You have to agree that cell phones are everywhere! Not only do parents have them “glued” to their hands but so do teens and now kids. I can’t tell you the number of birthday parties I’ve attended recently (and that’s quite a few—I’m a children’s pastor) where kids are receiving cell phones as gifts. I won’t go into all my … More Children’s Ministry Resources
During my sixteen year tenure in children’s ministry I have met many angry, defiant children. I won’t get into the details of all these situations—that’s confidential, but I am sure you have also met the angry child. He comes through with his arms folded across his chest, refuses to respond to his name and keeps his lip in a perpetual … More Children’s Ministry Resources
In case you haven’t noticed, I totally love object lessons! Visual demonstrations of bible principles delivers the “wow” factor that every teacher wants. If you’re looking for some super-colorful lessons to share with the kiddos, you can’t go wrong with object lessons with food coloring. Bright colors grab the eye and keep kids spellbound. However, before you start squirting, remember … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Tristan had a bad week at school. He kicked a teacher (he says accidentally), talked back to his mother and refused to pay attention in class. Tristan had a very bad week. What was Mom’s solution? Keep her child at home rather than send him to church. So what do you think? Should parents use church attendance as punishment? Here’s … More Children’s Ministry Resources
I don’t believe for a minute that any, kindhearted, loving children’s leader would ever intentionally hurt a volunteer’s feelings but sometimes it does happen. Often, it’s an offhand remark or a negative response that causes the friction. Regular volunteers know when you are teasing and when you’re not but the new guy hasn’t quite figured it out. Guess what? The … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Who loves bubble wrap? Why you do–and a few thousand children! If you want to instantly grab kids’ attention and create real excitement in your class or church, break out the bubble wrap. It’s easy to find at the department and dollar stores and packing suppliers. You may also be surprised to learn how much is bubble wrap is going … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Most children have used or handled crayons before–that makes this popular art supply the perfect item for an object lesson! Take advantage of your class coloring time with this childhood toy. Use a box of 8, 16 or even 8 crayons. Since crayons are such relatable item for kids, they’ll pick up on the teaching faster, easier. Wouldn’t it be … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Prayer is something we should all do but understandably it can feel intimidating if you aren’t confident or experienced. I love listening to children pray. They really don’t have the presets we do and they aren’t afraid to ask God for anything. Still, after a few unanswered prayers, like, “Dear God, please make me fly,” kids will need some encouragement … More Children’s Ministry Resources
No matter how carefully I plan, I nearly always have some extra time left in my kids’ church, even after the lesson components. As Pastor Bill Wilson once said, “If you don’t put on a program for your kids, they’ll put one on for you.” The idea of “free time” in class is great but even these social opportunities need … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Make disciples! That was the command of Jesus to his disciples. What better way to fulfill this command then to disciple your own children and empower others to do the same. Biblical discipleship wasn’t in the classroom, it was demonstrated through daily interaction with others — letting them see Christ-like living. Even parents who are new Christians can disciple their … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Unless they’re twins, school teachers don’t often have siblings in their classrooms. In the case of children’s ministry, most churches don’t segregate classes by age. For example, in the church I serve at, there are three children’s churches: 0 to 2; 3 to 5 and 6 to 11 years of age. If you’ve got siblings close in age, your children’s … More Children’s Ministry Resources
We serve a God who loves the entire world so it makes sense to celebrate Him on Valentine’s Day. Besides sugar-laden treats, heart crafts and passing out Valentine cards, you’ll probably need a few games for your children’s ministry parties. With a few supplies and some preparation, you can offer these exciting four games to your kids. (Prepping for these … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Are you always looking for ways to keep kids involved in outreach ministry? Want some ideas for teaching your group about servanthood? Evangelism is a big part of what my local church’s mission statement but finding activities kids can participate in is challenging at times. Especially when parents can’t bring them or stay with them. Still, at least once a … More Children’s Ministry Resources
If you’ve never considered hosting a Valentine’s banquet in kids’ church, perhaps you should! It is the perfect holiday for putting the focus on God’s love for us individually. Your children will be inundated with advertisements and television about finding love, being in love and falling in love. Help parents and grandparents teach their children that perfect love comes from … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Ten years ago, I would have scoffed at the idea of a cacophony of cell phones ringing randomly in kids’ church! Cell phones were for parents or texting teens but kids? My, how times have changed! In our children’s church, kids arrive with bibles, offerings and cell phones. I won’t go into all the reasons why handing kids phones are … More Children’s Ministry Resources
When you have the same group of little faces looking at you each week remembering kids’ names is a cinch. However, what happens when you have a large group or a growing class? Yikes! It has happened to me. I’ll picture a child’s face all week long, pray for him and then fail to recall his name when I see … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Kids love a big ol’ mess and I think it’s safe to say most children’s pastors do too! When it comes to anything slimy, gross or messy, kids want to see it. If you’re looking for a real attention grabber try these squishy object lessons. Get that drop cloth ready and put on some old clothes–it’s time to get messy! … More Children’s Ministry Resources
One of my favorite times in kids’ church is one of the few moments when I get to sit and just hang out with children. With some activities, you can’t help but worry about spills or sharing. However, when you use a no mess activity you have less to worry about–you can just have fun! Best of all, you don’t … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Need a few object lessons for the upcoming month but don’t want to break the bank on supplies? You can do that with inexpensive (okay, cheap) items like a glass or pitcher of water. In the Bible, water is often a symbol for purity and represents the cleansing of sins. That’s a great place to start! You can feature these … More Children’s Ministry Resources
It’s easy to make and great for an object lesson–it’s Jell-o! You’ll have to plan ahead for this visual aid as it takes a few hours to set but you can cheat and purchase some pre-made single servings to hand out after the demonstration. Since Jell-o has such an unusual composition, it’s perfect for a bible lesson about building your … More Children’s Ministry Resources
If you are looking for an exciting theme for children’s church this winter you can’t go wrong with an Olympic theme. Using an identifiable theme is a fun way to integrate lessons games and crafts into a comprehensive unit. Teachers know that reinforcing the lesson with games and activities is a great way to help kids remember what they have … More Children’s Ministry Resources
No matter where you live in the United States, chances are people in your neck of the woods love football. Whether you’re a college fan or follow the NFL the rules of football are pretty basic. Get the ball, move the ball and score some points. These are all concepts that are easy to transfer into a classroom setting–even in … More Children’s Ministry Resources
A strong church focuses on the family–in whatever form that family takes. Whether a family is a single parent or a large blended family, chances are parents will face challenges they didn’t plan on. An angry tween who can’t seem to move past a divorce, a toddler with severe separation anxiety, a frazzled parent who has no idea what to … More Children’s Ministry Resources
At a recent children’s ministry workshop, a volunteer asked me who inspired me to work in kids’ ministry. My answer was two-fold, Jesus Christ and Willy Wonka. Not two role models that usually go together but it’s true! If I had my choice, I’d totally focus on finding creative ways to reach kids for Jesus; however, by not having a … More Children’s Ministry Resources