Failure is Essential
If you want to do something remarkable you have to be willing to risk failure. You can talk and plan, talk and plan, talk and plan. Eventually you just have to try. Your idea will probably fail. That’s OK. Make the adjustment and go at it again. Formula? Test fast; fail fast; adjust fast. You [...]
Still…On the Road with Michael Chanley
The drama continues as Roger Fields of Kidz Blitz and Michael Chanley of CMConnect.org travel home. The pair stopped at a gas station for fuel and…stuff. While Fields pumped gas, Chanley visited the men’s room. After finishing with the fuel, Fields pulled his vehicle over to the outdoor restroom to wait for Chanley. Fields then [...]
Top 6 Ways Your Kidmin Can Lose Respect
Children’s ministry has long suffered from the Rodney Dangerfield Syndrome of “I don’t get no respect.” Partially that is because churches, and often lead pastors, don’t understand the nature of what it means to build a spiritual foundation in kids. But we are also to blame. Sometimes, we conduct ourselves, and our ministries, in ways [...]
The Soup Theory
What’s in your soup? Life seems to be influenced by a mix of ones experiences, beliefs, attitudes and actions. When you talk to an adult about anything significant you soon discover that their outlook on life is the product of a combination of these ingredients…and how vigorously they have been stirred up over the years. [...]
Culture Shock 101
It turns out that the melting pot culture of Florida is somewhat different than the slow paced culture of eastern Kentucky. Who knew? In 1982 I planted a church in Morehead, Kentucky where I served as lead pastor for seven years. Then, in 1989 I moved to Tampa and planted a church from scratch/nothing. I [...]
Condoms for First Graders
Condoms for First Graders? School Board’s Decision Sparks Firestorm in Massachusetts I think the board will reverse this but it is still amazing that it happened. What do you think?
Roger Arrested at Walmart
I am innocent of ALL charges. I was actually detained, not really arrested.
CM Pyramid
This is what I use to keep my focus. from the bottom up… *TEACH THE WORD OF GOD – God’s word produces faith. Make principles from the Bible the center piece of your teaching. * NEVER STOP LEARNING – Never become complacent with what you know. * GET KIDS INVOLVED – Kids learn best by [...]
Change the Oil
It is hard to be both a minister …AND a Christian! WHY?… 1. It is easy (as in really EZ) for ministers to get so deep into serving God we neglect/starve our own relationship with the Lord. Ministry becomes a distraction/barrier from our own relationship with God. Slow down! Take a breath! Pray! Read the [...]
Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes
If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even less. (Gen. Eric Shinseki) If you refuse to change, you will slowly become ineffective at whatever you do. When you drift into ineffectiveness you will wake up one day to realize that you have become irrelevant. When you become irrelevant nobody cares what you [...]
My First Sunday as Children’s Pastor
I found out the hard way: there’s a big difference between ministering to adults and ministering to kids. Here’s what happened my very first Sunday as children’s pastor. Not only had I never been a children’s pastor before, I had never even worked in children’s ministry. Here’s what happened. Roger Fields
Are You Sitting Under a Broom Tree?
It is easier for God to steer a moving vessel than for Him to start-up a stationary one. Rarely does one hear the voice of God by sitting on a rock waiting for Him to speak. Start doing something and God will direct you. Why? How does this work? It is easier to hear “no” [...]
The Good Management Problem
Good management is the biggest hindrance to good leadership. Remember, management is doing the thing right; leadership is doing the right thing. Management is doing something well; leadership is deciding what should be done. Churches don’t do what they should be doing because what they are already doing is running smoothly even though it’s not [...]
4 Functions of Children's Ministry
To serve the Lord by… 1. Supporting your church. Help your church move forward by supporting its vision. 2. Influencing the kids. Help kids be something more than average while leading them into a relationship with the Lord. 3. Empowering the parents. Give parents tools and ideas for raising their kids. 4. Releasing your workers. [...]
Fretters Anonymous
Hi, my name is Roger. I am a fretter. I have been fret-free now for ninety days. If there was a Fretters Anonymous, most children’s pastors would have to put down their puppets and sign up. Most of us are chronic fretters. We see evil gaining momentum in the world. We know the kids we [...]
Push Back
If people can’t push back they will eventually push away. If people don’t feel like they have the freedom to voice disagreement they will eventually leave you. Ordinary people need to believe they are valuable enough to be heard. If they don’t think you are listening to them, they will eventually go someplace where they [...]
