Articles about ministry situations or themes.
I’m not great at predicting summer attendance in my children’s ministry but I still like to offer the community a few kids’ events between June and August. To pull off my wacky outdoor programs and big Sunday promotions I need volunteers – and lots of them! I know it’s a big sacrifice to volunteer during the summer months; lots of … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Lifting one another in prayer follows the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I always want prayer! Serving others in prayer helps our Christian friends through the tough times and sows prayer seeds for our own battles. Children who pray set a holy example to others but praying for others does not come … More Children’s Ministry Resources
When kids express a desire to learn how to pray, it is time for a prayer meeting! During a prayer meeting or even a mini lesson, you can teach kids how to pray for themselves, their families, communities and the world around them. Powerful, effective prayer isn’t too regimented but it’s still a good idea to provide children with leadership … More Children’s Ministry Resources
God wants every child filled with His presence; many times this occurs during the altar service. Many children’s pastors believe that these God-encounters should only occur during the altar service in the “big church,” not in children’s church. Yet, Jesus said, “Let the little children come unto me,” and “God is spirit and his worshipers must worship Him in spirit … More Children’s Ministry Resources
I’ve been thinking a lot about fear lately. I have many fears. I fear the unknown; I fear the known, sometimes. I fear for my son; I fear for my husband. These are just a few, and I know that they are ultimately unfounded. Probably the thing I fear most is change! I struggle with that one a lot! One … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Throughout the course of our time spent together, she will say any number of words to me from “silly bird” to “milk” to “thank you” and “cold.” She is just 16 months, so her verbal skills aren’t there yet, but her sign language communicates most everything she needs. He was ten years old when he sat behind a desk in … More Children’s Ministry Resources
When the scope of your ministry needs enlarging you have to do more than pray kids into the pews. Put shoes on those prayers and get out into the community to reach more kids. Expand your Christian ministry by moving into these five areas of ministry. They don’t require expensive equipment or a committee of public relations people. Get back … More Children’s Ministry Resources
In this 18 minute video workshop, you’ll learn why misbehavior happens and how you can stop it before it starts. Feel free to download the workshop notes to review and share with your team. Leave a comment below sharing your favorite behavior management ideas. More Resources The following links will help you and your team learn more on this topic. … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Children’s ministry is a work of love but there are times when your feelings can get the best of you. It’s not unusual for a pastor or volunteer to feel lonely, unappreciated and forgotten; we aren’t robots. During these seasons, some leaders consider quitting or at the very least, they lose their passion for ministry. If you’ve ever felt this … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Teachers need good sources of inspiration to bring the Word of God to life for their kids. Reading a Bible story makes a good starting place but sometimes, it helps to take inspiration from common things that kids can relate to. One of the best ministry conferences I ever attended led the teachers in an exercise that challenged my thinking … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Jesus said, “Let the little children come unto me,” — and he meant it! God is not impressed by our ages and doesn’t require His followers to reach a certain height before they enter His kingdom. As children’s ministry leaders, we need to be comfortable and skillful at leading a child to Jesus. We aren’t to manipulate or put words … More Children’s Ministry Resources
**This is a guest post from Nick Diliberto from PreteenMinistry.net My 10 year-old son Ethan, plays baseball. His team lost the first game in the playoffs, but they are determined to not give up. In fact, they had practice Memorial Day weekend. The baseball fields are usually packed with kids of all ages on any given Saturday. But they were all … More Children’s Ministry Resources
What’s the one ingredient your VBS, Kids’ Crusade and summer events all require? Volunteers! Especially during those warm months when most everyone’s mind is focused on vacation and leisure activities. Children’s ministry does not shut down when the weather gets warm; it’s still an important function of the church that needs multiple hands to make it work. You might think … More Children’s Ministry Resources
An easy-to-follow, power-packed curriculum helps teachers reach the kids they teach but finding lessons that fulfills a specific criteria challenges many. Every children’s church is different and factors like church doctrine, time and volunteer constraints make selecting a curriculum even more of a task. According to some estimates, up to 18% of churches do write their own kids ministry curriculum. … More Children’s Ministry Resources
In this 21 minute presentation, you will learn the 9 steps for organizing major events in your children’s ministry. You can download the notes from this workshop, PowerPoint or share the video with your team using this link. http://youtu.be/ssvIek3PkA4 Group Discussion Leave a comment below to share your response to this training. For example, you could discuss a recent major event in your church and how these … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Want a fun way to reinforce a Bible lesson that requires little preparation and all kids love? Keep Yes/No sticks on hand for every Bible lesson. Either during the story or at the end of small group time, pass out sticks so that each child has a yes for one hand and a no for the other. Pose questions to the group that … More Children’s Ministry Resources
If you’re looking for a different teaching approach on a Sunday morning, The K-W-L Chart just may be the way to go. The K-W-L Chart is a traditional teaching strategy that is effective in determining a student’s current knowledge, generating an interest in subject matter, and recalling valuable lessons learned. It can be utilized to teach any type of Biblical … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Times have changed. Today’s kids live will inherit a world where gay marriage is accepted and affirmed, even by the President of the United States. Christians who maintain the biblical witness against this practice will be labeled “bigots.” More Suggested Reading: The ERLC of the Southern Baptist Convention has many helpful articles detailing what this means for churches. How will … More Children’s Ministry Resources
With the coming political firestorm over “same-sex marriage,” it’s going to be a topic kids hear about. If your children aren’t asking yet, it’s just a matter of time. As ministry leaders, we should think carefully about how we respond and find the right balance of truth & grace. That’s why I sent the following question to several of my … More Children’s Ministry Resources
A few years ago, I was asked a question that radically changed the way I operated my children’s ministry. (Nothing like a change of perspective to adjust your viewpoint, just look at Ezekiel; I’m thankful that at least, God didn’t have to tug me by the hair to get my attention.) A kids’ ministry conference speaker asked the gathered teachers … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Children love freely with complete abandon and without thought for tomorrow – so do many children’s ministers. How can you avoid caring for the ones God cares for? Watching children grow in God, seeing the light come on during a lesson; these things make us love our kids even more. I know how it feels; pouring your heart into a … More Children’s Ministry Resources
**This is a guest post from Nick Diliberto from PreteenMinistry.net God always amazes me when he uses preteens in leadership. A friend of mine, Clint May, President of CDM International, told me the story of Sarah, who went through a preteen leadership program at his church. Here’s the story in Clint’s words. “One year we did a mission trip in San … More Children’s Ministry Resources
If your students are die-hard John Deere advocates, then you might serve in a small country church. If you have a homegrown cow in your freezer, then you might serve in a small country church. If your students come to church in boots and buckles and have guns and know how to use them, then you might serve in a … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This Bible lesson will teach children about the spiritual discipline of evangelism. Sometimes we forget that children can speak God’s truth, even better than grown-ups. (See Matthew 21:16) Telling others about Jesus is also a key for kids to grow in their own faith. Spiritual disciplines are just a fancy way to say “spiritual exercise.” That means something we can … More Children’s Ministry Resources