Mother’s Day is upon us! You’ll probably have a full house in your children’s church or classroom. If you’d like to help out Mom and have kids burn a little energy before you send them home, try this racing game. Don’t let the word “race” scare you! If you keep the game simple and explain the rules kids will have … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Every holiday, it never fails. Kids are wound up! Especially if the holiday involves candy. Well, on Mother’s Day, I may have less of a problem with sugared-up children but it is still a good idea to have some table or sit down games ready to play. Of course, I do provide active games but when kids need something quieter, … More Children’s Ministry Resources
“What Next? Christ’s Post-Resurrection Appearances and Ascension” Sunday School Lesson from Luke 24, John 20, Acts 1 It is critical, of course, to study the work and death of Jesus. But all of that is rather meaningless if Christ did not also rise again as He promised. Then what? Following the events of Easter, Jesus appeared to the disciples and … More Children’s Ministry Resources
At Easter time, children’s ministries have to walk the line between the secular and the biblical and sometimes it’s a tough line to walk. If you’ve been in children’s church leadership long you know that parents, grandparents and sometimes the entire community expect you to host some sort of Easter egg hunt or a pageant for this holiday. That’s part … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Have time to kill at the end of class or looking for an active game to break up a teaching block? Keep it simple and call out this fun, classic game. Of course, you could play the traditional Duck, Duck, Goose game but why not make it more biblical? Try these variations on this fast-paced game. Duck Duck Goose Call-Out … More Children’s Ministry Resources
I’m pretty sure most people expect to find a giant rubber ball, parachute or costumes on my list but alas, those items didn’t make the cut. (Although we do love toys/props/unique tools for ministry!) As a children’s minister I can’t help but get creative—I work with kids but there are some things I actually do need. As a children’s ministry … More Children’s Ministry Resources
At the first of every calendar year, I tend to spend a lot of time planning but no plan can be worked successfully without good help, right? I don’t know about you but it feels is more challenging to locate volunteers than it was twenty years ago. Maybe it really isn’t more difficult, maybe it’s simply that potential volunteers (and … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Popular culture can’t seem to get enough of monsters. From television shows about finding Bigfoot to creature features, our world is permeated with images of monsters. Kids sure don’t need these visual aids to believe in the “boogeyman,” their imaginations make it easy to believe something is under the bed or in the closet. (Incidentally, as a child I believed … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Think a good greeting program isn’t necessary for children’s church? Think again! When we don’t greet kids as they come in, we miss making a valuable connection for two reasons. First, the greeting is where you establish discipline. That’s so important to do right at the beginning of each session. Kids need to know someone is in charge. Second, we … 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
In our culture, winning is highly prized and success is measured by performance. Again and again, though, the Bible gives quite different definitions of victory and achievement. Remind students in this lesson that our triumph is in Christ alone. Lesson focus: Though we can become competitive and weigh our success on what others do, the Bible emphasizes that the grace … 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
Craft Alert! Mail a Hug for Valentine’s Day This Valentine’s Day craft is so easy, you’ll be wondering why you haven’t made it before. Full disclosure here: I took a great idea that I saw somewhere else and tweaked it to make it more specific for Valentine’s Day. It’s the ideal craft for kids who have loved ones like grandparents … 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
Children’s pastors will never tell you this but they love a good hug. Hugs say “I appreciate you,” and “Whatever you’re going through, I care.” A good hug can even say, “I’ve got your back!” However, there are actually many ways to give a children’s pastor a hug. Some don’t involve physical body contact. Ready to show some love to … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Have you noticed this trend? Parents or grandparents drop off kids (sometimes way before service time) and then take off until church is over. They aren’t actually attending church themselves–just the children. Understand me, I’m not talking about the parent who has to go to work. I am referring to the disturbing new kids’ ministry challenge–the drop off kids. If … 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
If you ask kids what their favorite holiday is, New Year’s isn’t likely to make the top three but that’s no reason to skip over the world’s most popular “do over.” In the secular world, the “new year” is a time stamp that initiates a life change but like every day with Jesus, it is time to do better, to … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Is your church holding a New Year’s eve event? If you answered yes, you have been challenged to provide some of the activities for the kiddos while parents wait for the clock to move. Been there–done that! Even if you aren’t facing the challenge of entertaining kids for a long period of time, you might find this kids’ church idea … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Christmas bows make great party tools, especially if you have an abundance in a variety of colors. For these fast-paced games, you will need a couple of big bags of unused bows. From balancing games to straight up Christmas races, these party games will keep the fun going during game time or free time. Inexpensive an colorful, Christmas bows really … More Children’s Ministry Resources
From the small church program to the larger spectacles like a Christmas pageant, chances are you will attract a lot of attention during the holidays, as evidenced by the increase in attendance. It’s nice to see the pews full and the seats taken, isn’t it? Did you know that Christmas attendance doesn’t have to be a fluke? You really can … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Are your kids tired of playing “Gobble Gobble” or “Heads-Up 7-Up” during free time in children’s church? We have good news for you! Try these new Thanksgiving games for children’s ministry. Having a few extra games on hand will help manage the crowds and keep kids focused on thankfulness and fun. You can spread these two games out across the … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Many churches and fellowships mark certain holidays with exciting outreach programs featuring plays and skits. However, there are always that group of children that can’t or won’t come to practice and then you are left trying to figure out what to do. You don’t want to leave anyone out, especially new children but at the same time, you can’t very … More Children’s Ministry Resources
If you want to change someone’s perspective, teach them how to be thankful. It’s not just good advice for shaping a positive attitude but it is something the bible instructs us to do. You will find dozens and dozens of verses about the benefits of thankfulness but one of my favorites is in the New Testament. Colossians 3:15-17 says, “And … More Children’s Ministry Resources