How to See Kids & Parents Become Fans of Your Ministry

Kids Industries, a London-based research firm,recently found that 76% of six-to-14 year olds consider themselves a fan of something. This is 13% higher than last year.

Kids love to engage with brands they chose.  81% of kids want to engage with many things related to the brands they like. 

If you want kids and parents to be fans of your ministry, then let them help create and contribute to the content.

Kids and families don't  just want to consume.  They want to help create what is consumed.

Several brands have tapped into this and are encouraging kids and parents to be contributors instead of just consumers.

One big way you can do this is by giving kids and their parents opportunities to contribute to brand projects or initiatives or new products.

If you haven't read a recent article I wrote that is entitled "10 Things I Learned From Kids Last Week," You should check it out.  

The article focuses on how to learn from kids and parents by hosting a "Focus Group.  It is a very effective tool that will help you uncover what today's kids and families need from their time at your church.

Be willing to change if you want to keep your fans 31% of kids are hoping to experience the brands they love in new ways. 29% want opportunities to deepen their knowledge about their favorite brands.

If you see a brand that is declining, most of the time you trace it back to the brand not being willing to change to keep up with the ever-changing world of childhood.

So many great things come out of a brand that kids and families love. 

They get involved with it.  

They tell their friends about it.

They help sustain it. 

They volunteer their time and talents to it.

When this happens, people will begin to notice your ministry.  You will become known in your city as 'The Place Kids and Families."

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The Girl With Dozens of Scars

There is a store that I go in most weeks.  The first time I went there and bought something was a few months ago.  

When I went to check out, there was a young lady who was the cashier. 

As I stepped up to pay her, I saw something that shocked me.  She was wearing a short-sleeve shirt and you could see that her  arms were covered with scars. 

I don't mean just a scar here and there.  She must have over a hundred scars on her arms.  

The scars were obviously self-inflicted.  Scars from cutting herself with a razor blade or knife or scissors.

It was so sad.

Cutting is a serious issue that affects teens and even pre-teens.  It is normally a sign of deep emotional distress.  It can be difficult to understand why a young person would hurt themselves on purpose.         

Self-harm can become a young person's way to respond to pressure and sad feelings.

It's important for children's ministry leaders to know how to respond when you see a young person in this situation.  

It might be one of your teenage volunteers who needs help. It might be a young adult who is on your team.  It might be a pre-teen in your classroom.

Many times it comes from overwhelming emotions.  Cutting or self-harm is a way for kids to interrupt feelings that seem to be too tense.

Many times when kids cut or self-injure, they say it gives them a sense of control.  It is a relief to see and know where the specific pain is coming from. It distracts them from the emotions 

Others believe the relief is simply a result of being distracted from painful emotions by intense physical pain and the dramatic sight of blood.  Some young people say they don't feel the pain when they cut, but feel relieved because the visible results "show"  the emotional pain they feel.

Cutting can be habit forming. Though it only provides temporary relief from emotional distress, the more a person cuts, the more they feel the need to do it. Whenever tension builds, the brain craves that relief and drives the teen to seek relief again by self-injuring. So it can become a habit someone feels powerless to stop.  This was the case of the lady in the store.  

I am praying for this young lady and looking for an opportunity to tell her about Jesus.  

Her scars can turn from being a sign of hurt to a sign of hope.  Jesus had scars from what He endured and from His stripes we are healed.  

He can turn scars into a testimony of grace. 

He can turn scars into forgiveness and hope.

He can turn scars into smiles.

He can turn scars into situations for your good.

He can turn scars into deliverance.

As you serve in ministry,  you will encounter people with scars. Some visible.  Some not visible.

Remember...each scar has a story.

Remember...God can bring healing to the inward scars they are living with.

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10 Things I Learned From Kids Last Week

Last week, I learned a lot about our children's ministry.  Where did I get this valuable information?  By talking directly to the kids in our ministry.  At least twice a year, I host a kids' focus group.  I invite 8-10 kids who are part of our ministry to give us feedback, ideas, insight, etc.

Here are 10 of the things they shared with us.

1. They like the worship time...but we have lots of room for improvement. 

2. Most of them have made friends but some don't have any friends at church.

3. Our lessons are decent.  Halfway between good and boring. There are many things we can do to             improve this.

4. They want to have the same small group leader every week.

5. They usually attend church two to three times a month.

6. Several are on sports teams that takes them out of church several times a month.

7. They are looking for ways to serve and would do so if we created serving opportunities for them. 

8. They occasionally read their Bible and talk to Jesus during the week, but not on a consistent basis.

9. They could remember a little bit about the lessons, but not a lot.  After two weeks, they forget everything we have taught them.

10. Their favorite person at church is their small group leader.

If you would like a complete copy of what I asked the kids during the focus group, feel free to email me (dale@buildingchildrensministry) and I will send it to you.  Focus groups are a great way to measure the pulse of your ministry.

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