I Have a Winner & Another Giveaway in Two Days!

I'm happy to say Darren Dalton is the winner of one Hero Central from Cokesbury! (You'll find my review at this link.) Thank you Darren for reading About the Children's Department, please email me your address at lyndafreemanatcd@gmail.com by February 8, 2017, so I can send it to you!

I Have a Winner & Another Giveaway Tomorrow!

I'm happy to say Matthew Latham is the winner of one Group's Rome VBS USB Flash Drive! (You'll find my review at this link.) Thank you Matthew for reading About the Children's Department, please email me your address at lyndafreemanatcd@gmail.com by February 7, 2017, so I can send it to you!

I Have a Winner & Another VBS Giveaway Tomorrow!

I'm happy to say Mary Beth is the winner of one Group's Peru VBS USB Flash Drive! (You'll find my review at this link.) Thank you Mary Beth for reading About the Children's Department, please email me your address at lyndafreemanatcd@gmail.com by February 6, 2017, so I can send it to you!

I Have a Winner & Another VBS Giveaway Tomorrow!

I'm happy to say Karen is the winner of one Group's Maker Fun Factory VBS USB Flash Drive! (You'll find my review at this link.) Thank you Karen for reading About the Children's Department, please email me your address at lyndafreemanatcd@gmail.com by February 5, 2017, so I can send it to you!

VBS 2017 - Rescued by Capatin Sun

Today I’m very happy to share with you a VBS blueprint you could use (for free) for your VBS – or other special event at your church this year! This resource is available on-line for you to download and then have a lot of fun with it as you use your team’s creativity to develop a VBS outreach with your own unique “touch”! This resource is Rescued by Captain Sun, and you will find it at this link.

Giveaway for Grandparents - or Families - in Your Ministry!

One thing we do for families - including grandparents - is look for resources they can use to pass faith to the children they love. Concordia Publishing House recently invited me to have a giveaway for their Happy Times Magazine which is designed as a tool for parents/grandparents to use to pass faith to preschool age children. Today I'm happy to let you know about this resource which you could share with the families in your ministry.

I Have Two Winners & Another Giveaway in Four Days!

I’m happy to say Karen and Leela are the winners of the book, Equipping Grandparents! (You’ll find my review at this link.) Thank you Karen and Leela for reading About the Children’s Department, please email me your address by January 31, 2017 – lyndafreemanatcd@gmail.com – so I can send your book to you.

My Top Five Reasons for Having a Discipline Policy Which Shows Grace

I have three grandsons; ages eight, five and three. While these three boys are as sweet as you can possibly imagine, they are young boys and from time to time they do not obey, they annoy each other and end up arguing or even hitting one another. Yes, I know, this is shocking and almost unbelievable, but from time to time it does happen.

So, when my grandsons do not make a wise choice, what do I do? I give time-outs, we talk about what happened and how even when they are tired or have had a long day, they still have to obey and learn to make wise choices. I lean heavily towards showing my grandsons - and definitely giving them - grace. 

As I thought about this, I thought about the children in our ministries and showing grace to them. There are definitely times when children in our ministries do not obey and we have to implement a discipline policy. Our discipline policies need to be firmly grounded, saturated and immersed in grace. I believe this for the following reasons . . . 

Sunday School - A Place for Relationships

Recently I asked if Sunday school has outlived its usefulness and talked about choosing to focus on involving children in learning God's Word is for them rather than relying on "gimmicks" to get children to participate.

Sunday school has not outlived its usefulness, because at its "core" it is all about building relationships; relationships between children and Jesus and relationships between children and children. We help children build their relationships with Jesus when we focus on helping them learn God's Word is for them and help them learn how to go to God's Word to find the answers they need for their own lives. But along with doing this, we also need to be focused on helping children build relationships with other children. 

2017 VBS - My Thoughts So Far . . .

At this point in my 2017 VBS reviews, I’ve reviewed seven VBS resources, but I’m still waiting on four more to arrive at my home for review. This means today I do not have another review to post for you, so I thought I’d share a few of my favorites so far and what it is I like the most about these resources.

Please keep in mind, at this point I really like all the VBS resources I’ve reviewed. They are all well written, well developed and have solid Bible learning for children – and the volunteers as well. While it is possible my final Top Pick may change when the other kits arrive, at this point my favorites are . . .

VBS 2017 - Abingdon Press - Super God!

Today I'm happy to share with you Super God! from Abingdon Press. As I said last year, while the primary audience for this resource may seem obvious, I want to challenge and encourage you to take a serious look at Super God! whether your church is made up primarily of one race or a mix of different races. I personally believe this would be an excellent resource for any church, as we all need to honestly face prejudices and mis-information in ourselves and deal with them as God wants us to, so we are able to help the children in our ministries grow up to truly believe with all their hearts the song they learned as little ones - "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red, brown, yellow, black and white, all are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world."

In this day and age where racism, anger, mistrust and misinformation divide us - in our communities and sadly, in our churches - more than ever, Super God! is a resource which can help bridge the gaps which divide, by helping us understand others and believe the truth - all children are "super" and all of them have "super-possibilities". Absolutely take a serious look at Super God!, and whether you use it for VBS or not, find a place in your ministry where you will use it.

Imagine the Difference & Impact Grandparenting Ministry Would Make on Your Children's Ministry!

If you knew there may be a group of people in your church who were not truly being engaged; what would you do? If you knew it was possible these people were not really being equipped and encouraged to disciple children, who in many cases were part of your Children’s Ministry; what would you do? If you knew it was possible if this group of people were engaged and equipped, they very well might become some of the strongest supporters of your Children’s Ministry; what would you do?

Who are the people in this group, you ask? The answer is; grandparents. Now before you tell me your church has a ministry to and for grandparents, let me ask you if this “ministry” is more than Bible study classes, get-together, luncheons and hymn sings, because there is a significant difference between a “Senior Saints” Ministry and a Grandparenting Ministry. A Senior Saints Ministry primarily functions for those who are retired (over the age of 65) and is mostly focused on fellowship – both excellent things for a church to do, but not a Grandparenting Ministry, which focuses upon those who are grandparents (the average age for a person to become a grandparent for the first time is 47 . . . yes, 47!) and strives to engage, equip and encourage them to pass on a heritage of faith to their grandchildren. Do you see the difference? Does your church truly have a Grandparenting Ministry?

VBS 2017 - Hero Central - Cokesbury - I'm Giving a VBS Starter Kit Away!

Today I'm happy to share with you Hero Central from Cokesbury. This is a VBS curriculum filled with resources which will help you engage the children in your ministry with God's Word, science, games, activities, service projects and more. Hero Central is absolutely at the top of my list for 2017 VBS (I'll be announcing my Top Pick after I am able to review all the kits . . . I have a couple more for which I'm waiting) - it is truly excellent and is well worth taking a thorough look at to see if it might be a good "fit" for your ministry -

VBS 2017 - Rome - Group Publishing - I'm Giving a Digital USB Flash Drive Away!

One of the four VBS resources Group Publishing releases each year is one with a Bible-times setting - this year the resource is, Rome - Paul and the Underground Church! 

With this resource you get to take children and families from your church and community back to Bible times where they may "experience" life in ancient Rome, as they discover what happened with the start of the church, and discover what life was like in the first century Rome.

VBS 2017 - Group Publishing - Passport Peru - I'm Giving Away One Peru VBS USB Flash Drive!

Today I'm happy to share a VBS I really enjoyed reviewing; Group's Cross Culture VBS . . . Passport to Peru! With this resource you get to take children and families from your church to another culture in a different location somewhere in our world - in this case, Peru - so they may "experience" life in this place and see God in the faces of Christian children from Peru!

VBS 2017 - Maker Fun Factory - Group Publishing - I'm Giving Away One USB Flash Drive!

Today I'm happy to share with you Group's 2017 VBS; Maker Fun Factory! I love the Fun Factory setting; it looks like it is great fun, but most importantly, has solid Bible teaching and learning!

VBS 2017 - LifeWay - Galactic Starveyors

Today I'm happy to share another of my VBS resources for 2017; this time it is, Galactic Starveyors from LifeWay! Take a look and consider if it is a good "fit" for your Children's Ministry!

VBS 2017 - Concordia - Mighty Fortress

I am still waiting for some of the 2017 VBS kits to arrive so I can review them, but I do not want to wait any longer to begin releasing my reviews; so today I'm starting with Mighty Fortress from Concordia Publishing House. While I do not know yet which VBS is my Top Pick, I'm quite sure this VBS will at least be in my Top Five for sure - it could end up higher. I'm very happy to see such a well written curriculum, filled with solid Bible learning and the features I look for in a VBS resource!

So let's take a look at Mighty Fortress from Concordia Publishing House where they call upon children to discover how, "In Jesus the Victory is Won!"

Sunday School - God's Word Not Gimmicks!

Yesterday I asked if Sunday school has outlived its usefulness and commented on an article by Melissa Pandika where she talked about how families are not participating in Sunday school as much as they once did. More and more families are opting out of Sunday school and mid week ministry as well; this is something I think we all see in our ministries.

So, what do we do to reverse this trend? Do we go the route of trying the latest and "greatest" new "gimmicks" to get children to participate? Does this mean we have to work more to "entertain" children so we can "compete" with sports and other activities in which children are participating?

Has Sunday School Outlived Its Usefulness?

We will be focusing upon Vacation Bible School shortly, and this is a tool which in the past few years people have been asking if it has "outlived its usefulness". Even publishers seem to be asking this question and sadly, coming to the conclusion they think it has as more of them stop producing VBS materials and resources.

I believe VBS is still a tool we can use to reach children and families for Jesus and help them grow in their walk with Jesus, but as I thought about this again this year, I remembered an article I read by Melissa Pandika where she asked if the "Sun has set on Sunday School"? She said; "Between 1997 and 2004, churches lost tens of thousands of Sunday school programs, according to data from the Barna Group, and more recent studies show enrollment has fallen across denominations. From 2004 to 2010, for example, Sunday school attendance dropped nearly 40 percent among Evangelical Lutheran churches in America and almost eight percent among Southern Baptist  churches, prompting speculation that the problem may be more than just a decline in American religiosity."

Melissa went on to say parents and children are just too busy on the weekends to attend church and churches in general are paying a higher price than they anticipated for the occurrences of sex abuse in some churches leaving some to wonder if, "Sunday school has outlived it's usefulness". She wrapped up her article saying churches are trying new things to get people to come back to Sunday school. (You'll find her full article at this link.)

So, has Sunday school outlived its usefulness? Is our answer to give it one last "push" by trying new things to get parents and children to return? Do we need to use "gimmicks" to "compete" with sports and the other things children attend and participate in on Sundays? 

VBS Giveaways!

In just a few days I’ll begin my 2017 VBS reviews, but today I just want to say, this year I’m giving away four VBS kits . . . yes four! I love being able to hold giveaways, and giving away VBS is especially fun!

So, stay tuned . . . more info will be forthcoming shortly!

VBS Reviews . . . Just a Few More Days . . .

Most years, today would be the start of my VBS reviews . . . but, I’m still waiting for a couple kits to arrive, so, this year I will hold my review in a different way than in previous years. Typically I do a countdown to my top pick for the year . . . this year I will begin by announcing – later this week, my top pick.

I do want to say, of the kits I’ve reviewed so far, I’m very happy with the choices. They are well written, engaging, a lot of fun and most importantly, they are filled with solid Bible teaching. Children will learn who Jesus is, what He did and how they can know and walk with Him for the rest of their lives! This is what matters and is why we offer VBS ministry to the children and families in our churches and communities.

So, please be patient another few days . . . I will begin posting my reviews as soon as possible!

My Top Five Ways to Show Love to the Children in Our Ministries

Children's Ministries and "love" go hand-in-hand and showing this love to the children should be something which is obvious for all to see, but today I thought I'd take a minute or two and write about my Top Five Ways to Show Love to the Children in Our Ministries!

My Top Five Reasons for Being Someone Who Listens

The other day when my grandsons were at my house they were watching a children's show and the topic of not being listened to came up (it was the "title" of the episode). I asked my oldest grandson if he felt that way sometimes and he said; "Yes. Well, except for you, grandma, because you always listen to us." 

As adults it is far too easy to be busy with the things we are doing or with our tech and just not listen to children. Children do tend to talk a lot and it is not always "earth-shattering" things they have to say; but when it comes to my grandsons, I feel like if it is important to them and they want to tell me, I want to hear it! I'm so glad Josiah has noticed this!

So, as I thought about this conversation, I thought it applied to Children's Ministry as well and came up with five reasons we need to be people who listen to children, families and volunteers and today I'm sharing them with you. They are . . . 

Let's "Design" Our Children's Ministry for Children!

Earlier this week I wrote about the "design" of our Children's Ministries; are the really "designed" for children or for adults? I've asked a few questions to help us see if our ministries are more adult-friendly or child-friendly, so today I want to think about what we can do if our ministries are designed to serve adults more than children and how we can focus in on children. Consider the following . . . 

VBS 2017 . . .

For the past several weeks I’ve been receiving VBS kits for 2017 . . . I have two more arriving today and another in a day or two. So, yes, I do have plans for sharing my 2017 VBS reviews with you . . . beginning next week!

I do have to say, there are fewer publishers releasing new material again this year – I’m sad to say Standard Publishing (Christian Standard) is no longer releasing new VBS. But, the kits I have received so far are excellent – you will have some wonderful resources to consider as you look for curriculum for your 2017 VBS ministries!

So . . . stay tuned, starting next week I’ll begin releasing my 2017 VBS reviews!

Equipping Grandparents - I'm Giving One Away

For several years I’ve been talking about how important it is for grandparents to be intentional about passing on a heritage of faith . . . it is actually the reason I started writing my other blog, grandma’scookie jar, in the first place . . . and I’ve been talking about how important it is for churches to be intentional about engaging, equipping and encouraging the grandparents in their ministries to be intentional Christian grandparents. I absolutely do believe Children’s Ministries, Youth Ministries and Family Ministries will be significantly stronger if they engage and involve grandparents in the things they do.

Grandparents have a Biblical mandate to be intentional about passing on their faith to their grandchildren, but most churches do not do anything to mobilize the segment of their church body. If we want grandparents to be focused and intentional about passing on their faith, and being significantly involved in the ministries of the church, then we need to be focused and intentional about engaging and equipping them.

The Legacy Coalition exists to help churches engage and equip grandparents to help and grandparents be intentional about passing on a heritage of faith to their grandchildren. They are moving forward on work for their second International Grandparenting Summit and are beginning to produce resources to help both churches and grandparents. Today I’m very happy to let you know about one such resource (and announce a giveaway for one as well!)

Do We "Design" Our Children's Ministries for Adults or Children? Part 2

Yesterday I asked, when we think about Children's Ministry do we "design" it for adults or children? I said I'm sure we all want to think we design it for children, but if we look closely will we see this is actually the case or will we see it is actually "designed" for adults?

Then I looked at what we might see if our Children's Ministry is actually designed for adults. Today I want to look at what we might see if our Children's Ministry is in fact, designed for children. Consider the following . . . 

Do We "Design" Our Children's Ministries for Adults or Children?

When we think about Children's Ministry do we "design" it for adults or children? I'm sure we all want to think we design it for children, but if we look closely will we see this is actually the case or will we see it is actually "designed" for adults?

Let's think about this for the next few days, beginning with what might we see if our Children's Ministry is actually designed for adults? Consider the following . . .