Home Archive by category "Children’s Ministry" (Page 24)

Category: Children’s Ministry

Blessed to Serve

What a great word of affirmation as we head in to 2021! None of us in ministry deserve it. We are not here because of talents, skills or gifts. It is wholly because of mercy and grace and God’s Call upon our lives. Serve with humilty and gratitude. After describing his own inadequacies, Paul goes on to say, “But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that… Jesus might display his immense patience as an example…” (Verse 16) I am so blessed to be on staff at an amazing church, and to have the added blessing of an outlet through Kidology.org to Equip and Encourage others. As I head in to a new year I am overcome with gratitude.

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BREAK THE MOLD!

I often say there are Sundays that you just need to “break the mold,” and make the experience completely different for the kids. As soon as your lesson format is predictable, it is time to do something different! I often use 5th Sundays to do this, or when there is a holiday that doesn’t fit nicely with the curriculum schedule. This year is a perfect example! Easter is the 2nd Sunday of April, meaning that a 4 week Easter series needs to be started on the 2nd Sunday of March in order to end on the first week of April. This year, I’ve got two FUN “Mold Breaking” Sundays planned for the kids. For the first Sunday of January, before we kick off Secrets of the Ancient Scrolls, we are doing BIBLE-O-RAMA! Every year I tweak and improve them, and I love when users of it Bible Curriculum make their own additions! This year, Pastor Doug Olson added a really cool new feature designed to keep kids moving and encourage them to visit every station. It’s a Bible-O-Rama Passport! The kids get a sticker as they visit each station and a special prize if they complete each activity. If you…

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Goodbye 2020, Welcome 2021!

I can’t remember a New Year in my life where everyone was as eager for a New Year as this year entering 2021. It was a challenging year, to say the least. If you are reading this in January 2021, I don’t need to explain why, and I’m pretty sure if you are reading this years from now, I still won’t need to explain it. I suspect 2020 will be infamous for years, right up there with 1929, 1941 and 2001. This past year contained elements of each of these horrific years, financial attack, attack on freedom from a foreign country and the nation brought to it’s knees. However, the one major difference between 2020 and many other times of national crisis, the People of America rallied together. This time, they tore apart. And that’s as close to political commentary as I’m going to get. The impact on the church was devastating. Churches closed, services moved online and so much more that threatened our ability to be the church. Or did it? Some have said that 2020 broke many church. I disagree. If I’m thankful for anything in 2020, and I’m thankful for a lot, actually, I am thankful that…

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Hidden Messages

  I just created a FUN on screen word puzzle to get kids talking about biblical phrases. Put the phrases on screen and see if the kids can figure them out. You can download high resolution 16:9 images or a PDF version to print. An answer key is also provided. Here are a few SAMPLES: See them all and download at: Kidology.org/hiddenmessages

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STOP THE DEBATE “Should Kids Be in Big Church or Kids Church” Already!

Recently, a children’s ministry leader I respect (so I shall not name them) posted this on Facebook: “Should children be a part of the corporate worship service, or will children benefit most from a discipleship environment designed specifically for them during the same time their parents are in church? From the New Testament church, and for nineteen hundred years of Christianity this question was never asked, because there was a universal answer and universal practice.“ The comments go with people stating their “position” on whether kids should be in “Big Church” (which is always the more spiritual position, of course) or in children’s church, and those folks seem to have to defend it. I’M TIRED OF THIS DEBATE. No one should even be arguing about this. It seems to me that it is a friendly fire attack on the Church – arrows launched at brothers and sisters in Christ, as though if you lead a children’s church (which MOST churches do) you are somehow less spiritual or even (gasp) harming children because you offer a FUN, engaging, and might I mention highly effective learning environment for children. BUT, I’m not even going to argue for kids being in children’s church!…

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