Web Exclusives

Trend Quake Seismometer—from “Trend Quakes”

Trend Quake Seismometer

            Find out how your ministry rates in the top-3 trends according to  the “Trend Quakes” article in Children’s Ministry Magazine (May/June 2007).

MacroTrend #1: Family Ministry

Family Ministry is a strategy that directly impacts a child’s spiritual growth by reaching the child’s entire family. It’s a response to God’s directive for parents to train their children spiritually (Deuteronomy 6:7). How do you rate?

  1. Our ministry plans times where families grow together.      ____ yes ____ no
  2. We have as our goal to reach the entire family through our ministry—not just the children. ____ yes ____ no
  3. We have someone on staff who oversees family ministry specifically. ____ yes ____ no
  4. We organize the entire birth-through-high-school ministry under the umbrella of Family Ministry.  ____ yes ____ no
  5. Each age-specific ministry area plans, coordinates, schedules, communicates, and prays so everything they do supports and equips families. ____ yes ____ no
  6. We have at least one of these Family Ministry strategies: family events, parent training, resource libraries, or family counseling. ____ yes ____ no
  7. We have multiple communication points for families; i.e.,  the weekly take-home paper; downloadable podcasts; CDs;  weekly emails to parents; or something else. ____ yes ____ no
  8. We invest in resources that equip families with training and tools. ____ yes ____ no
  9. We use family-focused curriculum, such as Group’s FaithWeaver (make this a link) family of resources. ____ yes ____ no
  10.  We have a strategic plan from birth through high school that integrates the family at each stage.  ____ yes ____ no

Your Total:             _____ yes                        _____ no

MacroTrend #2: Wired Ministry

Wired Ministry is the use of media and technology to capture kids’ attention and communicate the gospel to a media-savvy generation. It’s a response to kids’ glassy-eyed stares when they’re taught in ways that aren’t culturally relevant.

  1. We use technology to involve kids rather than as a passive communication tool (that is, setting them in front of a TV screen for the entire lesson).  ____ yes ____ no
  2. We have video gaming stations for kids to use before class. ____ yes ____ no
  3. We use interactive video countdowns where kids are prompted to build relationships with one another—rather than simply answer trivia questions. ____ yes ____ no
  4. We have a dynamic, secure kid-friendly web site that showcases our ministry and gives kids a reason to come back to the site. If you don’t have this, check out Grapple (link)—Group’s new preteen curriculum with a dynamic web site for each class. ____ yes ____ no
  5. We use multimedia in our teaching every single time.  ____ yes ____ no
  6. We have the tools we need for a multimedia environment: a video projection unit and large screen for a large room, or televisions and DVD players for individual classrooms. ____ yes ____ no
  7. When kids talk about their digital world, we know what they’re saying. ____ yes ____ no
  8. We capture kids’ cellphone numbers and email addresses to communicate with them (with parents’ permission, of course). ____ yes ____ no
  9. We’re not afraid to play music at a level kids like (even if we don’t). ____ yes ____ no
  10. We use clips from current movies to teach biblical points. ____ yes ____ no

Your Total:             _____ yes                        _____ no

 

MacroTrend #3: Safety First

Safety First is when a church takes every step possible to ensure that all children are protected at church so parents have peace of mind about children’s safety.

  1. We are aware of all medical concerns related to children in our care. ____ yes ____ no
  2. We intentionally gather information regarding custody issues for children. ____ yes ____ no
  3. We conduct background checks for all our volunteers. (Use a cost-effective service like Group’s Church Volunteer Central. link)

____ yes ____ no

  1. We have a check-in/checkout procedure for the kids in our care. ____ yes ____ no
  2. We have secure facilities—no one gets in without our permission. ____ yes ____ no
  3. We have a lockdown procedure for our ministry area in case we ever have an intruder. ____ yes ____ no
  4. We practice the lockdown procedure with our staff. ____ yes ____ no
  5. We communicate all of our policies to parents and primary caregivers. ____ yes ____ no
  6. We have a communication system that allows us to alert parents if we need them to return to our ministry area. ____ yes ____ no
  7. We have a communication system (even as simple as walkie-talkies) that enables us to alert church leadership in case of an emergency. ____ yes ____ no

Your Total:             _____ yes                        _____ no

How’d You Do?

Earthquakes with a larger magnitude have a larger impact. The same is true with these trend quakes. The larger your score, the greater impact you’ll have. Find your range below.

    1. If you scored 3 or lower, you’re barely shaking the china. What are you waiting for? You need to shake, rattle, and roll more!
    2. Now we’re talking. Your score means you’re starting to get people’s attention. Why not crank it up a notch, though?

7-10            Run for cover! You’re an earth-rattling kid-impacting ministry that means business! Keep up the great work!