Are you In or Out of the Box?

Is your Children's Ministry, "in the box", or are you, "out of the box"? I know in the past few years one of the "catch phrases" in ministry has been to, "think out of the box", and many Children's  Ministries have reevaluated what they do and how they do it with a goal of being more effective. 

Make 2021 the Year Your Church Hands Down Confident Faith!

Most churches have offered little - if any - actual in-person opportunities for children, teens, families to learn for almost a year due to covid. While 2021 brings with it the promise of a return to "normal", this return will not arrive until June or so. We do not have to spend another six months offering little or nothing to the children/families in our church and community. We are able to do so much more - and for just $1 or $3 per family!

Equip Parents & Grandparents to Hand Down Confident Faith in 2021

2020 meant a year of limited and reduced personal contact with the children and families in our churches. 2021 will at least begin with more of the same. Think about this. For many of the children and families they will not have been able to participate in Children's Ministry for a year. A year. This is a long time.

It is also the reason why we must be focused upon equipping parents and grandparents to hand down confident faith to the children. If families rely on church to do this - as so many do - then what happens when we experience a pandemic (and we are likely to experience this again)? Handing down confident faith is something which must take place during the day-in-day-out living of our lives - not something which must depend upon being able to go to church.

Why Integrity Matters in Children's Ministry - Do What We Say We Will Do

If asked, I'm confident we would all agree integrity matters in Children's Ministry, but do we actually live as people who show integrity in our Children's Ministry? When it actually comes down to it, do the volunteers, families and children truly see us as people of integrity? People who actually do what we say we will do? People who do not gossip? People who tell the truth? People who do not take credit for what others think of and do? People who can truly be trusted?

What Survivor Taught Me About Children's Ministry!

Okay. I admit it. I have watched the TV show, Survivor. I totally could do without the "drama"; and think a lot of it is fake, but there is one reason I watched this show. The challenges. I like to see what the challenges are and how the people work together - or not - to accomplish them.

How Do You Measure the "Success" of Your Children's Ministry?

Is your children's ministry successful? Are you sure? Do you really know for sure how your Children's Ministry impacts the children and families in your church and community? How do you know?    

This Christmas Be the Gift God Wants You to Be!

Today I want to share a few thoughts about Christmas. While it is the time of the year when we tend to be more joyful, more merry . . . at least, many of us are, it can also be a very difficult time of year for some of the children and families in our ministries if they are experiencing difficult times in their families. Along with leading children in worshipping and celebrating the birth of Jesus, we need to also be on the watch for those children and families who may need our help. Watch for . . . 

Ask the Question - What About the Grandparents?

When we think about the questions we need to ask on a regular basis about our Children's Ministry, there are definitely several important questions to keep in mind. One you may not think about, but need to, is; what about the grandparents? This question, and it's answer, matters for the following reasons . . . 

What Inspired You to Become Involved in Children's Ministry? What Inspires You to Continue in Children's Ministry?

A few years back on CM Connect I saw a question posted by a man named David  - he said he was being given the opportunity in an upcoming service to speak on behalf of the Children's Ministry. He asked fellow kidmins to "inspire" him. This got me to thinking about what inspired me to be involved in Children's' Ministry in the first place and what inspires me to continue to do so.

Yes, Our Children's Ministries Need to Change

I'm going to say something you may not have heard before . . . the church has allowed parents and grandparents to "outsource" their job of handing down confident faith to their children and grandchildren. Not only has the church allowed parents and grandparents to do this, but, sadly, we often encourage it. Even more, we communicate to parents and grandparents we in the church are the people best equipped to hand down confident faith. We must stop doing these things.