Scorpionfish, Clouded Leopards, Pygmy Hippos & More! - THE Book to Give the Children You Love - & it is on Sale!

Please share with the parents and grandparents in your ministry - If you are a parent/ grandparent who typically gives books to the children you love for birthdays and for Children's Day - and to have around for the summer to encourage reading and learning, then a Life on the Goldilocks Planet book along with the supplies for all the fun is a terrific gift which will bring joy to the family as you all learn, explore, experiment, create and have fun together! If you have children ages four to fourteen you love who who enjoy science projects, craft projects, enjoy cooking activities, games, and learning about amazing animals, then, yes, this is the gift for them!

So How Can You Tell if Your Church Has a Vision, Passion and Plan For Your Children's Ministry . . . or Not?

We all would like to think, and believe, the leaders in our churches understand how vital Children's Ministry is to the overall health of the church; but sadly in far too many churches this is not the case. You can clearly see this when churches add music staff while their Children's Ministries flounder without vision, passion, and a plan. Don't get me wrong; I believe music ministry can be a very effective way for people to use the gifts God has given them and certainly has a role to fill in leading people in praising God, but when 43% of people get saved before the age of 13 and less than 23% get saved after the age of 21 it is obvious how much it matters if our Children's Ministries are one of the primary focuses of the church.

Blue Dragons, Red Pandas, Hoopoes & More! - Now Available for Just $4.13!

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

Today is a great day to get at least one of the Life on the Goldilocks Planet  books for the children you love ages four through fourteen! The first book in the series - Blue Dragons, Red Pandas, Hoopoes & More! is available for only $4.13 and all of the books in the series are now available at a special price - the individual books which were $13.59 are now $11.99 each - significant savings which makes today a great day to start your collection of these books which will help the children you love develop a confident faith!

Make a Difference this Summer in Your Church & Community with Bible Maze Journey Events!

I've been writing about doing something during the summer in your Children's Ministry. If you are looking for a way to do something, consider getting a Bible Maze Journey book.

For the reasons I've already mentioned, and because we are losing our families - check an article in Christianity Today  which said; "Before COVID-19 shut things down in March 2020, the independent evangelical church averaged about 220 people a week. Almost two years after the church briefly suspended in-person services because of COVID-19, he says they are averaging about 150 people a week." We need to make our churches the center of community life and engagement once again. These books will help.

A Month of Love - Show Love - Sincerely Appreciate Volunteers

When it comes to  Children's Ministry  there is no shortage of things for us to do. It often seems like we are always busy, so this post today could be looked at as just another thing to add to the already long list of things you already do. Or it could be looked at as something "optional". However; it is something which is essential; something we really need to plan into our schedules. What is it? Volunteer appreciation.

Give the Gift of Impacting Lives & Confident Faith with Life on the Goldilocks Planet Combo Books for Father's Day & Children's Day - & They are On Sale!

Please share this post with the parents and grandparents in your ministry - Today I am happy to share a unique idea for a Father's Day and or Children's Day gift - give the gift of confident faith and Fun by giving the dads and children in your life the Life on the Goldilocks Planet books! Not only are these books engaging and interesting, but they provide activities which will engage the entire family and build memories. PLUS, they are on sale! Normally priced at $35.99 (which gives you a fantastic savings compared to buying individual books as each book has four books in it), Blue Dragons, Eyelash Vipers, Civets, Red-Lipped Batfish & More! is now $33.42, Megabats, Scorpionfish, Giant Anteaters, Cheetahs & More! is $33.66, and Polar Bears, Jaguars, Aardvarks, Grasshopper Mice & More! is $33.94 making them an even better buy.

Summer Outreach! Family Events . . . and more!

For the past few days I've been talking about Summer outreach - today I'm going to talk about planning family events as special Summer outreach opportunities to the families in your church and community. I'm not going to talk about  Children's Ministry vs. family ministry because I was invited to write a guest post forMinistry-to-Children and I do so in there; (Feel free to check that post out by following this link) other than to say, we need to "come alongside" parents and grandparents as they teach their children by being intentional in our ministries and building on and reinforcing what they are teaching their children. This is where a vision statement comes in. What is it we want to accomplish in our Children's Ministry? What is our plan to get there? When we join up with the parents/grandparents by equipping and coming alongside them, we will experience real and measurable results.

Created "Just Right"! - Now Available for Children Ages Three to Seven & One is On Sale!

One way you are able to support families is by recommending resources they are able to use at home to hand down confident faith. Today, and for the next several days, I am happy to share with you resources which do exactly this - please share them with the families in your church.

Over the past few years, I developed several new resources for churches and for families. During COVID my grandsons and I put together twelve books which help us see how animals show us God is real because He made everything "just right". In these books (which I have shared with you before), you find full-color photos, fun facts, along with crafts, science projects, and recipes for the entire family to enjoy as they learn about the animals and discover how they help them have a confident faith. These books (The Life on the Goldilocks Planet series) are ideal for children ages four through fourteen - and the entire family.

"No Cookie-Cutter Children's Ministries" - Get Your Copy On Sale for Just $6.99

In a day where the church is losing the next generation at double the rate of any previous generation, we must take a clear look at what we are doing, why we are doing it, and how we are able to make necessary changes to ensure our church's Children's Ministries are as effective as possible. In "No Cookie-Cutter Children's Ministries" Lynda Freeman, who has fifty years of experience in Children's Ministry, shares how while one Children's Ministry is not able to be exactly like another, we are all able to be sure we have the right "ingredients" so our own, unique Children's Ministry knows its purpose and vision, is a safe place for children, is able to find volunteers and train them, "teach the whys", as well as how to team up with the parents and grandparents.

Summer Ministry - Family Fun and Growth Night!

Each year as we work to develop genuinely effective ministry to the children in our churches we look at ideas, programs, and possibilities for ways to grow and strengthen our ministry. There are many options to choose from, but as you look at the choices you have available to you, keep the following tips in mind.