This is a followup to a post I did back in August of 2009 // Creative Volunteer Training

Two things about me as a Children’s Pastor:

1. I hate meetings.
2. I hate meetings.

A few years ago, I read Death by Meeting by Patrick Lencioni and his book has helped me work to make meetings more beneficial with my staff (at least in my humble opinion.)  I have however continued to struggle with how to communicate with volunteers in an effective way.

How do I train them?

How can I communicate best practices?

How do I let them know about changes in the curriculum?

But most importantly, how do I do these things without calling meetings for every weekend or every month?

My solution has been something I call “Kidsplace Unscripted”  The unscripted videos are my way of communicating values to my volunteer team in a non-confrontational, non pizza eating after church way.  I film these videos every two or three weeks using my Macbook, iMovie and uploading them to Vimeo.  I have had issues with Vimeo, but since they now offer mobile viewing on iPhones I’m back on board with their video greatness.

So after a year of doing these video’s what new and what have I changed?

• I had about a 30% open rate in emails and newsletters. When I started sending videos, it jumped to about 50%, and now I have an open and click rate has jumped to about 80%.
• I have too many leaders to personally meet with them all each week, and I’ve seen these videos help with my ability to keep in touch somewhat with everyone.  It’s gonna sound crazy, but people feel like they know my heart and passions without even meeting me.
• I’ve now added a different video series just for my Preschool and Kindergarten leaders.  They were asking for it, when word got around about the Elementary videos.  I obliged, and tweaked the content to fit that demographic.
• In 2010, I’m tackling best practices in each area.  I’m defining a best practice as those things that we do each and every week with no exception.  They are the same whether doing large group storytelling, or leading a group of 2nd grade girls in a small group.  So far so good in 2010.

Here are my most recent videos for both Preschool/Kindergarten and Elementary.

Kidsplace Unscripted #12 from Jonathan Cliff on Vimeo.

Preschool Unscripted #5 from Jonathan Cliff on Vimeo.

There is a Vimeo shortcut to my videos on the right side of this blog, just click the tiny V.  You can also visit my Vimeo page directly at www.vimeo.com/jonathancliff and even subscribe to my new videos at http://vimeo.com/jonathancliff/videos/rss.

For the record:  I do still have meetings from time to time, but the Unscripted videos have allowed me to be much more intentional about when we do need to have in-person meetings with volunteers and those on my ministry team.

I get asked often enough about Children’s Bibles that I wanted to share with you about a special Children’s Bible that my family and I have fallen in love with recently.

I’d like to introduce you to The Jesus Story Book Bible.  This is the most fantastical, amazing Bible for reading to children from the youngest of ages.  It is truly a breathtaking experience to read it to my own children, and I know you’ll love it to.  When you read it for yourself, you will know I’m not overstating this enough.  It is a wonderful tool for parents.  The words and the illustrations work perfectly on each and every page.  Your kids will love it!

A “Story Bible” is great for kids because it gets away from chapter and verse restrictions, and introduces your children to the great stories of scripture.  What makes The Jesus Storybook Bible so wonderful, is that it ties Jesus into each and every story.

The Jesus Storybook Bible tells the Story beneath all the stories in the Bible. From Noah to Moses to the great King David, every story points to a Child, every story whispers his name…

“It’s like an adventure story about a young Hero who came from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne, everything to rescue the one he loves. It’s like the most wonderful of fairy tales that have come true in real life.

You see, the best thing about this story is—it’s true.

It takes the whole Bible to tell this story. And at the center of the Story there is a baby. Every story in the Bible whispers his name. He is like the missing piece in a  puzzle—the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together and suddenly you can see a beautiful picture.

And this is no ordinary baby. This is the Child upon whom everything would depend. This is the baby that would one day—but wait, our story starts where all good stories start. Right at the very beginning…”

Watch the videos for a more few examples of the readings.  This particular reading is fun, because it’s the Christmas story.  And with this book the Christmas Story is the answer!:

As a father who reads to his own children, I cannot more highly recommend this wonderful addition to your families library.  I know that my wife and I cried tears during the first few stories, and I know that you will too.

HT: SojournKids

This is my recap of the past few weeks.  It’s not a brain dump, since I don’t usually carry more than baseball statistics in my brain and there are no baseball statistics included in this Friday Bag.

I dedicate this video to my wife, who informed me after 11 years of marriage that she no longer liked Chicken Wings.

I’ve been in 3 different creative meetings this week at church.  At some point they will figure out that I’m not nearly as creative as I am opinionated.  And on that note, I want to say that I really love my church.  I work with some real creative people, and can’t believe sometimes that I work in a place like this.

Every Sunday I post a twitter recap from the previous week.  What say you about those postings?  Do you hate them as much as me?

I’m 82 days into a 90 day project, and I can smell the end coming.  I’ll recap what it is when I figure out an easy way to talk about it online.

Starr and I are 7 weeks into Financial Peace University, and so far so good.  We have the obligatory student loan debt, and what we like to call “Graduate School Associated Debt” on a credit card.  If we can stick to Dave’s plan, I’m thinking we could be debt free sometime before I die.  Of course, I’m planning on living a long, long, long time.

I’ve got some friends coming to visit from Austin this afternoon.  I haven’t seen them in years, but they have a kid running in a High School Cross Country regional meet here on the South Plains.  It’ll be good to catch up.

Speaking of Austin, Starr saw a shirt yesterday here in town that said, “Keep Lubbock Normal.”  I’m thinking I should make a shirt that says, “Keep Lubbock Flat!”

I’ve been asked to be a part of the Network Technology Manager interviews here at Trinity.  (In a previous life, I was an IT Manager…)  In the last month, I’ve been in 11 interviews.  I did 6 on Wednesday and Thursday alone.  I have so many things to say about this, but I’m going to let it go.  I do have one thought…. Why would you apply to work at a church if you’re not a Christian?  I know that being a Christian does not make a good IT Manager, but still it baffles me…

I hired a Part-Time Elementary Ministry Coordinator a few months back; and it has been a great move for Trinity and personally for me.  Not having to be at every single church function as it relates to Children, has been a needed break for me and my family.  However, she’s expecting a baby any day now; so I’ll be back to the grind until she returns from her Mommy break.

The Fall Festival was a huge success last Saturday Night.  I’m estimating about 100+ volunteers showed up to help (many of them at the last minute) and about 1,500 people partook in the festivities.  I’m still philosophically trying to make up my mind about why we do these events, but for what it’s worth the Fall Festival in Lubbock, TX is alive and well!

At some point in the past few weeks, I have become the Apple go-to-guy for everyone on staff at the church.  How did this happen?

I’m the “Mystery Reader” at Ryan’s class this afternoon, and I’m so looking forward to visiting his classroom.  He doesn’t know I’m coming, but has gotten clues all week about how it may or may not be.  I got to do it a few weeks ago and it was a blast.

If you are disturbed by my frequent use of semicolons and commas; then, please read another blog.  The same thing goes for my use of apostrophe’s. Thank You. (and yes I overused them in this sentence to make a point…)

I’ve been asked to lead a Christmas service for a Foster Care agency here in Lubbock.  I’m not sure they asked for the right person.  I tried to make them understand that I don’t juggle ornaments, nor will I be dressed as a Christmas tree.

New Favorite Website of the Week: I’m loving http://www.setlist.fm It’s a collection of concert setlist, with included Youtube Music videos and lyrics.  It’s a super awesome way to relive past concerts, and catchup on currently touring concerts.  (And BTW, Kenny.  I can’t find any 1980’s-circa Carmen concerts listed, so when you have the time go ahead and submit those would ya?)

I had the opportunity, privilege, and pleasure to baptize my oldest son this weekend.  I’ve been asked many times, “As a Children’s Pastor, I bet you’re really excited to do this, huh?”  My answer is usually nice and cordial, but to be honest my excitement over my son’s eternal salvation has nothing to do with being a Children’s Pastor and everything to do with being his father.

From the time my son was in vitro, from those early morning hours of feedings, to the first steps, to the first bites of carrots, first soccer games, first words, first days of school and so forth and so forth; my prayer for him has been the very same.  I have prayed the words of a song that was popular around his birth.  They are the words to that song “One Pure and Holy Passion.”

Give me one pure and holy passion
Give me one magnificent obsession
Give me one glorious ambition for my life
To know and follow hard after You

It has been my prayer that when Ryan seeks after God he would find Him there waiting.  It has been my prayer that when confronted with his own inadequacies and faults, it would be the reaction of his heart to reach towards Christ.  It has been my prayer that when he admits his sin, believes in Christ, and confesses it with his mouth; that his next move would be to follow hard after Christ.

I often tell parents that most kids aren’t really in a good place to understand this until they are around 8 or 9 or even 10 or 11.  There is no hard, firm age for these things; but there are some things we can look for in our children to know if they are ready.  I encourage parents to not rush their children into a decision, and instead work to demonstrate living, active faith before their children.  I also encourage them to quickly reward the curiosity of their children with answers to life’s questions and questions about God, faith, and morality.

But my son has proven to be an exception.  Ryan is the most thoughtful, deep, profound, inquisitive, and reflective 7 year old I’ve ever been around.  I know, I know… it’s my son and I’m biased.  But I’m telling you, there are not 7 year olds like my son.  He’s just in a different place emotionally than most 7 year olds.  He’s different.

When he began to ask questions about faith, it wasn’t from a “What do I have to do to be like others?” or “I want to be baptized, what now?” perspective.  It was more from a “Why would someone pray to Jesus?” and “I’m thinking this sin in my life might be a problem, Dad.”  His mother and I diligently answered his questions, but never put the question back on him.  We would answer and leave it til another day.  Eventually the questions became more and more frequent.  One night after an exhaustive journey through Romans, he was really struggling with a decision.  I told him to just think about what he knew, and I would be here if he needed any help.

After a half hour of thinking about it, he approached me and his mother to ask, “I need to tell God my mistakes, and tell him I believe.  I believe all these things about Jesus and I need to tell him.”  I told him to go ahead and pray, and without putting words in his mouth he prayed for God to forgive him of his sins, and told Jesus that he believed in Him.  He did it all on his own.  He was taking the first steps towards following hard after Christ, and I couldn’t be more proud of him.

You can see more of what we did after Ryan’s Baptism to celebrate his decision, and the impact of so many other people in his life on my wife’s blog at http://www.lostinlaundry.com/2009/10/were-widening-circle.html.

She summed it up perfectly:

My prayer is that as my kids grow, these people will be around to give them the same messages I’m giving, but in a different voice and from a different perspective.

Thank you Lord that in the short time we’ve lived in Lubbock, you’ve made us a part of a spiritual family. Thank you for these people who love and influence our kids toward loving You. Bless them Lord, and keep providing opportunities for authentic relationship.