Kids Ministry

Dedicated to helping Kids Ministry leaders in their mission of making disciples

Encouragement, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Ministry

5 Leadership Lessons from Gideon

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The story of Gideon in Judges 6 and 7 is a familiar one to kids ministry leaders, and it’s one that we might do well to revisit during this challenging season of ministry. Gideon was something of an unlikely war hero. When we meet him in Judges 6, he is literally hiding from the Midianites, threshing wheat on the floor of a winepress so he won’t be seen and raided. That’s where the Angel of the Lord came to him with an unexpected greeting in Judges 6:12: “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Gideon himself seems surprised by this assessment of who he is, as we see in verse 15: “Pardon me,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” After some famous convincing involving two days of dew and a fleece, Gideon trusts God, makes a battle plan, gathers 32,000 troops, and prepares to attack. At least that was Gideon’s “Plan A.” 

Right about then, God made another unexpected statement, recorded for us in Judges 7:2: “You have too many troops for me to hand the Midianites over to them, or else Israel might elevate themselves over me and say, ‘I saved myself.’” So God proceeded to whittle down the troops. Twice. First from 32,000 to 10,000, and then to just 300. And then the battle plans changed. This battle would not be won with soldiers, swords, and shields. Nope. Each of the 300 men would instead go to the battle with a trumpet, a torch, and a terracotta pot. We’ll call this “Plan B.” 

You may know the story. Gideon’s 300 men surround the Midianite camp, and on his signal, they break the pots, revealing their torches, then they blow their trumpets and shout, “For the Lord, and for Gideon!” And the Midianites are so frightened and confused, they fight against themselves, and God uses Gideon and 300 men to defeat them. 

What does this have to do with your ministry in 2021? Like Gideon, most of us have had our Plan A taken away, and we don’t know what to do. We feel discouraged and distracted and defeated. Some of us are literally hiding! Our churches aren’t meeting. Our volunteers are MIA. We feel like our soldiers, swords, shields, and strategies are gone. Some of us are doubting whether God has chosen the right person for our job. If this is how you feel, these five truths from Gideon’s life are for you. Listen closely, and apply them to your situation.

Truth 1: The mission hasn’t changed.

2020 (and now 2021) have been difficult for everyone in ministry. No, we can’t do it the way we have always done it, but we must continue to minister to kids and families in whatever ways we can. Let’s not allow our ministries to be deterred or deferred. There’s urgency around the gospel. Ephesians 5:16 reminds us to make the most of the time we have. 2 Timothy 4:2 challenges us to present the Word “in season and out of season.” Not having Plan A is not a reason to concede the mission. When God took away Gideon’s soldiers, the goal was never to not have a battle, and it was never to not win the battle. The mission didn’t change, only the method. And God did what He did for good reason.

Truth 2: God sometimes does big things in absurd ways.

Time and time again in Scripture, we witness God doing miraculous things in unlikely ways. God rescued humanity from elimination by having a 500-year-old man build a boat in the desert. He saved baby Moses by having his mother float him down the river in a basket, then had the daughter of the very king who decreed that all Israelite babies be killed, adopt him and raise him in the palace. He waited until Abram was 100 before he gave the promised son. He used a shepherd boy with a rock to kill a famous military champion (who also happened to be a giant). He had Elijah pour water over the altar, enough to fill a trench around it, before burning up the offering with fire from heaven to humiliate the prophets of Baal. Jesus told the wedding caterers to fill the jugs with water. He told Peter to get a coin from a fish. He healed a blind man with spit-mud. He defeated death by dying. When He left the tomb, He folded the cloth. Don’t waste time worrying that God has taken away your meeting times or your volunteers. Don’t cry over soldiers and swords. Look for torches and trumpets. Watch for the Lord to do something amazing that only He can do, so the glory can only be given to Him.  

Truth 3: It’s not your battle.

When looking through the account of Gideon in Judges 6–7, it’s interesting to notice how many times “Gideon’s” story mentions God’s actions. God approached Gideon to lead the charge (6:12), sent Gideon (6:14), promised to be with Gideon (6:16), gave signs of assurance to Gideon (6:36–40), filtered out the fearful soldiers (7:3), tested the troops at the river for Gideon (7:4), promised to deliver Israel with 300 men (7:7), told Gideon when to attack (7:9), assured Gideon again (7:10), handed the Midianites over to 300 men (7:15), and caused the Midianite army to turn on each other (7:22). Do you see it? We may think of this as Gideon’s battle, but it wasn’t. It was God’s. It was always God’s. The battle belongs to the Lord. So does your ministry. Stop trying to carry the burden of failed Plan A and the stress of an untested Plan B. Your church is His. Your kids are His. Your job is His. It’s not about you. It’s all about Him!

Truth 4: God WILL accomplish His plan.

God is absolutely, 100%, perfectly in control of every circumstance and situation you will ever face. History is His story. He is the author and finisher. He raises up kings and tears them down again. He is our strong tower. He is an ever-present help. He is Lord of all and over all. There is no one and nothing outside of His control. When God says something will be done, you can know that it WILL absolutely, positively, 100%, be done. In Judges 6:16–23, God tells Gideon, “ I WILL be with you.” “You WILL strike Midian down as if it were one man.”  “I WILL stay until you return.” And, “Don’t be afraid, for you WILL NOT die.” In Judges 7:7 The Lord said to Gideon, “I WILL deliver you with the three hundred men.” God has a purpose and a plan, and He will be faithful to complete His plan. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that God created us for good works, “which God prepared ahead of time for us to do,” and Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us that God knows the plans He has for us.  When we understand that God will work out His plan, it changes how we pray. Instead of asking God to be with us in our plans, may we ask that He allow us to be with Him in His plans.

Truth 5: God wants leaders to walk in confidence by faith.

When the time came for the battle to occur, Gideon gave each of his 300 men their torches and their trumpets and their clay pots and he gave them this instruction in Judges 7:17: “Watch me,” he said to them, “and do what I do.” In this moment, Gideon gives us a beautiful picture of biblical leadership. It’s not a “do as I say” strategy, but one built on leadership by example. In reality, we all know that “do as I say” never works. Our actions need to model our words. It’s not enough to say it; we have to display it. It’s not enough to talk it; we have to walk it. It’s not enough to know it; we have to show it. Paul encouraged the church at Corinth to follow him as he followed Christ. We need to model trust in God through difficult circumstances. We need to walk by faith through uncertainty. We need to model determination to reach kids and teach kids, if not in person then through their mailboxes, their inboxes, or online. 

As leaders, we need to get our hearts right and our heads right, and then invite people to watch us and do what we do, reminding ourselves and others that the mission hasn’t changed. God sometimes does big things in absurd ways. This is not our battle to win or lose. God will accomplish His will.

In the end, we’ll learn something profound: In God’s eyes, Plan B was Plan A all along.

Chuck Peters is Director of Operations for Lifeway Kids. Before his role at Lifeway, Chuck had an extensive career in television and video production. He is a 3-time Emmy Award Winning producer, director, writer and host. A graduate of Columbia Bible College, Chuck, and his wife, Cris, have served vocationally & voluntarily in Student and Children’s Ministry for many years. They have four amazing children: Tally (21), Tristen (20), Tyson (14) and Tate (11). 

Encouragement, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Ministry

Assess Your Ministry After a Year of Pivoting

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If there’s one word that sums up the experience of the church in 2020 (and now 2021) it may be the word “Pivot.” The foundational assumptions of when, where, and how we facilitate ministry have been upended. Because of COVID, it’s likely your Sunday School classes and community groups haven’t been meeting. If you are having worship gatherings they are likely at a greatly reduced capacity. People simply aren’t coming like they did before COVID.

We have all always known the real church isn’t a building. Every one of us could preach a sermon or lay out a lesson that passionately proclaims the church is the people not the steeple. Even so, that hasn’t kept us from relying on in-person gatherings as the primary way of conducting church. So what can we do in light of the setbacks the church is experiencing.

Your initial reaction may be one of paralysis; choosing to watch and wait and wonder when things will go back to normal again so you can go back to doing ministry the way you have always done it. But there’s danger that comes with getting stuck in this “freeze” response. People need pastoral care, Bible study, and biblical perspective right now.

While people may not be coming to church, they still desperately need the influence of the church in their lives. As people deal with isolation, job losses, health crises, and death, they need Jesus. We as the church need to act with a sense or urgency during this season. If people can’t or won’t come to church, we need to find new ways to take church to them. The gospel is too important. We need to be determined to not allow our ministry to be deterred or deferred. It’s time for us to take active steps to pivot our strategies. We need to warm up to the idea of Plan B. 

ASSESS THE SITUATION ACCURATELY

The first step in adjusting your plan so you can pivot properly is to accurately assess the situation. The emphasis here is on accuracy. Tell yourself the truth about the situation. Because your assessment directly impacts your action plan, it is essential that your observations be true and valid representations of the situation and of your available resources.

In Numbers 13, Moses sent out 12 men to spy on Canaan. Ten men came back with a negative perception, and two with favorable one. In that instance, all 12 saw the same things; they did not dispute what they saw, but they interpreted the data differently. The lessons here for us: First, it is wise to not assess a crisis by yourself. Multiple perspectives are important. You don’t need to have twelve advisors, but there is wisdom in conducting assessments with a trusted team, not in isolation. Second, the larger group may make observations, but the data gathered should be interpreted by wise and trusted leaders who are strong people of faith, committed to the cause of your ministry.

REASSESS YOUR KEY ASSUMPTIONS

Making an adjustment from Plan A to Plan B offers you an important opportunity to check your focus. It’s time to ask clarifying questions about what you will choose to categorize as essential and non-essential operations. I call this clarifying your “why.” Before delving deeply into the “what” and “how” of a new plan, it is essential to first bring clarity to a clear and compelling purpose for your plan. You cannot move forward into a viable and effective Plan B without revisiting and clarifying your foundational purpose and goal.

ASSESS AVAILABILITY OF ASSETS

Once you have an accurate idea of the situation, you need to assemble an accurate assessment of what resources you have available. A word of caution here: It can be easy to improperly focus your attention on what you don’t have, rather than what you do have. What matters most in a crisis situation is knowing what options are available. These assets will help you establish a workable action plan.

When Moses stood before God at the burning bush in Exodus 4, he was quick to list the skills and assets he lacked as an explanation of why he could not do what God asked of him. God’s response, however, was to ask Moses, “What’s that in your hand?” God then took the one thing Moses had, his ordinary staff, and used it in miraculous ways as an instrumental tool in accomplishing His plan.

Jesus did this at the feeding of the five thousand. When His disciples came to Him with an impossible problem, Jesus asked them in Mark 6:38, “How many loaves do you have?” He asked. “Go and see.” He then instructed them to bring what they had to Him, and He proceeded to do something big with the little they had available.

As you assess your available options, don’t worry about what you lack; instead, list whatever things you have “in your hand.” Lift whatever resources you have to the Lord, and trust Him to use whatever you have for His glory.

BE ACTION ORIENTED

The purpose of assessment should always be action. We don’t assess merely for the sake of interest, or simply to explain why things aren’t happening. Assess from a standpoint of gathering data that can be used to formulate an actionable plan. This typically means generating a prioritized list of sub-goals and then setting immediate, intermediate, and long-term actions to accomplish them.

In the short term, be careful to only fix what’s really broken and only add what’s needed. Start with essentials. Preserve and secure your necessary functions. Maintain and sustain your base actions, then expand your plan gradually toward operating at full capacity.  

Assessment should not be a one-time event, but an ongoing process of recurring evaluation. This is especially true during seasons when we are implementing temporary short-term strategies. In some seasons you may need to re-assess assumptions, available resources, and action plans weekly. Whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Take the first step to a new action plan by assessing the situation, re-examining your core purpose, and identifying your available assets so you can create a solid action plan for the future.

Chuck Peters is Director of Operations for Lifeway Kids. A graduate of Columbia Bible College, Chuck has served vocationally & voluntarily in Student and Children’s Ministry for many years.

Kids Ministry

Increasing Your Reach: Doing Ministry from Lockdown

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It can be difficult to truly appreciate the challenge of James to “count it all joy” as we consider the impact that COVID-19 has had on the state of our ministries over the past months. We know that we cannot afford to stop ministering just because we’ve had to stop meeting. We know that sometimes God grows things by breaking them. Still, lockdown does not seem like something to be thankful for. It can feel like an impenetrable barrier to ministry. Many of us have felt severely restricted in our ability to reach and teach and worship and influence. In some parts of the country, people have started to meet again, but we may still be weeks or months away from being back to anything that resembles the normal that we took for granted just seven months ago. Is it really realistic to think that anyone could have an effective ministry during a time when they can’t gather together in person? Paul did.

Paul must have experienced frustration similar to what we feel now, only his situation was due to actual imprisonment. After going to Rome in about 60A.D., Paul was put under house arrest and held for two years (Acts 28:30-31). But a lack of proximity and personal freedom didn’t hinder his ministry. Although he was not able to travel freely to visit churches in person, his ministry was not hindered—it was amplified! Paul didn’t stop doing discipleship or serving the church during his imprisonment. Instead of preaching and teaching in person, he wrote letters. Aren’t we glad that he did! The things he wrote at that time have influenced people for centuries, and continue to speak to the church today; people that Paul would never meet, in places he would never go. God sovereignly used Paul’s imprisonment to exponentially increase the reach of his teaching over both space and time.

Paul wrote four epistles during his imprisonment: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon. These four letters contain powerful and influential spiritual truths, including: 

Paul wrote letters because that was the most effective tool he had available to do ministry from lockdown. I suspect that if he had the option he may have also used email, or made YouTube videos, or hosted FaceBook Live sessions. Paul is a wonderful example of a minister with a message that could not be deterred by distance or deferred because of inconvenience. He should serve to provide great encouragement to us as we face the potential distraction and discouragement of our current crisis. 


Like Paul, may we not be hindered by our present inability to meet in person. Like Paul, let’s not be shaken by our circumstances . Like Paul, let’s choose instead to find alternate ways to do ministry from anywhere. Who knows–like Paul–God may use us to reach people we’ll never meet, in places we’ll never go, to increase the reach of the Gospel for His glory.

Chuck Peters is Director of Operations for Lifeway Kids. Before his role at Lifeway, Chuck had an extensive career in television and video production. He is a 3-time Emmy Award Winning producer, director, writer and host. A graduate of Columbia Bible College, Chuck, and his wife, Cris, have served vocationally & voluntarily in Student and Children’s Ministry for many years. They have four amazing children: Tally (21), Tristen (20), Tyson (14) and Tate (11). 

Kids Ministry

Kids Ministry From Anywhere

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For a lot of us ministry has always been connected to spaces and places. A lot of kids ministries — and churches in general — find a lot of their identity in where they meet. — Some of us have cool large-group gathering spaces with stages, screens, lighting & theater seating.  You may have a kids hall with murals on the wall. You might have classrooms with TVs and technology, or resource rooms that are filled to the rim with glitter and glue and rolls of colored paper. You might have a gym or playground, or a ball field… or maybe you have little classrooms for each age group that your teachers have decorated with a personal and individualized touch. Maybe it’s formal. Maybe it’s casual. Maybe it’s traditional. Maybe it’s modern.

Find Kids Ministry From Anywhere Resources Here.

Whatever your space looks like, you have a space. And whatever space you have has likely played a large part in defining the way that your ministry feels and functions. I know a lot of you who put a LOT of thought into choosing your paint colors, and arranging your rooms and making your kids areas attractive and appealing and fun and conducive to whatever kind of kids ministry you like run — 

But right now…  you’re probably not using those spaces very much. Even if you have begun meeting again, it’s likely at a reduced capacity. — Because of COVID our spaces are emptier and quieter than they have ever been.  

For a lot of us Kids Ministry has always been something that kids COME TO. And largely, coming to our places and being in our spaces has been prerequisite to ministry happening. Ministry happens when we are together in the same place at the same time. Ministry has been about those moments. Those regular touchpoints. Those real-time interactions with the kids who SHOW UP. 

Anyone who misses a meeting misses out. 

They miss the moment. 

Miss the message. 

Miss the MINISTRY.

Now… We have all always known that the real church isn’t a building. Every one of us could preach a sermon or lay out a lesson that passionately proclaims that the church is the people not the steeple. Even so… that hasn’t kept us from relying on locations as we serve in our vocations.

Our ministries haven’t only been limited by location, they have been tied to times. It’s not just where we gather, it’s when we gather. We ‘minister’ on Sunday mornings from 8-11, Sunday nights from 6-7:30 — Wednesdays from 7-8:15. We don’t just need to be in the same place, we need to be there at the same time. Those meeting times have become… sacred. 

We are all mourning the loss of gathering. We all want to be back together. So our default tendency might be to wait and watch and wonder what’s going to happen next and when this will all be over, so we can just get back to normal. — But while we wait, time is slipping away.

In Eph 5:16 Paul warns us, the church, to make the most of the time that we have because the days are evil — the implication is that time is short and there’s urgency around the gospel. We don’t have a moment to miss or a minute to waste.

We can’t afford to wait for the old normal to come back. We can’t afford to wait for our kids to come back to our places and our spaces. We can’t wait for them to come to us. — We have to actively, URGENTLY seek out new ways to go to them — wherever they are. 

A lot of people in the business world have adjusted to a new way of working — they have learned to WFA to ‘work from anywhere’ — We need to adapt to do CFA (Church from anywhere)… KMFA Kids Ministry from Anywhere…so we can continue to connect with our kids and to connect our kids with the truth of God’s Word no matter where they are. 

This isn’t all about mastering technology… although, if you can make simple videos, or host a Zoom meeting, or post material online… technology makes this easier than ever before. — It’s not about your personal technical aptitude… it’s about your attitude. It’s about your desire and determination. Virus or no virus, our ministry to kids must not be deterred and it can not be deferred. We have to find new ways to reach our kids and to teach our kids and to disciple our kids. The mission is too important. The gospel is too urgent. Our time to influence is too short. 

If we can’t meet with kids in our churches, we need to meet them in their Mailbox, or inbox, or Online… and when we do we can’t just wing it. We need to stay faithful to teaching trustworthy biblical content. This isn’t a time to change WHAT we teach, but HOW we reach. 

Yes we are facing obstacles. But every obstacle is an opportunity. — Satan wants us to give up and bow out. He wants us to think this is a terrible time for ministry. But he is dead wrong. He wants this to be a WAIT TIME… but God can make this a great time. A great time to minister!

  • This Is a great time to review and revisit your mission and vision and values 
  • This is a great time to update your policies and procedures
  • This is a great time to equip and empower your current volunteers 
  • This is a great time to recruit new leaders with new skill sets for a new season. 
  • This is a great time to tap into the training on MinistryGrid.com and Kidsministry101.com
  • This is a great time to double down on equipping families to do discipleship at home.
  • This is a great time to invest more energy than ever into resourcing moms and dads and grandparents. 
  • This is a great time to leverage the digital components of your curriculum. 
  • This is a great time to teach kids to have their own personal walk with Jesus by spending time in His Word on their own
  • This is a great time to reinforce the fact that God knows their names and their situations and that He loves them and has a plan for their lives. 
  • This is a great time to remind kids that no matter what happens, God is all-powerful, sovereign and good.

If you need ideas, we are here to help! The Lifeway Kids team has created a webpage dedicated to helping you find new ways to disciple kids. Here you’ll find strategy ideas, eBooks, training videos, and Bible study resources to help you reach, teach, and disciple your kids in new ways. 

Someday soon we will gather again in our spaces at our churches and slowly things will start to feel familiar again. But we can’t just wait until that day to continue our ministries to kids & families. We can’t wait for kids to come back to the church. Let’s invest ourselves in finding new ways to take the church to our kids.

Kids Ministry

10 Attributes of an Unshakeable Kids Ministry

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The COVID-19 pandemic has turned ‘normal’ on its head. It has closed businesses, cancelled schools and scattered churches. Many of us feel as though our worlds, and our ministries, have been picked up by the ankles and shaken. As we have scrambled to find our feet, we’ve had to look for new ways to do ministry, and we wonder how long this will last. You may be filled with uncertainty about the future. You may not know how to move forward with any measure of confidence. Maybe you are questioning whether you should scrap everything you’ve ever done and initiate a complete reset on your kids ministry strategy. You’re not alone. These are common reactions in this time of stress and uncertainty. During times like these, we need to encourage one another and lift each other up. As Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 1:7, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.” While we cannot control the circumstances, we can choose to respond in faith, not fear.

The truth is, we do need to re-evaluate our strategies in light of a changing not-so-normal normal. We do need to question what we should continue to do and what we need to do differently. But we need to be careful not to do so out of timidity. Let’s take care not to throw out the things that make our ministries strong. We need to consciously purpose to build our ministries on unshakable ideas that will help them remain strong no matter what circumstance comes. 

The Lifeway Kids leadership team has identified 10 attributes to help you build your kids ministry on an unshakable foundation that will hold strong no matter what circumstances arise, so you can lead with confidence, even in uncertain times. 

Find out what the 10 Attributes of an Unshakable Kids Ministry are by downloading this free new eBook from the Lifeway Kids team at lifeway.com/10attributes.

DOWNLOAD THE FREE EBOOK.

Chuck Peters is Director of Operations for Lifeway Kids. Before his role at Lifeway, Chuck had an extensive career in television and video production. He is a 3-time Emmy Award Winning producer, director, writer and host. A graduate of Columbia Bible College, Chuck, and his wife, Cris, have served vocationally & voluntarily in Student and Children’s Ministry for many years. They have four amazing children: Tally (21), Tristen (20), Tyson (14) and Tate (11). 

Encouragement

Give Thanks for Broken Things

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Sometimes God Grows Things by Breaking Them

Sometimes God grows things by breaking them. We tend to spend a lot of our time hoping and praying that things in our lives and within our ministries won’t break. Most of the time we are justified in doing so. When the car doesn’t run or the refrigerator stops making ice, we have to deal with the cost and inconvenience of getting them repaired. When valuable volunteers walk away or budgets are cut we scramble to make our ministries work. Sometimes we become angry and frustrated with God for allowing “our” things to fall apart. Broken things are a hassle that we dread and hope to avoid. But sometimes broken things are part of God’s perfect plan and purpose for our lives. I know it sounds crazy on the surface, but sometimes God grows things by breaking them.

When Jesus and the disciples found themselves on a remote hillside with 5,000 hungry men (plus unnumbered women and children), the Savior takes the limited resources they have in hand, gives thanks for them, and immediately begins breaking them. As He tears apart the little boy’s lunch He hands the broken pieces to His disciples who distribute them to the groups who have been gathered on the grass. After the crowd had eaten and was satisfied, the disciples gathered up 12 baskets of leftovers. No one would have expected that Jesus would feed 5,000 people with 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread, but something remarkable took place when that single meager meal was given to Him. I find it interesting that He didn’t take it and giganticize it. He didn’t expand the tiny fish and little loaves into whales and wheat fields. No. Instead, He takes them and He breaks them. And somewhere in the breaking God brought about miraculous multiplication. 

Later, when Jesus and His disciples reclined around the table in the upper room, He again took bread and broke it. This time He explained that the broken bread was a picture of His body that would be broken for their salvation. Isaiah 53 foretold that the Messiah would be pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our sins. That the punishment that brought us peace was to be upon Him, and that it would be through His wounds that we would be healed. His broken body and spilled-out blood were necessary to pay the full price for all the sin of all mankind for all eternity. God provided the greatest gift of all through the breaking of His Son, Our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Maybe, just maybe, we shouldn’t stress out so much when things fall apart. Maybe we should stop exhausting ourselves by striving to keep holding everything together all the time. Perhaps we need to be reminded to give those things to God and trust Him to handle them according to His will. 

Now, I’m not suggesting that every broken thing is from the Lord. Satan is a real adversary who actively seeks to disrupt, discourage, divide, and destroy those who belong to Jesus. We live in a fallen world that has been broken by sin. I believe that this kind of brokenness breaks the heart of our Father. Yes, sometimes God breaks things, but other times our great God takes broken things and puts them back together. Praise His name!

The point is to not merely assume that every broken thing is alway a bad thing. We need to respond to the challenges we face by looking for God’s hand in every situation. James instructs us to consider it pure joy when we encounter various trials (James 1:2). Paul teaches us to give thanks in every circumstance (1 Thessalonians 5:18). The assumption is that we will face trials and we will face challenging circumstances. And sometimes these things are actually blessings from The Lord that we should welcome with thanksgiving. 

May we hold our possessions and our relationships and everything that we cherish with open hands, trusting God to do with them as He pleases for His glory and for the advancement of the gospel. Even if it sometimes means breaking our things. After all, they aren’t really our things at all.

Chuck Peters is Director of Operations for Lifeway Kids. Before his role at Lifeway, Chuck had an extensive career in television and video production. He is a 3-time Emmy Award Winning producer, director, writer and host. A graduate of Columbia Bible College, Chuck, and his wife, Cris, have served vocationally & voluntarily in Student and Children’s Ministry for many years. They have four amazing children: Tally (21), Tristen (20), Tyson (14) and Tate (11). 

Kids Ministry, Technology

5 Tips for Making Better Laptop Videos

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More kids ministry leaders than ever find themselves making simple videos to communicate with kids and families as they quarantine at home during the COVID-19 crisis. The quality of these videos is all over the map, ranging from outstanding to downright awful. As a video veteran, I wanted to share some simple tips that I have learned from my 25+ years as a video professional to help kids ministry leaders make better media. Whether you record your videos to post online  or email out, livestream your messages and teaching times, or just want to have the best looking shot in your next Zoom meeting, these five tips will help you set up your shots like a pro.

Tip #1 – Quality Counts: The first question one might ask is whether the aesthetic quality of our videos even matters. Content is certainly king, and even a poor quality video can be effective in communicating a message to our audience. While this is true to a degree, aspiring to improve the look of our videos is a worthwhile endeavor. When videos are poorly lit, poorly framed, out of focus, with distracting backgrounds and hard-to-hear audio, the recipient has to overcome a lot of distraction in order to receive the message. You do not need to create Hollywood level productions, but we should take some basic steps to allow our valuable messages to be delivered in a way that is clean and clear. Quality in this instance is about minimizing distractions, and when we are communicating to kids, we need to eliminate as many distractions as possible.

Tip #2 – Hold Steady: While we have all seen a plethora of handheld cell phone videos on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. There are a few reasons that shaky handheld footage is not the best idea for video communication. Shaky shots are visually chaotic. They draw the viewer’s attention away from the on-camera speaker and onto what the camera is doing; really really shaky shots can cause mental motion sickness! From a technical point of view, shaky shots require more image processing than static ones. Web videos use compression algorithms that only redraw the portions of the shot that change from frame to frame. When your camera is locked down, there’s less data for the computer to process, and your videos play more smoothly. You can stabilize your shots in a couple of ways. If you shoot from a laptop, place it on a desk or counter (not on your lap). If you are shooting with a cell phone or video camera, consider mounting it to a tripod, or propping it up on a countertop, a step ladder, or a stack of books or boxes. You just need the ability to tilt the camera into the right position to frame your shot well, and to start and stop recording. 

Tip #3 – Frame Yourself: Whether you are recording your video with a cell phone, your laptop, or a video camera, shot composition is an easy improvement you can make. Professional producers frame their shots using what’s known as the Rule of Thirds. Using it is easy and it will make your shots look and feel better in an instant. Imagine a tic-tac-toe grid laid over your screen. When you frame your shot, place your eyes on the top horizontal ⅓ line of the grid. When you are talking straight to the lens it is okay to center your face on the screen, but you can add a bit more visual interest by sliding to the side so that your face is also centered on the right or left vertical third. Once you are aware of this rule you will notice it as you watch TV. In nearly every instance the on-camera talent’s eyes are on the top third line, and their body is often on a left or right vertical. This is especially noticeable with newscasters when a graphic is positioned over their shoulder.

Tip #4 – Get the Height Right: Many computer shooters make the mistake of simply plopping their laptops down on their desks and tilting their screens back until they see themselves. This results in two unfavorable outcomes. 1) The viewer’s perspective is from a low angle, looking up under your chin and into your nostrils. This angle is flattering to no one. 2) The low perspective gives your viewers an unusual and distracting view of your ceiling, light fixtures and ceiling fan behind your head. Instead of settling for an awkward low-angle look at life, lift your laptop by placing it on top of a small box, or a stack of books to raise the camera lens to eye level. This will be more flattering on your face, and provide a more natural view of your space. Be careful not to go too far, however. Raising your camera too high can also be awkward; causing viewers to peer down at the top of your head. Raising your laptop just 5 or 6 inches makes a world of difference. 

Tip #5 – Look at Lighting: One of the simplest and biggest-impact things you can do to make your videos look better is to be mindful of the angle of impact of your lighting. The three primary considerations in lighting quality are height, angle, and intensity. We all know that a light positioned low under the chin creates a scary campfire-story look. Similarly, sitting directly under a bright ceiling fixture causes a harsh down-lighting that casts harsh shadows under your eyes and chin, making you look like you are being interrogated. The most flattering light comes from a height that is slightly higher than your head, but not directly over your head. The angle of lighting is also important. If you position yourself with a window or brightly lit wall behind you, your camera will adjust for the bright background lighting and your face will be dark; possibly even silhouetted. If you point your nose directly at the light source, the result will be flat lighting. While this is better than a silhouetted situation, flat lighting is generally not the most flattering, as it can make a person appear like a deer caught in the headlights. Instead, rotate your seat in orientation to the light source, in this case the window, so that the light strikes your face at about a 45-degree angle. This will cause one side of your face to be fully lit, and create shadows on the opposite side of your face. This ‘modeling’ is an appealing look on camera. Lastly, look at light intensity. Lighting is identified as hard or soft based on the sharpness of the shadow edge that it creates on a subject. Diffused light, like from a lamp with a lamp shade, or daylight on an overcast day, creates a soft and appealing shadow on the face, with a broad shadow edge transfer. Hard lighting, like from a bare lightbulb, floodlight, or outdoors on a clear day at noontime, casts darker shadows with a narrow or hard shadow edge. Soft light at the right height and angle of impact will result in flattering and appealing lighting on your face to help you look your best.

These five simple tips can help you create more professional looking media when you record videos for your ministry, and make you the best looking person in any Zoom meeting you attend. 

Chuck Peters is Director of Operations for Lifeway Kids. Before his role at Lifeway, Chuck had an extensive career in television and video production. He is a 3-time Emmy Award Winning producer, director, writer and host. A graduate of Columbia Bible College, Chuck, and his wife, Cris, have served vocationally & voluntarily in Student and Children’s Ministry for many years. They have four amazing children: Tally (21), Tristen (20), Tyson (14) and Tate (11). 

Kids Ministry, Parent Helps

Lifeway Kids at Home

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Free Family Bible Study for Churches Postponing Services 

As the concerns over the COVID-19 coronavirus have increased, many churches have decided to temporarily suspend meetings and move to an online platform. In response to this developing situation the Lifeway Kids team has created a free, temporary, at-home resource that will allow churches to equip families to watch weekly kids Bible stories at home: the Lifeway Kids at Home and Lifeway Preschool at Home Digital Pass experiences.

Within each Digital Pass experience, families can access weekly Activity Pages, a conversation guide and a series of videos to watch and discuss. Materials include a Bible Story video, Life Application video, a kids connection video, a missions video and gospel presentation resources. New videos will be updated weekly at midnight on Thursday nights so that families can have fresh content every weekend. Families can access the Lifeway Kids at Home and Lifeway Preschool at Home Digital Pass experiences as needed any time over the next 10 weeks through the end of the Spring quarter. 

To access the free Lifeway Kids at Home and Lifeway Preschool at Home resources, please have each of your families follow these three simple steps:

Step 1) Go to digitalpass.lifeway.com

Step 2) Log in or create an account (free)

Step 3) Click the Lifeway Kids (or Preschool) at Home icon on the main page of Digital Pass

The provided content is taken from current-cycle material in Lifeway’s Bible Studies for Life: Kids broadly graded curriculum for 1-6th graders. Families of churches using this curriculum will be able to remain on their teaching schedule. However, the Lifeway Kids at Home and Lifeway Preschool at Home Digital Pass experiences are available to any family from any church of any denomination, anywhere in the world. 

Gospel Project for Kids Users

Print and digital purchasers of The Gospel Project for Kids have new temporary permission to post non-music videos and Activity Pages for their church’s use. No music can be shared with families in the home or online in public because of copyright and royalty restrictions. 

FOR ONLINE PUBLIC USE: You may use all Gospel Project resources, including the videos, within a recorded or live teaching time. These recorded or live teaching times may be posted on any online platform for church families and guests to access without needing a password.

Kids Ministry, Leadership, Volunteers

6 Ways to Set Expectations for Volunteers

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We bring our expectations with us into every situation. The primary factor in feeling successful and satisfied is how well our expectations and our situations match up.

When our expectations are met or exceeded, we’re happy and satisfied. The best way to set ourselves, and everyone around us, up for success is to clarify and communicate what is expected.

When expectations are not identified or articulated, stress and struggles ensue.

When it comes to recruiting and leading our volunteers we need to take the initiative in setting clear expectations right out of the gate, and in reinforcing them often.

Whether you’re recruiting short-term helpers for camp or VBS or investing in long-term teachers who lead recurring groups and classes, here are six expectations that are worth considering for the kids ministry volunteers you lead.

1. ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT

Every volunteer is expected to actively engage with children.

Some may think that their mere presence in the room is enough and that it’s okay to passively pass out papers and make sure the kids don’t hurt one another.

Others may be inclined to scroll through their phones while their teaching partner carries the bulk of the load.

We need to clarify that all helpers are expected to actively engage with kids during ministry times. Our spaces are No Phone Zones, and our leaders are present for the purpose of participation.

2. ENTHUSIASTIC PARTICIPATION

Speaking of participation, another expectation is that everyone on our team participates with a proper attitude of enthusiasm.

Kids are drawn to enthusiastic leaders, and enthusiasm is contagious. When our leaders refuse to play the games, learn the verses, sing the songs or do the hand motions, kids won’t want to do them either.

Attitude is everything. Set the expectation that your leaders not only participate, but that they do so with energy and enthusiasm.

3. RELATIONAL CONNECTION

Teaching can be done via video or from a stage or a printed page, but discipleship can only happen in the context of a relationship.

Set the expectation that your leaders invest in learning kids’ names, knowing their family situations and listening to their prayer concerns.

There’s more to kids ministry than facilitating a lesson; we need our leaders to build relationships with the kids in their groups and take an active interest in their lives.

Years from now, kids may not remember much of what we taught, but they’ll absolutely remember those who cared about them.

4. CATALYTIC CONVERSATION

Catalytic conversations are intentional interactions that happen apart from a lesson. This may mean answering questions that kids ask or listening to their concerns.

Kids often ask profound and thoughtful questions seemingly out of nowhere.

We need our leaders to always be ready to engage in these kinds of discussions with kids. They don’t have to be able to answer every theological puzzler that a kid might throw at them.

But we can always seek out answers to tough questions and get back to them later, but we do need our leaders to look for these opportunities to engage in one-on-one conversation.

5. SUPPORTIVE SUPERVISION

Clarify the expectation that all of your adult leaders and volunteers need to be authority figures during ministry times.

As the main leader, you cannot police every child and monitor every situation on your own. Your adult leaders need to be supporters and co-enforcers of the rules you have instituted for kids in regard to behavior and participation.

That means not undermining your authority but encouraging kids to respect whatever guidelines you’ve put into place.

6. PRAYERFUL PREPARATION

People care for what there’s prayer for. Though that sentence is not grammatically correct, it is absolutely accurate.

Encourage your leaders to pray for their ministry times before they arrive, committing their lessons and sessions to God and asking Him to speak to guide thoughts, words and attitudes for His glory.

Ask your leaders to pray with, for and over the kids in their groups every week. Part of our ministry needs to be lifting our kids before The Lord.

Another part should be modeling prayer for children to see. Prayer-filled people are care-filled people. Set an expectation of prayerful preparation for your leaders.

Expectations that are not identified, clarified, and articulated cannot be met. Lead your volunteers well by setting and communicating clear expectations for them to pursue.

CHUCK PETERS is director of operations for Lifeway Kids. He is a graduate of Columbia Bible College. A creative person by nature, Chuck’s unique combination of leadership experience in media production, business, and ministry has caused him to become an unexpected fan of leadership, strategy, data, and analysis in ministry. He lives outside Nashville with his wife and four kids.

Kids Ministry

Germ-proofing your Kids Ministry

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8 Ideas for Reducing the Spread of Germs in Your Kids Ministry.

In response to concerns about the spread of COVID-19, many ministries have a heightened awareness of germ-spreading habits and the general cleanliness of their kids ministry areas. Many are taking measures to alter their regular routines to protect against the spread of germs and sickness. While there’s no need to panic, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared and take proactive steps to make people feel more protected. Here are eight practical things you can enact in your kids ministry this week to reduce the spread of various illnesses in your Children’s Wing.

  1. Do a Deep Clean – Regular cleaning routines include emptying trash cans, wiping tables, and sweeping floors. Deep cleans use industrial strength cleaners and disinfectants on door knobs, handrails, touch-screens, lightswitches, toys, and tabletops. Deep cleaning is best done during the week when your facility is empty. Deep cleaning takes time, but it is an effective way to kill germs that can spread illness.
  2. Prop Doors Open – Dirty door knobs can be touched by hundreds of hands during service times. Reduce the numbers of hands that handle them by using doorstops to prop them open, or by having designated greeters open doors for people.  
  3. Limit Screen Touches at Check-in – If you use digital touch-screen stations for check-in, opt to assign volunteers to operate them. You may need to limit the number of stations that you use, but you will reduce multiple touches of germy screens. 
  4. Omit Handshakes and High Fives – Temporarily do away with greetings that involve hand-to-hand contact. Instead of handshakes and high fives, opt for elbow touches, “air shakes” and foot fives. Challenge kids to invent creative ways to greet one other without touching hands. 
  5. Avoid Passing the Plate or Shared-object Games – If you take an offering, replace passing the plate with a drop box. Choose games that do not require relays or object-passing. Look instead for games that can be played with individual objects and while maintaining space between kids. 
  6. Spread Out – As much as possible, look for ways to move kids out of small, closed-quarters spaces into larger open areas. Opt for big rooms and encourage kids to sit with distance between them. Kids love doing class outside. Consider outdoor options if you can do them safely on your campus. 
  7. Wipe Down Tables and Toys Between Services – If you have multiple services, and do not already do so, adopt a practice of wiping off toys, puzzles, and tables with disinfectant between groups.  
  8. Wash Hands – Encourage all of your teachers, volunteers, and kids to wash their hands before and after service times. Provide hand sanitizer in each room. Make sure that your sinks and restrooms have plenty of soap and hand towels available.  

The overriding principle is to look for ways to limit contact and keep surfaces clean. While these measures are not guaranteed to prevent any specific illnesses, they are good practices to employ in your kids ministry, particularly during seasons of heightened awareness. 

CHUCK PETERS is director of operations for Lifeway Kids. He is a graduate of Columbia Bible College. A creative person by nature, Chuck’s unique combination of experiences in media production, business, and ministry has caused him to become an unexpected fan of strategy, data, and analysis in ministry. He lives outside Nashville with his wife and four kids.

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