4 Epic Takeaways from KidMin Conference

October 11-14 was the 2013 KidMin Conference in Columbus, OH and it was awesome!

I want to share with you 4 epic takeaways from the conference.

If you weren’t able to make KidMin, then reading this will be really helpful. It’s like my unique “cliff note” version of the conference. I think you will especially enjoy #4, although #1 might kick you in the butt.

And if you did attend the conference, then these takeaways will offer some new insight (especially the #2 takeaway) AND help you digest some of the amazing stuff you learned.

4 Epic Takeaways from the 2013 KidMin Conference

1. How to avoid ministry burnout and go from HECTIC to HEALTHY.

Craig & Mary Jutila talked about how to avoid burnout in ministry. They shared the story of how Craig’s decision to put ministry over family nearly destroyed their marriage. If you asked him back then what his priorities were, he would have said – “God, family, ministry”. But in reality they were -“God, ministry, family.” Craig & Mary shared a glimpse of their journey from a hectic ministry-driven lifestyle to a healthy balanced way of life.

In fact, they wrote a book about the subject – Hectic to Healthy. I just bought the kindle edition, which I am reading on my iPad, and only paid $1.99. That’s less than a cup of coffee from Starbucks and can change your life!

Some of you have heard my story before and some not. But my story is almost identical to Craig’s. Funny thing is that it all went down at the same time as his near meltdown.

I am thinking of doing a blog series as I read through the book. So, be on the look out for that.

Due to the demands of ministry, we often DRIFT away from a healthy relationship with God, family and friends. We don’t intentionally do it. We simply DRIFT into an unhealthy life that revolves around serving others and “doing” ministry. But there is hope for those who are DRIFTING in that direction right now.

Other than buying the book (which is a good idea), what can you do to avoid burnout? I created a 3 minute video that answers that question. It’s called – How to Keep Alive Your Passion for Ministry. If you haven’t watched it, go ahead watch it now.

I’ve also written a couple of popular blog posts on the subject of balance. If you haven’t read them, I think you will really enjoyed them. In fact, even if you have read them, they are worth re-visiting.

Here you go:

• An Uncommon Guide to Implementing Change in 2013 – How to get more done by doing less.
• Slowing Down – How to slow down your life even when you think it is impossible to do so.
• The Power of Focus – How to work less and accomplish more.

2. Wait 30 days before you implement any change learned at a conference.

My friends Jodi & Rob Quinn said this at a connect group, “wait 30 days before you implement any change learned at a conference”. This is a great rule to live by and can save you a lot of trouble. You learn so much at conferences & the natural inclination is to change 10 things in your ministry all at same time. If you do that, you’ll soon lose excitement and focus on most of them; therefore being ineffective with any real, lasting change. Instead, change nothing for 30 days. During that time, ask God what few changes you should implement. Then, focus on only those. You’ll be more productive, energized & empowered to bring lasting change in your ministry.

3. Hanging out with preteen ministry leaders is a good thing.

I spent most of my time hanging out with preteen ministry leaders. I led a four hour training session on preteen ministry, facilitated a preteen ministry connect group, and enjoyed informally hanging out with preteen leaders before, in between and after sessions. In fact, I had two leaders corner me at midnight asking me lots of questions about leadership. It was fun!

Throughout the conference, I thought of how cool it is to simply “hang-out” with other preteen leaders. That’s not something we get to do everyday. But this was one of my favorite things I got to do at KidMin.

And it reminds me to tell you about the FourFiveSix Conference on Aprli 7-9, 2014 in Greenwood, IN. It’s the only conference I know of completely dedicated to preteen ministry. If you volunteer in or lead a preteen ministry of any size, plan ahead now to attend the conference.

This year’s theme – God has called you to YOUR preteens. But who are YOUR preteens? This year we are answering that question and more. Learn more about the FourFiveSix Conference.

4. Favorite quotes that pack a good punch.

Here are my favorite quotes from Kidmin Conference main session speakers:

Craig Jutila:

“The great thing about denial is that you don’t know you’re experiencing it.”
“Don’t expect God to do what you won’t do.”
“Workaholism is the only addition our culture (and church) rewards.”

Larry Acosta:

“If you stop learning, you start dying.”
“Believe in, bless and affirm kids like crazy!”
“The relational investment in the lives of kids changes everything.”
“Keep writing the future thru the kids you lead.”
“Who feels up to the task? God enables us out of our weaknesses to impact young people.”
“The Gospel has power to transform lives and a child like prayer is still good enough.”
“We are privileged to be a part of kids stories who will impact the world.”
“If you want to see like God, turn the world upside down.”
“It’s amazing how much the neighborhood you grow up on shapes who u are.”
“We only get one life to live, so live it.”
“Life is short, so live it. Love is rare, so grab it. Fear controls you, so face it. Memories are precious, so cherish them.”

Skit Guys:

“What do you like about your Sunday School teacher? ‘He knows my name!'”
“We think we know what our need is but only Jesus knows what our real need is.”

Well, there you have it…4 Epic Takeaways from the KidMin Conference. I hope this was helpful.

By the way, we are extending the Kidmin Bundle as a download (since we ran out of the physical version last Thursday). The Kidmin Bundle is a great deal. For $99 you get $417 worth of preteen ministry curriculum. It’s only available now through Thursday, October 24 at 11:59 p.m. View details.