The True Tale of Patrick Much myth and legend surrounds the story of Patrick, born in Britain in the late 4th century. St. Patrick is often reduced to a mythical figure who performed magical feats (like driving all the snakes out of Ireland). The truth, as usual, is better than fiction! All that can be known […]
A Brief History of Sunday School
For many of us, Sunday school is a deeply rooted tradition, although it is actually a rather modern institution. Have you ever wondered about the origins and history of Sunday school? If so, here are a few facts you may find interesting. The idea of a “Sabbath school” for poor and uneducated children began in […]
Fool Moon Rising (A Book Review)
“Dear God, “I heard a cosmic story and wondered if it’s true. The Moon was stealing glory and this is what he’d do.” So begins a highly enjoyable and quite profound new children’s book from Crossway Books, cleverly titled Fool Moon Rising. Husband and wife team Kristi and T. Lively Fluharty wrote and illustrated this […]
Why Catechize Kids?
Q: Who made you? A: God made me. (Genesis 1:26, 27; 2:7; Ecclesiastes 12: 1; Acts 17:24-29) from A Catechism for Boys and Girls What is catechism? The term “catechism” is one that may well bring up images of a strange, outdated method of instruction. But catechizing has been a time-honored and effective practice throughout […]
Charles Spurgeon’s Encouragement for Children’s Workers
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the “Prince of Preachers,” served as Pastor at Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, England from 1854-1891. Here are words of wisdom on children’s ministry taken from a chapter in his book “Come, My Children:” “Nowadays, since the world has in it, alas! so few of Christian mothers and grandmothers, the church has thought […]
Kids Worship Songs + Scripture Memorization Music
I’ve listened to quite a selection of Scripture cd’s over the past 30 years, but haven’t found any I like better than the Hide the Word cd’s put out by Mark Altrogge, senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Indiana, Pennsylvania and writer of such great songs for worship as “I Stand in Awe” and […]
How To Connect Older Adults and Children in Your Church
Do the elderly members of your congregation know the names of the children and their parents in your church? Is there much meaningful interaction between the youth and children’s departments? Does fellowship exist across the generations? If the answer is no or you’re not sure, you may want to consider some creative planning to bring […]
Children and Storytelling
The July 31, 2009 broadcast of the Albert Mohler radio program features an interview by guest-host Dr. Russell Moore with singer and musician Andrew Peterson on the need children have for rich, wonderful story. Dr. Moore asks the question, “Does storytelling matter to children?” The program discusses the importance of telling the right stories–and telling […]
Children’s Workers Need “Big Church!”
Your church, like mine, is likely blessed with dedicated volunteers who gladly give their time and energy to children’s ministry. But have you ever known volunteers who serve so willingly they never seem to make it to “big church” on Sundays and Wednesdays? I’ve seen that happen at times in my church–a worker gradually falls […]
Teaching Children About Singing
Tony’s review got me thinking about singing in the church, especially regarding children. As the folks at Sovereign Grace Music demonstrate, there’s no better time to instruct our children in the doctrine of singing than when they are young. Ephesians 5:18-21 and Colossians 3:16-17 teach this doctrine. Too many times we give children simplistic and […]
Answering Children’s Theological Questions
Sam (not his real name) is a sixth grader who attends our Wednesday night AWANA club. He is a bit of a jokester, always coming up with witty remarks under his breath or pulling a prank on one of the other kids. But one night he surprised me by asking a serious question. He wanted […]
The Watchmaker: Intelligent Design Video For Kids
Have you seen the video called “The Watchmaker,” produced by Kids4Truth? It is a nicely told parable illustrating the folly of believing that the human race sprang into being by random chance. Just as the intricate parts of a watch could not possibly come together by accident to create a sophisticated timepiece, so the even […]
Family Discipleship In The Summertime
Summertime is a more relaxed season of the year for many families (although with vacations, baseball, and family reunions our schedules can still be hectic!) But summer is a good time to remind ourselves as parents that growth in the grace and knowledge of God doesn’t take summer breaks. The summer months present a great […]
Multimedia Projectors: How They Can Help Your Sunday School & Children’s Church
Did you ever think of using a small multimedia projectors in your Sunday School or Children’s Church? I’m not a very good geek. I’d like to be one, but alas know too little about technology and am dependent on the kindness of strangers when it comes down to it. If you’re like me (or especially if […]
Teaching Children to Pray
Teaching children to pray is an important job for parents and church leaders. Even very young children can be taught the rudiments of prayer, such as bowing their heads, closing their eyes and speaking to God in simple phrases. As children grow, they can learn to pray more and more in accord with the big, […]
Two Things Every Child Needs To Know About God
We know we love ’em. We know we want them to know and love Jesus. We know that Jesus loves them; he gathered the little children to Himself and used their simple trust to demonstrate what pleases our Heavenly Father. So knowing that we love them, knowing Jesus loves them, and knowing that we want […]