I was asked a couple of days ago how hot air ballooning (a hobby of ours) and children’s ministry are similar.  Interesting because prior to that day, I hadn’t really thought about it or considered there was a correlation.  But in fact, there is!

Every hot air balloon has a “system”, the rigging or apparatus that makes up the equipment and gear that enables you to fly in a basket under a piece of fabric.  Just like any aircraft, you have a system to maintain for safety, integrity and function.  These systems also of course allow the pilot and passengers to have a ton of fun!

There is a system to inspect the balloon annually to insure it is in good working condition, as well as,  a specific system to assemble the balloon, to check the balloon prior to inflation and to re-check before flight.  By checking the systems it helps the pilot and crew to know that they’ve done everything necessary in order to achieve their goal:  flight!

So how does this relate to Children’s Ministry?  We have systems (or we should have) to help us achieve the goal of connecting kids to God.  There are practical systems like curriculum, volunteer recruiting and training and check-in systems.  There are also systems that help us to establish our goals like creating vision and mission statements.

But we can’t just create systems and then walk away from them… Reggie Joiner said recently that, “effective organizations create a culture that is intentional about upgrading critical systems”.  Are your systems antiquated and working from memory or are you constantly evaluating your systems to enable you to reach the next generation in relevant ways?

A question that many people ask about ballooning is “do you know where you’re going to land?”.  The answer is no, God’s wind decides the landing spot, there is a definite faith factor that is coupled with the skill of flying. What I love about working in Children’s Ministry is the result of  “all systems go”… at the end of the day, if I have checked all of my systems and done all that God has asked me to do, I simply stand back and let Him finish the ride!  He blows my mind every week with the way He uses my simple systems and humble offerings and does big, hairy, audacious things in the lives of kids!