I just had lunch with the Austin Kidmin Network. A year ago this group didn’t exist. Currently the group is up to 50 people, represented by about 15 churches. We’ve got a long way to go to connect other churches in our city, but some amazing relationships are developing. Yesterday I spend a few hours with one Children’s Pastor talking about doing some radical things together so we can truly collaborate and be the church in a city. I love it.

You know, I totally get it that there are many who really aren’t going to network a lot online. Some people are going to lurk and read and not really connect online. However, there really isn’t any excuse for not networking with others in your city. It’s way too easy.

So, here are some questions:

  • When was the last time you had lunch or coffee with a kidmin leader at another church?
  • If you run into a complication, do you have the names of numbers of other local children’s pastors you can call?
  • When was the last time you implemented an idea that you got from what another church was doing locally?

If you answered never, or it’s been more than a year or something like that to the three questions above… I dont’ need to say it, do I? I don’t want to shame anyone. However, I do want to say this. You should NEVER do ministry alone. Whether you’re a church with 10 kids and no staff or a church of 1000 kids and 10 staff… don’t do ministry alone. For both big and small, not networking, sharing and getting help from others is a mark of arrogance, selfishness and a bunch of other unfriendly words I’d like to write down.

What do you think would honor Jesus? I think that working in unity blesses him. I think that helping the church down the road that doesn’t have all the resources you do blesses him. I think that calling that bigger church and asking for the tour and asking questions blesses him. It builds the church, the body of Christ.

Okay, I’m done with my rant. Don’t do ministry alone!