This post contains notes from Ryan Golias at the Children Desiring God Conference 2011. Click here to see all the sessions. The Sum or Your Word Is Truth: John Piper Teaching our children to approach truth with a cavalier and disdaining attitude is the greatest scandal today with regard to the minds of our young people. The worst we can do … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This series of live blogging notes from Ryan Golias. New posts will be added throughout the weekend. Scroll down for links to session notes. I invite you to join us for the Chrildren Desiring God conference. I am going to blog through the conference, and post session notes here. This year the conference is about holding fast to the Word of … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Long Story Short is written to present a Biblical Gospel from cover to cover to aid parents in passing the Bible on to their children, day by day. To pass on a clear Gospel message showing children how every story in the bible points forward or back to the gospel of Jesus Christ and God’s story of salvation.” Author Marty … More Children’s Ministry Resources
I just finished watching four online preview videos of Theo Presents. The following statements in quotes are included in the press kit prepared by Whitestone Media. I respond to each paragraph based on my observations. Theo Presents is centered around the adventures and teachings of the main character, Theo, a student of God’s Word and a theologian. Theo lives in a cozy corner … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Group has new Outreach program for Easter that once again proves that “Group” is spelled “E-A-S-Y”. Churches enlist families to organize egg hunts in their own neighborhood, “becoming the arms and feet of the church”. The impact this could have on a community is endless, but, don’t underestimate what it could do for developing new leadership in the church! Families … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Overview: Journey to the Cross is a powerfully moving, multisensory family event that guides people along the path that Jesus walked during his last days on Earth. Activities focused on Jesus’ love and forgiveness demonstrate the real meaning of Easter: our risen Christ’s victory over death! Designed specifically for parents and their children to experience together, this even teaches about … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Will new interest in family discipleship somehow distract churches from doing kids ministry? Does embracing family ministry require your church to add new programs? These are common concerns for many church leaders. This podcast explores those issues with Dr. Timothy Paul Jones. He is a teacher and writer who has studied these topics in depth. You can learn more about him … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This story of a little girl who turns to God to clean her heart so she can see others through God’s eyes is the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day! What better way to say “I love you” to your kids than to give them insight into how to have their heart feel love and joy! Jackie Chirco Cogswell is a … More Children’s Ministry Resources
When I first received this book I immediately thought, “this could be the perfect holiday book.” Soon I discovered it was even better after the holidays. This is not just another Christmas book. It’s the story of a young man who understood how Jesus wanted us to reflect Him in our lives; to love others, to help others and to … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This book begins with a personal invitation to the reader. “He is waiting… Not just for anyone, God is waiting for you!” Make no mistake, this book is about more than information. It’s about God and helping kids to know Him in their everyday lives. Ten Things Every Kid Should Know About God – Life Applications to Build Your Child’s Confidence in … More Children’s Ministry Resources
What is Autism and what issues does it raise in real world ministry? That’s what I wanted to talk about in this latest episode of our podcast. So I invited back Amy Fenton Lee who runs a popular blog about special needs children’s ministry. You’ll remember her from our very first podcast and her guest post about adapting curriculum for … More Children’s Ministry Resources
The Spark Story Bible, published by Augsburg Fortress is a hardcover 550 page Bible Story book for children ages 2 – 8. It is a great resource to consider for, not only the Sunday School classroom, but as a family treasure at home. The book contains 150 of the best-loved bible stories from both the new and old testament. Old … More Children’s Ministry Resources
“The Big God Story” is a children’s picture book beautifully written by Dr. Michelle Anthony, and exquisitely illustrated by Cory Godbey. A great enrichment resource to “Spiritual Parenting,” or a stand alone story for children to see God at work through history. The text is very simple and focuses on the flow of the story as opposed to great detail. … More Children’s Ministry Resources
“It’s hard enough to train kids to behave, but good behavior isn’t what Jesus calls for in the Bible.” In Spiritual Parenting, author Michelle Anthony calls us as parents to “depend upon God for our children’s spirtual and moral development, urging us toward a heart posture of surrender and faithfulness. The end goal is a vibrant faith that is passed … More Children’s Ministry Resources
At this time of year, we begin trying to find the perfect way to say “thank you” to all of the women who faithfully serve in children’s ministry all year long. I wanted something that was not a “teaching” book or a “training” book. I even wanted to steer clear of the typical teacher’s gift books. I wanted to find … More Children’s Ministry Resources
I love Christmas. I always have. I loved Christmas long before I ever loved the reason for it. Now that He is Lord and Savior of my life, I love Christmas in a whole new way. So, when I came home from work last Friday night and found a brand new children’s Christmas book in my mailbox, I was overjoyed. … More Children’s Ministry Resources
The Internet has created many new opportunities for people in kids ministry. One highlight has been CM Connect, the social network for children’s ministers. With over 6,700 users, it’s become an amazing way to share ideas online. The man behind it all is Michael Chanley. He’s also an author and popular conference speaker. His work is an encouragement to many … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Enter into our home and you’ll see a play kitchen set with a birthday cake on the counter, waiting the daily baby doll birthday. You’ll trip over a stray Cinderella shoe and find a ballerina coloring page in-transit, ready to be mailed to Mimi. Pink is the only color in existence that we know of. We live in a five … More Children’s Ministry Resources
It’s only November, why are you talking about VBS? The short answer is you can’t start planning too early. For the longer answer, you should listen to this podcast. In this episode I talk with Shannon Velasquez who plans VBS training all across the country. She was the one who invited me to attend their PandaMania field test last summer. It’s … More Children’s Ministry Resources
I’ve made it my habit to read about topics outside my normal field of ministry. So, today I was working through a new book by Wayne Grudem titled, “Business for the Glory of God.” Dr. Grudem was one of my favorite authors in Seminary. I’ve spent hundreds of hours with his massive Systematic Theology. That book is still on my … More Children’s Ministry Resources
I’ve been thinking and writing a good deal about kids being overchurched. This is something of a new topic and I’m trying to figure it out as I go along. Some of what I’ve said has been on other websites and podcasts. So I wanted to link that information together in one place. This post is a recap of what I’ve said & … More Children’s Ministry Resources
OK – That titles a little stronger than our usual book review. But keep reading and you’ll find out why I’m so impressed with this one. “Crash Course,” by Daniel Darling, promises “that it guides you to know what you believe and why you believe it, to make good choices, to find direction, to stay true in a world of … More Children’s Ministry Resources
It was just a few months back when Children’s Ministry Magazine listed our blog among the top 5 children’s ministry websites. (Jan/Feb 2010). I didn’t see that coming. In fact, I first found out about it on a someone’s blog. Then I double checked my own copy of the magazine and it was there in print. It was good surprise. The … More Children’s Ministry Resources
It’s just hard to stick with one topic when you’re talking with someone like Matt McKee. So, I’m not sure how to introduce this one. The conversation was very good but we covered so many different topics. I asked Matt about Orange and all the buzz about family ministry. Then we covered some new technology and how churches can make … More Children’s Ministry Resources