries with lots of affirmation than every boy will love you and you will lead a controlled group also!

1. Intellect
The vision needs to engage peoples intellect in order for them to give themselves to it wholeheartedly. It cannot be some crazy, out there dream that doesn’t seem rationally possible. It needs to be something they can engage with, wrestle with in their mind and come up with strategies to get there. It needs to be presented in a savvy way that does make people think about where you are going and what they could do to help take you there. You can do this by leaving people wrestling the problem you are trying to solve though your vision.

2. Heart
Make it personal for people! Put a bit of emotion into it and help them feel for the vision. If you get their heart to be in it then you are setting them up to make it for the long haul. Heart is the thing that will inspire people to go beyond themselves to see a dream come to reality. Heart inspires people.

3. Feet
It must contain something that has action to it. In your vision try to make steps and plans for how you can see it become a reality. Put job descriptions in place so that people can easily see what they could do to help achieve the vision. Vision takes an idea of where you could be and makes it a reality, its the plans that bring your dreams to action.

Follow these and you are well on your way to establishing a team that will run with you and the vision of your church.

The message was based on Proverbs 29:18 – Where there is no vision, the people perish but rather then just speak on the need for vision we took it further into the how to of casting vision.

The most frequently asked questions I get in regard to Children Ministry is “How do I recruit new volunteers” and “how do I raise up leaders to carry the ministry in a greater capacity”. If either of these are your questions then I’m telling you that adopting a simple vision casting strategy will help solve much of the problems you face in this area. People want to be part of something bigger then themselves, so if you can cast the vision for your church and how your area plays a part in that, not just retell what your Pastor has said to motivate you but actually own it to the point where you are actually casting it as your vision then it will provide people with an opportunity to make a difference with their life! If people feel they will make a difference then you have solved much of the problems we face such as motivating leaders, getting them to recruit for us, getting them to grow in their involvement. Cast the vision don’t just tell it.

Three areas you need to include in casting:

1. Tell the ‘YOU’ story within the vision

When sharing the vision with potential leaders or those you are wanting to see step up make sure you personalize the vision. Share the impact it has had on your life personally, how you are adding to the big picture, how ministry is helping you fulfill your call in life, how the church has helped you.

2. Explain the possibilities if the vision

When casting vision you need them to ‘IMAGINE’ what life would be like if the vision was achieved. Imagine if every person who calls themselves a Christian actually stepped out of their comfort zone and lived like one. Imagine if every leader actually went out of their way to welcome every single new person. Imagine if…when you get people to imagine the thing you are trying to get them to step into then they begin to see the need for it and are compelled to be part of the answer. Outlining possibilities helps them to see inside your head and dream with you!

3. Outline what needs to happen

Once you have got people realizing that where we are currently at is not where we intend to stay you need to mobilize them by outlining strategies how to get to the vision. People don’t expect you to have all the answers but if you show them that the river is flowing then they are more likely to jump in then if it is a still stagnant pond. You have more grace also as a leader if you are trying to get something happening then if you are just bend on criticizing what isn’t working.

So there is the beginning of Vision Casting…next 2 weeks will be part 2 and 3 but here’s a quick summary to wet the appetite:

Part 2 – Winning people to the vision. In order to mobilize people you must first capture them. Part 1 included what to include in vision casting but this week will build on that and establish areas of a persons life that we need to speak to in order to win them to the vision.

Part 3 – Communication of the vision. It isnt enough to just have a vision in your heart nut you need to be able to pass it on and communicate it in all different settings and forms. This post will explain what settings you need to master and the how to of casting vision in each setting.

Until then be blessed and I pray you grow as a leader this week!

Nath

A quote can inspire you when you feel like giving up, bring hope when all hope seems lost and enable you to dig down inside yourself and find that extra something that is required to be the person who know you are called to be.

My favourite quote and the one I want to share with you today is this:

“Do today what others won’t, so you can do tomorrow what others can’t”

For some unknown reason God has always done things in my life quickly.

• Age 10 – I knew I was called to ministry
• Age 18 – I moved interstate to study at Hillsong International Leadership College
• Age 20 – I became a Pastor (This to me now seems insane as I only turned 20 one month before I came on staff, praise God for Senior Pastors who trust the next generation)
• Age 21 – Got married to the love of my life!
• Age 23 – Had our first little girl, Mikayla
• Now at 24 my wife and I are 3 months pregnant with our 2nd bundle of joy.

I know that many of you would be saying, “Wow, thats nice, I wish God would move along things in my life” but the reality is that when God blesses you by either giving you a wife or a position on staff or whatever it is, it will come with a new level of sacrifice.

For me, when I think about my life I know what I want it to look like in 20 years. I know God has called me to preach the gospel to the nations, Pastor many people, lead teams of leaders and grow His Church to the point where the world cannot ignore it. That’s big stuff which requires big sacrifice from me now.

Whenever I say no to a social event because it’s over the weekend, miss a sporting game due to church, have another night out because of a leadership training or whatever the sacrifice may be I know I can do it because in the long run if I do today what others wont, I can do tomorrow what others cant. I plan on living a big life and to do so will take sacrifice bigger then other but I know above all else that it is ALL WORTH IT!!!!

Tuesday’s from 10:30-11:15am would be my favourite meeting of the entire week. Its our staff meeting at our Church and is the time when we get to worship as a staff and also be challenge in leadership from, in my opinion, the greatest church leader on the planet my Senior Pastor. Its not always our Senior Pastor speaking but it is always a really practical, challenging message on leadership and culture when he does speak.

This week he brought a message on ‘Empowering Upwards’ and I want to share some of it with you. When it comes to the word empowering most of us, myself included, automatically think of the people in our world that we lead and empower to do all they can in life, we are empowering downwards. Our Pastor however challenged us as leaders to empower those above us by making their leadership of us simple.

Now, when it comes to Children’s Ministry, I know that we would never be the ones to complain about not getting enough budget or blame others such as youth for getting more focus. HA!!! We are the worst at it so don’t log off now but read on and be challenge…take on the attitude of my good mate (and boss) David Wakerley who always says “I am not here to build a great children’s ministry but rather to build a great church through the children’s ministry.” So here comes a few thoughts:

1. Put yourself in the shoes of your leader.

If you want to empower up then spend a moment thinking of what they want to see you achieve in the children’s ministry. Don’t work separate to your Senior Pastor but get in his shoes and see what you could do to make his life easier.

2. Picture the decisions that are being made above you

Sometimes we want our questions answered now but the reality is that often our leaders above us are dealing with bigger things then we could imagine so if we need to wait for them to tell us which artwork design they like best then so be it. Avoid pulling your leaders head down to the decisions that you are making when they should be soaring and trying to see vision for the future. You can be the one that releases them to soar!

3. Refuse to blame.

Be the sort of Children’s Pastor who doesn’t blame anything on anyone but rather sees it as your responsibility to do whatever it takes to help your leader take the church forward. If families need someone to inspire them to come to church, be that person. If you need more leaders, dont wait for your pastor to announce it to the church, be the recruitment person. If you need more fun in your children’s ministry, be that person.

I think I shall leave it at that for now but I want you to feel the challenge like I did to re,ease those above you and look out for them as they are the Godly leaders you have been given!!!

The other night I was going for my run while listening to Hillsong United praise and worship. The music alone took my mind off the pain for the first 3 or 4km but as I came to the final 1km of my run the pain was building up and I had the urge to slow down to a slow jog…almost walk. At that moment something powerful happened that gave me a second strength. A man started jogging on the opposite side of the road to me but traveling in the same direction. Where my legs previously felt like jelly, they suddenly were revived as the competition of not letting him get too far ahead of me began. If I ever needed confirmation that I was a competitive person then this was it. I did my 5km run in only 26 minutes which was a quick time for me.

As I got home, heaving and out of breath, I got thinking about how simply seeing someone else running inspired me…I didnt get discouraged when he finally did outrun me because it was obvious that he was at a different point in his journey then me, but he did inspire me.

In the same way when it comes to our personal run in life, the race we have been called to live, we can at times get tired and heavy and it is at these times that it can help to connect with others to inspire us. Lift your head and see that others are running too, don’t get discouraged if they are at a different place then you but be inspired that you can run hard! You can keep going in what God has called you to do.

The people in life that inspire me the most are those who have been running their race for a long time, who have kept persevering through it all and are still going strong.

I want to be one of those people also and it is for that reason that I have committed to running hard in ministry for the rest of my life, pacing myself so I’m here at the end but running hard none the less. The purpose of this blog is to encourage you to do the same, to get passionate about what you do and to be inspired that you can do it…you can live your dreams and run your race well.

Tonight at church was a touching Heaven Worship Night which is part of our live album recording. One of my newer leaders who is at Hillsong College studying children’s ministry really wanted to go in but the heat was on with loads of kids and we really needed her. After much churning inside she decided to stay and I saw a leader grow within her. The simple act of putting God and serving His House above your own needs and desires is part of the journey to becoming the leader that God has called you to become. So next time your leader asks you to lead at a time that is inconvenient, remember that it is those moments when the leader within you grows.

My commitment in 2009 is to go out of my way for people and do all I can to make others lives great. When the mother is having a little complain about something that happened in the program, what can I say to bring life to her? When the 6 year old boy is running riot, what is it that is going on in his world that has him like this? When the leaders says they will be there but show up late, how can I connect with them better and inspire them to see the opportunity in kids ministry?

This year I challenge you to make it ALL ABOUT PEOPLE!!!

Hi All,

I’ve just spent the morning thinking on how we can keep taking Hillsong Kids forward and do more without necessarily having more time. I started to look at my week and what I do and I realised that I should easily be able to fit more into my week. As I thought about what I do with my time I found out that much of it is spent answering emails, procrastinating and trying to think of what else needs to be done. Isn’t it crazy how we can have soooo much to do yet often sit there wondering what it is we should do next. Even now as I’m writing this an email has come into my inbox and I stopped typing and immediately wondered what was in the email…wasted time.

So where am I going with this…

The next season leading up to Kidsfest and even over Christmas is a big one…its not a tidal wave but if we don’t have the right perspective it can feel like one. As I have pointed out I am guilty of wasting time as I’m sure we all are so my challenge is what can you do to make yourself more time affective? It may be to raise up more volunteers to the level of staff so you can be released more, it may be to start to use your calander more effectively so as soon as you finish one thing you know what is next, it may be that you need to stop looking out the window (just a personal joke!). Maybe its that you need to get in a quiet room and actually do the things you have been putting off for so long.

Whatever it is I challenge you today to do it! For me I am going to start using my post it application on my macbook more so I have a whole list of things that I need to do, I am also going to not stop working to answer an email…it can wait 5 minutes.

Thanks for all that you do in our church and lets never forget the wonder of what we have the privilege of being a part of.

Nath

In talking with many children’s pastors some common reasons often come up for not empowering:

1. It is easier to do things ourselves - The reality is if we just put the effort in to train others up around us then in the long run you will be able to do much more by empowering others. Things get easier as your leaders get better at it.
2. We feel others may not want to do children’s ministry - Children’s ministry is a priviledge and we need to expect for others to see it that way. If we expect people to not want to be in leadership then why would they? For me, serving the children and families of my church is the greatest honour and I thank God that someone empowered me!
3. We don’t trust others to do things as well as us – They wont…that’s right…they wont! Give them time though and they will do it better then you ever could. Training someone is hard because at first the standard of the work that is done will go down but given time the empowered leader will pick it up and take it up past your current level.
4. Insecure about our position or role so therefore don’t want to give it away - Our security comes from our relationship with God not our position. The quicker we get a hold of that the sooner we will be confident in our leadership role.
5. They are too young for responsibility - Younger people are an investment but like all investments if you will just put into it then eventually you will reap a reward.

I think about my life in ministry. I was empowered to be the School aged Children’s Pastors at our church at just the age of 20! Talk about empowering people at a young age!
If we fail to empower then we fail to see our influence go beyond our life time.