- Part 3

Preparation First – Delegation Second

I remember something really embarrassing. I got an email from a parent who offered to come in and help in the office during the week. Her kids were in school and she wanted to serve by giving some of her time during the week. I was elated. There was far too much work for me to do on my own and the extra help would be greatly appreciated! However, as time went on, I started to panic. I didn’t know what to give her to do. As I looked through my lists of tasks, there weren’t very many things...

Checklists > Job Descriptions

Posted by Kenny Conley | Ideas | 0 |

If you’re really serious about recruiting volunteers, you have probably created job descriptions for available volunteer positions. Specificity always trumps generalities. We can recruit people to work in the children’s ministry, but people tend to use their own imagination of what that might look like and opt out of what they sense to be a coming disaster. We’ll always be more successful when we recruit to a specific role. People want to feel good about making a difference, but what the really want to know is what it is they will be doing… specifically. This is where job descriptions...

Facing Extinction

Posted by Kenny Conley | Ideas | 0 |

Here’s something to think about. Progress usually leads to innovation. Innovation then leads to complexity. With complexity then comes a revision of systems. Inevitably, the revision of systems leads to the elimination of things that are no longer necessary or helpful. Therefore, innovation leads to extinction. I remember the first time I flew out of the airport of my hometown of Valdosta, GA. The ticketing agent warmly greeted me with his thick southern draw as he transferred my suitcase to a bin behind him. Twenty minutes later, I looked out the window and actually saw the same man driving...

Human Error: Ineptitude

Posted by Kenny Conley | Ideas | 0 |

Human error is a reality we face in nearly every segment of life. Our drive through order is wrong. The pants we bought are the right size, but they don’t fit. The cashier gives us the wrong amount of change. The email doesn’t go out when it is supposed to. We forget about the meeting we scheduled two weeks ago. Human error happens to us and human error happens because of us. Human error can be broken down to two primary causes: ignorance and ineptitude. Ineptitude happens when when we have the correct knowledge or skills, we just apply it...

It’s Not Complicated

Posted by Kenny Conley | Ideas | 0 |

Sometimes we tend to over-complicate things. We over-think solutions. When something doesn’t work, we are tempted to make sweeping changes and re-think everything. Sometimes, the solution is really simple. So simple it is often overlooked. The difference between overwhelming success and glorious failure could depend on a slight modification. In October 1935, the US Army Air Corps had aircraft manufacturers compete to build the “next-generation long-range bomber.” Boeing’s design had the lead; everyone thought the flight trials would be just a formality. But, minutes after its smooth takeoff, the giant four-engine Model 299 stalled and “crashed in a fiery...

The Checklist

Posted by Kenny Conley | Ideas | 0 |

About four years ago, I had my first traffic accident. The accident wasn’t even my fault. I was rear-ended coming out of a Walgreens. As I pulled into a parking lot, my mind was scrambling. No one was hurt. Check. Wait, what was it that I was supposed to do next? Get name, phone number and address Get license plate and make/model and color of the car Get insurance information Take picture of damage The person didn’t have her drivers license, but I got to take a picture of her military ID. When I called the insurance company later, it...

I Wish I Had Known: Kenny Conley

Posted by Kenny Conley | Ideas | 0 |

I’ve been doing this a for a while now. While I got my degree in Christian Education, there were so many things I simply wasn’t learning that would help me in the day to day experiences of leading a children’s ministry. The best teachers for me have been through experiences and mentors who were further down the road than I was. When I think of the things I had wish I had know, two things immediately come to mind. Two things I’ve learned through years of experience, things that my friend and mentor Jim Wideman taught me about. Both...

You’re Not Looking for a Curriculum

Posted by Kenny Conley | Ideas | 0 |

Curriculum can be a significant ministry challenge. Many kidmin leaders insist on writing their own curriculum. These people often believe that no one knows their kids like they know their kids, so writing their own curriculum is the best option. Others don’t feel it’s necessary to write their own curriculum, but they end up scouring the web for resources and piecemeal something together that addresses their specific needs. Some leaders bounce around from curriculum to curriculum. There are a lot of really great options out there with new options coming out every year. These leaders are eager to try...

Book Club: Parent Chat

Posted by Kenny Conley | Family | 0 |

I’m in that season of life where I’m reading a lot of books about how to have difficult conversations with my kids. Unfortunately, I’m finding that it’s easier to read the books than it is to have the talks. Here’s what I’m learning about the talks: I’m a professional. I lead and communicate to kids for a living. I am equipped with all the right content. I have a small library of amazing resources. Yet I still struggle with having the conversations that my kids need. There are a lot of books that talk about sex, pornography, technology and other...

Book Club

Posted by Kenny Conley | Ideas | 1 |

I truly believe that one of the best ways that we can grow is through reading. Every year I challenge myself to read more books. It really isn’t hard to work through some really great books if we just dedicate the time. I found that if I can just commit to reading one chapter a day, I could easily read 20-25 books a year. It’s really not that difficult. I also invested in an Audible account. Already this year, I’ve knocked out five audio books while driving around town and doing yard work. Seriously, reading is way easier than...