Write your own blog post to share your ministry experience with others.
This activity involves making up a prayer to the tune of a song you know. This is great for kids who are musical or who love to move around, and it works as an individual or a group prayer activity. It also lends itself to a broader conversation about worship and prayer.
How do you use technology in your ministry, and what techi tools work well for you?
I try to bookmark pages that might prove helpful to ministry. Today I found one that I have to recommend!
Kids spend a long time worshipping with the congregation. There are already many ways that they can participate, but many of them choose to sit, talk together, and doodle during times when the could be singing, greeting others, etc.
Sunday morning for me feels like kids, kids, kids. And the energy it takes to serve them well—singing, telling stories, listening to them, helping them get along, praying together, leading activities…can be exhausting. I love my Sunday afternoon nap!
I’d love to hear from other churches that already do worship bags. What do you include in kids’ worship bags? How did introduce the bags and help kids catch the vision for staying engaged in worship?
A friend forwarded me this video last week and I couldn't resist posting it for you!How are the kids in your church using their gifts to bless your congregation?
With American Thanksgiving only a few days away, I’m counting my blessings and you’re on the list! Each week you...
This Sunday the song involved twirling, stomping, jumping, clapping, leaning, and praying — all motions that the kids chose for the song.
Togetherville.com is a Facebook-like social network for children. I clicked the link to check it out and was struck by their tagline: “Online Neighborhoods for Kids and Their Grownups.”
A scene from the Prodigal Son story flashed through my mind--the moment when the father is telling the older son, "You are always with me, and all that I have is yours!" On a smaller scale it’s like that with children’s ministry, too.
A six-year-old girl stormed into my class this Sunday with fists clenched. She was angry at a friend — another one of the girls in my class. What do you do in moments like these — when you have a class full of kids and one of them is struggling with real life stuff?
It's bound to happen. An energetic eight year old will test your patience. A sixth grader will start to annoy the other kids in your group... How will you respond?Here are four quick tips to help you keep things under control...
Okay, that advice might be a little extreme, but the first few weeks of Sunday school are critical.
Teacher training is hard. Attempting to schedule even one meeting to kick off the beginning of the season can create a calendar crisis...So why not zero in on the brand new leaders and give them a little personal attention?
This summer, instead of moving forward with sessions that half the group will miss, we've decided to do something a little different for K-6th grade. We're going to collect stories of God's faithfulness.
The search is on for Sunday school leaders! If you’re having trouble finding leaders who will commit for the entire season, be creative about using people’s gifts and abilities even if their schedules are limited.
Sunny and warm without a cloud in the sky...
One of the delegates challenged me to hold in mind the children who are affected by war, famine, and oppression as I read Bible stories. What would children who are displaced find in this story? What would children who are hungry hear in this story? What questions would...
In many churches some portion of the children’s ministry program happens during the worship service. If that’s your church, what do you do to help them engage in worship and offer their gifts in service?
Another Sunday school season has gone by. It’s time to breathe a sigh of relief and whisper a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s continued faithfulness. Pour yourself a tall glass of cold lemonade to sip as you savor Sunday school memories.
No one likes to be nagged and scolded about changing their attitudes or behaviors. But we like to hear good stories and good news. . .
Real Simple magazine's column, "New Uses for Old Things" inspired me to take a fresh look at my Sunday school room and make some changes.
Our 27.5 hours of Sunday school a year can’t compare to the time parents and caregivers have to invest in their own kids. So what can do to encourage these busy sleep-deprived saints that raise the kids we see in Sunday school?
Last week I met with Liz Tolkamp, the children's pastor at Willoughby Christian Reformed Church. She's always looking for ways to help kids engage in the worship service and be part of the broader church community.