As Christian parents, we are called to train our children up in the way of the Lord (Proverbs 22:6). The Bible says a lot about children and our calling to lead them to Jesus. But what does that actually look like? How can we instill godly wisdom in our kids on a daily basis? In this blog post, we’ll explore some practical ways to teach your kids about God and help them grow in their faith. We’ll
This post continues Steve’s story about resisting God’s calling and finding spiritual purpose by becoming like a child. As Jesus says in Matthew 18:2 “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Why did I start sitting in the front of the church during worship? My three young daughters, my unencumbered smiling children, pulled me to the front. They got used to going to the front
Have you ever been in a situation where God was calling you to do something, but you hesitated? Maybe you were worried about what others would think, or maybe you just weren’t sure if it was the right thing to do. In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of answering God’s call when he calls us. We will also share a personal story about how we failed to act when God called us. We hope
As children’s ministry leaders, you’ve been called to child discipleship. Every week you fill the critical need for a loving, caring adult to pass on a legacy of faith to the incoming generation of children. Hundreds of thousands of leaders around the world commit themselves to this high calling. Time only reveals more clearly that, now more than ever, we must come together for a strategic conversation about child discipleship to shape the future of the Church
The need for child discipleship is critical. As parents, you feel the need for your kids to know God and His Word; but you’re not sure how to take this on by yourself at home in a time of limited social gatherings. How can you have discipleship moments with your kids in your already busy weekly schedule? We are excited to share with you Brite Families! Entirely digital, Brite Families is designed for you to have discipleship
Prayer is such a powerful thing, especially for our children. In fact, prayer is one of the most important parts of their regular spiritual routine! From mealtimes to bedtimes, the act of praying can set the stage for lots of spiritual growth, even long after their prayers have been said. That’s why prayer journaling is one of the most effective ways to help your child stay grounded in their faith. What exactly is prayer journaling, and why
This “Big Gulp of Jonah” was written by Bible Games Central – be sure to check out their website for more fun idea for teaching the Bible through fun activities. In this cup-and-ball game, players try to get Jonah into the mouth of a whale. Use idea to introduce the story of Jonah. Bible: Jonah 1-3 Ages: 6 to 10 Group Size: 1 or more Supplies: Paper cups, Scissors, Sticky Tape, String, Clothes Pegs or Erasers or Crushed
This Easter Game idea was shared by Bible Games Central. Use it to add a fun element to your kids teaching plan as we approach Easter Sunday. Use the discussion points below to make it a full lesson for children’s church too! Easter Egg Plate Relay Standing in a line, teams race to pass Easter eggs from one player to another using only paper plates. The first team to transfer all the eggs wins. This game can
This shepherd’s voice game idea was shared by Bible Games Central. Use it to add a fun element to Sunday School lessons about Jesus being our Good Shepherd. Use the the Bible references below and it could be a standalone lesson for children’s church too! Be prepared for noise and chaos, with half of the group shouting and the other half trying to listen out for the correct voice to follow! A great way to introduce the
This animal matching game was shared by Bible Games Central. We hope it’s useful, especially in your preschool ministry. It’s an easy teaching activity for Noah’s Ark or the Creation Story. Please jump to their website to find similar ideas. Preparation : For up to 32 players: download and print 2 copies of the Animal Cards; cut each copy into 16. If you are playing with fewer than 32 players, you will need to remove some of the
This First Miracle craft idea was submitted by a generous reader. Thanks Barb! Simply follow the directions below for a fun learning activity when teaching this Bible story. Jesus First Miracle Craft (John 2:1-11) Needed per child: 3 toilet tissue rolls 9 squares blue tissue paper…3″ sq 9 squares purple tissue paper…3″ sq 1 sign “water” 1 sign “wine” Directions: Paint toilet tissue rolls black or cover with black paper. Glue 3 rolls together… Put “water” sign
Here are two Tower of Babel activities for kids submitted by a generous reader. Thanks BARB! Use them in your ministry to add something fresh when teaching about the Tower of Babel from Genesis 11:1-9. “Babel Talk” Activity This is a fun way to experience what the events of Babel would have sounded like. All you need is some colored construction paper, an empty bucket, and some kids ready to make noise! Cut about 1” squares of
This is a special guest post by Danielle Bell. Most people don’t love the number 13, but I find it quite encouraging as I think about Group’s KidMin Conference. I’ve been to every KidMin Conference and they never disappoint. Each one has it’s own special viewpoint and I so appreciate all the ways each conference challenges, inspires, and encourages me. As I look to this year’s KidMin Conference in Chicago (September 22-24, 2017), I came up with 13
* This post was shared by our friend Steve Austin, he’s an Author, Speaker, & Coach. Click here to join his free 7 day self-care challenge. Four years ago, I was a youth pastor, sign language interpreter, wedding photographer, radio host, husband, and father. In that order. Long days and nights were the norm. I worked in a school full-time, had after-school activities, a radio show two nights a week, and church activities Wednesday night and all day
Rice Bowls is an incredible, tangible way to empower the kids in your ministry to make a difference in the lives of other kids around the world. It’s as easy as 1,2,3… Order a Rice Bowls resource box (it’s free and easy) Fill the plastic bowls with change Feed a child! First – Order bowls so that your children can make a difference by collecting change. Rice Bowls provide 3 meals a day to orphaned children in 58
It’s amazing to see the creative ways that churches are telling kids about Jesus. The following Minecraft themed vacation Bible school was sent to us by one such reader. Sarah Schlatter from Newport Mesa Church wanted to share this curriculum and materials with everyone here on our website. Click on the links below to download. Please come back and let us know how it went. Click here to download the ZIP file folder. If you have trouble with
by Bob Singleton, head worship guy at God’s Kids Worship® I worked for several years as music director for the top-rated children’s TV show on PBS (Barney™ & Friends). It might surprise you, but there is a lot of research that goes on for shows like that. While I was there, top experts in child development submitted papers and reported on kid’s reactions to episodes, while staff education researchers roamed the halls and reviewed scripts by comparing
This 4 page set of activity sheets about Noah’s Ark was shared with our readers by Jason from Bible Story Cartoons.His website sells Bible activity sheets that can be downloaded for children’s ministry or Sunday School. He sent this free samples to post on our website for our readers. Click on the preview image to download these free Noah and the Ark printables. Included in the download are four individual worksheets: Noah’s Ark Word Find, Story Review
This free coloring sheet and activity page was sent in by Matt from ArtistXero Creations. His website sells digital coloring sheet download, but he wanted to share a sample here for our readers. Click on the image to the right to download this free PDF of “A is for Adam.” We hope you enjoy this resource. If you want more, you can buy the whole set on his website. Besides the ABCs of the Bible series, he
After our posts about Haiti over the last few weeks, many readers have responded with their own stories of how God is working in that country. One such reader was Trish Moneyhon. After talking and exchanging emails, we asked her to share a little of her story here to encourage other readers. My husband, Dennis, and I made our first journey to Haiti in 2008. God really broke our hearts and deeply implanted a love for our
Rice Bowls is a great way for children to have a tangible mission project that impacts and changes their world. When your children participate in Rice Bowls, they are helping feed orphaned children all over the world. That’s right, children helping children! Rice Bowls feeds orphaned children in 52 children’s homes around the world. That’s nearly 1800 orphaned children being fed 3 healthy meals a day. The bowls are free and you can order as many as
This background on the Christian origin of mother’s day was compiled by Graham McDonald. He serves with Children of the World, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ Australia. Mother’s Day and the Christian Connection. Mother’s Day – Second Sunday in May Celebration of Mothers over the centuries has appeared in varying forms and traditions since and possibly before Roman times. In the 1600s’ the Church of England instigated Mothering Sunday in recognition of Mary the Mother of Jesus.
Transitions in Children’s Church – and at home **This post was written by Dr. Barbara Sorrels. Any teacher or caregiver in an early childhood environment is familiar with the potential challenges that transitions present throughout the day It is often at the point of a transition that children display challenging behaviors. Why are transitions difficult for children and what can teachers and caregivers do to help children manage transitions well? Transitions call upon children’s ability to be
**This post was written by Glenys Nellist. She’s the Coordinator of Children’s Ministry at the West Michigan Conference of The United Methodist Church. Learn how you can submit an idea to our website. Last year I met Sierra. She is 8 years old. Sierra lives in a tiny house with her three older siblings. Her mother is an alcoholic. Her father is an illegal immigrant, living under the constant threat of deportation. Sierra is in 3rd grade, but her
