I saw a tweet the other day extolling the virtues of summer volunteers because they bring excitement and enough nervousness to rely on Jesus (thanks @mattguevara). That tweet set me thinking about my own approach to children’s ministry. I constantly talk about the need to be prepared, the need to invest the time, the need to memorize your lesson, and … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This is the time of year when churches all around the country are either wrapping up their VBS for this summer or getting their VBS in before the school year starts again. All the planning was done months ago, volunteers were recruited, supplies were purchased, skits were rehearsed, games were planned, and VBS went off without a hitch. Everyone breathes … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Last summer, we did a VBS program from the Go Fish Guys at my church. It was a great experience and we enjoyed the music that went along with it. One of my favorites was a song called the Ten Commandment Boogie. It’s part of our large selection of free resources that teach the 10 commandments for kids. It’s basically … More Children’s Ministry Resources
I am a big fan of music. I do have one criteria when it comes to the music I choose to listen to though – it has to be good. That criteria applies to my kids’ music as well. If they want to listen to bad music when they are by themselves, that’s fine. But, if we’re all going to … More Children’s Ministry Resources
During the summer, some ministries turn into literal “ghost towns” with empty chairs and a table full of volunteer tags. Summertime church attendance can be a bummer. All that changes in the fall as kids return home from summer vacations or weeks with the other parent. Schools open soon and parents will be focused on schedules and school supplies. What an … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Your VBS has come to a conclusion. After all the “de-decorating” has occurred one may think all he or she is left with are some traces of hay or sand, that yellow tacky left behind on the walls from posters, snack crumbs under the chairs, and all that leftover craft supplies that seem to always accumulate in that same corner … More Children’s Ministry Resources
There’s nothing like a cold refreshing glass of water on a hot summer’s day. It seems to quench thirst perfectly, but I cannot tell you how many times I have taken that glass for granted. UNICEF estimates that there are approximately 884 million people who do not have access to safe water. Worldwide, 425 million of those are children. As … More Children’s Ministry Resources
A reader recently emailed me asking for advice about her VBS schedule. I thought it was a good question so I wanted to share a few quick thoughts here on the website. This is not an exhaustive discussion, so please share your ideas in the comment section below. You can also check out a helpful conversation about this on the Kidology forums. … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Several weeks ago at my church, my eyes were opened to a biblical passage. It is one that I have read many times, but this particular sermon would cause me to view it in a whole new way. What I had previously read as a general reprimand to a wayward church now appeared as a model for parenting. With Father’s … More Children’s Ministry Resources
The other night marked the end of our yearly AWANA program for the summer. We did our awards ceremony and had a cupcake banquet after. I had a great year coordinating games this year and getting to have fun with the kids. As game leader, I had the privilege of leading a couple of hundred Kindergartener through Sixth graders in … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Memorial Day is May 27, 2019 in the United States. It’s the unofficial start of Summer and typically opening weekend for youth baseball and public swimming pools. It’s also a major camping or long weekend for families. So many of your regular kids may be missing (and a few out of town family visitors may show up). It makes sense … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Summer is quickly approaching and that means one thing, VBS! As the VBS organizer, it is up to you to select the curriculum, organize the event and your volunteers. Let us face it, without volunteers, VBS would not be possible. These tips and ideas will help you gather volunteers and keep your helpers happy. Keeping your program simple will go … More Children’s Ministry Resources
It’s not a chore! Learning scripture can be fun if you know the right games. Test these creative ideas and help kids make amazing progress! Each idea below is easy to learn and gets kids “hands on” with the Bible verses. Taking apart and putting the verse back together is a great way to use repetition without creating boredom! 1) … More Children’s Ministry Resources
What is family worship? How can I lead devotions to God in my home? This page will answer those questions and help you make family worship a habit in your congregation. Church leaders and Christian parents are beginning to put more emphasis on the role of the family in the spiritual development of children. This is a good development. Everyone can agree … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This free Sunday School lesson is about Jesus’ parable of the seeds planted on different types of soil. This lesson was prepared for an older elementary age Sunday School class, but you could adapt it for younger students or use it in Children’s Church as well. Following the lesson there are additional resources to help for the individual needs or … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Hosting a VBS shoulnd’t break the budget for small churches! That’s why we created these 7 free vacation Bible school curriculum. This material is all free download and includes lessons, activities, directors manual, craft ideas, and more. Bible Boot Camp VBS This was our first free VBS curriculum and is based on the Armor of God (Ephesians 6). Use the … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Enjoy over 450 free Bible coloring pages. Use the download links to print in PDF format or purchase a Bible coloring book bundle. This page lists our free, downloadable Bible coloring pages that can be used for Christian children’s ministry, including Sunday School and homeschooling. The coloring pages depict stories and themes from the Bible, making them an excellent resource … More Children’s Ministry Resources
At the church where I serve, Promotion Sunday, that day when kids move up to the next grade/class in Sunday School and other activities, for years occurred the first Sunday of September. However, by the time I arrived the date had been pushed back to the first Sunday in June. This was done primarily for one reason: by the time … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Get creative – and – keep the congregation’s full attention. This can’t fail approach requires zero preparation and gets kids involved since they bring the object each week. I’m not certain who first coined the idea of “Sermons in a Sack,” but if you need a break from the usual children’s sermons, this is a good alternative for summer. These … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Download these short stories for kids. They include Christian themes and a short devotional moment at the end. Please leave us feedback if you enjoyed the work! She has created an email for questions, comments, etc. is: mystories2020@yahoo.com. These stories are from an aspiring Christian writer named Bonnie Lucas. She wanted to share some of her children’s stories with our readers, … More Children’s Ministry Resources
This is a live blog by Terry Delaney during the Connecting Church and Home Conference March 2009 at Brentwood Baptist Church in Nashville. You can also read confernce notes on the Soujour Kids blog or from the Thoughts On The Word Session #3: The Next Step-Family Strategy of Brentwood (Jay Struther) And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Alcorn, Randy. Tell Me About Heaven. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2007. 59pp. $19.99. Buy From Amazon.com $13.59 Introduction Randy Alcorn was a pastor before founding Eternal Perspective Ministries in 1990. His ministry is dedicated to teaching Biblical truths. According to their website, www.epm.org, the ministry exists “to meet the needs of the unreached, unfed, unborn, uneducated, unreconciled and unsupported people around … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Here is the letter we sent out last summer to the children who attended our vacation Bible school. There was another mailing to their parents, but this one was targeted specifically to the children. We included a registration form for our Upward soccer league in the same mailing. Feel free to use this as a template for your VBS follow-up. … More Children’s Ministry Resources
It’s that time of year and everyone is working on planning VBS. In this article, I’ll give you a simple 9 step process for organizing vacation Bible school. Then I’ll share some of my best practical tips about vacation Bible school. As always, you can leave a comment and help me make this resource better. Update: This article was first … More Children’s Ministry Resources