The mixture of rain and warmer, sunny weather means a new dimension to life these days—yard work. So my son and I tuned up the lawnmower, filled the gas tank, and stood together surveying the grass that is ours until late fall. The familiar sound of the engine hummed in the background of this near-emotional moment when we talk about our strategy, a conversation only the two of us can appreciate. Unfortunately, we were rudely interrupted.

The cough coming out of the lawnmower made us turn on our heels and rush to its aid. "What's wrong with it?" my son asked. Years of home landscaping experience helped me know the problem. "The gas we used has been in the can since October," I said. "When gas sits for a long time, it loses the ability to burn like it should."

The same is true for a ministry's vision. Experience has shown that a vision that's cast to recruit volunteers or launch a ministry season will diminish over time in its ability to fuel people. The message our team heard last fall about the Kingdom significance of children's ministry can't be counted on to have the same impact throughout the spring and summer. Everyone's tanks need fresh, high-octane vision periodically. Many churches designate June as the end of a ministry season, so the time is here to plan how you will creatively thank volunteers and remind them of the critical role they play in reaching kids for Jesus. Make sure you give it your best.

Church experts generally agree that sharing vision is an essential role for leadership. Older versions of the Bible say in Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no vision people perish …" Sure is a strong statement. If a children's ministry doesn't cast vision afresh, I doubt people will suffer this consequence immediately—but they might run out of gas.

Copyright © 2005 Promiseland.

Read more from 'Encouraging Words'

Words Kids Need to Hear To Help Them Be Who God Made Them to Be by David Staal If you could choose just seven statements to share with children, what would they be? Each chapter in this compelling book focuses on a single statement elementary-age kids need to hear from parents, children's workers, and other close adults. These seven statements are simple to share, yet guaranteed to profoundly impact children. They are: I believe in you. You can count on me. I treasure you. I'm sorry, please forgive me. Because. No. I love you. will educate, equip, and motivate parents and children's ministry teams to carefully choose words that building up kids' hearts, to say them frequently, and to do so in creative ways. What children hear from trusted adults significantly influences their self-image, their current relationships, and future relationships—including that all-important relationship with God.