This weekend may very well be just another weekend for you – not so different than the one that came before or the ones to come. It may be a weekend just like any other in your life. Saturday, you’ll spend some time preparing for your Sunday lesson. You’ll get a good night’s sleep Saturday to be ready for the … More Children’s Ministry Resources
9 Steps to Launching a Kids Program at Your Church How do I organize my children’s ministry? Starting a children’s ministry from scratch can be a big challenge. You have to navigate parental expectations, curriculum options, and hundreds of little questions about how things should work. For this discussion, I’m assuming you are at a smaller church with no paid … More Children’s Ministry Resources
There’s been a bizarre magnetic field around my Bible of late, mostly around John 15. Every day, I feel like I should read some other chapters, but John 15 gets me every time. It has to. I say that because we are entrenched in ministry. We serve in our home, in our church, in schools, and in the community. We … More Children’s Ministry Resources
As servants in children’s ministry, there are multiple demands placed on us. Some of those demands are external and include job responsibilities related to our position of leadership. They may include the need for more volunteers, restructuring Sunday School classes, preparing next week’s Bible lesson, or planning the upcoming Christmas drama. Some of those demands are internal and include anxieties that … More Children’s Ministry Resources
A few weeks back, I asked our readers to answer one simple question – why do you love children’s ministry? The response has been amazing and each answer has personally encouraged me. This post is an edited list of those responses, with a few of my own mixed in. I tried to combine duplicate answers or clarify when needed. I … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Children’s ministry can be messy. The main reason that it can be messy is because you, as a children’s ministry leader must deal with parents of young children. Most often that means you deal with young, first-time parents. These parents love their children and will kill for them (not literally…at least I don’t think). One of the areas where children’s … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Confession time – my church is shrinking. I would not say that we are dying, but the numbers show a steady 20% downtrend over the past five years. That is an approximate number for both giving and attendance. There are several factors, but without question my church is in a period of decline. This is not something a long time … More Children’s Ministry Resources
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 it wise to supplement the … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Over the last few years, there have been hundreds of toy recalls. Some have been poor design, but many are due to toxic materials. As a parent, I shudder to think of my little ones playing (and chewing) on toys covered in lead paint. Every church that loves children has been equally careful to remove these toxic toys. Having a … More Children’s Ministry Resources
No one plants a tree and doesn’t expect it to grow. You cultivate it. You protect the tree from the blistering heat and the frigid blasts. You jealously guard it keeping pests away. When the tree was dry and thirsty you watered it. Lastly you pruned it as it grew, coaxing the sapling with your shears. You clipped sucker branches, … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Do you ever find yourself forgetting what is most important? I know I do. My keys, my debit card, my license. Yep, they have all been lost this week to my husband’s horror. But at least I haven’t yet forgotten our kids anywhere. Or maybe I have. Sometimes I beam with pride over my son’s developing vocabulary or his hand/eye … More Children’s Ministry Resources
There was a funny thread on the forums at CM Connect and I thought I would share some of it here. For the whole scoop, check out this comment thread on their site. Basically, they wanted to come up with some funny “job requirements” for children’s ministry. Here are a few of my favorites, feel free to come up with … More Children’s Ministry Resources
[click below to print from web or save the image file] Print this beautiful card to show honor & respect to Veterans (and anyone who sacrifices). Make it a Sunday School project to accompany their Bible lesson. You may also like our Pledge of Allegiance printable Honor Veterans Print the card above to use for Veterans Day. The kids in … More Children’s Ministry Resources
I recently attended the Connecting Church and Home conference (read our live blog) back in March. While there, I saw a man wearing a black t-shirt with white embroidered 1/168. I was immediately intrigued by the small fraction. Given the context of the conference, I figured it had something to do with student ministry. My suspicions were confirmed when I … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Last week I watched a documentary about my city. It included video footage from the early 1930s. Several clips showed children at local elementary schools lining up for school dismissal. These boys and girls had bright eyes and faces full of hope. Many of them looked familiar and I almost expected to see kids from my church mixed into the … More Children’s Ministry Resources
I want to make a confession, sometimes I feel discouraged about our children’s ministry. From an outsiders perspective it is anything but glamorous and sometimes it just feels like a Christian job. There are constant discouragements and I’ve wondered how people serve in children’s ministry decades after decade. For example: Your Ministry Can Change A Child’s Life If you’ve ever … More Children’s Ministry Resources
In most churches, finding volunteers for children’s ministry is a constant struggle. Most children’s ministers spend hours recruiting for Sunday school, church nursery, vacation Bible school, and other ministry programs.This shouldn’t be the case. If people really understood the spiritual blessings of serving God’s kids, we would have to start a volunteer waiting list. Children’s Ministry is one of the … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This week, my friend Terry is starting his new ministry placement as a full time children’s pastor. I’m excited to see the work God will do, both in that church and in Terry’s life. Here are some practical tips I would offer to any new children’s minister. 1. Set aside a daily prayer time. This should be in addition to … More Children’s Ministry Resources
We all know that kids matter to God, but what else can we say about the importance of children’s ministry. Here is my attempt to spell it out in detail. 68 Reasons Why Children’s Ministry Matters: 14 Ways Children’s Ministry Helps Kids 8 Ways Children’s Ministry Helps Families 24 Ways Children’s Ministry Helps The Church 8 Ways Children’s Ministry Helps … More Children’s Ministry Resources
God’s Word says a lot in these Bible verses about children. Kids matter to Jesus – the Bible says it loud & clear. Get this list of short bible verses in a printable PDF or scroll down to see even more. Reference links to comparison translations. See more Bible verses about children from Let the Little Children Come. Their page … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Johnny walks into your Sunday school class 25 minutes late. He’s a challenging kid, but you pride yourself on keeping an ordered classroom. You’ve planned your lesson very carefully. You’ve even prayed for you class this week. You smile at Johnny, but inside your saying, “Why didn’t they just wait until church.” It’s too late to backtrack the lesson, so … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Crunch time – Fall is the most intensive stretch of ministry at my church. Upward Soccer is a big winner, almost too big. This keeps me busy two nights a week plus Saturdays. Last week we launched our Wednesday night program, KidZone Recess. This usually trends up the first several weeks as kids get back into the routine. Sunday school … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Print and share this article to encourage your church nursery workers. You could send it along with their schedule and reminded everyone that babies matter to God. Use this print link and post it around your church facility too! >> Download Print Friendly Version << The church nursery can be so much more than childcare. But it begins with an … More Children’s Ministry Resources