Category: With Kids in Mind

Get Them Involved: Don’t Just Talk — Engage! Learning sticks best when kids move, participate, and experience the truth for themselves. Want kids to remember your lesson long after Sunday? Then stop aiming for their ears — and start aiming for their hands, feet, hearts, and imaginations. There’s an old idea — often presented in various charts and pyramids — that says people remember more of what they do than what they simply hear or see. While the exact percentages vary (and aren’t always grounded in research), the underlying truth is rock solid: passive listening leads to forgetfulness, but active participation creates lasting learning. In kids ministry, this truth couldn’t be more important. If your teaching style is mostly “sit still and listen,” you’re not just missing an opportunity — you’re missing the point. Even adding visuals on a screen isn’t enough. Sure, it enhances your message, but what kids really need is to be brought into the experience. I want to get kids out of their seats, involved with their hands, laughing, thinking, solving, moving, and most of all — engaging. Benjamin Franklin famously said, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I may remember. Involve me and…

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God’s not calling us to copy — He’s calling us to create. When it comes to teaching and reaching kids, the best path forward might not be found in what you did last year — but in what’s never been done before. I love the saying — and I repeat it often: “There are three types of people in the world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who say, ‘What just happened?’” Obviously, I’d like to consider myself in that first category. When Steve Jobs introduced the iPad, he was told, “No one’s asking for that.” He replied, “They will after I make it.” And now? We all carry tablets. When he merged music players with phones, he didn’t just improve the phone — he changed the way the entire world consumes music. That’s what it means to break the mold — to challenge assumptions, rethink the “normal,” and reimagine what’s possible. And this kind of bold innovation is just as powerful in children’s ministry. For years we did Easter egg hunts where we invited the entire community to the church. But one year, we flipped the script. We stuffed 50,000 eggs (like always)…

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Surprise is a secret weapon in the communicator’s toolbox. Wonder fuels learning — discover how surprise moments boost engagement and memory! Ever planned a surprise party? Or better yet — ever been the one surprised? Everyone loves surprises! Surprise dates. Surprise bonuses. Surprise presents after you thought you’d opened the last one. Surprise discounts at checkout. Surprise upgrades on a flight or at a hotel. Those unexpected acts of kindness — like someone showing up with your favorite coffee just because. And of course, who doesn’t love a good movie with a surprise twist ending? There’s something thrilling about the unexpected. It wakes us up. It locks a moment into our memory. It makes the ordinary unforgettable. That same principle is powerful in kidmin: Surprise is a secret weapon in the communicator’s toolbox. It instantly reignites curiosity, resets attention, and supercharges engagement. Remember screensavers? Back in the day, if a computer sat idle too long, a screensaver would pop up to protect the monitor. You had to tap the keyboard or bump the mouse to get the regular screen back. Well, kids have an internal screensaver too. When your teaching gets repetitive or boring, they check out — mentally —…

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Capturing attention today sets a foundation for faith tomorrow. The first minute matters most — learn how to hook kids fast and set the stage for life-changing teaching. Which would you rather watch: a long train starting from a standstill or a horse race when the gates fly open? The answer is obvious. In the same way, few things are more painful (or boring) than sitting through a service — kids or adults — where the communicator slowly stumbles up front and begins to drone: “Welcome, everyone… how are you… how was your week… what did we learn about last week?” Blah, blah, blah. It’s been said you never get a second chance to make a first impression (attributed to Will Rogers). That’s true EVERY SUNDAY. Kids decide almost immediately whether this is going to be a great experience. Church growth experts say even adult guests know in the first five minutes whether they’ll return. Attention is earned — and lost — fast. That’s why Secret #1 is so important: Start with a BANG! Your opener is your chance to answer the unspoken question every kid is asking: “Why should I listen to you today?” A great Kid Communicator doesn’t…

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Teaching kids isn’t just about today — it’s about shaping generations for God’s glory. You’re not just reaching kids — you’re impacting future families and shaping generations for Christ! I am in ministry today because I was inspired by creative teachers who brought the Bible to life for me. Like Timothy, who learned the Word at a young age from his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice, if Paul were to write 2 Timothy 1:5 to me in the KBV (Karl Bastian Version), he might have said: “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your Aunt Linda and in your mother Patti, and I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” Both of these godly women made church the highlight of my week. That’s why my kids ministry motto in my present ministry is, “We want to make Sunday the high point of our kids’ week.” Whether it was the “Apple Red Happiness” song led so enthusiastically by my aunt (which I can still sing from memory), or the Treasure Chest Sundays my mom created — where every child who came got a key that might open the pirate chest to win a prize (with a bonus key…

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