{"id":9956,"date":"2010-12-02T01:11:54","date_gmt":"2010-12-02T01:11:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/2010\/12\/02\/two-essential-holiday-ministry-ingredients\/"},"modified":"2010-12-02T01:11:54","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T21:52:33","slug":"two-essential-holiday-ministry-ingredients","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/two-essential-holiday-ministry-ingredients\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Essential Holiday Ministry Ingredients"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>F<\/strong>or ministry leaders, workers, volunteers, and any other person over the age of 25 reading this column, keep these seven words in mind for the next few weeks: &#8216;Tis the season for peppermint and chocolate.<\/p>\n\n<p>You can read leadership and volunteer strategy books until you go blind, attend a ministry conference every week of the year (quite possible these days), or click on the 32,800,000 Google hits for &#8220;ministry leadership,&#8221; and you won&#8217;t find any coaching that includes those seven words. Too bad. But keep them in mind, my friend, and you will prosper.<\/p>\n\n<p>Some might wonder if this column intends to promote peppermint mochas&mdash;the apex of the coffee-drinking year. Sorry to disappoint you, but this column addresses a ministry need and leaves baristas to fend for themselves. For now.<\/p>\n\n<p>You likely will have a small army, maybe a platoon, that volunteers during your upcoming Christmas Eve services. Another group, hopefully different folks, that will help December 26. Your challenge? When they arrive to help, thank them well.<\/p>\n\n<p>I stumbled across an idea that proved to be a golden tradition. Someone at an amateur coffee shop once shared a &#8220;secret recipe&#8221; to enjoy the great taste of peppermint and chocolate in java without spending a lot. Simply throw a couple of Hershey kisses and a broken candy cane into your steaming cup, stir for a few moments, and drink.<\/p>\n\n<p>Warning: This does not work! Instead, I downed cup after cup of nearly unflavored coffee with brown sludge at the bottom, and nearly choked on sharp remnants of candy cane.<\/p>\n\n<p>My next challenge: What to do with my bulk purchase of peppermint and chocolate candies?<\/p>\n\n<p>Then someone made the brilliant, yes brilliant, suggestion to give away the sweets. During the first of several Christmas Eve services, I visited each children&#8217;s ministry room well before kids arrived and said thank you to each volunteer. At the same time, I offered them a small indulgence from a basket filled with peppermint and chocolate.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nearly everyone took a treat. And everyone appreciated the gesture. I had to make multiple trips to a nearby store to replenish my supply. Our ministry repeated this for holiday seasons that followed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sure, people enjoyed the smooth, nearly decadent combination of peppermint and chocolate. More important, though, they left with a great taste called appreciation. Nothing can replace a personal, on-the-spot, real time &#8220;thank you.&#8221; The candy simply provided an exclamation point.<\/p>\n\n<p>When you appreciate volunteers, especially in an unexpected way, they are more likely to serve again. Maybe even sign up for a regular rotation. Prepare to be amazed at what happens. Just from a candy cane, chocolate kiss, and appreciation with a smile.<\/p>\n\n<p>Yes, other ministries offer holiday goodies&mdash;that sit on a table. Avoid such a minimalist approach. Pick up the basket, walk up to people, and appreciate them. Such a simple approach. So often overlooked.<\/p>\n\n<p>The do-it-yourself approach to peppermint and chocolate never did work for my coffee. Something better came along.<\/p>\n\n<p>Following several days of frustration, a member of our ministry team handed me a gift. I awkwardly removed the wrapping paper as she stood in front of me with a big smile. &#8220;Something special for the holiday season,&#8221; she said. A single tear formed in my right eye as I held a canister of chocolate\/peppermint mix designed for coffee.<\/p>\n\n<p>Oh how the gift possibilities prove endless when you remember these seven words: &#8216;Tis the season for peppermint and chocolate.<\/p>\n\n<p>Remember, though, the season goes by fast. So make sure to give a warm, heartfelt thanks to that barista who serves your next peppermint mocha. Soon we&#8217;ll return to regular coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table alignleft\"><table><tbody><tr><td>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/childrensministry\/features\/img\/wordskidsneedtohear_sm.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/childrensministry\/features\/img\/kidshopeusa.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"is-style-article-bio\">David Staal, senior editor of <em class=\"citation\">Today&#8217;s Children&#8217;s Ministry<\/em>, serves as the president of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kidshopeusa.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"bio\" rel=\"noopener\">Kids Hope USA<\/a>, a national non-profit organization that partners local churches with elementary schools to provide mentors for at-risk students. Prior to this assignment, David led Promiseland, the children&#8217;s ministry at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois. David is the author of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.christianbook.com\/Christian\/Books\/product\/?item_no=280989&#038;p=1023153\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"bio\" rel=\"noopener\"><em class=\"citation\">Words Kids Need to Hear<\/em><\/a> (2008) and lives in Grand Haven, Michigan, with his wife Becky, son Scott, and daughter Erin. Interested in David speaking at your event? <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sussinc.com\/cgi-bin\/display.pl?db=db1&#038;tp=tp2&#038;show=199\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"bio\" rel=\"noopener\">Click here<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"is-style-article-copyright\">&copy;2010, David Staal<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For ministry leaders, workers, volunteers, and any other person over the age of 25 reading this column, keep these seven words in mind for the next few weeks: &#8216;Tis the season for peppermint and chocolate. You can read leadership and volunteer strategy books until you go blind, attend a ministry conference every week of the <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/two-essential-holiday-ministry-ingredients\/\">Read more&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"tax_ctp_authors":[1351],"tax_ctp_books":[],"tax_ctp_categories":[142],"tax_ctp_field_guide_subcategory":[],"tax_ctp_field_guides":[],"tax_ctp_format":[131],"tax_ctp_multimedia":[],"tax_ctp_point_editor":[],"tax_publications":[156],"tax_ctp_tags":[3569,3613,3845,3960,4351,4459,4498,4608,5046,5253],"tax_ctp_topics":[],"class_list":["post-9956","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tax_ctp_authors-david-staal","tax_publications-leadership-journal","tax_ctp_tags-children","tax_ctp_tags-church-leadership","tax_ctp_tags-education","tax_ctp_tags-family","tax_ctp_tags-leadership","tax_ctp_tags-mentoring","tax_ctp_tags-motivation","tax_ctp_tags-pastoral-care","tax_ctp_tags-spiritual-formation","tax_ctp_tags-volunteers"],"acf":{"scripture_references":null},"yoast_head":"<!-- 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