Articles about ministry situations or themes.
Back in December, I wrote a post called, What to Do When the Children You Teach Don’t Respect You. The post got quite a bit of comments and many of you had something to say about respect. Some of you had great experiences, no problems at all. Some of you no–not so much. Respect is a problem but we don’t … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Establishing a new children’s ministry? This is such an exciting time but it can also be overwhelming because there is so much to teach! Kids won’t learn all they need to strictly from osmosis—you’ve got to teach, reteach and teach again. But where to start? I asked myself this question recently and it got me to thinking. What would I … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Negative voices tend to beat us down. They make us doubt our abilities, our anointing and even our calling. Sometimes those negative voices come from the people you serve (or their parents and grandparents) other times, those negative voices come from people you know outside the church and other times, those negative Nellies come from within your own two ears. … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Children’s ministry today seems so complicated, doesn’t it? When I began in children’s ministry in 1996, it was a bit simpler to teach. Kids weren’t as tech savvy and let’s face it–we didn’t have so many products to choose from. I’m not complaining, I love new ideas but the list of things you feel you should teach continues to grow. … More Children’s Ministry Resources
My Sunday School class is going to be learning about the Lord’s Prayer. I wanted a visual that they could take home in order to keep practicing it, so I made this booklet. It is written directly from Matthew 6:9-13 in the NASB version. It can be simply copied, cut, and stapled together to be sent home. You could also … More Children’s Ministry Resources
The winter let-down…Christmas wrappings are hauled away, fruit cake is steadily hardening, temperatures are dropping, and schedules are returning to normal routine. Following the hype and hubbub of the holiday season, the winter months can sometimes seem dreary. Between cold weather and lack of significant events, it’s tempting to fall into apathy in any area of our lives, be it work … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Praise and worship has ended now comes the burning question. “Okay kids! Who can tell me what last week’s memory verse was?” You hear the sound of crickets. Don’t feel bad–it happens to us all but there are some creative ways to present scripture verses–some are so much fun that kids won’t even know they are memorizing them. Ready to … More Children’s Ministry Resources
So you’re teaching a class and things just aren’t going well. The kids are running around the room playing tag, someone is crying at the door for their mom, your assistant is out sick, and the snack just spilled all over the floor. You feel like quitting, right? One question: Is this a normal day in your classroom? If it … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Anyone who has worked with education of any sort is well aware that teaching can truly be the most effective method of learning. When we have to communicate a point or enforce a lesson, it usually forces us to study it thoroughly ourselves. Teaching stories that are less familiar to us can be even more educational, as we study to … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Everyone thinks that their particular ministry call is “the best” but children’s ministry leaders have the unique position of being right. (Insert LOL here.) I have had the privilege of being involved with some dynamic ministries and worked in at least five different ministries like Adopt-A-Block, discipleship and even ladies ministries. However, working with kids has always been my favorite. … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Love visual lessons but can’t find the right one? You don’t have to rely on others to present you with object lessons–you can do it yourself. That’s true even if you don’t have a teaching degree or any experience writing curriculum. I learned how to create an object lesson a children’s ministry conference well over a decade ago. We were … More Children’s Ministry Resources
You have an exciting, growing ministry but filling your volunteer roster is a challenge. Despite some eye-catching incentives and advertising some fun volunteer events, the number of willing hands remains low. What’s the deal? That’s a great question and one that many of us are familiar with. Don’t give up! Sure, sometimes volunteer signups are seasonal but did you know … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Sunday School teachers (or any type of educator, for that matter) have quite a lot of competition these days…children are bombarded with all types of demands on attention. Between movies, video games, computers, and all the other “noise” that clutters our lives, it is no wonder that children might find a trite flannel graph less than thrilling. It is essential … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Teaching kids is kind of an art form, isn’t it? My hat is off to all the professional educators out there. You guys rock! However, the rest of us who don’t have educational backgrounds can find ourselves in a classroom that seems out of control. We want to serve God, the kids and the church but the kiddos haven’t gotten … More Children’s Ministry Resources
A few months ago, I wrote an article called 10 Things That Drive a Children’s Pastor Crazy. So many folks responded to the humorous punch list, that I followed that up with 6 More Things That Drive a Children’s Pastor Crazy. (Thanks by the way for all the shares, likes and comments you gave us.) It was kind of cathartic … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Is it time to leave your current ministry position or church job? What a tough time in the life of a pastor! It’s not easy to leave the people you love, even when you know that you are doing the right thing. Whether stepping down for a sabbatical or moving on to a new assignment, leaving your children’s ministry takes … More Children’s Ministry Resources
One of the essential components of a healthy children’s ministry is a good relationship with the pastor and or pastors of your church. Whether you serve as a Sunday School teacher, a children’s ministry director, or a nursery worker, it is imperative that servants in any capacity work together to support the leaders whom God has appointed for the local … More Children’s Ministry Resources
In 2014, the children’s pastor must skillfully walk the increasingly awkward line between what’s appropriate and what’s not. Eighteen years ago, (yeah, I’m a kids min veteran) I never thought twice about hugging a child or calling a kid. I can’t say that today, sadly. Now that everyone is on the web (even the kiddos) the kids’ pastor faces a … More Children’s Ministry Resources
I am about to be very transparent here, learning how to manage people kindly and thoughtfully didn’t come easily for me. I have been blessed to work with some wonderful people but working with me, a creative, sometimes unorganized children’s pastor hasn’t always been easy. We’d show up to teach and realize I didn’t delegate a craft properly, or forgot … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Congratulations, new children’s pastor! The local church needs you and decided that you were the perfect match for their kids. Before you take the reins and hold your first service, make sure you do these six things. It is important to assess the current status of the ministry before you plan your next kids’ crusade or event; this checklist will … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Depending on Bible college or seminary to prepare you for a children’s pastor role? Well, you might be in for a shock! As an eighteen-year veteran in children’s ministry, I can tell you that there are some surprise requirements to serving in this field. Luckily, most of them you probably already have within you, all you need is to tap … More Children’s Ministry Resources
When I penned my recent article, 10 Things That Drive a Children’s Pastor Crazy I had no idea that I’d be starting such an expansive conversation. However, I am glad we can talk and share with one another and hopefully, encourage a children’s pastor who may be asking, “Does anyone understand?” To those passing by these posts and subsequent comments, … More Children’s Ministry Resources
When praying about my ministry, I can’t help but reflect upon my blessings. I have such faithful volunteers; without their help, children’s church would be a whole lot crazier. However, during busy times, it’s easy to see my team get stressed out and me too! I must confess that I rarely have difficulty with volunteers but when problems do arise … More Children’s Ministry Resources
“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?” (Matthew 21:16) What great news to know that God is “calling forth” praise from little ones! As children’s ministry leaders, it is our job to guide these precious … More Children’s Ministry Resources