Hopefully, you are not the same caliber leader you were last year. And hopefully, you are not making the same mistakes today that you made yesterday. At least a dozen times I have heard Jim Wideman say, “Successful leaders make mistakes, and then they learn from those mistakes and keep going.” Today I want to share with you three common mistakes kidmin leaders make and how to avoid them.

1. Self-Reliance

Far too many KidMin leaders are relying on the strengths that God gave them instead of the God who gave them those strengths. Psalm 127:1 clearly states, “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” God has also blessed you with a team who He has given specific and intentional gifts. Are you equipping those under your leadership to use their talents for God’s kingdom? If you are making the mistake of self-reliance, take a step in the right direction today by repenting and asking both God and your team for their forgiveness.

2. Not Allowing Outside Voices

One of the greatest catalysts for taking your next step in leadership is allowing someone to speak truth into your life. Find someone further down the road than you and invite them into your life. Ask specific questions that allow the mentor to address personal character issues as well as areas of failure that you might not see. Also, learn from coaches or people who you might not have a relationship with by reading their books and blogs. Learn from others successes as well as their failures. If a coach gives you personal access to them, ask great questions and apply the wisdom they shared with you. There are also local kidmin leaders who you can learn from if you allow the opportunity. If you are not allowing outside voices into your life, take a step in the right direction today by researching a mentoring group or inviting someone to speak truth into your life.

3. Failure To Prioritizing

Kids ministry is never really finished. There are always more prayers to be prayed, more conversations to have, and more people to evangelize. The sad truth is that while many kidmin leaders are busy doing work, very few are getting the important work done. With 168 hours in the week, you need to know and live by your priorities. If God is truly number one, is this reflected in your time and finances? If your family truly comes before your ministry, is this demonstrated in your kid’s attitude towards your job? If you are failing to prioritize, take a step in the right direction today by physically writing out your priorities and creating an action plan to keep them in the right order.

What Mistakes Do You See? 

I have outlined 3 common mistakes KidMin make and how to avoid them. What mistakes would you add to this post and how do you avoid them? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!