Ministry-To-Children.com » Ministry Ideas

6 Tips for Praying Along with Children

Mimi Bullock — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:45:00 +0000

God holds wonderful treasures, some of which may only be accessed through prayer. Kids want those treasures but they need a guide to help them find their way. One of the things I love the most about children’s ministry is having the opportunity to pray with children. Teaching kids to pray isn’t tough; however, I find many teachers and volunteers find leading prayer challenging, even intimidating. If you find yourself in this category, you can build your self-confidence by remembering these guidelines.

1. Touch and agree. Before praying with the child discuss talk about why the child wants prayer. Kids tend to wander in their conversation and thought processes. (Like some of us!) I usually say, “Okay, Ryan. You want to pray for Grandma because her foot hurts and your puppy ran away?” This helps children focus their requests and faith.

2. Invite the child to lead the prayer. Don’t feel like you have to lead every prayer. Give children the opportunity to pray. It may take some time, but eventually, your students will surprise you. Also, don’t correct kids if they do step up to lead prayer. Nothing dashes a child’s confidence more than correcting them in public, especially concerning spiritual matters.

3. Use repetition to train children. I always tell children not confident enough to pray independently, to repeat after me. Not because I’m a master at prayer but to build their spiritual knowledge. Training children to pray is simple when you use the repetition method. Don’t use long, flowery sentences but do heap lots of love on God. He enjoys praise and children see a loving relationship, not just hear about it.

4. Hold hands but ask permission first. Say to children, “May I hold your hand when we pray?” Asking permission calms the child and helps them know you are there with them. Holding someone’s hand should comfort them, not frighten them or make them uncomfortable. Sadly, sometimes this kind of contact does.

5. Demonstrate how to use scripture in prayer. I love this point. If it is possible and relevant, I use a scripture we just learned. For example, a child who is afraid needs to hear, “Dear Father, Your Word says that ‘No weapon formed against me will prosper.’ Because of Your Word, I know I am safe and protected.”

6. Affirm children afterwards. I affirm my students by telling them I will continue to pray for them daily. If appropriate, I give a hug or pat the child on the shoulder. Prayer should comfort but not infringe on a child’s space. Sometimes verbal affirmation is enough.

As a teacher, praying with children is one of my favorite activities. Pray with your student every chance you get, but don’t force prayer. Teaching kids that prayer is a normal function of spiritual life is important. Build strong prayer warriors by guiding your kids in this area.

For more help, you can print out our the Five Finger Model Prayer for children. You might also enjoy these coloring pages about prayer.

Visit Mimi’s website for daily encouragement, Encouragement for Christians.

Quick Guide for a New Sunday School Superintendent

Mimi Bullock — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:21:22 +0000

Sunday School changed my life! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that statement during my experience teaching children’s classes. A vibrant, exciting Sunday Sunday educates believers by familiarizing them with the Bible record while teaching them how to apply the principles to their lives. As a new superintendent, you have the responsibility of making that vision happen and inspiring teachers along the way. Sounds like a tall order but you can do it! Get good systems in place and let God do the rest.

Fire up the group: Begin with a group meeting, than meet with teachers and helpers individually. Show appreciation for what’s already been accomplished, then talk about how you’ll expand on the vision. This isn’t the time for dealing with known issues like tardiness or discipline problems. Let this initial meeting focus on raising and renewing the standard.

At the individual meetings, give teachers a chance to express their concerns and frustrations in a non-judgmental atmosphere. Help them solve problems or at least commit to looking for answers, together. Don’t allow these one-on-one meetings become a venue for airing grievances or complaining about other teachers. Always turn those conversations around to, “What can YOU do to…?”

We’ve written a whole article on ways to show appreciation to your Sunday School teachers. Remember, not training & motivating your volunteers sends a strong negative message.

Set some goals: Meeting goals brings people together. God loves unity! Set a goal like perfect attendance for a month or raising attendance by 10%. Don’t set goals that people can’t reach, or can’t believe they will reach. For example, if your goal is to have 100 more children in Sunday School by the end of the year, break that big goal down into monthly goals. You could say, “We want to enroll 10 more new students into our Sunday School this month. Who do we know that would enjoy what we have to offer?” Just saying “We need 100!” doesn’t give the teaching staff a manageable goal.

Establish communication: Here’s where it gets a bit tricky. After the initial excitement, the reality of teaching sets in. You need to stay in touch. The Sunday School superintendent should not be the last to know about a fight, an argument among teachers or missing materials. Call or email your teachers each week. Thank them for their hard work. Be there and they will continue to communicate with you.

Learn more about the importance of listening to ministry volunteers.

Know the material: Review the material the teachers are using. Does it suit your current needs? Do they complain about it? Do they need more object lessons? Crafts? Games? Assess where you are, educationally, so you can get where you need to be.

Promote Sunday School: That’s personally and corporately. Ask for a mention of Sunday School in the bulletin. Post about it on Facebook. Share the excitement and spread the Word. If you invite, they will come!

For more help, reader our favorite tactics for getting more kids in Sunday School.

Take advantage of growth: Once you enter a season of growth, take full advantage of the open window. Collect contact information. Send cards, make phone calls. Don’t assume teachers are doing it. Inspect what you expect! Give kids plenty of reasons to come back. Protect the small harvests and you’ll see big results!

Read more from Mimi by visiting her blog: Encouragement for Christians.

Need more ideas? Browse our suggested Sunday School games or read our tips for Sunday School teachers. You can also read a brief history of Sunday School.

Tips for a Kids’ Church Takeover Service

Mimi Bullock — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:15:24 +0000

If you’ve been asked to participate in a kids’ church takeover service — rejoice! How wonderful to participate in a church that welcomes children in the “big church” and allows kids to serve in ministry. For the children’s pastor faced with leading this service, it may seem like a daunting task.

During my tenure as a children’s pastor, I’ve been there. I had many concerns about meeting adult expectations, having the ability to minister to everyone, etc. Happily, I saw tears — happy tears, not from kids but adults. I had the opportunity to pray and lead many adults back to their childhood faith. It refreshed me!

Before you get there, you need to develop some good mechanics for ministry. It’s true that a kids’ church takeover service should highlight young leadership but it should also minister to adults. So how do you walk that fine line?

Build kids confidence by sticking to your normal schedule but be prepared to make the sections longer. For example, I love using the Minute Rule. The average age of my students is 10-years old, therefor, I keep sections shorter than 10 minutes. At the takeover service, you might need to extend the sections a bit but not too much. Here’s an example of the breakdown I use:

Greeting/5 minutes: Kids shake adults’ hands, hand out programs and help everyone find a seat. Music plays softly in the background.

Praise and Worship/15 minutes: Kids take the front rows so they can worship without worrying about anyone watching them. We keep the beachballs moving through the air during the upbeat praise song. I collect the balls for the second song and give kids and adults praise ribbons. For the last song, there are no ribbons, just music and worship.

Introduce the Scripture/5 minutes: Here, you establish the overall theme of your message. My kids like creating posters to display the verses, sometimes one poster per word. Let kids walk the posters out to spell out the verse.

Main Teaching Part One/10 to 15 minutes: Here’s where you bring the message! At least part one of the message. I use a storytelling type of teaching. I read the passage a few verses at a time and use descriptive language to help kids immerse themselves in the story. For example, when talking about David playing his music for the sheep before God called him to be king, I talk about the green grass, petting his favorite sheep, spending time alone. Have kids act out the scenes — it’s a good way to get them involved!

Object Lesson/ 5 to 10 minutes: I use wacky experiments or demonstrations to support the verse. I’ve been known to drop bubble wrapped eggs, (to demonstrate the power of faith) or pour bleach into water filled with food coloring (to demonstrate the cleansing power of Jesus.) The object lesson is like a commercial break. Kid helpers help me present the object lesson.

Main Teaching Part Two/10 to 15 minutes: I finish the story and get the audience to participate by repeating words after me or by asking them questions.

Review the scripture verse: Here’s another opportunity to bring the verse back to the memory of the audience.

Altar time/ ? minutes: Some churches don’t have an altar service per say, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make a good conclusion. Here’s where you invite children and adults to receive Christ, to come for prayer, to worship the Lord in light of their new understanding. Play worship music, a song that is familiar to children and adults if possible so everyone can worship.

The most important thing to remember is you are a bringer of the Message, a carrier of the Good News! Enjoy the experience! Your demonstration will not only bless families but you could inspire others to do the same!

Read Mimi’s book, The Young Boy and the Great Mountain, a Christian parable for children’s teachers.

3 Ideas for Growing the Faith of Preteens

Guest Writer — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:32:01 +0000

**This is a guest post from Nick Diliberto from PreteenMinistry.net

Preteens crave an authentic relationship with God and are eager to grow their friendship with Him. They’re capable of owning the relationship, independently of their mom or dad. One of the best things leaders can do is provide preteens opportunities to grow in their faith.

Here are a three ideas to help preteens grow their faith:

Easter is the cornerstone of the Christian faith, so launching some type of growth group afterwards is a great idea. A growth group can take on various forms. The basic idea is to design a small group with a specific goal in mind. The goal might be to go through a book of the Bible and ignite a desire to dive into God’s Word. Or it might be to encourage a vibrant prayer life during the week. Come up with a goal that works for your group and then launch it.

Keep these two ideas in mind when launching a growth group. First, let them choose to attend or not attend. That way only the students who really want to be there are present, which excels the growth process. Second, allow preteens to choose the topic or theme, which empowers them and builds excitement for the group.

Another way to grow the faith of preteens is to give them an opportunity to serve the community. Do an outreach event and have them be a part of the process. Ask them for ideas and recruit a core group of preteens to help plan the event. Preteens feel a sense of ownership when they are a part of the planning process.

Lastly, challenge preteens to live out their faith during the week. How can they apply Sunday’s lesson in their lives during the week? Give them tools and resources to live out the lesson. Maybe give them some Bible verses to think and meditate on during the week. Or give them an action steps to take. For example, if the lesson was on loving your enemies, challenge them to do one nice thing to an enemy during the week. Partnering with parents on this is a great idea. Experiment with ways to open the lines of communication so that they are involved. For example, if you challenged preteens to do a nice thing to an enemy or chew on some Bible verses, then communicate that to parents. Give them ways to follow-up with their preteens on those things.

Preteens are ready and eager to go deeper with God. Our job is to give them opportunities that empower and challenge them to grow.

Nick Diliberto is the creator of PreteenMinistry.net, which provides creative curriculum and resources for preteen ministry. He is also the preteen columnist for Children’s Ministry Magazine and Children’s Pastor at Seven San Diego Church.

Backyard Evangelism for Children’s Ministry

Mimi Bullock — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:39:35 +0000

Warm weather makes me want to run outdoors and play, even though I am slightly older than the average kid. If you and I feel that way after a long, cold winter, imagine how the kids feel! Did you know, the great outdoors is the perfect location for reaching kids for Jesus?

Kids love to play, no matter where they live, making backyard evangelism the perfect tool for a children’s ministry that has a heart to grow. In years past, I restricted my backyard evangelism to Sidewalk Sunday Schools, but in recent years, I have adapted my favorite kids programs with some good results. Perhaps some of these exciting evangelism ideas could help you reach the harvest right in your own backyard.

Bible barbecues: Nothing draws a crowd like smelling hot dogs on the grill. I usually spend the morning walking through my neighborhood, inviting my un-churched neighbors to the barbecue, and then I head home to get everything together. Some of the families in my children’s church like hosting these events too. At the barbecue, we roast hotdogs, say a prayer over our food and I play Christian music in the background. I arrange a few games but I do spend my time getting to know the neighbors. I look for opportunities to talk about God, but I do not force anyone. The key is to build relationships.

Summer plays: The kids in my children’s church are such hams! Together we have created plays like, “Jenny Gets a New Friend.” In this play, one lonely girl who can’t find a friend, finally gets one — Jesus! If your group isn’t into writing plays, choose a Bile story like David and Goliath. Instead of five smooth stones, David could use marshmallows. I’m sure some parent would be willing to be Goliath! Hang a few sheets on the clothesline and you have an instant playhouse. I love summer plays! Puppet plays are fun too and making a cardboard puppet stand is easy.

Backyard photo clubs: As an avid gardener, I live for growing flowers, fruits and vegetables. That makes my backyard a haven for all kinds of living things. In the spring and summer, I hold backyard photo clubs. Kids gather with me to pray, then we search for some of God’s smallest creatures, like bugs and squirrels. We take their pictures and I get to spend time with kids. Since many of my kids have cell phones, almost everyone has a camera. He or she can take home cool pictures that will remind them of this special day.

Sprinkler palooza: Nothing says summer fun like running through a sprinkler. Find a fun sprinkler and hook up a hose. Invite kids over for a sprinkler palooza. Play Christian music, share a Bible story during a snack time.

Learn more about Mimi by visiting her website at Encouragement for Christians.

Reaching At Risk Children

Mimi Bullock — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:49:59 +0000

Unless your ministry is located under a rock, you’ve had firsthand experience with at risk children. Although I do not like labeling kids, we teachers need to know what challenges lay before us. Children who fall under the “at risk” category tend to act out, even dangerously, to gain attention while other children remain resolutely hidden in the background. At risk simply means the child has a likelihood to follow a negative life path, often because of a family history of abuse, addictions and the like.

In some situations, you may suspect a child is at risk by their behavior towards you or other children in your ministry. Aggression and chronic cursing are two big indicators, at least in my experience. Reaching at risk children is tough and requires a commitment from the teacher or pastor. However, we are bringers of the gospel–the good news is that Jesus saves and makes children whole!

So what are some good tips for reaching at risk children?

Expect resistance. If a child is at risk, he’s probably not going trust you, simply because you are an adult. Don’t expect hugs and smiles, expect resistance. Be patient and practice loving the child from a distance. Kind words, even structured, fair discipline are ways of showing you can be trusted. Always point to Jesus in your lessons, games and in everything. Also, don’t let your heart lead you into the “savior trap.” You can’t save children. You’re aren’t the answer. God’s love is!

In some cases, you might find this child over-friendly. She may act inappropriately towards you. Correct the behavior, without embarrassing the child and make another teacher aware of what is happening immediately.

Create roles of responsibility. Most at risk children are beyond the realm of bringing them back to an average childhood. Sex abuse survivors, for instance, have experienced a level of grief that encroaches upon their innocence. They may never have the patience to sit and play teatime with the rest of the group. These children need empowerment and responsibility. Create roles for kids to demonstrate their strength and leadership. Some ideas are line leaders, handing out snacks or sweeping the floor after crafts.

Avoid making allowances for bad behavior. There can’t be two sets of rules within your children’s ministry. At risk kids need to follow the rules too. It’s time to stop making excuses for kids by saying, “Well, you just don’t understand,” or “He’s been through so much.” That kind of leading will cripple the at risk child, keeping her forever in “helpless” mode. Have compassion, but don’t have double standards.

Build relationships with all children. If you think remembering a child’s name is a high bar of excellence, you might be in trouble. To reach this group, you’ll have to go way beyond getting a name correct — relationships are required. Get to know kids, parents, foster-parents and grandparents. Follow the important days like birthdays. Show up to watch the child play ball. Be the pastor and love your kids by having a good, reliable relationship with them.

In children’s ministry, you’ll have children with a mish-mash of personalities and life situations. The chances that you’ll lead an at-risk child is pretty high. Don’t be afraid to love, but be prepared!

Visit Mimi’s blog Encouragement for Christians to learn more about her ministry.

How to Create a Bus Ministry Program

Mimi Bullock — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:28:21 +0000

A healthy bus ministry consists of more than providing transportation between church and home. Volunteers and riders will flock to buses that offer programs that meet their needs. Volunteers need to know what to expect and how they can help. Riders are counting on you to set the tone, teach them how to behave, and introduce them to God’s kingdom. It sounds like a tall order but hundreds of bus ministries do it every week—you can too!

When creating a bus ministry program, remember that your program will consist of two parts, one before and another after children’s church. Also, keep your ministries focus in the cross hairs at all the times. Generally, bus ministry should prepare children’s hearts for receiving the gospel message. Never assume that soul winning and ministry occurs only in the kids church. Kids get saved, connect with God and understand Bible truths on the bus too.

If you want to create a program that meets your specific needs, you’ll need some basic information.

First you’ll need to know how long the bus ride is to and from the church. Time the trip making notes about how long the trip is, including each stop. Knowing the transit time will help you plan a program that’s long enough to keep everyone occupied.
What are the general ages of your riders? If your bus carries a wide swatch of ages, you’ll have to plug in material that is appealing to a wider audience. Ask each rider’s parent or guardian to fill out an information card to gather this information.
Personalize a program by celebrating birthdays and recognizing children’s personal achievements like making the Honor Roll. Include announcements or the birthday song in your regular program.
Separate the trip into small time segments. Keep the Minute Rule in mind when planning your segments. For example, if the general age of your audience is seven, don’t go over seven minutes per segment. Rotate segments like object lesson, game, song etc. Keep the program moving along.
Give bus ministry assignments to volunteers as far in advance as you can. Create a program that involves all your volunteers but don’t embarrass anyone.
Stick to basic principles like salvation, forgiveness and love. The bus ministry should provide a platform for ministry and complement the children’s church lesson.
Stay in contact with children’s church leaders. Pool ideas and talk about how you reach kids with a unified message.

Over time, your bus ministry will evolve and you may have to make changes to your program. Review your program regularly and make adjustments if children begin to misbehave or seem disinterested.

Read more about Mimi by visiting her blog at Encouragement for Christians or read her new book, “The Prophet’s Code.”

Fun Ways to Teach Backpack Evangelism to Kids

Mimi Bullock — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:44:55 +0000

Kids are natural evangelists, they tell everything! Cultivate this love of sharing by teaching your kids about evangelism. By showing them how they can share their faith effectively, you will encourage their spirit and bring glory to God. Resist the urge to over teach with three month courses and seminars. Keep the gospel message powerful but simple. Incorporate some of these practical ideas backpack evangelism ideas into your curriculum and inspire your kids to build God’s kingdom.

I love backpack evangelism. A helper and I came up with this concept. We wanted to teach kids how to share the gospel with school friends using common school supplies. We thought this idea would be beneficial to our kids, especially in a school setting were they spend so much time. We started with an average looking backpack. Next, we filled it with items that any student would carry like books, pencils, paper and a calculator. I used the filled backpack as an object lesson every Sunday for a month. Each Sunday, I had a child pick one item from the backpack. I demonstrated how they could use each item to explain to friends how much God loved them.

Sheets of paper: I drew an X or some words like “lie” and “steal” on a piece of paper. I held a blank sheet of paper up to the kids. I explained that this is how God wants to make our souls, clean. Then I held the other paper up. I pointed to the words and said, “When we make wrong choices, we end up writing on our souls.” I wadded up the written paper and tossed it away. Next, I hold up the clean sheet. I say, “God gives me a clean sheet of paper, a clean soul, every time I repent.”

Books: I hold up the books and say, “These books can get heavy after carrying them around all day, right?” Kids will agree with me here. Then I say, “Life can get heavy sometimes too, right?” Kids agree again and some will share about how heavy life gets. I say, “Did you know that Jesus promised to make life lighter? When you invite him into your heart, he carries life for us!”

Pencils: I hold up the unsharpened pencils and let everyone look at them. I ask kids questions like, “Can we write our homework with these pencils?” Kids will say no. Then I say, “What do we need to do write our homework?” Kids will say “Sharpen them!” I say, “Did you know that when you live without Jesus you are like this unsharpened pencil? God can’t write anything nice on our lives when we remain unsharpened. Who wants to be a sharpened pencil for God?”

Calculator: I use a really large calculator for this object lesson. I hold up the calculator and show the number 0. I say, “When we start our lives we start with 0’s but pretty soon a few numbers get added. Every time we fib, or cheat, or cuss or steal we add numbers.” I tap away multiplying and adding numbers to the final amount. I hold up a huge number like 142,756 or whatever I end up with. I say, “Wow! It’s not zero anymore. I made that many mistakes. Did you know I can get to zero again?” Kids will say yes. Then I say, “Just be pressing the C button, I can get back to zero. Would you like your soul to get back to zero? All you have to do is press the C button and ask Christ to forgive you!”

These backpack ideas make it easy for kids to share their faith with their peers on the bus, on the walk home or wherever the opportunity arrives. It’s time to mobilize God’s army of evangelist by empowering our kids with his gospel message.

Purchase Mimi’s latest Christian teaching parable for kids “The Young Boy and the Great Mountain” or visit her blog at Encouragement for Christians.

Guidelines for Discipline in Christian Bus Ministry

Mimi Bullock — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:39:27 +0000

If your picture of Christian bus ministry is full of positive attitudes and well-behaved children–you must be new! Don’t feel bad; bus ministry, while vital and exciting, is challenging for many, even the experienced volunteer. Prepare for explosive growth in your ministry by establishing discipline guidelines. When parents, teachers and children know what to expect, there’s less chance for confusion and frustration. Create a safe environment for kids with simple, structural rules.

Also, do expect to troubleshoot problems but temper everything you do with kindness. Pray regularly for the bus ministry and your personal involvement. Ask God to help you be patient, but firm in a manner that pleases Him. The key is to spend more time discipling and less time disciplining, right? Remember to avoid making complicated rules that won’t easily be remembered.

Basic Guidelines

Head, shoulders, knees and toes: Remember that old song? Use it! Introduce it to your bus families and explain that heads should face forward and shoulders rest back on the seat. We should keep our knees and toes on the ground and not kicking others. Explain that heads and hands that hang out the window can get injured.
No standing or squatting on the seats or in the aisles. Everyone must be seated throughout the trip.
Swearing and shouting are not tolerated on the bus.
Everyone must participate in the bus service. No bad attitudes are allowed.
No drinks, food or backpacks are to be brought on to the bus—Bibles only.

How to Enforce the Rules

Don’t scold or reprimand children in front of their peers unless the situation calls for immediate action.
Speak in low tones when you want to bring the volume down. Speak loudly to get attention but use this “power” sparingly.
Stoop down to eye level to speak to children. Never stand over them in a manner that could be interpreted as intimidating.
Involve supportive parents when their child misbehaves.
Don’t argue with bus riders. Move the rider your seat on one by you and discuss the matter once you’ve arrived at your destination.
Provide children with the opportunity to do the right thing. Don’t back kids into a corner.
Don’t make threats about discipline unless you are prepared to follow through.

Don’t Forget These Details

Give every bus rider a copy of the bus rules when they first attend. Review it with them and don’t assume that they’ve read it independently.
Go over the rules regularly.
Have a bus ministry program prepared. As bus ministry pioneer Bill Wilson says, “If you don’t put on a program for kids, they’ll put one on for you.”

Stick to your guidelines and you’ll have a friendly, exciting ministry that everyone will want to be a part of.

Read more from Mimi by visiting her blog, “Encouragement for Christians.“

Mobile Apps for Churches

Tony Kummer — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:31:57 +0000

There are some exiting new ways to expand your church’s ministry through mobile technology. Just a few years ago it took a massive investment to build an iPhone app for your ministry. Only the largest congregations could afford the cost.

Things have really changed.

The prices for mobile ministry apps is now within reach of every congregation or even the different ministries within every church. Now is the time to extend your ministry to better connect with people in their everyday lives.

Here’s one example. My friend Matt McKee has started a company called “ROAR.” They help churches extend their ministry through mobile apps for iPad, Android, and iPhone. Right now they are even building 1000 free apps to help get churches get started. The only cost is the ongoing hosting & service fee – starting at $30 per month. Click here to check it out.

I’d love to hear how your church is using mobile technology to extend the ministry. You can leave a comment below to offer your thoughts.