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The Influence of a Child: How an 11-Year-Old Girl Helped Shape a President

As a kids pastor, I often reflect on the profound impact children can have on the world around them. Recently, I discovered a story that beautifully illustrates this truth—a tale involving none other than Abraham Lincoln. A Personal Connection While Abraham Lincoln has no direct living descendants, my father-in-law was a descendant of the Hanks family, Mary Todd Lincoln’s lineage. Standing tall and bearing a striking resemblance to Honest Abe, he often donned the iconic stovepipe hat, embodying Lincoln’s spirit. Yet, it wasn’t until a friend shared this particular story with me that I realized the depth of influence a single child can wield. The Letter That Changed History In October 1860, 11-year-old Grace Bedell from Westfield, New York, penned a letter to presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln. Having seen his campaign portrait, she believed he would look better with a beard and suggested that growing one might help him win more votes, especially from women who would then persuade their husbands to support him. Dear Sir, (she wrote)  … I am a little girl only 11 years old, but want you should be President of the United States very much so I hope you wont think me very bold to…

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Kidmin Covenant #4: A Relational Life Focus

If I could sit across from a new children’s ministry leader and offer one piece of advice, it would be this: take care of your soul. Ministry isn’t sustained by talent, strategy, or passion alone. It’s sustained by the quiet, consistent work of walking with Jesus. These 12 commitments are born out of that truth. They help me stay inwardly healthy so I can lead with lasting impact. Covenant Commitment #4: I will reach out relationally each day to at least one friend, relative or volunteer to encourage them so people are always put first. Ministry isn’t just about tasks—it’s about people. And the longer you serve, the easier it becomes to focus on checklists instead of connections. But behind every event, every lesson, and every role is a person made in God’s image who needs encouragement, support, and care. Hebrews 10:24 tells us, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”Encouragement isn’t accidental—it’s intentional. It requires thought. And it’s often the simplest words that carry the most impact. When you pause each day to reach out to just one person—whether it’s a quick text to a volunteer, a kind comment to a…

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The Gospel is #1. Tell it often. Tell it well.

Nothing is more important than sharing the Gospel. Nothing. I remember like it was yesterday. I was in seminary (not ‘cemetery,’ as kids often call it) with a room full of potential pastors. I was the only kids pastor. The rest were in training for much “higher office,” aka Lead Pastors. The professor in the front of the room described a horrible situation in graphic detail that I’ll spare you. In short, a man had been in a terrible car accident and was dying on the side of the road. In this hypothetical situation, he said that we happened along the scene and had only moments to share Christ with him and usher the dying man into the presence of Jesus. One by one he invited these future preachers to the front of the room to share the Good News with this dying man and explain the fullness of the Gospel. One by one as they came up and pontificated about substitutionary atonement, propitiatory reconciliation, the intricacies of redemptive sacrifice or Old Testament covenants fulfilled through the justification and subsequent glorification of Christ, the professor would interrupt them and say, “Too late, the guys dead. Next.” Finally, it was my…

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Making the Complex Simple and FUN!

For as long as I can remember, one of my favorite jokes has been, “I’m not a prophet. Nor am I the son of a prophet. In fact, I work for a non-profit organization!” Obviously, it works better verbally than in print. As we head into Christmas, one of the greatest evidences for Christianity is the number of prophesies that Jesus fulfilled when He came as a child and the many more He fulfilled throughout His life and ministry and, of course, in His death and resurrection. Over the years, I heard countless times, “Jesus fulfilled over 200 prophesies!” But no one ever provided the data on the many referenced prophesies. Clearly, that’s a lot of evidence, and presenting it in an easy-to-understand format is challenging – especially to children – and so we are forced to simply ask our audience to “trust us” on this bold claim. Last year, when writing the Angel Sightings series for it Bible Curriculum, I finally decided “trust me on this” wasn’t enough. I wanted to SHOW MY KIDS the prophesies that Jesus had fulfilled, but I wanted to do it in a fun and easy-to-digest manner. I had no idea how big a…

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Volunteer Scheduling – New from KidCheck

KidCheck now offers volunteer scheduling—a powerful addition to your volunteer strategy. Volunteer scheduling saves valuable time, eliminates manual processes, and helps simplify the daily administrative tasks of overseeing volunteers.   Powerful yet simple. Fast and efficient. Intuitive, quick, and easy. That’s KidCheck’s volunteer scheduling. Plus, it’s available in both a mobile app and desktop version. KidCheck’s volunteer scheduling is perfect for any event across your organization requiring support, such as Sunday service, community events, VBS, fundraisers, camps, and conferences. Volunteer scheduling can help manage resource needs for the classroom, security, music, hospitality, technical support, and more. If you’re looking to coordinate event resources with less effort, KidCheck’s volunteer scheduling is a fast, efficient, and easy way to deliver a better volunteer experience and a successful event. Are you interested in using KidCheck secure children’s check-in? Click here to request a free demo. It’s an excellent way for organizations to see and learn the benefits of using secure children’s check-in.

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