Problems are guaranteed in life—some problems need to be solved, some problems need to be managed, and ultimately all problems need to be given to God. One of the hardest leadership tasks we can tackle is deciding whether something is a problem to solve or a tension to manage. Some challenges we face in life and ministry are just the reality of the world.

Most children’s ministries across the country have two things in common: they need one more worker and a bigger budget! (If you don’t have those two problems, either your church is a phenomenal exception or your vision is too small—but that’s a different blog post.)

One of the great mantras of children’s ministry is that we are not childcare. But I think we need to get over that because part of our job in ministry is childcare. Thinking in terms of childcare, safety, and security does not belittle the ministry—it enhances it.