Evaluate Your Ministry - It is Essential

I've been talking about keeping our focus so we do not cheapen our faith, and being sure we have a continuity between our children's ministry, family ministry, and church. Today I want to talk about how we can be sure we are doing these things. 

Too often we are so busy with "ministry", we do not stop to evaluate where we have been, where we are and where we are heading. If we do not evaluate, we will not be able to really tell if we are being genuinely effective, or not.

We can not make changes we need to make if we do not know we need to make them; so regularly evaluating what we do is an essential part of our children's ministries. What should we evaluate? Consider the following . . . 

• We need to evaluate our curriculum on a regular basis.
• We need to evaluate our communication with volunteers and parents on a regular basis.
• We need to evaluate the impact our ministry is having on children on a regular basis.

How do we do these things? Let's look at each are of evaluation . . . 

"Big" Church or Not? Do You Provide Children's Church?

Yesterday I wrote about the "controversy" of having children participate in "big" church and included some reasons to do so as well as reasons not to. I wrapped up the post with ideas of things you can do to engage children if your church includes children in "big" church. (You'll find the post at this link.)

Some of you commented and shared your "take" on including children in "big" church; 

It Can Be Controversial . . . Do You Have Children in "Big" Church - or Not?

In Children's Ministry there are a few things which dedicated people disagree upon and can easily get into a debate over. One of these things is whether or not we should have children in the "big" church service or in classes which focus on engaging them in the learning. Today and tomorrow I'm going to look at this question; today I'll focus on including children in the "big" church service and give some reasons why we should as well as reasons we should not. I'll wrap it up today with some ideas of how to engage children in the "big" service if this is what you do at your church.

I Have a Winner!

I'm happy to say Lauren is the winner in my The Berenstain Bears God Made You Special give-away (you'll find the review at this link.) Thank you Lauren for reading About the Children's Department (please message me your address by March 5, 2015 so I can have it sent to you) and thank you Zonderkidz for sending one for me to review and for making another available for me to give away.

Continuity . . . Connect the Children's, Parent's and Family Ministries With Your Church!

If you have paid attention to be sure all areas of your children's ministry connect so the Sunday, Midweek, Summer and other ministries have continuity and are taking the time to connect the children's ministry with the parent's ministry, the last area to connect with is the other areas of your church! If your church is going to have a strong and healthy children's, parent's and family ministry, it is important for the entire church to know what is happening in these ministries. Consider the following . . . 

Continuity . . . Connect the Children's and Parent's Ministries!

So . . . you have a vision and purpose for your children's ministry and you are watching to be sure each part of your ministry connects to the others, but have you collaborated with the leaders of your parent's ministry to be sure the children's and parent's ministries connect and have continuity? Consider the following . . . 

Continuity . . . No "Islands Unto Themselves"

Stop and think for a moment . . . do the various parts of your children's ministry "connect"? Do they compliment and reinforce one another or does each area "do their own thing" and are actually, "islands unto themselves"? If we are truly serious about being effective, then not only do we have to have a vision/plan for our children's ministry as a whole, but we have to be sure each area is connected to the other things we do in children's ministry. Consider the following . . . 

Continuity . . .

As we think about family ministry, I want to talk about an important topic . . . continuity. So, what is continuity and why does it matter when we talk about Family Ministry? What does it look like in children's ministry and how do we have it? How do we know if we do not have it? These are important questions to think about . . . and find answers to. Consider the following . . . 

Children's Ministry and Parent's Ministry = Family Ministry!

If you are serving in a children's ministry, then you have to care about the parent ministry of your church as well. Deuteronomy 6 makes it pretty clear the primary responsibility for pointing children to God lies with parents. "4Listen, Israel! The LORD our God is the only true God! 5So love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. 6Memorize his laws 7and tell them to your children over and over again. Talk about them all the time, whether you're at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night, or getting up in the morning. 8Write down copies and tie them to your wrists and foreheads to help you obey them. 9Write these laws on the door frames of your homes and on your town gates." (CEV) Obviously, the parents are the ones who are with children at home, at bedtime and in the morning, so clearly, this call to disciple children is for parents.

From One Generation to the Next

I have always found a reading of the Old Testament to be exciting . . . and heartbreaking. You find real people and how their real lives were impacted and changed when they came to know and walk with God; such as David. He went from being a lowly shepherd boy to being the King of Israel. Yes, there were a lot of years between the two, but he knew and walked with God; even as a young teen . . . so much so he was able to trust God to fight for him when facing a real giant none of the older soldiers in the army were willing to fight . . . they just ran and hid! He knew, walked with and trusted God to keep him through the years when he was being chased by Saul. Yes, he made some really horrible choices over the years, but when faced with his sin he turned from it and asked God for forgiveness and grace. He wrote the Psalms and modeled for us, even today - how to talk with God as well as how to worship and praise Him!

Yet, in spite of the amazing way David knew and walked with God, his children did not follow and share in his love for God. This is the heartbreaking part. If you spend time looking at the kings of Israel and Judah, some followed God and then in a generation or two they turned their backs on God. If you read Psalm 78 you see how over and over the Israelites walked with God and then forgot Him. Something bad happened and they turned back to God and then in a generation or two they forgot Him again.

I find this frightening. I love God! I want to know and walk with Him  I want my children and grandchildren and future generations, should Jesus tarry, to continue to know, love and walk with God. I do not want them to forget Him. It only takes a casual glance at the evening news to know our world is broken because it has forgotten God. It is heartbreaking.

The Benefits of Being Focused!

I've been writing about losing focus in our Children's Ministries and asked if our focus on "fun" ends us "cheapening" our faith. Today I want to think about the benefits of being intentional about staying focused on what really matters in our children's ministries. Consider the following . . . 

How Do We Stay Focused?

So, I've been talking about keeping our focus on helping children know and walk with Jesus and not being distracted by anything else. How do we do this? Consider the following ideas for how we can keep our focus . . . 

Have We "Cheapened" Our Faith?

You likely noticed the news yesterday where 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians were beheaded by ISIS in Libya. My heart breaks for their families and my prayers are focused on other Christians in this area of the world where they face a very real danger. 

As I think about these brothers I think of believers in North Korea where they face imprisonment or death for their faith. I think of believers in Afghanistan, Algeria, Bhutan, Iran and more than 40 additional countries where it is illegal to become a Christian, to tell your children about Jesus, to own a Bible, to share your faith and if you do these things you can be put in prison, tortured or even killed for your faith.

And here in the USA where we have freedom to meet, to worship, to believe, to share our faith, to read our Bibles, I wonder; have we made our faith "fun", "easy" and "cheap"? Would the children in our ministries love their Bibles and more importantly, love Jesus enough to face imprisonment, torture or even death? Would we?

Five Warning Signs We May Have Lost Focus in Children's Ministry

I've been asking if we have lost our focus in Children's Ministry, but since it may be

difficult to tell if we have, today I'm going to share a few "warning signs" for us to be watching for. If you see these "signs" in your ministry, you may have, "lost focus".

Keep Our Focus So We Are Not Distracted By Anything

The other day I asked if we have lost our focus in Children's MInistry and a number of you read this post. So, today I want to think about Children's Ministry, why we serve in it and why it matters.

My background is fairly conservative when it comes to church. I grew up in a church where children sat and listened to their teachers, wrote in their student books and memorized Scripture. In High School I participated on a quiz team and loved everything about it. I wanted my children to experience the same "church" as I did, so when they were little I had them involved in a mid-week program with lots of Bible memorization. My children excelled at Bible memory, moved through their books quickly and amassed their pins and badges. I was sure all of this was how it "should" be until something happened during one awards ceremony which began to completely change my opinion. All the little four year olds were waiting to receive their awards for the progress they made in their books . . . all except for one little boy. This boy had great difficulty memorizing. He did not receive an award that evening . . . and went home in tears. When I saw him crying I wondered what his "view" of God looked like. Did he see God as Someone Who would only be pleased with him if he were able to memorize Bible verses? Was this the view of God I wanted children to have; or more importantly, which God wanted them to have of Him? Of course it wasn't.

I Have a Winner!

I'm happy to say Karen is the winner of one Builder's Quest digital curriculum! (You'll find my full review at this link.) Thank you Karen for reading About the Children's Department (please message me your email at lyndafreemanatcd@gmail.com by February 21 so I can get it to you) and thank you NextGen4Christ for making it available for me to give away! 

What's in the Bible - All DVDs Just $5!

I have recently been invited to be an "affiliate" site for What's in the Bible. This means I'll be able to offer you specials to help you save money on What's in the Bible products if you order them following the link on my blog (look to the right and scroll down a bit). When you order your What's in the Bible product through my blog, I'll receive a commission.

I do have a really great offer to begin . . . through February 15, 2015 all DVDs are just $5! And, if you order five DVDs or more, you'll also receive free shipping! These are both great offers, so if you have been thinking about buying some What's in the Bible DVDs for use in your ministry - or in your home, now is a great time to get them!

And, thank you for ordering them through the link on my blog!

Have We Lost Focus in Children's Ministry?

I've been serving in children's ministry for almost 44 years, so I know what it is to choose curriculum - even write curriculum - plan events and work to engage children and families. I know what it takes to recruit and train volunteers and communicate with parents. I understand wanting to be focused on being effective in helping children to know and walk with Jesus for the rest of their lives. But I wonder; in trying to focus on engaging children, have I - and we - truly lost focus?

Second-Chance Give-Away in Two Days!

A week ago I had a drawing for one Builder's Quest digital curriculum, but unfortunately the winner did not get their information to me so they could receive their prize. So, today I'm announcing a second-chance give-away for one Digital Curriculum of Builder's Quest from NextGen4Christ. You'll find my full review at this link and may enter this drawing if you live anywhere in the world and are over the age of 18. 

The drawing will be on February 14, 2015 and you will receive one entry for commenting on this post and telling me which of the following Bible Adventures is your favorite . . . 

A Month of Love - Be Sure Your Ministry is Safe

Yes, there are several ways we show our love is real; we help children show their love to others, we sincerely appreciate our volunteers and we have a true and humble view of our selves. But, we also show our love by something very important which we do. We do all we can to be certain our ministry is as safe as it can possibly be. 

Some of the things we must do are difficult; there are people who will not like them, but they are things we must do because we love the children, families and volunteers in our ministries. These things include . . . 

Don't Forget February 15th!

Yes, February 15th is just a few days away and it is a very important date, so mark your
calendars and get ready for the 15th! Why you ask? Because February 15th is the day after February 14th and February 14th is Valentine's Day! 

February 15th, besides from these obvious things, is the day all the Valentine's Day candy goes on sale! Just stop and think about all the things you can do with heart-shaped candy . . . if you have it! 

You could . . . 

Book Review - The Berenstain Bears God Made You Special - I'm Giving One Away!

For years the Berenstain Bears have helped children think about and understand all sorts of things; being afraid, sharing, helping others, how God loves them and many more. I was just sent a new Berenstain Bears book which continues this tradition of helping children understand what could be difficult situations; this time how God made all of us special, including those who may grow and develop differently than we do.

A Month of Love - A True and Truly Humble View of Ourselves

I have noticed something over the years about some people who serve in ministry - not

just children's ministry, but any area of ministry. Some of us lose focus and a perspective which is true of ourselves. What do I mean by this? Consider the following . . . 

I Have a Winner!

I'm happy to say Kathy Dorton won the Camp Kilimanjaro VBS Starter Kit from Answers in Genesis. (You'll find my full review at this link.) Thank you Kathy for reading About the Children's Department (please email me your address by February 16, 2015 so I can have it sent to you - lyndafreemanatcd@gmail.com) and thank you Answers in Genesis for making this vbs available for me to give away!

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. Iplt 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.

Why should you plan volunteer appreciation into your schedule? Look at the following reasons . . . 

I Have a Winner & Another Give-Away in Two Days!

I'm happy to say Sarah Bundy won Guardian Construction VBS kit from Nourishing Faith. (You'll find my full review at this link.) Thank you Sarah for reading About the Children's Department (please email me your address by February 14, 2015 so I can have it sent to you - lyndafreemanatcd@gmail.com) and thank you Nourishing Faith for making this vbs available for me to give away!

A Month of Love - Help Children Show Their Love

As we think about love during February, it is very important for us to understand real love shows itself. Yes, it speaks love to others, but it does not stop with the words. Real love shows itself; just as God showed His love to us! One way we can help the children in our ministries understand this is by involving them in projects to show love to others.

A few days ago I posted about involving the children in your ministry in showing love to families in need by having them raise money to buy bunnies from WorldHelp. For just $20 you can give a pair of bunnies to a family in need somewhere in the world; and of course we all know those two bunnies will very quickly be more than just two bunnies! This gives families a source of food and income as they sell bunnies in their communities.

Second Chance Give-Away - Camp Kilimanjaro VBS Kit

A week ago I had a drawing for the Camp Kilimanjaro VBS Starter Kit from Answers in Genesis. (You'll find my full review at this link.) Sadly, the person who won did not get their address to me, so on Monday, February 9, 2015 I'm having a second-chance give-away for this excellent VBS resource.

Please enter this give-away, but only if you will check back on the ninth to see if you won - if you win, please email me your address so I will be able to have the VBS kit sent to you.

This second-chance giveaway will be for the Camp Kilimanjaro VBS kit (USA only)! If you are over the age of 18 and would like to be included in the drawing for the Super Starter Kit - which will be on February 9, 2015, please comment below to share your favorite "wise saying" from Proverbs. I know there are a lot, but one of my favorites has to be; Proverbs 3:3, 4 - "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man." 

I Have a Winner & Another Give-Away Tomorrow!

I'm happy to say Jennifer McLeod won one What's in the Bible VBS kit along with 20 packs of 21 Day Family Devotional Journals and Proclaim-Live-Do wrist bands from Jellyfish One. (You'll find my full review at this link.) Thank you Jennifer for reading About the Children's Department (please email me your address by February 13, 2015 so I can have it sent to you - lyndafreemanatcd@gmail.com) and thank you Jellyfish One for sending your curriculum for me to review and for making this prize package available for me to give away!

VBS 2015 - Outback Rock from Group Publishing

I'm delighted for the opportunity to once again share Group's weekend VBS with you . . . Outback Rock. The idea with this resource is to provide two affordable 2 1/2 hour sessions, plus a one hour celebration which churches could use over one weekend . . . or over three weekends . . . or they might be able to spread it out for one Saturday a month for a Summer of fun! And, if you do not mind repeating games and focusing more on the same Bible Adventure, you could stretch it for a week of VBS.

I Have a Winner and Another Give-Away in Two Days!

I'm happy to say Jennifer Pyne won the Digital Curriculum for Builder's Quest from NextGen4Christ. (You'll find my full review at this link.) Thank you Jennifer for reading About the Children's Department (please email me your address by February 11, 2015 so I can have it sent to you - lyndafreemanatcd@gmail.com) and thank you NextGen4Christ for sending your curriculum for me to review and for making an additional one available for me to give away!

A Month of Love - Show Love - Speak with Grace

As we think about showing love, one big way we do this is with the words we do say. Look at Colossians 4:6 - "Your speech should always be gracious and sprinkled with insight so that you may know how to respond to every person." (CEB) This verse tells us the words we say should ALWAYS be gracious and insightful. The dictionary defines, "grace" as; "A controlled, polite and pleasant way of behaving" and "gracious" as; "marked by kindness, courtesy, tact and charm". So, how can we show this in our children's ministries? Consider the following . . . 

A Month of Love - Show Love - No Gossip

Yesterday I wrote about involving the children in your ministry in a project to show their love by earning money to buy bunnies for families in need around the world. Today - and each day of February - I want to write about ways to show love in your children's ministry; starting today with one of what I consider the biggest and most important ways to show love . . . commit to absolutely not gossip.

Gossip is insidious. Far too often we do it without even thinking. But gossip is evil and vile. It causes damage and hurts people, deeply. Gossip compromises our ministry to children, families and to the volunteers who serve in our ministry. We absolutely MUST have a zero tolerance for gossip and MUST be people who will NOT gossip; ever.

If we gossip, or allow our ministry to have an atmosphere of gossip, our ministries will be damaged in the following ways - 

Engage Your Children in Showing Love - Give Bunnies!

Today is February 1st - the first day in the month of the year when we think about "love". It is the perfect month to involve the children in your ministry in a project to show their love for others . . . by raising money to give bunnies to families in need around the world!

Bunnies, you ask? Yes! Bunnies! For just $20 you can give a pair of bunnies to a family in need. This pair of bunnies very quickly becomes more bunnies . . . and can not only be used to provide much needed nutrition, but can be sold and traded for things families need as well.

And since a pair of bunnies is only $20 through WorldHelp, it makes bunnies a very affordable project . . . children can work to see how many pairs of bunnies they can earn! And, it is so easy to make this a fun project! Consider the following . . . 

I Have a Winner & Another Give-Away in Three Days!

I'm happy to say Lisa Jones won the To the Edge VBS kit from Regular Baptist Press. (You'll find my full review at this link.) Thank you Lisa for reading About the Children's Department (please email me your address by February 8, 2015 so I can have it sent to you - lyndafreemanatcd@gmail.com) and thank you RBP for sending your curriculum for me to review and for making an additional kit available for me to give away!

How Does Your Children's Ministry Support Parents With Special Needs Children?

When it comes to family ministry and being intentional and effective in your family ministry; do you stop to think about your ministry to families where they have a child with special needs? Does your children's ministry provide the support and encouragement these parents need? Loretta Baughan wrote a powerful and thought provoking post on Modern Day Eugenics on her blog, STRAIGHT4ward with Loretta Baughan. Please take a moment to read this post and then consider the following . . .