A digital application
I can see two versions. An editable PDf where the volunteers downloads, fills out and either emails the application back or uploads it via a wufoo form or something like that. No printing or scanning.

A digital background check
We can already do this, although we don’t do it very much. Fellowship One provides a volunteer pipeline where individuals can log in and submit their own background check. We don’t use it very much because everything else is paper-based, so it seems less confusing to keep the background check process analog as well. I included what a volunteer fills out to get a background check though Fellowship One below.

A digital ministry agreement
There are a few significant bits of information that I want every volunteer to know and understand before they begin volunteering. I actually even want them to sign off that they know and understand… even agree to comply with. This may include our expectations as well as core policies such as appropriate touch, suspected child abuse and other key issues.

All of these “physical” documents we already keep in their file with Fellowship One which is secure and private, but almost all of these documents are scanned from a paper copy.

The Big Question
What does a digital signature look like in these cases? Could I simply add a disclaimer at the end of each document saying that filling out the following fields gives us consent that the information submitted was true, accurate and from you. The fields would request their full name, date of birth and maybe even the last four digits of their social security number… making that harder for someone to randomly fake. I know that Fellowship One does a background check completely digitally (I included the screenshot below) and no one has to “sign” anything. You have to give your social (which is required to run a check) which maybe helps validate that the person filling out the form is who they say they are.

So, what can we do? What legal issues do we need to consider? What issues might we run into if someone did something inappropriate and claimed that they didn’t know and that they didn’t sign the document that we have digitally signed by them. Also, if we use a Wufoo form to transmit files electronically, the form is a secure page (signified by the https at the front of the URL). Does that then provide a safe transport of files with documents of a more sensitive nature (although we’ll not ask for people’s full social security number on these forms)?

Let me know. I’m really curious as to what our options might be.

So back in January, I took 20+ staff and volunteers to the Orange Tour in Dallas. What  can I say, I’m a huge believer in the regional conference! This Orange Tour was easily the best one yet… but all of them have been so incredibly good.

Tomorrow (Tuesday, March 6th you and your team can experience the Orange Tour right from the convenience of your computer. Orange will be streaming the conference from 1:00 PM until 3:45 PM (I’m assuming that this is Easter Time). It’s a free web event, you just have to register here.

Just so you know, I felt like a dork typing in that title. Whatever. So it’s Thursday and it’s been forever since I’ve blogged. I’ve had a lot of distractions, namely the Nashville Illuminate Conference. Let me just say, I love my Nashville peeps. The event was hands down amazing! The best yet. Everyone from my incredible hosts at Long Hollow to all the people who attended were so wonderful. Although Illuminate was created to be a blessing to those who serve in kidmin, I’m pretty sure that I left the event that day more blessed than anyone else.

Now that my 2011-2012 events are wrapped up, I’m working on launching Illuminate Online and working out dates for 2012-2013. Exciting stuff for sure and I’m already dreaming up huge things for next year! Woo hoo!

Below are some of my favorite tweets from last Saturday:

Ryan_Millard1Feb 18, 9:01am via Buffer
pumped to be at the #illumin8 conference!! here we GO!! going to be a great day!

robynbcollinsFeb 18, 9:21am via instagram
@longhollow #illumin8instagr.am/p/HJt4kYNBCl/

gina_mcclainFeb 18, 9:26am via HootSuite
At opening session of #illumin8 listening to @kennyconley pour into some of our @faithpromise volunteers.

josephreedFeb 18, 9:36am via Twitter for iPhone
We are having a blast already at #illumin8. @pointofmercy #KidsPoint. #fb

RachelTaylor872Feb 18, 9:56am via txt
God created the home before He created the church. #illumin8

adambayneFeb 18, 9:56am via TweetDeck
The best thing a #kidmin leader can do for his ministry is to have a relationship with Jesus.#illumin8

jamiehamptonFeb 18, 10:04am via ÜberSocial for BlackBerry
“The heart can only grasp what the rear end can endure” @jimwideman on#timemanagement #illumin8 #kidmin

michaelchanleyFeb 18, 10:34am via HootSuite
RT @suzannecrowell: The only way I know how to move an elephant is with a chainsaw @jimwideman #illumin8 #kidmin // Epic!

rogerfieldsFeb 18, 11:31am via Twitter for iPhone
Listening to @jonathancliff at #illumin8 He is killing it! Great stuff! #kidmin #cmconnect

craiggyergyoFeb 18, 1:04pm via Twitter for Mac
Having an awesome discussion over lunch with @HCmemphis volunteers at #illumin8

thejoshwootenFeb 18, 2:10pm via web

“people don’t buy in to what you do, they buy into why you do it” @kennyconley #illumin8#kidmin preach
cherylp90Feb 18, 1:37pm via Twitter for iPhone
@kennyconley #illumin8 is awesome!

Ryan_Millard1Feb 18, 2:24pm via HootSuite
#illumin8 has been fantastic.. Ready for a great last main session!

cherylp90Feb 18, 2:40pm via Twitter for iPhone
@jonathancliff Some of my team sat in on your morning session and told me it was fabulous! Thanks for pumping them up! #illumin8

jamiehamptonFeb 18, 3:27pm via HootSuite
“People need to be needed more than you need the help.” #illumin8 #kidmin

craiggyergyoFeb 18, 4:25pm via Twitter for Mac
Incredible day at #illumin8 with @kennyconley@jimwideman @jonathancliff + others! Well done!

ucacheer2213Feb 18, 6:27pm via Twitter for iPhone
I can’t get over how amazing #illumin8 was!#kidmin @GodWhy

jen_funderburkeFeb 18, 7:37pm via HootSuite
So Proud of @kennyconley for an awesome#illumin8 grateful for all he does for the kingdom and grateful to call him my friend.#kidmin

jenkinsphotoFeb 19, 1:34pm via web
I learned so much at #illumin8 Kid’s Ministry Conference yesterday. Excited to put some ideas to work!
TdiddysampleyFeb 19, 7:45pm via Twitter for iPhone
#illumin8 The conference was amazing my Kidmin team has some great ideas! Thanks for serving the church body!

Last week I came across this article I found in someone’s facebook feed. America’s largest church is facing a 10+ million dollar lawsuit because of something that happened (or didn’t happen) in their children’s ministry. Who knows what is going to happen, but this whole thing probably could have been prevented. The article states:

The lawsuit accuses the church of negligence in its investigation, in reporting the alleged incident to police and in lacking surveillance that could have saved Guzman from being wrongfully accused of a crime. The church also is accused of failing to adequately train security and failing to take corrective action after similar previous events, the lawsuit states.

If this article doesn’t scare the poop out of you, then there is a good chance you’ve gotten too comfortable with your policies and procedures around the prevention and reporting of inappropriate actions toward children within your ministry. Our first priority should always be to protect the kids. Secondly, we need to prioritize protecting the volunteers who serve in our ministries. In addition, we need to prioritize the protection of our church. A lawsuit like this could mean the end of your church as well as your career in children’s ministry.

Obviously, this lawsuit is too new to know what really happened, but it appears that a child was not molested. However, potentially poor training/reporting didn’t protect a volunteer. This ex-volunteer who was arrested and endured a trial by grand jury will never be the same, and depending on what happens with the lawsuit, it may cost the church dearly.

Honestly, we don’t really know what happened. Only time will tell. However, I think that most of us can see how a situation like this could easily play out in our ministry due to a lack of training or the failure of just one volunteer to follow procedure. Let this be a sober reminder to get your policies in writing, train every volunteer in how to handle similar situations and have them sign off on this aspect of their training. Lastly, follow these procedures “BY THE BOOK!” We can not afford to slack in this area.

I’m pumped! Tomorrow I leave for Dallas for the Dallas Orange Tour. This year I’m taking about 24 volunteers and staff. This year I’m actually bringing more student ministry volunteers than those in kidmin. For the last 6 months I’ve been far more involved in student ministry than I have in the past and I wanted to make a big investment in these leaders… plus I want them to start thinking Orange. These student ministry leaders were so excited to be invited, which is why I have about 18 going.

I can’t over-communicate how important these kinds of events are for ministry teams. I’ve been to the Orange Conference for the past 4 years and I’ll probably continue to attend for some time. The conference has impacted me and influenced me tremendously and I want the same for my staff and volunteers, but I can’t always bring all of them due to money issues, but something like the Orange Tour is a complete no brainer. I’m taking 24 and by the time I pay hotel, food and registration, it cost me less than sending 2 to Atlanta for Orange. To help out, I’m even having the volunteers car pool and cover their travel expenses.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the Orange Conference, but there is something really special about the Orange Tour. Because the entire thing is hosted directly by Reggie and Sue, it feels far more pure and concentrated. You’ll leve the Tour with a strong grasp of what the Orange strategy is all about… maybe even better than the conference. I’d encourage everyone to attend a tour stop… even if that means catching a flight into one of their locations. I’ll be blogging about my tour experience next week (since I don’t blog a lot over the weekend), so stay tuned!

Yesterday I made an announcement via the KidzMatter weekly email blast. As many of you may know, the Illuminate Conference is making final preparations for the last stop in the 2011-2012 conference year. On February 18th, we’re going to have our largest Illuminate Conference in Nashville, TN. If you’re in the area and want more information, be sure to check out that event here.

However, I know that most who read this blog are not able to make it to Nashville due to the distance. Austin and Birmingham wasn’t really close enough either. Illuminate’s DNA is to offer high quality events that are both local and affordable. Unfortunately, we can’t be local for everyone… yet (give me a little time people). Ha!

However, all along it’s been my intention to provide great resources for kidmin leaders and volunteers, regardless of location. Every general session and breakout has been recorded for that very purpose. So, on March 1st, Illuminate Online will officially go “Online!” The site is still being put together and resources organized, but I think it’s going to be a really cool resource for those in kidmin. For more information, head on over and check it out here.

Stay tuned for more info soon!

It’s been a few months since I’ve posted anything about Illuminate, so I thought I’d catch everyone up. It’s truly been a wild and exciting ride this year.

The Austin event is just 11 days away. I’m expecting about 500 kidmin folks to converge on the Gateway Church campus on November 12th and it’s going to be amazing. I’ve got a stellar line-up of speakers. Check it out:

• Jim Wideman
• Sam Luce
• Michael Chanley
• Gina McClain
• Dan Scott
• Amy Fenton Lee
• Jonathan Cliff
• Matt McKee

I’m a big believer in internships. The knowledge and experiences you get from the hands on work during an internship are priceless. I truly believe that the experience you get during internships during college significantly determine your first job out of college. Actually, many good internships turn into jobs, so it’s important that you pick great places to intern.

Evan isn’t going to be your normal intern though. I first met Evan when he was a 6th grader essentially “interning” under Ryan Frank, which he’s continued to do all these years since. Evan is coming to Gateway with a load of experience already, he’s just looking for a different experience, which he will get. Actually, I’m hoping that Evan will help us develop a more structured internship that we can begin to offer in the coming years.

So, those of you know know Evan (if you read K magazine, he writes the last page of every issue), give me some suggestions on good “intern” tasks. You know, things like organize the crayons in the preschool rooms or inventory the goldfish supply. I’m totally open to your suggestions. What’s the worst internship taks you’ve ever had to do?

You’ve probably heard the buzz about a new Children’s Ministry Conference coming this fall. It’s the Kidmin Conference hosted by Group Publishing. Last summer, I got the honor of hanging out with group for a few days with a bunch of other stellar kidmin leaders to brainstorm what a totally different conference for Chidlren’s Ministry could look like… and Kidmin looks to be exactly that. I’ve also been given the honor of leading a workshop as well as a half-track (essentially a two-part workshop where we really get into the nitty-gritty depth of stuff). So, I’m excited to be a part of the experience. For more info about what Kidmin is going to be like, check out the video at the bottom of this post. You can also visit their site here.

What is different about this conference is the highly-relational element. All the speakers and workshop presenters are there to hang out and talk with attendees throughout the entier conference. If you think of a question the day following a workshop you sat in, no worries, just ask the speaker when you see him/her the next day. Kidmin is also making great strides to help attendees connect with each other. The best part about a conference is the relationships you go home with… and Kidmin is helping to empower that.

Wow, I’m just getting super excited. I hope that you’ll join me in Chicago this October for an amazing experience!

If you’re planning to attend, be sure to register TODAY. Today is the final day of the Early Bird pricing. Save yourself a little money and register right now.

Yesterday was one of those moments. Cathy Harwick, one of the Children’s Pastors here at Gateway is a stickler for safety and I know she trains and communicates our policies thoroughly to our volunteers. Near the end of the day, on of the teaching pastors came up to me to tell me about an experience he had that morning. He teaches fromt he stage 1-2 times a month, so everyone who attends our church knows who he is. He came to tell me than when going to pick up his son in one of our elementary environments, he had lost his parent pick-up tag. He didn’t realize that he’d lost the tag until he got to the door. The volunteer at the door kindly asked him to go to the check-in area where a staff member/ministry leader could confirm his ID and issue him a new pick-up tag. As he told me this, he had a smile on his face. It wasn’t a major inconvenience, but many people in his situation could have gotten frustrated. He was grateful because this volunteer illustrated the level of safety and security we value. I’ll probably share this story at a future training meeting when I’m going over that value (safety and security). It would have been so easy for that volunteer to say, “I know who you are and I know who your son is, no worries, you’re fine.” I’m proud of what Cathy’s done with her team and I’m proud of that volunteer. I have confidence that they get it.