Ministry-To-Children.com » Website News

Important New Feature from Google

Tony Kummer — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 17:37:44 +0000

Earlier this month, Google released a new feature for websites. It’s called the “Plus One” button. In short, it helps tell Google that you recommend a webpage. This will in turn help Google make point people to the best resources on the Internet. Here is a short video they made about the project.

We’re testing this new tool from Google on our website. So leave a comment below to let us know what you think.

Ministry-To-Children Birthday Party 2011

Tony Kummer — Mon, 09 May 2011 10:00:34 +0000

Win prizes & help us celebrate our website’s big 4th birthday.

It’s hard to believe Ministry-To-Children.com is growing up so fast. It’s been so exciting to help millions of people around the world improve their children’s ministry.

Like everything in life, birthdays are more fun when friends join the celebration. So, this year we’re throwing a blog birthday party. Here is what you can expect.

Seriously great giveaways
Lots of bloggers getting involved
Even something for our sponsors

The Party is Over!

Thanks to everyone who joined the fun. The party is now over and the prize winners have been notified. We’re looking forward to next year’s already!

Of course this blog is all about helping you with your ministry at home, school, or church. That’s why 100% of our content is free. It’s also what keeps us working on new lessons, crafts, and practical ideas every week.

How You Can Win

At this birthday party, all the gifts are for you! Listed below is a massive collection of prizes that you can win this week. Our generous sponsors have far gone all out. Here is how you can win.

Leave a comment saying what you like most about our website
and mention your top 3 prize preferences from the list below

On Saturday 14 May I will randomly draw winners. I’ll do my best to honor prize requests for those picked, but that will depend on the drawing order. You will get an email from me if you win. This is open to all readers, but we can only ship to the US locations.

Big Prize List (The stuff you can win!)

Dan Stevers videos from ONLY144.com ($413 value)

Full year of worship on DVDs ($239 value)

Son Surf Beach Bash "Super" Kit ($199 value)

PandaMania Ultimate Starter Kit #1 ($155 value)

PandaMania Ultimate Starter Kit #2 chance to win ($155 value)

$150 off "BUZZ" Sunday School Curriculum

Go Fish "Backstage With The Bible" VBS ($150 value)

Go Fish "Kickin' It Old School" VBS Starter Kit ($150 value)

MOLLY PICKENS and THE RAINY DAY CASTLE ($129 value)

Mega Sports Camp "The Great Comeback" ($125 value)

Hometown Nazareth Ultimate Starter Kit #1 ($120 value)

Hometown Nazareth Ultimate Starter Kit #2 ($120 value)

Big Jungle Adventure VBS Starter Kit ($120 value)

re:form curriculum for youth ministry ($110 value )

$100 gift certificate from Guildcraft Arts & Crafts

Group Membership - Full 3 Months #1 ($100 Value)

Group Membership - Full 3 Months #2 ($100 Value)

Lil' Sprouts Club Kit (Nursery Ministry) $90 value

RBP's 2012 VBS Kit ($80 value) will not ship until November

Island Odyssey VBS, Abingdon Press ($72 value)

5 volume What's in the Bible? Prize Pack ($65 value)

3 DVDs for summer kids ministry worship ($60 value)

GO! Mission Adventure for Kids Starter Kit, RBP ($60 value)

The Octane 200 Games Book from KidsBlitz ($50 value)

Bold Believers 2011 VBS Curriculum ($50 value)

How to Worship God: Kids Church Curriculum ($45 value)

Theo Church Edition: Foundations of Faith, LifeWay ($40)

3 terrific kids worship CDs, God's Kids Worship ($36 value)

Kids Love Stickers from Children's Min. Resource ($25 Coupon)

Spark Bible (NRSV) Gift Edition, Augsburg ($25 value)

Spark Story Bible for Younger Children ($20)

4 Copies of Our Home is LIke a Little Church ($20 value)

Now that you’ve seen the prizes, click here to enter. Remember to say why you like Ministry-To-Children and let us know about your preference in the massive giveaway.

Presents for Fellow Bloggers & Tweeters

For my blogging friends, I wanted to do something a little different. You can join the party by adding a link to your blog and/or twitter using the Linky tool below. At the end of the party I’ll draw two random winners from the Linky list. Public Facebook pages (not personal profiles) are eligible for this one too.

I’m not requiring you to actually link here too, but it would be more fun if you helped me get the party started. I would be flattered if you posted about the party or even took this chance to write a review of our website.

What’s the prize? Each of the two blog winners selected will get a week of royal treatment around our website. That will include some free advertising, links in our newsletter, and some chats about how you can grow your following. Basically I’ll do what I can to help you make your blog more helpful to more people. Winners are free to transfer this to another ministry blogger if traffic growth is not a priority for them.

Sponsors Can Still Join the Fun

Even though the party’s started, we still have room for more sponsors. Just enter your giveaway before Wednesday to be added to the list. Retail value of your prize must be $25 or more. You’ll get free publicity and a link back to your product from the prize section above.

Bonus: I’m going to draw two prize sponsors to get a free week of advertising on our website. Just enter your information now.

A Prayer Movement on Facebook?

Tony Kummer — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 19:21:32 +0000

"Lunch Hour Prayer Movement" has started on Facebook

What if I used our Facebook page as a prayer request wall for readers?

That was the simple idea that started it all. I was overwhelmed and blessed without measure by the response. I’ve done it two Fridays now and it’s become a highlight of my week. The total response for both times was around 200 combined likes & comments. The experience has re-taught me some precious truths.

What I’ve Learned So Far

1. Every face has a story.
As I work through the list of ‘likes’ I pause and mention each name to God. I will often add a specific request while I linger over the person’s photo. In those moments I feel a strong love for these Christian brothers and sisters. It’s as though the Holy Spirit is yearning for that future day when we will all be together in the presence of Christ.

2. God’s work is much bigger than I can imagine.
I imagine these prayers on a global map, with a curved line going out from my location to each person. It reminds me that the name of Jesus is being taught around the world in places I will never know.

3. Praying for others brings great joy.
The whole process, nearly one hour of prayer each time, has given me a very powerful feeling of joy. It’s as if God is smiling upon this small effort and expressing his joy through me.

4. Children’s Ministry people are spiritually united.
There is a bond of purpose between us, even when we are miles apart. Many of our readers will minister in languages I cannot comprehend and in settings I can hardly imagine. Yet, through our common task of sharing Christ we are advancing the same Kingdom.

If you’ve missed out on these prayer walls, please look for another next Friday. You can also run a version of this same status on your Facebook status. It may surprise you who will request prayers. To learn more, visit the new Facebook page I’ve started to spread the “Lunch Hour Prayer” idea.

The status update that started this prayer movement.

Poll: How many kids does your ministry impact?

Tony Kummer — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 17:03:48 +0000

I’m always looking for ways to encourage our writers, so I’d like to get an better idea of the total number of kids their work is reaching each week. Simply respond below. After we get enough responses, I’ll share the results here too.

View This Poll

What I said about “Over Churched Children”

Tony Kummer — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:24:34 +0000

I’ve been thinking and writing a good deal about kids being overchurched. This is something of a new topic and I’m trying to figure it out as I go along.

Some of what I’ve said has been on other websites and podcasts. So I wanted to link that information together in one place. This post is a recap of what I’ve said & written so far. I’d love to hear what you think. Just click here to leave a comment.

5 Spiritual Dangers Facing Over-churched Kids – This was my first post about the issue. I was trying to raise awareness of the problem.
9 Strategies for Reaching Over-churched Kids – Here was my follow-up that offered some practical solutions.
Podcast about Over Churched Kids with Brandon (and my follow up)
Three Kinds of Over-Churched Children – I wrote on a friends blog)
Emily offers a 5 point strategy for fighting preacher’s kid syndrome.
How much church is too much - I wrote for the LifeWay blog)
5 Tips for Helping Over-Churched kids – Also on the LifeWay blog
Workshop Notes & Case Studies from CMX 2011
Elaine wrote a thoughtful response on her blog.

Reflecting on this issue has been both a pastoral and parenting concern for me. My own kids get well above normal exposure to religion. I hope these insights will be helpful to you.

What Children’s Ministry Magazine Said about Me

Tony Kummer — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 18:19:00 +0000

It was just a few months back when Children’s Ministry Magazine listed our blog among the top 5 children’s ministry websites. (Jan/Feb 2010).

I didn’t see that coming. In fact, I first found out about it on a someone’s blog. Then I double checked my own copy of the magazine and it was there in print.

It was good surprise.

The big news yesterday was not a surprise, since they emailed me for a picture. But I did feel just as honored to read the Nov/Dec 2010 issue of their magazine. In it they they listed some of the young kidmin leaders who they are calling “20 to Watch.” Click here to read that article on their website.

And I made the list.

It’s nice when others notice and commend what you’re doing in ministry. Especially when they put you in the company of amazing people. This was an impressive list. They name some people I’ve met in person. These include Kenny Conley, Sam Luce, and Gina McClain. There are many others that I’ve known online. Names like Jonathan Cliff, Matt Guevara, Anthony Prince, Dan Scott, Justyn Smith, David Wakerley, Kendra Fleming, Allyson Evans, Nick Diliberto and Spencer Click.

That’s not the whole list, but you’ll notice how many of these are using blogs to share their ideas. You can find most of them on our top 100 kidmin blogger list. Blogging has made the connection between leadership, influence and good ideas nearly a straight line.

Now the truth about me.

My offline ministry doesn’t really compare with all the amazing work these other leaders are doing. God has called me to a smaller church and I’m not sure I could handle all the pressure the others deal with. Just doing my ordinary ministry stuff reminds me that I am no expert. On many days God reminds me how weak I really am. It’s almost comical that He lets me have a popular blog. I am the least among these leaders, even though this website is helping many. It’s a strange contradiction, but I think God’s glory is shinning out of it.

Now the truth about the website.

I’m not the only one writing all this stuff. Nearly half of our content is from our contributing authors. The blog now has over 10 writers and my main role is to support their work. So, it’s really a team effort on the content side. As for traffic, that has grown as readers recommend us to their friends. Without our strong community of readers, nobody outside of my town would care what I’m writing.

Since this sounds like an acceptance speech, I’ll continue…

I want to thank my awesome wife who has endured and encouraged me to serve God with this website. She trusted me when it was still an expense on the family budget. I greatly appreciate my church that has been so patient with my learn-by-failure style of leadership. Most of all, I’m more than a little surprised that God would trust me with kids ministry in the first place!

Who’s missing from this list?

This list was a sequel to the Sept/Oct 2010 article that named the 20 most influential leaders in children’s ministry today. I have great respect for Christine Yount Jones and her team at Group Publishing. Just putting together such a list is a risky job and it’s easy to leave out well deserving people. I’d say they did a really good job despite the challenge.

If you’d like to respond, just click here to leave a comment. The article is not yet online, but I’ll add a link once they post it on their website.

No related posts.

Giveaway: Use Our Content on Your Website

Tony Kummer — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:21:14 +0000

Sometime last month, I decided that you should be free to copy our articles for your own blogs or church website. Now I want to take that a step further by encouraging (even baiting) you to do it.

I know it still feels like bad behavior. Didn’t you learn not to copy in school?

This is way different. We want you to give credit and syndicate our articles. Let me say it again, “Please copy our stuff.” It’s about spreading helpful content around the Internet.

Besides, if you don’t it might hurt my feelings.

It really is one of those win-win situations that I should have thought up sooner. Your readers get something helpful and more people find out about our website. Plus, my whole point of having a website is to help people in kids ministry.

If it makes you feel better, start with our super old articles (the one’s even I forgot were there) and post something that was buried in the way back machine. hint | hint | hint | hint

So now I’m going to make it even more fun. I am running a contest to encourage your to copy our content. The winner will get to pick out $200 in books from WTSbooks.com (they have some cool kids story Bibles).

On Monday 13 September 2010, I’ll draw the winner using random.org and contact them via email. Feel free to ask any questions about this contest in the comment section below. For this one, WTSbooks can only ship to US addresses. You can enter up to 3 times per unique website.

If you’re new here, let me give you some more hints on where to find our best content. Obviously the search box works fine, but you can also browse the encouraging posts topic. If you’re into family ministry check there too. We have nearly 900 articles and resources in the table of contents. There’s even a prayer for suffering children and tips on making your Sunday School safe. Don’t miss our most viral posts “Too Much Church” and “Why Children’s Ministry Matters“

Our Best Posts from August 2010

Tony Kummer — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:11:41 +0000

A few weeks ago, I added a monthly digest option for newsletter readers. It was a way to give people a little more choice in how they receive our free content.

This post is the collection of articles I’ll be sending them. I’ve tried to pick the very best articles from the last month. I’m looking at Facebook links, comment counts, and a few other statistics.

Top Lesson Plans

Kids Bible Lesson about Work (Labor Day) – A special lesson plan I wrote for labor day at my church. Of course, the value of work is a biblical truth you can teach anytime.

Preschool Bible Lesson: God’s Strength is Everlasting – Kara continues her preschool lessons based on Isaiah 40. Theres are great quality and many churches are using them.

Lesson: Jonah Returns to God – This lesson is the climax in our new lesson series for Sunday School. It’s a powerful lesson about repentance and faith from the Old Testament.

Family Devotions for the Big City – Just because you’re traveling doesn’t mean you have to skip worship time with your kids. Try these simple ideas for relating Bible truth when you travel.

God Knows Me Lesson for Preschoolers – Print off this free lesson to teach this foundational truth to toddlers and younger children. Based on Psalm 139.

Free Sunday School Materials – This page is a jumping off point to the growing collection of lessons, activities, crafts, games, and more that we have free on this website.

Special Features

Armor of God Coloring Pages – Mandy continues to create helpful coloring sheets for our readers. This one actually doubles as a craft template based on Ephesians 6.

Connecting Church & Home Conference – I spent two days at a family ministry conference and typed up detailed notes. This is an easy way to pick up some new ideas about equipping parents to be spiritual leaders at home.

Gospel Coloring Book: Jesus is King – We started a new coloring page series this month. Each will fit together to teach kids why they need to follow Jesus.

10 Commandment Song for Kids Worship – This was one of my favorite videos from the Go Fish Guys VBS program. It’s on YouTube so check it out.

Encouragement for Children’s Ministry – Here is my roundup of the 5 most encouraging posts we’ve had on the website. They can all be printed and shared around your church.

HT: Kenny “Font Man” Conley

No related posts.

What’s the deal with Ministry-To-Children?

Tony Kummer — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 03:06:05 +0000

I’ve never sat down and wrote out a master plan for this website. I try to leave that kind of thing up to God. But I have been thinking over some core values that are shaping my decisions about its direction. This post is just me thinking aloud about what we’re doing and how to stay focused on what matters.

This is not a slam on any other website or company. It’s just the special direction that God has placed on my heart. I hope this doesn’t sound like self congratulations either. I just want to share a little behind the scenes.

Some Core Values

Generosity: You may have already caught this one. All our content is 100% free for you to use in your ministry. I even made the decision to make all our content open for other websites to copy. This is not a common business model, but I think of this site more as a ministry anyway. I’m also trying to be generous with our writers by passing on some of the ad revenue to them every month.

Cooperation: It didn’t take me long to discover I could not write all this content on my own. Sure I still write a lot, but the contributors usually add more value with their posts. I also love to encourage other kids ministry bloggers. That cooperative ideal was behind the big list of blogs and some other things we’ve done.

Problem Solving: I want every article & resource we post to address some real need in your ministry. Even if it’s just a lesson plan about Jonah – if that’s what your teaching then maybe skimming our lesson will give you some extra inspiration. I think that’s the angle that first made this website popular and I hope we can stay on course.

Community: I really do want to hear back from you. The Internet is usually a very impersonal place, but I’d like to think our site can offer a small dose of fellowship for all those lonely kids ministry workers. That’s why we’re building up a following in our forums and that’s why our articles ask for you to respond.

Not So Much?

The flip side to all this is our non-values. I never hear anyone talking about anti-values, but it seems like a good way to clarify where you really stand.

Perfection: A careful reader might find a handful of typos in everything I write – but that is okay for me. That’s one thing that is so liberating about writing a blog, it’s my backyard and there will be some rough patches. This might not sit well with ‘excellence’ driven people and I may be wrong, but it’s just not a priority right now.

Reputation: I keep my name in small print for a reason. This website is bigger than me and I think I’m more effective in the background. I do get invited to speak sometimes, but I really don’t want to make the kidmin speaking circuit. God has put me in a small church in rural Indiana. I’m not writing any books. I’m not climbing the ladder. Just pray for my kids because they think I’m famous!

So what do you think?

This is certainly not the complete list of our core values, just a sample of what I’ve been thinking. I’d love to hear your feedback on these values. Are there ways we could do better? Just let me know in the comment section.

Open Content Policy for Website Content

Tony Kummer — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 17:29:20 +0000

Yes! We want you to use our content.

This page offers some guidelines for re-publishing our content online and in print. As always, we want local churches to printout and distribute our materials within the church. These are suggestions are for other uses beyond direct kids ministry. If you have additional questions just leave a comment on this post.

Can I teach these lessons in my church?

YES – that’s the whole point of our website. You have our permission and blessing to use our lesson plans and articles in the context of your local church ministry.

May I copy an article from your website and post it on mine?

YES – with a few conditions. Your webpage should link back to the original source url on our site and give credit to the author. Please use this in moderation, only one copied article per month. Contact us if you need more.
Example – we want you to repost our articles on your church website or personal blog. Just follow our guidelines about linking back and citing the author.

What form should I use to credit the author and Ministry-to-Children.com?

We do not have a mandated form but ask that you include the name of the author, the name of the website (Ministry-to-Children.com) and a link to the original article.
We would suggest something like “Article written by [AUTHOR NAME] for Ministry-to-Children.com ([ORIGINAL ARTICLE URL])

May I reprint an article from your website in my publication?

YES – for nonprofit publications as long as you include our website url and credit the post author.
Example – if you have a church newsletter you should just add something like “written by ____ for Ministry-To-Children.com.” This also works for denominational newsletters or magazines.
For other uses you should contact us first.

May I upload an image from your website to my website?

MAYBE – some of our images are from Stock Exchange and you’ll need to check permissions there for the specific image.
Please do not copy the coloring pages, just link back to the post that features them.

May I use an image from your website in my offline publication?

MAYBE – some of our images are from Stock Exchange and you’ll need to check permissions there for the specific image.
For coloring pages, printing them in your church is good but please don’t upload them to your any websites.

May I package and sell your materials or lesson plans?

NO – we want our content to stay free.

Further Explanation

Our main concern with online use of the materials is having duplicate content in the search engines. Adding a direct link back to the source page (per the guidelines above) will prevent any problems.

Our main concern with offline use of our content is giving proper attribution to the writer. We want to make sure people know who to thank when they get to heaven.

If you do choose to use our content, and we hope you will, we would appreciate it if you would send us an e-mail letting us know what you are using and how. That information helps us to tailor the site to meet the needs of our users.