Thankful Banners!

In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, consider giving the children - and families in your church the opportunity to share the big and small things for which they are thankful. You can do this by putting butcher paper outside each classroom, or your Children's Ministry area, provide crayons/markers and ask children and families arrive each week, ask them to draw pictures or write about what they are thankful about from the previous week.

I do this with my grandsons - they have journals which we take time each week for them to draw pictures or write about the things for which they are thankful. Sometimes they draw things like pizza, cookies and donuts and other times they draw how God has answered prayers. I like how they are thankful for big and small things in their lives!

Craft - Thankful Turkey Mobile

With Thanksgiving around the corner our focus tends to turn to being thankful. Today I'm happy to share a simple craft with you which you could have the children in your ministry make to help them think about being thankful.

Strengthen Your Ministry by Equipping Grandparents Part 3 . . .

For the past two days I've been reviewing resources you could use in your ministry to equip grandparents so they will pass on a heritage of faith to their grandchildren. Your Children's Ministry will benefit and be significantly more effective if you take the time to engage and equip the grandparents.


You can make engaging and equipping grandparents as big a ministry as you choose with either just recommending resources or implementing an actual Grandparenting Ministry. Either way, you will need resources so today I want to share one more resource with you - Science the Bible & Fun! The goals of this book are to . . .

Strengthen Your Ministry by Equipping Grandparents Part 2 . . .

Yesterday I said; "When you think about the families in your Children's Ministry,
who do you think about? Of course families include children, parents, possibly older siblings in your youth ministry, but there is someone else to keep in mind when you think about the families in your Children's Ministry . . . the grandparents. Yes, grandparents!" and then shared with you information about a book, It Is Impossible to Spoil Grandchildren, which you could have the grandparents in your ministry work through together in their Sunday school classes and small groups.

Today I want to share another of three resources with you which you could use with the grandparents in your ministry to help them pass faith to their grandchildren. (I'll share the other one tomorrow.) Let's look at the second book . . . Deeper In 4 Grandparents & Parents, Too! Praying the Scriptures for the Children You Love - this book is available in two editions . . . the Old Testament Edition and the Psalms Edition. The goals of these books are . . .

Strengthen Your Children's Ministry by Equipping Grandparents . . .

When you think about the families in your Children's Ministry, who do you think about? Of course families include children, parents, possibly older siblings in your youth ministry, but there is someone else to keep in mind when you think about the families in your Children's Ministry . . . the grandparents. Yes, grandparents!

Few people on Earth care about the children in your ministry as much as Christian grandparents do. These grandparents know it matters for them to pass faith to their grandchildren, but they may not know how to go about doing so. When they do, the children will be impacted in powerful, positive ways, making it well worth your time to help the grandparents learn how to pass their faith to their grandchildren.

Equipping grandparents can be as involved as you want - you could begin a Grandparenting Ministry with the focus on engaging, equipping and encouraging grandparents to pass on their faith. This could involve Sunday school classes, small groups and opportunities for grandparents to get together with other grandparents to pray and learn together. It could include opportunities for grandparents and grandchildren to participate in special events and it could include opportunities for them to serve their community together. Or, you could simply provide resources for grandparents and encourage them to use them - in classes which already exist and on their own.

Whether you being an actual Grandparenting Ministry in your church, or build on what you are already doing, you will need resources, so, today I want to share one of three resources with you which you could use with the grandparents in your ministry to help them pass faith to their grandchildren. (I'll share the other two over the next two days.)

The first is a book which grandparents could read/work through on their own or in a Sunday school class or small group. It Is Impossible to Spoil Grandchildren has ten chapters, each dealing with how to pass faith to their grandchildren such as . . .

Thankful Challenge

Yesterday I wrote about how teaching children to be thankful is a great way to help them remember and follow God - it is hard to forget Him, when we are watching for His blessings and being thankful!

So, today I want to look at what Scripture has to say about being thankful. Consider the following . . . 

Why Does It Matter for Our Children's Ministry to Be Thankful?

I have been talking about being thankful for a couple weeks. Why? Because I absolutely believe it matters for us to be thankful if we want the children in our ministries to, first of all, remember God and secondly, become people who are thankful. It matters much if we are thankful - all year, not just at Thanksgiving. Consider the following . . . 

Thankful for Confident Hope and Perfect Peace!

As I think about being thankful, I know I have so much for which to be thankful. But one thing I'm most thankful for is because I know I can put my confident hope in God! "I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope." Romans 15:13

As you think about your family and ministry, are you able to have confident hope in God? There are so many things to do and the world is certainly filled with uncertainty, but as you think about being thankful, keep the following in mind . . .

Celebrate! The Most Important Decision Ever!

Oh yes! Yesterday there was some serious celebrating going on in Heaven because yesterday my dear, sweet grandson, Caleb, "became part of God's family!" There are moments in your lifetime which stand out in your memory as times you'll never forget . . . well, this moment is one I'll never forget! We were talking about what it takes to get to Heaven (saying Jesus is Lord, admitting you believe God raised Jesus from the dead and asking Him to forgive you) and Caleb, with a huge smile on his face, said he wanted to do them all - and did! We talked about what it means to say Jesus is Lord (it is saying He is the Boss of your life and you will obey Him) and Caleb said he understood and wanted Jesus to be his Boss!

Cultivate and Model a Heart of Thankfulness!

Every year in November we talk about and focus on Thanksgiving; for good reason, but this year make the commitment to modeling and encouraging a heart of thankfulness all year long! Consider the following . . . 

Having a Heart Attitude of Thankfulness

Yesterday I wrote about being thankful. I said, "Being thankful goes to the heart of who we are. It can be far too easy to be a person who just takes advantage of the kindness of others and this is something people who serve in churches need to be on guard for." We cause great pain to others when we take advantage of them and when we misjudge them.

Of course, none of us want to be people who take advantage of others or who misjudge them, but how can we be on guard for this and recognize if this is what we are doing? Consider the following . . .

Be Thankful!

Thanksgiving is just a month away, so as we turn our focus to being thankful, I want to take a moment to encourage us all to be intentional about being thankful all year . . . not just in November. I've been talking with my grandsons about being thankful people. I tell them we love to be people who are thankful and encourage them to look for reasons to be thankful to others and to God. If the habit - or "mind-set" of being thankful is one which is encouraged and celebrated from the youngest ages, I believe it is one which will become a part of who we are!

While being thankful is part of having good manners, I think it is more than a manners "issue". Being thankful goes to the heart of who we are. It can be far too easy to be a person who just takes advantage of the kindness of others and this is something people who serve in churches need to be on guard for. We have people who volunteer their time, abilities and gifts to serve in our children's ministries. These people give and give and give - and we happily take what they give. Do we truly stop to let them know how very much we appreciate them and what they do? Or, do we take them for granted?

I’m Thankful For . . . God’s Word!!!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and I’ve been posting about some of the things I’m thankful for . . . God’s Grace, my family and today I want to share another thing I’m thankful for . . .  God’s Word! Stop and think about it for a minute. God loved us enough to give us His Word so we can know Him and love Him back! This is beyond amazing!

Your Thanksgiving Inventory . . .

Thanksgiving is only a little over a month away . . . so today, this post about being thankful is for you and is for fun! Are we truly thankful people? Do we get so "caught up" in the business of life we don't spend time "taking inventory" about all of God's many, many blessings in our lives?  Take a moment to watch this skit about "Your Thanksgiving Inventory" from the skitguys - it is sure to bring a smile to your face . . .

Thanksgiving . . . I’m Thankful for . . . My Family!

Last week I  posted the first thing I’m thankful for is God’s grace! As I said, God’s grace “is so utterly undeserved and so lavishly given . . . which makes it truly amazing! When I think of God’s grace there is nothing else for me to feel than complete thankfulness.” If God’s grace was the only good thing in my life it would be enough to leave me a forever thankful person!

A Few Thoughts About the Upcoming Election . . .

As a person, daughter, sister, wife, mom, mother-in-law and grandma I find this election cycle so very disappointing and discouraging. Both parties put up candidates who are utterly flawed and who seem to be completely lacking in character. One has a person who has said many despicable things about women, people from other countries/faiths and anyone who speaks up against him. The other appears to be able to be "bought" and seems to be unable to tell the truth and take responsibility for her bad choices. Both completely lack character. Neither are people I can hold up before my grandsons as "good examples" - as I would like to be able to do with the president of our country.

Both parties spew hate - one says the other party is her “enemy” and calls those who vote for their opponent "deplorable" . . . while I did not vote for him in the primaries, I know and love people who did and they are absolutely NOT deplorable. The other calls people names, mocks them, seems unable/unwilling to show self-control and basically acts like a school-yard bully to anyone who says something he does not like. After the election in November, one of these people will be president – how will they possibly be the president for all the people, when they have both alienated about half the country with their hate? Will this hate impact my grandsons? If so, how? I want them to be people who are characterized and motivated by love for others and grace, not hate.

Thanksgiving . . . What Am I Thankful For?

Thanksgiving is just a month away and, as usual for this time of year, our thoughts tend to turn to the things we are thankful for. For the next few weeks, I’m going to look at the things I’m thankful for . . . and share these with you!

First of all, I’m most thankful for Grace! God’s grace is the most amazing gift we could ever be blessed with . . . it is so utterly undeserved and so lavishly given . . . which makes it truly amazing! When I think of God’s grace there is nothing else for me to feel than complete thankfulness. So . . . how do I show this thankfulness, because thankfulness which isn’t shown or expressed is not thankfulness at all? Consider the following  . . .

Equip Your Kids So They Show Their Thankfulness!

Yesterday I posted about what a truly thankful life looks like, so today I want to encourage you to go beyond thinking about what a truly thankful life looks like to taking steps to equip your kids so they are able to show their thankfulness! When we are truly thankful people, our thankfulness will overflow into the lives of others, so look over the following ideas and select at least one then use it to help your kids show their thankfulness!

What Does a Thankful Life Look Like?

Thanksgiving is just a month away . . . so of course, we all tend to think and talk about being thankful. Thankfulness; however; should be more than something we just think and talk about. What does a thankful life look like? We want the children in our ministries to live what they learn, so when it comes to being thankful, we want them to understand what a truly thankful life looks like when it is lived in their every day lives. Consider the following . . . 

My Month of Special Christmas Give-Aways is About to Begin!

For almost six years I've been posting at least once every day on About the Children's Department - thank you everyone who takes the time to read my blog! My VBS 2017 reviews will begin posting in January 2017 and I have lots of content planned for the entire year, but in addition to writing this blog, I also write another blog - grandma's cookie jar. I'm a grandma . . . one who completely loves being a grandma so my "grandma" blog is one I write for fun and to give ideas of ways to pass on a heritage of faith!

Halloween Resources

Does your church plan any type of outreach on Halloween? I personally am not a fan of Halloween, but from a ministry perspective, I can see where it provides an opportunity to reach out to the community . . . particularly if you are a church in a town or city. 

Give Thanks Board!

For far too many people, Thanksgiving has become the day where we eat a lot of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls and pumpkin pie and then get ready to go shopping for Christmas! We don't really think about being thankful . . . we just think about the food and the shopping . . . and in some cases - the football. 

But Thanksgiving is a wonderful opportunity for us to pause and notice all the ways - big and small - which God has blessed us and to be intentional about being thankful! So, when I was browsing on Pinterest and saw the idea for a "Give Thanks Board", I thought it might be an idea churches could use as well!

Really Make the Choice to Love

Love is a choice. When in your Children's Ministry you have a volunteer who may want their way, you still need to make the choice to show love to them. When in your Children's Ministry you have a parent or grandparent who is unhappy with what you offer, you still need to make the choice to show love to them. When in your Children's Ministry you have a child who has behavior issues in class, you still need to make the choice to show love to them. Love is a choice.

Which brings the questions, do you make the choice to love and what does this choice look like? Thankfully, God gives us the answers to both of these questions; consider 1 Corinthians 13 . . . 

What Do I Need to "See"?

In our ministries we "impart" a lot of "information". We teach Bible lessons, we train volunteers, we encourage parents and grandparents . . . we "impart" a lot of "information". But, do we focus on asking God to "open eyes"? In our Children's and Family Ministries, "imparting information" is important, but it is infinitely most important for us to pray for "eyes to be opened". What are some things we need to have our eyes . . . and the eyes of children, parents, grandparents and volunteers . . . opened so we "see"? Consider the following . . . 

Take Time to Evaluate . . .

So, you likely have the first month of the new school year "under your belt". How are things going? This is a great time to stop and take a look at where you are going and if you need to make any corrections as you move forward. Consider the following questions . . . 

Top Ten Reasons for Involving Your Children in . . .

A few days ago I wrote about my, "Top Ten Reasons for Involving Your Children in Christmas for an Orphan" . . . I, and my grandchildren, have sent boxes to Christmas for an Orphan for several years, but apparently, WorldHope is no longer continuing their Christmas for an Orphan program.

While I'm sad to hear this, there are some excellent other opportunities for you to involve the children in your ministry in serving others by giving at Christmastime. Consider the following options . . .

Anything - Love = Nothing

Do you ever listen to sermons from pastors at churches you do not attend? I'd like to share a sermon by Dr. Jim Samra on I Corinthians 13 - Think. Love. Live. Love Never Ends with you. Take 33 minutes and seven seconds to listen to this sermon . . . you will be so glad you did!

There! Did you listen to it? If not, please do!

Okay, now, a few thoughts . . . 

Help Children Learn to Be Wise, & Speak Always with Grace

Colossians 4:5,6 tell us something very important . . . 

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

 As we work with the children in our ministries, we need to help them learn to show love to others and follow Colossians 4 - treat others wisely, have all they say be full of grace and seasoned well.

Families in Pain & How Your Church is the Hands and Feet of Jesus

So, what does your church do when a family in your church or the family of a grandparent in your church has a marriage which falls apart? When this happens, the parent with the children - dad or mom - will need your support. The grandparents will as well, because they are likely spending more time with their grandchildren to help care for them when the parents are at work. How do you support the parents and grandparents? If you leave them on their own to figure this all out, you are missing a huge opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus. They need your help. They need your prayers. They need your encouragement. They need you. Be there.

Children, Election & A Godly Response

I'm sure you all have noticed, it is a "political" year with the upcoming election of our next president. It is likely the children in your ministries have heard and watched as candidates, parents and others they know expressed their opinions about the candidates. And it has likely been very negative.

Regardless of who you will vote for, it is important for us to follow what God's word says about showing respect for and praying for our government. And, we need to help the children understand what God's Word says as well. Consider the following . . . 

A Fun & Simple Fall Craft

It is Fall and if you live where there are trees such as I do - in West Michigan - the outdoors will be ablaze with color in just a couple weeks! I used to think Dr. Seuss had an amazing imagination . . . which of course he did . . . but he often pictured very colorful trees in his books. However, if you look around Michigan in the Spring and Fall, you most certainly will see an abundance of very colorful trees all around! Maybe Dr. Seuss lived in West Michigan!

Fall is a wonderful time to talk with the children in your ministries about the amazing and beautiful world God created! On your next sunny Sunday after the leaves change color, take the children for a walk to enjoy the amazing colors of Fall! (Be sure you have parent permission and increase your volunteer/child ratio - keep careful track of each child) Talk with them about how God created the trees and spend time thanking and praising Him for giving us trees. As you walk, talk about which trees they think are the most beautiful and collect a few leaves. Be on the look out for Pine trees and look for some "open" pine cones - collect these as well!

When you get back to your class room, set out the "treasures" you found and add a few simple supplies to make pine cone birdfeeders . . .