Recently, I was talking with someone about volunteer recruitment in kids ministry. A well-meaning conversant suggested we should publicize the fact that volunteering in children’s ministry is “easy.” I totally understand the heart and sentiment behind the suggestion – that we need to help assuage the fear and trepidation that many people feel about volunteering in children’s ministry so that … More Children’s Ministry Resources
The church nursery is the place for sharing fun, faith-filled moments–not lice. Head lice or “Pediculous humanus,” only live on the heads of people. Pets have fleas, kids have lice. Not only do parents have to worry about the creepy, itchy bugs but their sticky eggs called nits too. Lice don’t hop–they are transferred head to head when kids put … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Many of those who work in children’s ministry are leaders. Whether you are the Children’s Pastor or a weekly volunteer, there is a lot to be learned from reading about leadership. In no particular order, here are ten of my favorite blogs dealing with the issue of leadership: 1. Michael Hyatt (http://michaelhyatt.com/). Michael Hyatt is the chairman of Thomas Nelson … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Fifteen years ago, I nearly gave up on teaching because of a group of unruly students. I was a student teacher in a first grade classroom gone berserk. My college supervisor was observing that day and this is what she saw: complete and utter chaos. I remember that day like it was yesterday. A classroom of 74 six and seven-year olds (or so it seemed), … More Children’s Ministry Resources
There is no greater source of inspiration than the Bible. More songs, psalms and memorable quotes are found in its pages than in any other book in the world. What better source for finding Father’s Day quotes for cards and letters? Rely on the Bible to bring you truly memorable, meaningful lines for your Sunday School class or yourself to … More Children’s Ministry Resources
You can help! If you were a child of divorced parents, please click here to take a survey related to your experience. This will help us better understand the challenges divorce presents to ministry. You might be surprised to find out that the divorce rate in the United States is actually decreasing and has been since it reached its high … More Children’s Ministry Resources
I just heard about a West Virginia church is facing lawsuits over a poorly run VBS games. According to this report, a 9-year-old boy was seriously injured in their Vacation Bible School program. It sounds like individual church volunteers were named in the lawsuit too! I’m not familiar with the situation, but it’s a good caution to everyone planning VBS … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This free Children’s Church lesson plan was first written for elementary aged students. It covers the story of when Samuel anointed Saul to become the first king of Israel. Use this material in your children’s church. Be sure to consider your own ministry context and modify it as needed. We’ve tried to include enough activities to allow some choice in … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This printable lesson plan is designed to teach preschool aged children about the story of how Saul became the first king of Israel. It could be used in any setting with children age 2-5 at church, including a preschool Sunday School class or a preschool children’s church class. We have included enough activities to offer some choice in your lesson … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Last summer, my wife ran the games portion of our Vacation Bible School for preschoolers. Now, I do Awana games every Wednesday nights for Kindergarten through Sixth grade with a couple of hundred kids each week, but those games do not translate well to preschoolers. So, here are some preschool VBS games we came up with that are great for … More Children’s Ministry Resources
I have been doing a lot of reflecting lately of our homeschool. I am always thinking about it. Am I doing enough? Am I doing it the right way? What could I improve? Is he learning what he needs to learn? Am I doing what God wants me to do? I think that it’s a good thing to reflect on … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This ministry idea shared by one of our readers, Linda M Howard from First Baptist Church Tyrone, GA. I do have something I would like to share with you so you can share it with others. I wanted my class to learn the disciples but couldn’t find any ‘help’ when searching the internet. So I decided to put them in … More Children’s Ministry Resources
In a continuation of the study of Israel’s Kings, this lesson covers King Amaziah. He was not wholehearted in his obedience to God. This lesson teaches students the dangers of distractions. A life without focus will be filled with distractions that lead to a disobedient, defeated walk with God. This lesson is only a guide to help you to prepare … More Children’s Ministry Resources
I was looking in our toy and game cabinet at church this weekend and that got me thinking about the games that every children’s ministry ought to have. It also got me thinking about the advantages of some games over others. Sure, Rock ‘Em / Sock ‘Em Robots is fun, but is there really a way to “use it” in … More Children’s Ministry Resources
The church nursery is a fast-paced, fun place to work and minister to little children. Unlike other ministries, you can’t get just get by with whatever is on hand. You won’t have time to track down important materials and keep an eye on busy hands. You should ask yourself this question, “What supplies do I need in a church nursery?” … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This past weekend in small group we played a great creative story-telling game in our small groups. I can’t claims the idea as my own. Our children’s ministry director actually came up with the idea, but she said it was ok if I shared it with you, so here goes. We were learning about Joseph, and the point of this … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Previously, I wrote about several ways that being a school teacher prepared me for being a children’s minister. There were also a few things that did not transition well. What follows are some ways that my previous job did not prepare me for ministry. These are a few surprises I quickly discovered. Click here to leave a comment. 1. Ministry takes over your life. I … More Children’s Ministry Resources
It feels like a hundred years ago, but before I came on staff at Westwood I taught public school for two years. It was undoubtedly two of the hardest years of my life. I knew God had called me to ministry, but for two years that was my ministry. They were pretty intense days and I have both fond and … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This study covers how Daniel and his friends seek God’s wisdom to prevent their deaths along with the other wise men living in Babylon. God gives them wisdom and King Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges God as the God of gods. In this lesson, students will learn from Daniel’s example of how they can be Ambassadors for Christ in this world as Daniel … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Recently, my church hosted a conference which was open to our children’s ministry volunteers, as well as other local churches in the area. The conference was intended to not only encourage volunteers, but to train them as well. The Friday night through Saturday morning trainings focused on material entitled, CM:21, Children’s Ministry in the Twenty First Century. CM:21 was lead … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Trying to engage a room of preschoolers is like herding cats. Every little one has his own idea of what fun looks like and it is usually different from yours! Try these quick tips for preschool classroom management and share own ideas. 1. Be extremely prepared. In preschool world, downtime is the enemy. While you pause to look for crayons your three-year olds may … More Children’s Ministry Resources
These sequenced coloring pages tell the story of Joseph. They could be used as a teaching illustration in Sunday School, or a printable coloring activity for children. Simply print out the pages from the links below. All our resources are 100% free to use in your church, home, or school. Directions: Click on the links below to download these files. … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This lesson is the second lesson about King Joash. The focus of this lesson is the Godly influence that Jehoiada the priest had on Joash while he was alive. Unfortunately after his death Joash did not continue in his faithfulness to the Lord. The lesson teaches students that they have the potential to be a powerful Godly influence in the … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This guest lesson was written by Wanda Parker, the founder of KidTrek. This free Bible lesson will help you teach the story of Jacob using drama and other learning activities. To use this lesson, please download either the printable PDF or Microsoft DOCX files below. Print Friendly PDF file Microsoft DOCX file Objective Aim: God is sovereign in the midst of … More Children’s Ministry Resources