I’m often asked what my top recommendation for parenting books are. I have a few favorites for different reasons. I hope if you are ever in need of a great resource that these recommendations will help: Don’t Miss It: Parent every week like it counts by Reggie Joiner and Kristen Ivy This is a very…
Our pastor has said to our team many times that it’s more important for parents to be the heroes in the lives of our kids—not the kid’s pastor. Most leaders would agree with this statement, however few take steps to make it happen. We all want to be great leaders, to impact kids and create…
Hebrews 13:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 I often look back at my life and am amazed at the journey God has taken me on. I know there are ministers more qualified to do what I do, but God’s grace and the leaders who believe in me have carried me to where I am today. That’s why…
We can probably all agree that we have personal convictions about things, we believe in ownership—the “all in, do whatever it takes” mentality—and know God has a calling on our lives. What do you do though when these three at times can seem at odds? The chances are, you will go through seasons where these…
“What happens when the leader is wrong in a top-down culture? Everyone goes off a cliff…” (Leaders Eat Last, p. 143) This phrase resonated within me while reading through Leaders Eat Last for a second time. Leadership is such a big deal in any culture. Most reading this are probably children’s leaders or pastors. I…
“Good leadership is like exercise. We do not see any improvement to our bodies with day-to-day comparisons. In fact, if we only compare the way our bodies look on a given day to how they looked the previous day, we would think our efforts had been wasted. It’s only when we compare pictures of ourselves…
Start With “Why”. The above image seems so simple, but it’s revolutionary for churches who don’t currently live by it. The “Golden Circle” was created by Simon Sinek and if every church did this, I’m convinced they would see bigger and better results for the Kingdom. In short, most churches promote WHAT they do and…
It definitely has not been without it’s ups and downs, but we are five and a half weeks into our new ministry format for Go Kids at River Valley Church. Our format has been transitioning from a personality-based stage teaching method to a large group/small group method. Because we don’t have the man-power to create…
I just wanted to share with you a glimpse of the difference that you’re making at River Valley. We are going through a massive change in ministry philosophy in Go Kids Elementary. We have changed from a completely stage-driven ministry to a large group/small group format. Because of this change more people are able to…
Transitions are tough because that means change is coming and it’s inevitable. Let me take you on a journey of some changes I’ve made so far at my church—River Valley Church: We’ve simplified ministry. We are a large church and as a children’s ministry were trying to do too much. We have restructured what our…