Kids Music CAN be Cool AND Rich!

Just like much of our adult worship music today, kids music too often reflects what Jesus warned against: “vain repetition.” (Matthew 6:7) We have songs that are nice, peppy, and certainly full of praise, but lack biblical depth or content. It makes me miss the classic “Sunday School Songs” I grew up on. In fact, when I have an opportunity to lead kids worship, I rarely use “video worship” and instead lead with my guitar, despite the fact that I only know about 6 chords! (My musical gift is being able to convert nearly any song into a D-A-G! LOL) I’ve learned that if you are enthusiastic, speed up, slow down, have kids on stage, use motions, and then bring it all down and end with some seriousness, you can make up for what you lack in musical skill. Remember, it’s all about relationships. And I think a person is always better than a screen in the end. But all that aside, I want to make sure you are using GO FISH in your children’s ministry. If you use video worship, Go Fish is probably the BEST out there – in every category. First, let’s talk about production quality. While…

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10 Ways to Make a Difference

We aren’t in children’s ministry to administrate. We aren’t even in kids ministry to teach. We are ministers of kids because we want to make a difference in the lives of children. Below is a PDF of some slides pulled out from one of my presentations I like to give when I am speaking at conferences or encouraging volunteers. I enjoyed speaking to the volunteers at a church this Sunday, and wanted to make these slides available to them, and to anyone else who might find them helpful and challenging. They are TEN WAYS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE in the life of a child. They are, in a sense, “ten secrets” to connecting with kids beyond just teaching great lessons and being a good leader. These are the things that will set you apart. They are what make you a relational minister. And they are the things that kids will remember years later long after lessons are assimilated into who you are and events are forgotten. I almost hate to give away my secrets, except that they will change lives when applied. So I can’t keep them to myself! Download and Apply Often for Great Results in your Ministry!

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Checking In with KidCheck

I recently caught up with KidCheck CEO Alex Smith and interviewed him on my podcast, Kidmin Talk. Let me encourage you to invest just a few minutes to give a listen. WHY is this worth your time? If you are in children’s ministry leadership, one of the areas of responsibility you inherited, that you may not have counted on when you got your Call to Ministry – was the safety of the kids you oversee. When I meet children’s pastors/directors and ask them, “So what was it that drew you into kids ministry?” No one has ever said to me, “You know, I just got this divine Calling from God to make sure kids were securely checked in on Sundays and all entered into the church database and that their addresses and parents cell phone numbers were all kept up to date so that we could sent text alerts. Oh, and I felt the Holy Spirit tell me that allergy awareness was just something that I was gifted at and I needed to find a profession where I could make it a major focus.” No. No one has ever said that to me. And yet I have had leaders tell…

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Join Me at the Colorado Kidmin Ministry Conferences

EVEN IF YOU AREN’T IN AWANA! If you are in kids ministry, and if you are in Colorado, let me encourage you to JOIN ME at one of the Colorado Awana Ministry Conferences that I’ll be ministering at this fall! While there are some workshops specifically for Awana Clubs, most of the training (and all the classes I am teaching) are general Kidmin Training that will apply to ANYONE in children’s ministry! I am speaking and doing workshops of two of the Awana Ministry Conferences coming up in the Colorado/Utah Region: AUGUST 17-18, 2012 in Colorado Springs and SEPTEMBER 21-22, 2012 in Denver (Wheat Ridge) MY WORKSHOPS: Friday Evening: Making Your Class Rock (extended session training) Saturday: Workshop 1 – Teaching Lessons That Last What makes a lesson memorable? Learn how kids minds and memories work – and how you can teach lessons that last not only through the week, but into their adult life and genuinely impact eternity! Kids love to learn – but they learn best through experience! Create lessons that impact kids beyond just the brain. Get them excited about their faith and walk with God. Workshop 2 – Object Lesson Explosion! This is a fun, interactive,…

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Awana and Speed Stacks?

UPDATE: The LIMIT FOR TRIAL CHURCHES IS NOW CLOSED. But – read on, it’s still exciting! It is no secret that I am a HUGE fan of both Awana and Speed Stacks. For years I have had a dream…that the two could somehow come together. Just as Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are the ULTIMATE CANDY, blending chocolate and peanut butter, in the same way, I’ve dreamed that Awana could collide with Speed Stacks. Maybe you are old enough to remember those commercials where someone was walking eating chocolate and another person was eating peanut butter, and they bumped into each other: “Hey! You got chocolate in my peanut butter!” “You got peanut butter in my chocolate!” They take a bite and say together, “Hmmmmmm” Well, years ago, I began to mix ministry and sport stacking and found it to be one of the most effective outreaches that brought new kids to church. You can check out the archived Speed Stacks site from one of my previous ministries here: VCBkids Speed Stacks. I’ve also had an Awana Club in nearly every children’s ministry I’ve led and have written about how it is one of the most effective ministires of the entire…

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