What follows is a rough paraphrase and summary from the 2010 Connecting Chruch & Home Conference. This session was comprised of the eleventh chapter of the forthcoming book, Trained in the Fear of God edited by Randy Stinson and Timothy Paul Jones. While we did not delve deep into each point Schemm has, we did gain a lot of insight … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Here is my rough summary and paraphrase of the session with Ryan Rush. I will post the audio when it is released so you can listen for yourself. Ryan was a competent speaker and the audience enjoyed his message. In addition to these notes he explained the milestone strategy that his church uses to help families disciple their children. For … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Here is my rough summary and paraphrase of Dr. Stinson’s talk. I will post the audio when it is released so you can listen for yourself. His message had two sections. In the beginning he explained the challenges facing men & boys in our culture. Then he offered some practical ways that churches can encourage biblical manhood and help fathers … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Here is my rough summary of Dr. Moore’s talk. I will work on cleaning this up next week. Most of these notes are my paraphrase. His message mainly drew lessons from the orphan care movement for church based family ministry. At first I was a little confused by his approach, but he connected the dots as the session progressed. Overall, … More Children’s Ministry Resources
The conference began with lunch and panel discussion. It was a fast moving session with much more going on than I could write down. Instead, I will list some of the takeaways from my notes. Definition: The family equipping model seeks to reorient existing ministry programs so that parents are better trained, equipped, and acknowledge for their role in the discipleship of … More Children’s Ministry Resources
I was able to attend a small family ministry conference this month in Louisville, KY. It was fun to hang around my old Seminary for the weekend. I was also glad to meet about 25 readers face-to-face. Click here to see the my video about the conference. This page links to our coverage of the conference. I took notes in … More Children’s Ministry Resources
To me, they were just lights. I had seen them a million times before. Besides, I had potholes to dodge, detour signs to follow, and taxi drivers cruising along faster than I would like. To our kids, the city lights created quite the stir. Spontaneous applause erupted from the car seat gallery, shrieks of disbelief, and a conflict of estimates. … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Psalm 34:8 invites us to, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Jesus calls Himself the bread of life and He encourages His followers to be the salt of the earth. There are innumerable references to fruit, fish, and oil in the Bible. Sometimes food staples such as these are mentioned as part of the typical diet consumed. Other … More Children’s Ministry Resources
I find that it isn’t all that hard to talk to kids. They like to talk if you can find some common ground and explore something that really interests them. As children’s ministers, and as parents, though, there are things that they need to hear from us. Words are powerful things, and the tongue has the power to build up … More Children’s Ministry Resources
There’s nothing like a cold refreshing glass of water on a hot summer’s day. It seems to quench thirst perfectly, but I cannot tell you how many times I have taken that glass for granted. UNICEF estimates that there are approximately 884 million people who do not have access to safe water. Worldwide, 425 million of those are children. As … More Children’s Ministry Resources
The flip flops are flopping. The sunscreen is lathered. The baseball hats and sunglasses are on. Juice boxes are packed for the tykes, candy for the husband with a sweet tooth, and coffee is in hand for me. Summertime is my favorite time of year! I’m pretty sure I love it all, bugs and humidity included. Topping the list, without … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Here is an interesting and welcomed news item from the Southern Baptist Convention last week. Each year they debate and pass a slate of resolutions. This is basically a chance for the SBC to take a position about various issues. Usually these are cultural or political positions that more or less preach to the choir. My church financially supports the … More Children’s Ministry Resources
When the specific definitions of intergenerationality are taken into consideration, the rationale behind IG methods includes theological and practical imperatives. In this article, I will begin by providing the theological support, which stems from biblical illustrations and mandates that indicate intergenerationality was normative for the Christian faith community. While many agree that the New Testament church models age-inclusion, they fail … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Several weeks ago at my church, my eyes were opened to a biblical passage. It is one that I have read many times, but this particular sermon would cause me to view it in a whole new way. What I had previously read as a general reprimand to a wayward church now appeared as a model for parenting. With Father’s … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Everything I Need to Know About Prayer I Learned From My Two-Year-Old One of the things I have committed to doing as a father is instilling in my kids a love for prayer. I try to model prayer for them at all time and in all circumstances. My hope and prayer is that my kids will “pray constantly” talking to … More Children’s Ministry Resources
The Bible is clear – fathers must step up and lead their family to follow the LORD. These powerful Bible verses about parenting are exactly the encouragement every man needs to hear this Father’s Day. Don’t miss the free 7-page Father’s Day coloring book. Biblical Advice and Encouragement for Father’s Day What is a good Bible verse for Father’s Day? … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Oftentimes as we grow older and become parents, we find ourselves repeating the things that our own parents have said to us. You know – those sayings that, as a kid, you promised yourself you would never use when you became a parent. Much like God’s blessings and curses travel from generation to generation, so too do our parents quips … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Recently a reader wrote to us asking about bullet inserts to encourage families to integrate faith into their home life. I passed on the idea to Nicole and she created this resource. It can easily be printed and distributed to all the congregation or just to parents. It has five practical tips for parents who want to develop a faith focused family. … More Children’s Ministry Resources
It’s amazing what sort of things we can learn at 3:00 am! I can probably tell you all of the programming for channels 4, 7, 13, 21, 29, and 40 for the early morning hours. I have learned that McKinney Dodge spends a lot of money on advertising. I have learned that there are lots of reruns. I have learned … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Becoming an Intergenerational Church: What does this mean? Simply stated, intergenerational is “one or more age groups doing something together” (Allen, 2003, p. 2). Intergenerational Ministry (IM), however, encompasses intentional interaction between the generations that promotes the faith and spiritual development of all ages. This article will take a thorough look at research conducted in this field in order to … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Back in 2008, we posted a review of a little book from Sojourn Kids called “Pastor Daddy.” That self-published effort has done so well that the book will be released again under the new title “Our Home is like a Little Church.” I’m excited about the book for several reasons: It puts the whole family ministry movement in a format … More Children’s Ministry Resources
What is family worship? How can I lead devotions to God in my home? This page will answer those questions and help you make family worship a habit in your congregation. Church leaders and Christian parents are beginning to put more emphasis on the role of the family in the spiritual development of children. This is a good development. Everyone can agree … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Here is a simple devotional guide to help families worship Christ together during Easter time. It might be ideal for Saturday evening before Resurrection Sunday. Family Worship is the regular and intentional assembling as a family unit to worship God by reading scripture, praying and singing praise. This brief worksheet will help you lead your family in a short time of devotion … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Here is my short video recommendation of a new book about Christian Adoption called “Adopted for Life.” The book was written by Russell Moore, a professor I knew in Seminary. He does a great job showing how the Gospel relates to adoption. In the process he makes a strong case for Christians getting more involved. I read this book while … More Children’s Ministry Resources