5 Sources for Finding Ideas for Your Ministry
Photo by Dominic Hanson on Unsplash
At my first church, I felt like I was alone. My senior pastor was sick, and the church was struggling. I had been in ministry for about a year and half and at first, I thought I was doing ok. But then when problems came, and I expressed them to my fellow staff members, it fell on deaf ears.
I had a few friends in kidmin, but they lived in other states. Also, Facebook was in its infancy so finding others like me was difficult.
Then at a sectional meeting with other church leaders in my area, I met a guy who told me about his kids’ pastor and how he had a podcast. Intrigued, I downloaded a few episodes and instantly felt at home. You know that feeling when you meet someone, and they just get it?
Since we were in the same town, I looked him up, and we went to lunch. It was the first of many connections and set me on a journey of seeking outside sources to make my ministry better.
The thing is you were never meant to do ministry alone. We need other people for creativity, innovation, and support. The best part of the age that we live in now is that we don’t have to meet these people face to face to be a part of the community. There are many sources we can turn to get help, support, coaching, and so much more that will help take your ministry to the next level.
5 Sources to take your ministry to the next level.
1. Facebook groups
Social media and specifically Facebook groups weren’t the first thing to help me out, but they are one of my biggest sources these days. I know Facebook has privacy and other issues, but where else can I connect to literally 100,000 kidmin leaders with just a few clicks?
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a question, posed it one or more groups and received multiple answers within minutes. I see people post their problems and not just ministry related. When they feel burned out, overwhelmed, or just need encouragement, these community groups are a place to feel loved and supported.
Here are some of the groups I use every week to stay in touch with my community.
Kidmin
General Ministry
Youth Ministry
Fun Stuff
Assemblies of God Ministers Nerd Lair (my favorite place on the internet)
2. Blogs
Unfortunately, blogs are not nearly as popular as they used to be, but you can still get quality content from those of us that still write regularly. While Facebook Groups and other social media are great for small tidbits of advice, there is something to be said for longer well thought out prose. Bloggers think deeply about ideas and concepts and share them with their community.
I have a folder in OneNote full of blog posts that I thought were helpful but couldn’t use right then. Blogs are a veritable treasure trove of ideas in your inbox everyday. Sure some of them sell things, but a lot of times their free stuff is all you need.
Some of the blogs I read regularly are:
Kidmin
General Ministry
Business
Fun
3. Podcasts
I am an early adopter of Podcasts. I think I started listening back in 2006. I had to download the file from iTunes and then sync my iPod to listen to them. These are my main sources of ideas, help, and creativity. I listen to them more than music.
Whether they’re long form interviews or variety shows, podcasts are the new talk radio. And unlike always listening to political talk, you can tune into the content that you really care about. I’ve been introduced to new authors and teachers, new ideas, new ways of thinking more in 20-60 minutes a day than anywhere else. There is some crossover with the blogs that I read, but their content is generally different.
Kidmin
Ministry and Leadership
Business
Sermons
Fun
4. Books
As good as blogs are with deeper thoughts, books are even better. Instead of getting a thousand words you get fifty thousand words. That’s a lot more thoughts and ideas. Books introduce you to bigger ideas, expand your thinking, and show you a different way of doing things.
When I first started my leadership team, I had a volunteer who hadn’t read a book since high school, and she was well into her fifties. Her ministry was stagnant and couldn’t understand why people didn’t value it the way “they used to” 20 years before.
As part of being on my team, we had to read books together. The first book she read with us was a challenge for her, but she got through it. In addition, she developed a love for reading! She went from one of my lower skilled leaders to the one growing the most. I had been looking for her replacement but stopped when I saw how much she was improving. Reading books played a large part in her development.
Here are some of my favorite books that can help you in ministry.
Kidmin
I Blew It by Brian Dollar (A new edition is coming out soon, This link may be bad)
Lead Small Culture by Reggie Joiner, Kristen Ivy, and Elle Campbell
Leadership/ Business
Ministry
5. Mentors and coaches
All the sources so far are impersonal. You have to take their ideas and make them your own. They don’t speak to your context or what you’re dealing with. They are talk about the big picture that suits their audience. You may be in it, but they’re not talking specifically to you.
This is why you need a coach. You need someone who can speak to your life, ministry, and decisions. Someone who knows you and what’s happening and offers workable suggestions you can do that day. They speak the truth to you, even when it hurts, and guide you on some of the biggest decisions you have in life.
A few years back, Children’s Ministry Deals did a deal with Jim Wideman. They sold every book he’d written to that point, plus several of his talks and a lot more. It was a killer deal. His books changed my life and I listed a few of them in this post. But one thing Bro. Jim offered was coaching. It cost about as much as a conference, so I was able to convince my pastor to have the church pay for it. I don’t think there could have been a better investment.
I grew more in those 6 months than I ever could have before. I’ve maintained my relationship with him and the kids’ pastors that journeyed with me. We've become lifelong friends. He’s helped me in some of my darkest ministry moments. The community we created were the ones who reached out to me when everything went wrong a few months ago.
You need to have a coach. Whether that’s another pastor, a leader further down the road, a trusted friend, or a trained coach. You need someone who can help you where you are now and get you to where you want to be.
Fortunately for you, Bro. Jim is doing his coaching again and you can sign up today! But hurry he only has a few spots left and registration closes at the end of August.
You were never meant to do ministry alone. There are other people who have been down the same road as you and can show you the way forward. I’ve listed just a few, and there are so much more. Find something that speaks to you and expands your thinking and then watch how you and your ministry grow.