Articles about ministry situations or themes.
This online training workshop (20 minutes) will help you develop a consistent plan for dealing with behavior issues in your ministry. You can download the session notes or watch the video with others from your ministry team. Workshop Notes: Developing a Discipline Plan for Your Children’s Ministry Misconceptions about Discipline Discipline = mean, harsh, strict Kids don’t like rules. We can’t discipline … More Children’s Ministry Resources
During my 12 plus years of working in children’s ministry, I have to say this past year was a first! My track records includes teaching small children’s church, the “big” kids’ church, an all-girl praise dance class and Sidewalk Sunday School. When the opportunity arose to be a temporary teacher in a boys’ class, I didn’t hesitate. I’m a fool … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Christian teachers teach all the time, whether they know it or not. I think to keep teaching fun, God provides us the occassional “aha” or teaching moment. It’s our job to recognize those windows of opportunity to unite kids with their God and a greater understanding of the faith. Besides these golden moments, Christian teachers should expect a few other … More Children’s Ministry Resources
**This is a guest post from Nick Diliberto from PreteenMinistry.net I remember one of our first over-the-top preteen events. We named it Nick at Night and it was held on a Friday night. It was a clever name because my name is Nick and the event included lots of Nickelodeon style-games. We rented water inflatables and played games like slime dodge … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Spring is approaching and you probably have a big year planned for kids’ church. As someone once said, “No man is an island,” and you cannot achieve those plans all by yourself. For many kids’ ministries, this means finding fresh faces in areas like games, crafts and worshipping. Volunteer recruitment needs to go big and from experience, I have found … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Some people think it’s old-fashioned, but I still believe in crusades! The main reason why I love them is, by their very nature, they focus on salvation through Jesus. Crusades are like illustrated sermons, only with more games, object lessons and props. A crusade is a suitable ministry format for both children and adults. Vacation Bible School is a fun … More Children’s Ministry Resources
When you think of toddlers what comes to mind? Is it their tantrums? Could it be their innocent mischief – like when they unraveled all of the toilet paper rolls they could find? Is it their fascination with simple joys – big belly giggles, wide opened wonder, and squeals over common life? It would appear that teaching to toddlers would be … More Children’s Ministry Resources
**This is a guest post by Glenys Nellist from Kids Ministry Matters Whether we’re “lovin’ it,” or hatin’ it, there’s one thing we can all agree on—McDonald’s restaurants are successful. With over 33,000 franchises operating in 118 countries of the world and their golden arches gleaming from small village to big city, McDonald’s is rising in popularity. I don’t know about you, … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Lots of churches use paid childcare workers in lots of different ways. Some use them on Sunday mornings to make sure the nursery is covered. Some use them on Wednesday and/or Sunday nights. Some cover special events or Bible studies. Regardless of how you use them, it can sometimes become quite the chore to manage that part of the ministry. … More Children’s Ministry Resources
**This is a guest post from Nick Diliberto from PreteenMinistry.net 1. Customize curriculum Give up the idea of a cookie cutter approach to preteen curriculum. Preteens respond best when lessons are customized. Use examples of real life situations where you struggled or had a success with the given topic. Take into consideration your specific community, church and preteens when editing lessons. … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Recently our community experienced a great tragedy in which it was revealed that an individual who was highly respected and trusted had been living a life of unbelievable sin for decades. Yet again, a trusted leader who claimed to be a believer in Jesus had broken trust with an entire town. Our world hears these stories over and over. In … More Children’s Ministry Resources
**This is a guest post from Nick Diliberto from PreteenMinistry.net Preteens have a high energy level. If you’ve worked with them for five minutes, you know this to be true. They can’t sit still for very long, get easily distracted like to move around a lot. Especially the boys. The body of a preteen is rapidly changing and the brain is … More Children’s Ministry Resources
One of my favorite quotes of all time is “It is a sin to bore a kid with the Bible“. I don’t know who originally said it, but I saw it long ago used in an ad for curriculum. I completely agree. We have the most exciting story of all time to tell, yet Sunday School does not generally have … More Children’s Ministry Resources
**This is a guest post from Nick Diliberto from PreteenMinistry.net In my last post, I offered many reasons for small churches (or church plants) to launch a preteen ministry. In this post, I’m going to share a few ways they can effectively reach preteens. 1. Split up preteens for weekend services. Ideally, it’s the best way to go. If preteens meet … More Children’s Ministry Resources
**This is a guest post from Nick Diliberto from PreteenMinistry.net Many churches everywhere are realizing the need for a preteen ministry. Most large churches see the need for a ministry specific to 4th, 5th or 6th graders. Sometimes because of the large amount of kids in attendance and other times in an attempt to target the specific needs of preteens. However, … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Herding children in and out of classes becomes a bit tedious week after week but cool stations will have kids wanting to stay. Developing special points of interest in the class will help you direct kids into prayer and worship. Stations are also useful for directing volunteer assignments and giving workers a chance to lead in new areas. Use stations … More Children’s Ministry Resources
**This is a guest post from Nick Diliberto from PreteenMinistry.net After 8 years of fighting the idea, I finally agreed to get a family dog. Her name is BonBon and she is a Chihuahua and Dotson mix, Chiweenie for short. After the first week, I quickly became attached to her. Good thing, since I am usually the one to give … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Do you notice the trend that many families are choosing to attend Sunday School every other week? For most churches, kids’ attendance is more and more sporadic as their lives get busier and busier. There are a few strategies that we can use to encourage kids to attend Sunday School. Click here to share your own ideas with other readers. 1. … More Children’s Ministry Resources
I love children so much. I look forward to scooping each one of them up and holding them in my arms as long as they’ll let me. Like you, God has blessed me with the capability of loving and accepting children, seeing them for who they are in God. What about children who shrink back from this attention. Some children … More Children’s Ministry Resources
How many times have you thought, “My pastor just doesn’t get it” or “my pastor just doesn’t care about kids’ ministry”? Do you struggle with feeling supported by your pastor? I think we all do from time to time, and some of us feel that way all the time. Most pastors are not wired in a way where kids are … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Do you need a sample job description for a children’s minister? Then check out our basic template below. It is easily customizable for your church or situation. For example, you might include more specific duties and lines of accountability. Please leave a comment below to share your own ideas for making it even better. Position: Children’s Pastor Qualifications: – Born … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Running a fast-paced Sunday School takes more than a willing heart. Preparation and organization are keys to keeping your class in order. Organization begins with the Sunday School storage closet. Keeping supplies in order will make them easier to find and will keep them from becoming damaged. Nothing is more infuriating then reaching for a last minute craft and finding … More Children’s Ministry Resources
There’s little doubt that bullying among children is significantly rising in the United States. The increase is so dramatic that the Centers for Disease Control recently issued a 2011 Fact Sheet describing the problem as a “form of youth violence.” This shocking escalation comes as no surprise to parents and guardians of school age children. Sad stories about teen suicides … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Bullies aren’t what they used to be. When I was growing up in the seventies and eighties, I earned names like “freckle-face” and “meatball.” Those labels broke my seven-year old heart but they are nothing compared to the words kids hear regularly today. According to a recent article by Focus on the Family, the old ideal of standing up to … More Children’s Ministry Resources