This Christmas Give the Gift of Prayer with Praying Deeper Through the Psalms for Children

 

Please share this post with the parents and grandparents in your ministry - 

One of the most powerful things we are able to do for the children we love is for us to pray for them. One even more powerful thing we are able to do for them is to help them learn to be people who pray. This Christmas give a gift which will help you do exactly this - give the children you love ages four through fourteen the book - Praying Deeper Through the Psalms for Children!

Countdown-to-Christmas Caroling - O Come, O Come Emmanuel - the Piano Guys

You may be wondering why I'm posting my daily "Christmas Carol", well, on my other blog - grandma's cookie jar - I "carol" my readers each day between Thanksgiving and Christmas - I thought I'd do the same here. 

Emmanuel means God with us; and this is why Jesus came . . . to be with us! This is why we celebrate Christmas. When I hear the song, O Come, O Come Emmanuel I think about what it would be like if we were still waiting for Him to appear and I rejoice in knowing He has come and we can know Him because He is with us!

Treasure Your Volunteers . . . "Notice"!

Do you treasure your volunteers? Volunteers are a gift from the hand of God . . . it is absolutely completely appropriate for us to appreciate these "gifts". Today I want to focus on some things we might do to "notice" our volunteers so they know - beyond a shadow of a doubt - they are most sincerely appreciated! Consider the following ideas -

Give the Gift of Confident Faith & Family Fun for Christmas with Generations Quest - Cultivate the Faith!

 

Please share this with the parents and grandparents in your ministry - and just fyi, my church uses it in their Children's Ministry as well!

Are you looking for a Christmas gift which will create memories while you hand down confident faith? If so, then the book - Generations Quest - Cultivate the Faith! is for you! 

Countdown-to-Christmas - the Hallelujah Chorus - Like You've Never Seen It Before!

When you think about songs which praise Jesus and share the good news of why He came, you have to think of the Hallelujah Chorus! Written 250 years ago, according to Wiki,  "Handel's   Messiah has been described by the early-music scholar Richard Luckett as 'a commentary on [Jesus Christ's] Nativity, Passion, Resurrection and Ascension', beginning with God's promises as spoken by the prophets and ending with Christ's glorification in heaven. The music for Messiah was completed in 24 days and at the end of his manuscript Handel wrote the letters "SDG"—Soli Deo Gloria, 'To God alone the glory'. This inscription, taken with the speed of composition, has encouraged belief in the apocryphal story that Handel wrote the music in a fervour of divine inspiration in which, as he wrote the 'Hallelujah' chorus, 'he saw all heaven before him'."

Don't Underestimate Children

In addition to writing this blog about Children's Ministry, I also write a "grandma blog" - grandma's cookie jar. A number of years ago I wrote about my grandson when he turned six - he was a really fun six year old! One thing he liked to do was to read. Yes, I said he liked to read! Not only did he like to read, but he often actually shocked his aunt with how good of a reader he was! One day we were celebrating because his dad had earned his Master Mechanic Certification and my parents gave him a card. On the card was the word, "Congratulations!" my grandson picked the card up and read the word - on his own with no help. 

Evaluate What You Are Doing - Deeper In for Children Will Help You Get Where You Want to Be!

 

As the Christmas season begins more and more churches are offering fewer opportunities for children to be engaged in their Sunday School and/or mid-week ministries. Whether you offer these opportunities or not, it is definitely time to evaluate what you have been doing, what has been working, and what has not - or what you might be able to improve.

When you evaluate, it is definitely time to look at the curriculum you have been using and how effective a tool it has been to help you do the things which matter most -

My Christmas Carol for You - All is Well - Carrie Underwood & Michael W Smith

There are many, "peppy" and "spunky" Christmas songs, but the song I chose for today's Christmas carol is one which is simply lovely in every way. The music is played by Michael W Smith on a piano with a full orchestra - beautiful. The singing is by Carrie and Michael - lovely. And the message in the words is one of hope, comfort and joy . . . perfect!

Look at the lyrics for All is Well . . . 

Christmas Gifts Which Make a Difference - the little answer book & the little answer book for children

 

Please share this with the parents and grandparents in your ministry. If you are looking for Christmas gifts which make a difference, then today I am happy to let you know about two more books which you could add to your gift list for the adults and children you love - the little answer book and  the little answer book for children.

Jesus and the Bible are Not Boring; Why do Children Think They Are?

Jesus was not boring. While there is no verse in the Bible which says, "And He was not boring." I believe we can see from Scripture how He was not boring because adults and children wanted to be around Him! We all know children do not want to be around people who are boring; and they do not want to listen to boring people either.