5 Skills You Need to Be an Effective Children's Ministry Leader

Whether you are a new leader or veteran leader, there are five skills you need to be growing in. There are key if you want to be an effective children's ministry leader.

1. Listening. An effective leader is a good listener. They ask great questions and they listen. They listen to understand. They listen to kids. They listen to volunteers. They listen to parents. They give their undivided attention to the person they are listening to.

2. Leading adults. The ironic thing about children's ministry is this. As the leader of the ministry, your job is to equip people to do the work of the ministry. You can be great at teaching kids, but if you can't lead the adults who serve in the ministry, it will be difficult to move the ministry forward.

3. Connecting with parents. If you want to influence kids, then you have to influence their greatest influencer...their parents. This includes communicating with parents, getting feedback from parents and equipping them to lead their children spiritually.

4. Cast vision for the ministry. This is something you can't delegate away. As the leader, it's your job to cast the vision for the ministry and keep it in front of the team.

5. Motivate people. Effective leaders know how to motivate people. They bring words of encouragement, challenge and inspiration. You can see how effective they are by the people who rally with them.

The good thing about these skills...they are things everyone can work on and get better at.

Your turn. What are some other skills you need to be an effective leader in children's ministry? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.