Staying Focused

Yesterday I was approached about two different and new ideas I could do in my ministry.  One of the ideas suggested was to have a more in-depth study of the Bible for kids on Sunday mornings, and the other was a way to provide a service project for kids as well.  They are both very well intentioned, and indeed Biblical in nature (quite literally in one case).

So, should I do them?

I answer - Yes, and No.

I always welcome new ideas. I am a single person with a single mind.  It is easy for me to fall into a rut and do things the way I think would be great.  But the truth is I don't have the best ideas.  I have to rely on others to provide me with insights that will make the ministry better.  So when people come to me with their brilliant idea I must always keep an open mind.

However, an open mind doesn't mean I will always do whatever it was they suggested.  In my ministry I have a goal.  KidZone (our children's ministry) exists to "Partner with parents to influence faith in the next generation."  We do that by equipping parents to teach their kids about the Bible, by providing influencers outside the family to say what Mom and Dad are saying, and by providing a secure teaching environment on Sundays.  So whenever someone asks me if we could do something different, I have to keep these parameters in mind.

It would be so easy to say "Yes!" to anyone who had a new idea, and to work on implementing it the next days or weeks.  But, if we KidMins were to do that we would simply become Yes-Men, and we would stop thinking for ourselves.  By keeping a goal for our ministry, and by sticking to that goal, we are able to keep our focus on what we want, and what we feel God has called us to do for our ministry.  However, that does not mean we throw out any new ideas that someone brings us.

Since I have a framework for how I want my ministry structured I can now implement programs, outreach events, and other activities according to my original goal!  That means I will probably do what was suggested to me yesterday - but I will do it according to how my ministry is structured.  I will not change the curriculum completely so we can have a deeper look at the Bible - I will create activities for parents to do at home with their children that accomplishes just that.  I will not simply add the outreach event to our weekly service - I will create an activity that will allow parents to teach their kids how to serve others.  

By having a motto, ministry statement, goal etc. you are able to maintain focus.  It is easy to do the hot new thing, but it can pull us away from what we want to achieve in our ministries.  If we take the time to structure the new ideas in the framework of our ministry goal we can keep focused on what we want achieve while implementing the new ideas.  It's a Win-Win!