Jeremy Carroll

September 16, 2020

A Little Goes a Long Way

“A little goes a long way.” That statement could be the motto of every kids ministry, I think. It could apply to so many things. But today, let’s use it this way: A little encouragement and a little (or a lot) of prayer goes a long way.

“And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25; emphasis added)

Let me start by trying to encourage you a little. You have faced many obstacles this year. You have faced changing ministry dynamics at an incredible rate. You have faced technological challenges. You have faced challenges to your ministry philosophy and strategy. You may have faced personal loss or job loss. You’ve faced a lot this year.

“But God…” This is one of my favorite transitional statements from Ephesians 2 because it reminds us that God makes dead things alive. So yes, you’ve faced many tough challenges this year. And we don’t know how many more will come our way. But God, who is rich in mercy, grace, and love, has sustained you and will sustain you through it all. There is a biblical truth that we must not forget: God is not finished with you yet (Philippians 1:6); He is producing in you “an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.” (See 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.) So take heart. Whatever you face, do not give up because He is with you and will never leave you. Even though you walk through the dark and difficult times, you don’t have to fear churn, change, or challenges that come your way because God has been, is now, and always will be near.

May God grant you whatever you need during this season of life. Peace. Comfort. Strength. Rest. He is able to do more than we can ever imagine.

What about the parents and kids you serve? They’ve faced, and likely continue to face, huge hurdles in their family life. With work, school, extracurriculars, church, and more in a constant state of churn, all of these have the potential of putting strain on their relationships. With honorable intentions, during 2020 many kids ministries have sought out print and digital resources to provide to the families they serve in order to promote family discipleship. These are good efforts and should be pursued. As the Lord leads you, continue to do this.

But what about encouragement? Is this a normal part of your ministry rhythm with parents and kids?

From what I am personally experiencing and observing in my community, one thing the families in our churches and communities need right now is encouragement. Let’s consider how we can encourage the families we serve this week. Here is one idea to help:

Pull up a list of families in your ministry and maybe a prayer journal.
Divide your list into smaller groups of maybe 3-4 or 5-10 kids/families. If you only have 5-10 families in your ministry, you can take one family per week to start.
Get out your calendar and schedule uninterrupted time to pray weekly (or daily if you wish). Don’t let anything become a conflict with this prayer appointment.
Designate each grouping (above) to a specific weekly prayer appointment.
A day or so before your prayer appointment, separately text or email each family you are committing to pray for this week to let them know you are praying for them. Ask if there are specific ways they can pray for you. As they respond, add these notes to your prayer journal.
In this text/email, be sure to offer a word of encouragement such as sharing a Bible verse or a reminder that God is at work in them, even if they can’t see it now. He is near.
Keep your appointment and begin to pray for the families in your ministry. Pray for them by name. Pray for them according to whatever specific details they’ve shared or that you know about their family life.
Next week do the same with another family group from your list.

Remember: the work you are called to is first and foremost spiritual work. So whether you have resumed in-person meetings or not, this “little” rhythm of prayer and encouragement will go a long way both in the lives of the families you serve and in your own personal spiritual life.

Kids Ministry, Media, Technology

April 6, 2020

4 Ways to Utilize Tech Tools for Kids Ministry

By Jeremy Carroll

It’s 2020, and ministry leaders are facing some new challenges in maintaining community during a season of scattered gatherings. And utilizing technology in kids ministry poses unique hurdles because we must always be extremely sensitive in how we interact with minors.

Most of us, as a result, find that any social media and technological strategy in our kids ministries must primarily be directed toward parents and caretakers, but don’t feel as if you are limited to only interacting with the adults in a child’s life. There are some great ways to interact with kids, as well as their parents and caregivers.

What are some of the tech tools at our disposal? Like in most circumstances, we want to choose the best tool for the job. We wouldn’t grab a hammer if we were trying to saw a board into pieces, right? So let’s begin by talking about the goal we want to achieve and looking at which tech tools will fit those goals.

A few notes before we open the “toolbox:”

Always follow your church’s policies and guidelines when interacting with minors, even in a digital environment.
Notify parents well in advance to share your plans and set proper expectations, even invite them to be part of the experience.
Encourage parents to talk with their kids ahead of time about respect in a digital world. i.e. don’t roam around the house, respect others, listen when others are talking, etc.
When interacting with kids online, remind them (maybe every time you meet) of good practices of digital interaction. i.e. don’t roam around the house, respect others, try not to talk when others are talking, try not to be distracted and leave the device unattended, etc.
Be sensitive, but be creative. Try something. If it doesn’t work, try something else. We are all trying to figure out how to hold onto community during this unusual time.
Be aware. Any meeting link you publicize openly is fully public. This may invite unwanted people to join your meeting who could cause major disruption.
There are way too many tools to cover them all or even to go in-depth on several, but we’ll cover a few of the big ones.
Remember how hard it is to keep kids attention in-person? It’s even harder in digital communication. Be prepared, be personal, be on point (concise).

Want to connect with all parents through written announcements or challenges (among other things)?

Facebook group or page (facebook.com/groups)
- Pages are good for this type of communication; but groups are better for more private ministry information/interaction
Email (mailchimp.com or whatever your church uses for communication)
- Your church may already have a way to do this. MailChimp has free accounts and you can create nice looking emails, and even embed video.
Mass text (remind.com, groupme.com, textinchurch.com)

Want to host a daily challenge or photo scavenger hunt?

Instagram
- Use church account if possible or set an account up for your kids ministry
Facebook group or page
- Groups tend to be best if you are asking families to post pictures

Want to send out one-way teaching videos (non-interactive)?

Facebook live (while facebook live has interaction, interacting through comments only can be a bit clunky)
Youtube Premieres
- The premiere feature allows you to schedule a “watch party.”

Want to host an interactive small group?

Zoom (more info below)
- Up to 100 people
Skype
- Up to 10 people
Facebook live
- No people limit, but interaction is limited to comment interaction
Google Hangout / Google Duo
- Up to 25 / Up to 8 people

Zoom

zoom.us
Set up a free account or sign in with facebook or google
Benefits
- Works on desktop, laptops, and mobile devices
- Great for small or large groups within kids ministry
- Kids will feel valued with face-to-face time with you
- Initial setup can be very simple (or more complex if you want)
  - In “My Account / Meetings
  - Schedule a New Meeting
  - Select time, duration, etc.
  - Click “Save”
  - Copy/paste the “Join URL” into an email, text, or facebook group.
  - At the time of your meeting, click “Start Meeting”
- FREE
A few limitations:
- If you have more than 2 additional people in your meeting, the meeting time will be limited to 40 minutes.
- No more than 100 people in a meeting
- Connections are sometimes unstable
Paid versions are also available
Be aware: If you make a link public, it is public. This means anyone, even someone who might be profane or disruptive, can join. Reports have been circulating of people “hacking” into public zoom meetings being vulgar. Read more here about keeping your Zoom meetings safe.

Facebook

facebook.com/groups
Create a closed group for parents
Pages are good for announcements and fully public info; closed groups are best for posting pictures, videos, and more private community info.

Skype

Free video call platform
Available on desktop, laptop, and mobile devices
Limited to 10 participants
Often more stable connection than Zoom

Disclaimer: Lifeway and Lifeway Kids are not affiliated with the resources listed above. Please familiarize yourself with their terms of agreement statements before employing them in your ministry.

Advent, Christmas, Family, Fun, Games, Kids Ministry, Parent Helps, Resources

December 16, 2019

Christmas Activities for Kids: Christmas Tree Bingo

By Jeremy Carroll

Looking for a fun activity for your Birthday Party for Jesus or Christmas session? How about Christmas Tree Bingo? This isn’t your normal sit-at-a-table Bingo game. This is more active and way more fun.

Download the Christmas Tree Bingo card here.

Object: Find every item and mark every square on your Christmas Bingo card.

Option if time is limited: Play traditional five-in-a-row or require two Bingos, one horizontal and one vertical.

Preparation and planning:

Print one copy of the Christmas Bingo card for each child. Printing two per sheet makes them roughly 5.5-by-8.5-inches and saves paper!
Choose 35-40 tree decorations to correspond with your Christmas Bingo card squares.
Print icons or words on a sheet of address labels. Icons are best for younger kids but may be harder to find. Each word should correspond with an ornament on your tree. Using standard size address labels, printed two words on each label then cut them in half. This will be square stickers kids will use to create their Christmas Bingo cards. Click here to download a sample list of some ornaments you could include.
Decorate a Christmas tree with your chosen Christmas Bingo ornaments. Add more ornaments, garland, lights, or other tree decorations for additional challenge and fun.

The last time I played this game, I set our Christmas tree in a place that the children could not touch it. This was for obvious reasons, like I didn’t want someone to knock the tree over, but also to add an additional challenge. Part of my instructions to the kids included “You may not get within reach of the Christmas tree.” Kids had to find the items from a short distance away without touching the tree. There are 24 empty squares on each Christmas Bingo card so my goal was to have 35-40 ornaments, some represented by stickers and some not, and have at least 30 different words/icons on stickers to add variety.

Instructions:

As kids arrive, guide them select one blank Christmas Bingo card.
Kids select a different sticker (from the cut address labels) for each square and place it on his/her Christmas Bingo card. Stickers may not be on a card more than once. This allows each child’s Christmas Bingo card to be different, adding challenge and creativity.
After each square has a sticker, kids are guided the Christmas tree to look for each item on their Christmas Bingo card. When an item is found, kids should mark that item off on their card. You can use stamps, pencil, or marker to mark off found items.
If a kids finishes quickly, she can color her Christmas Bingo card to decorate a border or draw a picture on the back.
If desired, have a prize for the first child who gets a “bingo,” or a prize for each child as he completes a “bingo.”

Download the Christmas Tree Bingo card here.

Christmas, Family, Fun, Games, Kids Ministry, Large Group, Parent Helps, Resources, Teaching Kids

December 11, 2019

Happy Birthday Jesus! 3 Tips for Throwing a Birthday Party for Jesus.

By Jeremy Carroll

Kids love birthday parties. At least, every kid I have ever met does.

Download the free Take the Fun Home card for parents.

Jesus’ birth into the world is one of the most important events in all of history. Even the way we number our years is related to Jesus’ birth. For example, AD 2020 is “in the year of the Lord 2020.” Jesus’ birth is also, of course, one of the most important events in salvation history. With Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, all the history of the Old Testament would begin to come into focus. Jesus’ birth can also be seen as the launching pad for everything that followed this pivotal moment in time. If this isn’t enough reason to throw a party, I don’t know what would be!

So why not celebrate during the month of December with a birthday party for Jesus? Here are three tips for throwing a Birthday Party for Jesus.

Tip #1 – Make it a PARTY!

Celebrate with decorations. Inflate balloons, hang streamers, give out party hats, and so forth. Decorations can be elaborate without being a burden on your budget and will give your space an instant face-lift.
Celebrate with a one-day schedule change. If your kids ministry typically meets in separate classrooms, explore the option to bring everyone together for the party.
Celebrate with invitations. Mail postcard invitations to every child on your roll. Provide additional invitations to each child and challenge kids to invite a friend. Everyone loves being invited to a party!
Celebrate with singing. Not just “Happy Birthday,” though I would recommend singing this one too. Sing other Christmas carols that share the joy of Christmas.

Tip #2 – Make it FUN!

Make it delicious. Have cake or cupcakes and juice boxes. Few things will raise the fun factor the way passing out cake will. Don’t forget to post an allergy alert and have a quick standby option for those with food allergies.
Make it engage. Wearing party hats and providing noise makers can be an instant hit.
Make it memorable. Give out party favors when kids leave. Have a small bag of goodies for each child to take with them. Bonus if each goodie bag item points kids to the gospel (i.e. glow-in-the-dark necklace for “Jesus is the Light of the World”)
Make it active. Playing games will likely be a bullseye on the fun target.
- Assign kids to teams and play for points.
- Collect large scraps of paper or buy a pack of colored construction paper, mark a line down the center of your space dividing kids into two teams, and have a “snowball fight”
- Minute-to-Win It type games are usually easy to prepare and can be a huge hit.
- Check out Kid Min Toolbox: Great Games that Teach for a great source of quick games

Tip #3 – Make it about JESUS!

Don’t forget to tell the Christmas story. Keep it short. Read the Bible passages or show a video, but be sure to include the reason for the party.
Keep Jesus at the center. Don’t lose Him in the fun and games.
- Debrief each game with a gospel connection.
- Connect each party favor to a Bible truth.
When choosing songs to sing, choose songs about Jesus’ birth and other worship songs to focus kids voices and hearts on Jesus.

Bonus tip—Provide this Take the Fun Home card with some suggested ideas for parents to have a Birthday Party for Jesus in their home and invite other families to join together.

With a little creativity and preparation, kids in your church and community will be engaged in a fresh way with the joy Jesus brings this Christmas season.

Discipleship

November 20, 2019

Crossing Life’s Checkpoints – Growing in Faith

By Jeremy Carroll

Back in the summer, a brief overview of Crossing Life’s CheckPoints was posted here on Kids Ministry 101. Partnering with families during some of these checkpoints of life provides natural opportunities to help parents recoup, reevaluate and realign strategies, and be refreshed for moving forward in family life. We’ve dug into Checkpoints #1 and #2 a little more. Now let’s take a closer look at Checkpoint #3: Growing in Faith.

Checkpoint #3—Growing in Faith

“What Is a Christian?” class—Kids who regularly attend church will often start asking questions about salvation and/or baptism, and parents will immediately jump to trying to schedule a child’s baptism. There is wisdom in listening to a child’s parents in determining whether their child is ready for baptism, but having a checkpoint in your ministry to equip parents to ask good questions of their child will give them greater confidence in not rushing to baptism.

A “What Is a Christian” or Discovering Faith class gives you a strategic, concentrated opportunity to address these questions.
This class could be child-only, parent-only, or parent-child together.
The goal is to help answer questions both kids and parents have about following Jesus and ultimately give parents the vocabulary to to have at-home conversations.
A great at-home resource for parents to work through with their kids is Lifeway Kids “What Is a Christian?” workbook.

Baptism and Lord’s Supper—Develop a strategy to help parents celebrate this checkpoint. Here are a few ideas.

Provide a one-sheet overview of your church’s theology of believer’s baptism and Lord’s Supper to parents.
Consider providing an online video for parents to watch that talks through this overview.
Create a “baptism checklist” to help guide families through the details. Include items like meeting with you or your pastor (according to the practices of your church), mail/email invitations, plan a family meal, provide a Growing in My Faith devotional to each child to guide them in developing healthy spiritual habits.
Some churches allow dads to baptize children or have a parent stand with her child in the baptismal waters. However your church handles these situations, be sure to effectively communicate with families in what to expect during the baptism.
If your budget allows, develop invitation templates your families can mail/email to extended family members to attend a child’s baptism.
Encourage families to gather for a family meal and a special time of prayer to encourage the child being baptized. Creating a family event around a child’s baptism helps to communicate the importance of this step of obedience.

Help parents anticipate their child’s first opportunity to observe with a dedicated family conversation using the one-sheet which might include who is allowed to participate and why, how often it is observed in your church, etc.
This time allows all family members to review this importance of this public expression of corporate worship.

New Christian Class—Effective New Christian classes give each child an opportunity to not only validate her decision to become a follower of Jesus but it also gives each child and parent confidence they are on a path that is firmly rooted in Scripture.

Provide a follow-up class for kids after they have made a profession of faith through baptism.
Similar to the previous class mentioned, a Growing in My Faith class is a good opportunity to talk with children about healthy spiritual habits like personal Bible study, prayer, giving, and so forth.
Lifeway Kids “I’m a Christian Now” resources provide a great framework for a class for your ministry and at-home discipleship for parents.

There are other checkpoints that you may choose to include, but hopefully this post has helped you start or continue thinking about ways you can partner and celebrate with parents as the kids in your ministry pass through this important checkpoint. I encourage you to “run with endurance the race that lies before [you], keeping [your] eyes on Jesus… ” as you “pursue as [your] goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” (Hebrews 12:1-2; Philippians 3:13-14)

Click here for a downloadable Checkpoints PDF. There are 2 pages in this document. One with the checkpoints we’ve listed in the original post (found here) and one with some blank boxes for your to write in your own.

Jeremy Carroll is the team leader for Lifeway Kids Discipleship Resources. Before coming to Lifeway, he has been active in local church ministry for nearly 20 years in TN, TX, and AL. Jeremy earned a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. A Middle Tennessee native, he and his family live in Murfreesboro, TN.

Discipleship

November 11, 2019

Crossing Life’s Checkpoints – First Steps

By Jeremy Carroll

Earlier this year, we shared an overview of Crossing Life’s CheckPoints here on Kids Ministry 101. We know that many churches are looking for ways to strengthen their partnership with parents. Thinking about some of the “checkpoints” that most children and families pass through, we want to continue to expand our conversation about these checkpoints. As you partner with families during some of these checkpoints, you will be able to provide opportunities to help parents recoup, reevaluate and realign strategies, and be refreshed for family life. We’ve already dug into Checkpoints #1 a little more. Let’s turn our attention to Checkpoint #2: First Steps.

Checkpoint #2 – First Steps

Moving up to “Big Church”—Moving from an activity-based preschool classroom to a stand-sit routine of congregational, corporate worship can be a difficult checkpoint for young children to pass through, not to mention for parents to navigate.

Consider preparing “welcome to worship” bags for preschoolers who are transitioning into big church. This bag may contain “quiet” items for the child to use during worship such as blank paper, crayons, washable markers, chenille stems, and so forth.
Some churches create a activity-based listening guide that connects to the sermon or worship theme each Sunday to help engage older preschoolers and younger kids.
Strategically train and encourage parents and caregivers as you remind them that children learn by observation, so they will learn how to worship by watching adults participate in worship. Also encourage parents that it is OK if their children do not sit perfectly silent during worship. Guide them in ways to create a family environment where kids can ask questions about what is happening in worship.

Learning to Read—Sometimes parents do not naturally make the connection between their child learning to read and reading the Bible. This could be because the Bible is sometimes viewed as a difficult book to read. But what better story to capture the hearts of children than God’s story as little ones are beginning to read?

Partner with parents to celebrate this checkpoint.
Consider celebrating this checkpoint with a meaningful Bible presentation. If your budget allows, your church may purchase an age-appropriate Bible for each kindergartner or first grader. If your budget doesn’t allow or if you prefer to help parents choose their own Bible, guide parents in knowing what kind of Bible would be most appropriate to choose for their child. Lifeway offers several options of age-appropriate Bibles at lifeway.com/bibles.

Discovering Faith class—This one could be part of this checkpoint or the Checkpoint #3 or even both. It is fairly common for parents to quickly ask a Kids Pastor or Lead Pastor to baptize their child as soon as he or she begins asking questions about salvation or baptism. As we run alongside parents, encourage them to be discerning in these conversations. Being careful to not fall into either trap of “she’s too young” or “can we baptize her tomorrow?” There is wisdom in listening to a child’s parents in determining whether their child is ready for baptism, but having a checkpoint in your ministry to equip parents to ask good questions of their child will give them greater confidence in not rushing to baptism.

Provide a discovering faith class to allow children and/or parents to learn more about becoming a Christian. This class could be child-only, parent-only, or parent-child together. The goal is to help answer questions both kids and parents have about following Jesus.

Other checkpoints may fit into this category too. Maybe this has helped you start or continue thinking about ways you can partner with parents during this transitional checkpoint. I encourage you to “run with endurance the race that lies before [you], keeping [your] eyes on Jesus… ” as you “pursue as [your] goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” (Hebrews 12:1-2; Philippians 3:13-14)

Click here for a downloadable Checkpoints PDF. There are two pages in this document. One with the checkpoints we’ve listed in the original post (found here) and one with some blank boxes for your to write in your own.

Of course, this is not a comprehensive list of ways to partner with parents during this phase of life. What other partnerships you would add to this checkpoint?

Jeremy Carroll is the team leader for Lifeway Kids Discipleship Resources. Before coming to Lifeway, he has been active in local church ministry for nearly 20 years in TN, TX, and AL. Jeremy earned a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. A Middle Tennessee native, he and his family live in Murfreesboro, TN.

Advent, Christmas, Devotional, Family, Kids Ministry, Parent Helps

November 1, 2019

2019 Family Advent Guide

By Jeremy Carroll

In the opening verses of the Gospel of Luke he writes:

“Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us… It also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed” (Luke 1:1-4, emphasis added).

Luke wrote an orderly sequence of Jesus’ life so that Theophilus and all other readers could have confidence in the gospel message. During the Advent season, we have the opportunity to encourage the parents we serve to guide their children toward a similar goal of having a confident hope in Jesus’ birth.

Hope, love, joy, and peace are a few of the good gifts God has given to us. During this Christmas season, let’s remember and celebrate Jesus’ coming to earth as a baby, making a way for us to experience these gifts. Our prayer is that families will spend time each week celebrating Jesus’ birth and the hope and joy He offers.

Click here for the free Family Advent Guide.

Share this resource with families in your community to help them focus on the hope, love, peace, and joy that only Jesus can bring. He is the gift we proclaim. Let’s celebrate!

Preteen

August 19, 2019

3 Keys for Equipping Preteens in Your Ministry

By Jeremy Carroll

Can we just agree that working with preteens can be challenging? OK, OK, that was a bit tongue-in-cheek. But seriously, preteens are facing issues today that previous generations didn’t face until they were in their mid- to late- teenage years. On top of that, this generation of preteens faces a unique challenge from previous generations with their instant access to information and social circles. This “always-on” pressure adds a layer of challenge to preteens’ lives that can, in turn, make engaging and equipping preteens for the future challenging for ministry leaders and parents.

As kids move into their preteen years, their faith is going to be tested. Not all that long ago, for example, a child who was being bullied may only have faced that bully while at school or in the neighborhood. Now with ever-present, always-on devices at their fingertips, preteens may find themselves with the inability to escape a bully. Constant stressors like this from life’s circumstances, peers, and the culture at-large are pressing in and straining the faith of many preteens. For me, this sparks a mental image of gold being refined by fire. Preteens are often caught in and shaped by the flames of life’s circumstances and relationships, but preteens need the church to be strategic in equipping them for what they are facing, to help them refine their faith according to God’s Word, and to prepare them to understand and interact with the world around them with a biblical worldview.

“You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7 CSB).

Preteens are facing many trials, yet they may not know how to stand firm in those trials so their faith may result in honoring God. Part of our responsibility as ministry leaders and parents is to show them how to stand firm. Here are three keys to help strengthen your ministry to preteens through Bible study.

Key 1: Deeper Study

Preteens have the ability and desire to move from Bible stories to Bible study. As church leaders, we can help move them toward opening their Bibles and exploring longer passages. Challenge them to think critically about what the Bible is saying, seeing more of the context of each test within a chapter, a book, and the Bible as a whole. Help them see that it is OK to ask hard questions humbly as they study God’s Word.

Key 2: Engaging Conversations

After seeing what the Bible says, engage preteens in meaningful conversations about what the biblical text says. Help them think through “Since the Bible says ______, but my friends say _______, how can I understand what my friends say through the filter of what I know the Bible teaches.” Preteens, despite the stereotype, do enjoy talking. They may struggle as they move from “kid-friendly” vocabulary toward “student” vocabulary, but give them the opportunity to express their thoughts and engage them in dialogue.

Key 3: Life Action

In light of the deeper Bible study and honest dialogue, help preteens consider “What’s next?” How does what I read in the Bible change my response to my friends? How does what I read in the Bible change the way I pray for those at my school? These types of life action questions can help move preteens toward a renewed mind and living out their faith.

Lifeway Kids is excited to introduce Forged: Faith Refined, a brand new preteen study built on these 3 key principles for preteen ministry. Forged: Faith Refined is a low-tech, 8-volume resource released quarterly over two years. Each volume includes 13 weeks of age-appropriate study to help preteens understand biblical answers to questions they may be asking and leading them to engage the culture around them through a biblical worldview. Volume 1 explores the question “What is truth?” through sessions like “Who defines truth?” and “Why should I care what the Bible says?” Upcoming volumes will discuss themes of identity, authority, relationships, and more.

Join us as we set out to equip preteens to face their world with strengthened faith through Forged: Faith Refined. Learn more at lifeway.com/forged.

Bible Study, Discipleship, Kids Ministry

July 22, 2019

What Defines Me?

By Jeremy Carroll

We are often tempted to let what we do define us. If I play baseball, I’m a baseball player. If I play the piano, I’m a pianist. If I dance, I’m a dancer. If I am a KidMin leader, I am a minister. What we do is important because God has uniquely created us and crafted our life so that there is only one of each of us.

Identity seems to be a buzzword today, and many people struggle with who they really are and what their purpose is. This is not something that impacts just one group of people. People from many different areas and of different ages are struggling to “find themselves.”

But is our identity only defined by the things we do? Is our value inseparable from our interests and actions? The Bible responds with a resounding “no.” Out of His great love, God created us and desires a relationship with us. Yes, the things we do are important to how God has created us, but our true identity is not tied to temporal things that come and go. Our identity is found first as created in God’s image. As image-bearers of God, our identity carries value and worth because we are a unique part of God’s creation. Further, true identity and purpose are found in a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

As adults, many of us struggle with finding our identity, and specifically not falling into the trap of letting what we do define us. The kids in our ministries struggle with this too. There are many voices speaking into the lives of children to tell them who they are or even that they get to define themselves. If we want to know who we truly are and what our purpose is, we must start by looking at what our Creator has said.

In conjunction with the release of the new Kendricks Brothers movie Overcomer, Lifeway Kids has partnered with the Kendrick Brothers to develop a 6-week Bible study to help point kids in the best place to answer the question “Who am I?” Our Creator. Through Defined: Who God Says You Are, kids will discover who God created them to be and what is true about their identity because of their relationship with Jesus.

Defined: Who God Says You Are is available for kids, teens, and adults. The Overcomer Campaign Kit is a great starting place for churches to see how the Overcomer movie and available resources fit together. More information, as well as other related resources, can be found at lifeway.com/overcomer.

Family, Family Ministry, Kids Ministry

July 3, 2019

Crossing the Checkpoints for Life’s Race

By Jeremy Carroll

“Let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus…” Hebrews 12:1-2

Back in 2013, the highly-respected late Jerry Vogel wrote about a few of the spiritual mile markers to be celebrated in families’ lives (post). As many of us are planning for a new ministry year with kids transitioning to new classes, this seems like a good time to review these mile markers or checkpoints as I like to call them and consider how our ministries can partner with parents in anticipating and celebrating these spiritual mile markers.

In long-distance races, checkpoints are short stops along the path for runners to regain their strength for the next part of the race. It’s also a place where runners can be encouraged to continue on, nurse any injuries, reevaluate their strategy, and plan for adjustments as the race resumes. Checkpoints are places to revitalize runners and then send them back to the race. These life checkpoints provide natural opportunities to partner with parents to recoup, reevaluate, and realign strategies for moving forward.

Checkpoint #1 – Welcome to the Family

Birth/Adoption – Whether it’s a family’s first child, second, or fifth, each new child adds new rhythms to a family’s life, celebrations and joys along with potential anxiety and challenges.
- “New Addition” Gift Bag – Consider creating a small gift bag to give to new families when a new baby is born or a child is adopted.
- Parenting classes/conference – A great idea for expectant parents is to offer them dedicated training on children’s spiritual growth. Such training should include theology of biblical parenting, trust development, and looking ahead toward future checkpoints.
Baby/Parent/Family Dedication – This is a great checkpoint to provide additional training, like a class mentioned above, to young parents on God’s expectations for Christian parents, showing them how you desire to partner with them in their parenting journey.

Checkpoint #2 – First Steps

Moving up to “Big Church” – Consider preparing “welcome to worship” bags for preschoolers who are transitioning into big church. Offering specific training to help parents/caregivers prepare for this change can help to soothe their nerves and remind them that children will learn how to worship best by watching adults worship.
Learning to Read – Consider celebrating this checkpoint with a meaningful Bible presentation. If your budget allows, your church may purchase an age-appropriate Bible for each kindergartner or first grader. If your budget doesn’t allow or if you prefer to help parents choose their own Bible to give, be sure to guide parents in knowing what kind of Bible would be best for their child. Lifeway offers several options of age-appropriate Bibles at lifeway.com.

Checkpoint #3 – Growing in Faith

“What Is a Christian?” class – Often times kids who regularly attend church will start asking questions about salvation and/or baptism, and parents will immediately jump to trying to schedule a child’s baptism. Having a checkpoint in your ministry to equip parents to ask good questions of their child will give them greater confidence in talking with their children about salvation and baptism.
New Christian Class – An effective New Christian class can give children an opportunity to validate their response to Jesus, as well as give each child and parent confidence they are on a path that is firmly rooted in Scripture. Lifeway Kids’ “I’m a Christian Now” resources can lend structure this checkpoint.
Baptism – Here are a few ideas for developing a strategy to partner with parents in celebrating this checkpoint:
- Provide parents with a one-sheet overview of your church’s theology of believer’s baptism.
- Create a “baptism checklist” to help guide families. Include items like meeting with you or your pastor (according to the practices of your church), mail/email invitations, plan a family meal, provide a “next steps” devotional to each child to guide them in developing healthy spiritual habits.\
First Lord’s Supper – A child who is a new Christian will likely be very excited to finally participate in this church ordinance.
- Help parents anticipate this moment with a dedicated family conversation. Provide a one-sheet overview of your church’s beliefs about the Lord’s Supper, including who is allowed to participate and why, how often it is observed, etc.

Checkpoint #4 – Next Steps

Discipleship – Many parents feel uncertain how to help children grow in their newfound faith by developing healthy spiritual habits (spiritual disciplines). Lifeway Kids’ Growing in My Faith 90-day Devotional can be a helpful resource for families.
Moving into the next age group in your ministry – A final checkpoint that would fall under your ministry would likely be to guide kids and families as they transition into student ministry. Many parents and preteens feel inadequately prepared to move through this checkpoint. Some options here might be: host a parent panel Q&A session with more seasoned parents, connect seasoned parents with parents of preteens in an informal mentor-type setting to allow for more intimate questions, training classes and resources for equipping parents to talk with their kids about all that is changing in their lives, and preteen weekend retreat.

There are other checkpoints that you may choose to include, but hopefully, this has helped you start or continue thinking about ways you can partner and celebrate with parents as the kids in your ministry cross each of life’s checkpoints. I encourage you to “run with endurance the race that lies before [you], keeping [your] eyes on Jesus… ” as you “pursue as [your] goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” (Hebrews 12:1-2; Philippians 3:13-14)

Click here for a downloadable Checkpoints PDF to help you share your vision with families. There are 2 pages in this document. One with the checkpoints we’ve listed in this post, and one with blank boxes for your to write in your own.

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