Landry Holmes, Author at Kids Ministry

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Sunday School

March 3, 2017

9 Do’s for KidMin Volunteers (Part 2)

Last month I identified nine suggested actions for effective kids ministry volunteers, found in Polly Hargis Dillard’s 1959 book Improving Nursery Departments. Still convinced that these suggestions are just as appropriate for elementary volunteers at church as they are for preschool teachers, I conclude this discussion with Ms. Dillard’s final nine suggestions:

Be alert to see opportunities to enrich the child’s experiences by singing, talking, or just listening.
Be in the room at least 30 minutes before the session.
Avoid moralizing, such as “God doesn’t like that,” or “Jesus isn’t happy when you do that.”
Offer a child a choice only if you intend to let him make the decision. Avoid “Would you like to go home?” unless he is to make the decision.
Avoid comparing children.
Use redirection (turning the child’s attention to an act which has equal value to him).
Define limits clearly and maintain them consistently.
Encourage a child to talk freely about himself and his feelings toward others.
Be able to call by name the children with whom you work.

Glance at the list one more time. What is a common thread running through these suggestions? For me, Jesus’s words come to mind: “Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them . . .” (Matthew 7:12) These are some of the things I want done for me at church:

Listen to me without judgment.
Be prepared for my arrival.
Teach me the Bible and don’t use it as a weapon.
See me for whom God has created me to be.
Know my name.

Jesus reminds us that when we care for others we care for Him. (See Matthew 25:40.) Therefore when we treat kids and families, as we want to be treated, we glorify our Savior. That includes listening, preparing, teaching God’s Word, valuing kids, and knowing each child individually. What will you do this week in kids ministry that honors Jesus?

Landry Holmes is the Manager of LifeWay Kids Ministry Publishing, Nashville, TN. A graduate of Howard Payne University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Landry served on church staffs before coming to LifeWay. He is a church leader, writer, workshop facilitator, and publisher. Landry also teaches children at his church in Middle Tennessee. He and his wife Janetta are the parents of two adult sons and two daughters-in-law.

Kids Ministry, Leadership, Sunday School, Volunteers

February 20, 2017

9 Do’s for KidMin Volunteers (Part 1)

By Landry Holmes

In last month’s post—“10 Questions Kidmin Volunteers Should Ask Themselves”—I identified my source as the 1959 book Improving Nursery Departments by Polly Hargis Dillard. Drawing again from that little book, I thought it would be enlightening to list some of Ms. Dillard’s suggested actions for children’s teachers at church.

Ms. Dillard says, “A Nursery worker will be guided in her actions by the specific situations with which she is confronted. However, there are certain practices which are basic to working effectively with small children.” After thinking through the author’s list of 18 “do’s, I have concluded that these suggestions are just as appropriate for elementary volunteers at church as they are for preschool teachers. Today we’ll look at the first 9 suggestions.

Remove your hat.
Get down on the child’s level, even if it means sitting on the floor most of the time.
Use a soft voice.
Listen and observe more than you talk.
Help each child to know how to use materials.
Avoid talking about children in their presence. Devote your time to listening to the children rather than to talking about them.
Use action with words. Help a child to put away blocks instead of saying, “Put the blocks on the shelf.”
Commend the children when they accomplish something for themselves. Avoid “gushing.”
Allow the child plenty of time to do something. Don’t rush him, but be patient. And don’t rush about the room yourself.

I will admit, I chuckled the first time I read, “Remove your hat.” I usually teach in jeans or khakis and an open-collar shirt. One recent Sunday morning, however, I decided to don a tie and sport coat along with my jeans. A 5-year-old girl in my class commented, “You look nice today, Mr. Landry!” (I may need to start wearing a coat and tie more often!)

This simple suggestion to remove one’s hat is intended to be taken literally; however, I do think that there are “hats,” or things, we need to remove when we teach kids. In fact the other 8 suggestions are about removing distractions and other barriers to teaching babies—preteens at church.

Of particular interest is the emphasis on the child throughout Ms. Dillard’s list. Why? Psalm 139:13 reiterates what we already know from Genesis 1:27, “For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”

God created and knows the children we teach. They are valuable to Him. Therefore it’s important for us to “remove our hats” and eliminate anything that keeps us from sharing God’s love with kids. So, what will you remove before teaching kids this week?

Kids Ministry, Leadership, Volunteers

January 13, 2017

10 Questions KidMin Volunteers Should Ask Themselves

By Landry Holmes

Not too long ago, one of our neighbors gave my wife a book published in 1959 by what is now known as LifeWay Christian Resources. The book is Improving Nursery Departments by Polly Hargis Dillard. I thought writing a three-part “Lessons from 1959” series from the book might be fun. However, I must first address the proverbial “elephant in the room.”

When I first started in kids ministry, I was taught we didn’t use the word “nursery.” A nursery was where plants were grown. A few years in, one of my mentors—a well-known preschool ministry leader—wisely told me that what we call the area at church where preschoolers are cared for is not as important as what we do in that area. The remainder of this post focuses on what we do, not only in the preschool area at church, but in the elementary ministry as well.

In her book, Dillard presents a checklist of 17 questions that preschool teachers should ask themselves in order to evaluate their potential areas of growth. I have chosen to condense that list to the following 10 questions and pose them to both preschool and elementary volunteers at church:

Do I really like children; am I a friend to children?
Do I see the world as a child sees it; do I use words which the children understand?
Do I let the children do as much as they are able to do for themselves; am I eager to grow and learn more about children’s interests, development, and guidance?
Do I treat children with as much consideration and respect as I do adults; do I see and understand each child as a growing person?
Do I laugh with the children and not at them?
Do I appreciate and work well with parents; do I work well with fellow workers?
Do I give of myself in time, love, and service; do I make thorough preparation for each session?
Do I study the Bible daily? Do I try to live daily the principles which I find in the Bible?
Do I recognize that behind behavior there is a reason; do I try to find the reason?
Am I sensitive to the needs of the children and to what they are feeling and thinking?

How did you do? In what areas do you need to grow the most? The purpose of this list is to be encouraged and to remember these words from Polly Dillard, “Effective workers are always growing workers.” So keep loving, keep learning, keep growing, and keep teaching.

Encouragement, Kids Ministry, Leadership

December 7, 2016

Who’s In Control?

By Landry Holmes

What causes you to panic and experience that strange feeling in the pit of your stomach that won’t go away? For a few Americans, it was a radio drama broadcast of “The War of the Worlds” on October 30, 1938. In that dramatization of H. G. Wells’ 1898 novel by the same name, it was declared that Martians had invaded the United States. Whether or not the masses were thrown into hysteria remains debatable; nonetheless, at least a few citizens were convinced, albeit briefly, that their lives were threatened.

The fact that anyone would believe such a story may seem ludicrous to us today; however, as human beings we are often subject to panic. Why is that? Panic usually is the result of fear and worry. The Bible has a few things to say about that:

“… don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34)
“… don’t worry about your life, what you will eat; or about the body, what you will wear … Can any of you add a cubit to his height by worrying? If then you’re not able to do even a little thing, why worry about the rest?” (Luke 12:22,25-26)
“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

While we make many excuses for our fear-induced panic, the cause is actually sin. Here are three reasons why we allow sin to produce worry and fear in our lives:

Pride—Pride says, “I’ve got this.” Pride is self-reliant, and when we depend our ourselves we worry.
Doubt— God made us and knows us intimately. When we fail to believe God’s promises and give our anxiety to Him, we panic.
Destruction—God protects and Satan destroys. When we allow ourselves to become paralyzed by worry, we give Satan an opening to attack using one of his favorite destructive weapons: fear.

So, what do we do? While leading a kids worship experience a few years ago, I found myself teaching a biblical truth presented in the curriculum as a question and answer: “Who’s in control? God is all powerful, sovereign and good.” Oh, what a wonderfully powerful biblical truth!

When we face behavioral issues with kids, remember, God is all powerful. When we’re tempted to be anxious about attendance at Bible study, worship, or family events, remember, God is sovereign. When we have conflicts with parents and other leaders, remember, God is good. So, the next time Satan tempts you with fear, worry, and anxiety, listen to God. He is saying, “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”

Advent, Christmas, Kids Ministry, Leadership

November 2, 2016

Celebrating Advent with Kids at Church

By Landry Holmes

Sitting in the worship service of a university-town church as a college student, I observed an Advent celebration for the first time. I was wondering what I had gotten myself into! Since that time, I have served in churches that either ignored the Advent season or celebrated it. And, either approach is acceptable.

Some churches choose to celebrate Advent overtly and ceremoniously, while others subtly mention Advent from the stage or in the worship bulletin. Some churches provide customized Advent guides for families to use at home.

Regardless of how your church chooses to publicly celebrate Advent, you may want to observe this occasion in your kids ministry. However, before doing anything related to Advent, talk with your pastor about your plans and make sure there are no doctrinal or church tradition issues that would prevent you from leading kids to observe Advent. Here are four simple ideas to use with kids at church:

Talk to the kids about what the word “advent” means and why Christians celebrate Advent.
Set up an Advent wreath and candles in your classroom or large group room. Each week, enlist a child to light a candle. (If you’re concerned about a fire hazard, use electric candles.) Enlist other kids to read aloud Scriptures that relate to that particular Sunday of Advent. Lead kids to pray, thanking God for His redemptive plan.
Lead the kids to sing a different song each week that relates to that Sunday of Advent. If older kids and preteens are too cool to sing, listen to a recording of the song.
Help children create an Advent guide to use at home personally or with their family. Here is a suggested outline:
- Weekend of November 27—Theme, Hope (Isaiah 7:14; Micah 5:2)
- Weekend of December 4—Theme, Love (John 3:16)
- Weekend of December 11—Theme, Joy (Luke 2:8-11)
- Weekend of December 18—Theme, Peace (Isaiah 9:6)
- Weekend of December 25—Theme, Jesus (Luke 2:1-7)

Whatever you choose to do to celebrate Advent with kids at church, always, always, always point children to God’s plan to rescue, redeem, and restore us. After all that is why we celebrate Advent at Christmas, the coming of Jesus.

Devotional, Kids Ministry, Leadership

October 26, 2016

Who’s To Blame?

By Landry Holmes

Place two kids in a room, and soon they will be blaming each other for something. I know this both as a teacher and a parent. My two married, adult sons are 28 months apart in age. When they were in elementary school, my younger son would often come to my wife or me whining about his older brother and say, “Get him in trouble!”

While that statement is humorous to us as adults, isn’t that a natural thing to say? Look at Adam and Eve. Adam said, “The woman You gave to be with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12) The question, “Who’s to blame?” is as old as the fall of man in the Garden of Eden.

The Bible is replete with other examples of imperfect people pointing the finger of blame to others. One such situation is found in 1 Kings 18. After three years of drought, King Ahab asks Elijah, “Is that you, you destroyer of Israel?”

To us, Ahab’s question seems ridiculous. But the king had circumstantial evidence—the drought. After all, who announced the drought? The Bible says, “Now Elijah the Tishbite, from the Gilead settlers, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord God of Israel lives, I stand before Him, and there will be no dew or rain during these years except by my command!’” (1 Kings 17:1) So, what is the logical conclusion as to the reason for the drought? That’s correct, the cessation of rain must be Elijah’s fault.

The tangible evidence, however, proves the circumstantial evidence false. According to the writer of I Kings, “Ahab son of Omri became king over Israel … Ahab … did what was evil in the Lord’s sight more than all who were before him . . . he married Jezebel … and then proceeded to serve Baal and worship him.” (1 Kings 16:19-31) King Ahab’s wrong choice to worship Baal resulted in the drought. Therefore, sin is the real reason for Israel’s troubles, not the messenger Elijah.

So, where does that leave us? We often make wrong choices in ministry and in life and then blame others:

The kids in our ministry are acting crazy and wild, so we blame them, when our lack of planning and preparation might be to blame.
No one shows up for a Sunday afternoon program, and we blame the parents, when our over-scheduling activities may be the problem.
Our pastor and/or other staff members dismiss what we have to say, when our chronic whining may be the cause.

Rather than blaming others, we need to recognize that the root of our problems is sin. Sometimes the cause may be either our own sin or the result of living in a fallen, broken world. Additionally we should give our problems to Jesus, who promises, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).

The next time you are tempted to blame parents, the church down the street, the kids, or other leaders in the church, remember that the source of difficulties is sin. Then, turn your situation over to Jesus and rest in Him.

Bible Skills, Kids Ministry, Leadership

September 23, 2016

Bibles and Shoelaces

By Landry Holmes

Some friends of mine once discussed the merit of teaching their young children how to tell time on an analog timepiece as opposed to a digital watch. The premise of the argument assumed that kids in the future would not need to know how to read an analog clock because soon all such devices would display time digitally. That was over 30 years ago.

A similar conversation emerged a few years ago when Velcro® found a home on kids’ shoes. Why teach a child how to tie her shoes if all she has to do is draw them tight and fasten them in seconds? The kids I teach at church still wear shoes with shoelaces.

Time has proven both issues irrelevant. However, the leap from these two discussions to the following question is logical: “Why should we teach kids how to use print Bibles when digital Bibles are conveniently located on their phones, e-readers, tablets, and other mobile devices?”

Children who learn to use a print Bible can easily transfer those skills to a digital Bible. The skills employed to tell time and tie shoes are transferrable to other tasks. The same is true with the Bible.
Print Bibles reinforce visually that the Bible is one big story of God’s redemptive plan, not just an isolated passage displayed on a screen.
Concrete and logical learners discover how the Bible is organized—Old and New Testaments, divisions (Law, History, Gospels, etc.), books, chapters, and verses—when they can see and hold a print Bible.
Once a child learns basic Bible skills with a print Bible, he will discover the value of using a digital Bible to study the Scripture passages in multiple translations.

So, should we allow kids to use their Bible apps at church? Yes! If we want kids to learn how to use the Bible anywhere and at anytime, then we need to encourage them to access the Bible in whatever format is readily available.

There is a time and place for our hands and electronic displays, shoelaces and Velcro, and print and digital Bibles. In the end, we want preschoolers and elementary kids to cherish God’s Word, regardless of whether they are reading from a well-worn print edition or on the latest tablet.

Kids Ministry, Leadership

August 24, 2016

What Happens When You’re Gone?

By Landry Holmes

A frequently-used business term related to human resources is “succession planning.” Basically, business leaders are encouraged to identify and prepare individuals who can become the new leaders when the current leaders change roles or leave the organization.

Succession planning is not a new concept. Moses groomed Joshua, Elijah prepared Elisha, Jesus commissioned Peter, and Paul mentored Timothy. (See Deuteronomy 31:7; 1 Kings 19:19-21; John 21:15-19; and 2 Timothy 2:2.)

So often in kids ministry, we are so busy filling volunteer slots with what often seems to be a scarcity of willing adults that we don’t think we have the time or energy to consider succession planning. In reality preparing for our exit can become a natural part of our ministry.

Identify potential leaders. Observe the volunteers in your ministry. Do other volunteers look to them as leaders? Do they offer solutions to problems and positive suggestions for continuous improvement?
Share responsibility with potential leaders. Sometimes we give potential leaders too much responsibility, too soon. Instead, invite volunteers to serve alongside you. This allows you to mentor and observe them in various leadership situations.
Give potential leaders responsibility. Once you’ve shared responsibility, consider delegating some leadership tasks to potential leaders. Approach every ministry and leadership task with the question, “Could someone else do this task as well as or better than I?” Stay close in case the volunteer requests your advice. Resist the temptation to take over, causing volunteers to feel defeated.
Let potential leaders lead. When you go out of town or when you’re sick, place potential leaders in situations where they have to lead in your absence. This could be facilitating a meeting for a group of volunteers or serving as the kids worship leader in your stead.
Provide feedback. Be sure to tell potential leaders what they did well and coach them on areas in which they need to grow.

Preparing others to step into your leadership shoes doesn’t have to be an added task that you don’t have time to accomplish. Instead as you lead, develop others to lead.

Remember what Jesus told the apostles after he washed their feet? “So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done for you.” (John 13:14-15) Jesus made succession planning part of His ministry, and so should we.

Kids Ministry, Leadership, Vacation Bible School

July 18, 2016

3 Things I Learned as a VBS Teacher

By Landry Holmes

My alarm disturbed the silence at 5:00 AM on Monday and my cheerful wife said, “Ready to go teach children about Jesus in Vacation Bible School?” Regretfully, at that moment I didn’t feel ready to teach anyone. I admit that few things stress me as much as preparing to teach VBS. I don’t know why. I love Jesus. I love kids. I love to teach kids the Bible.

I think it may be the unknown. I don’t know how many kids will be in my Bible study group. I don’t know if the decorations in my classroom are still on the wall or if they are hanging by one piece of tape, ready to fall on a child’s head like a parachute.

I experienced this rubbing-my-bald-head-until-it-turns-red stress twice this summer. I taught VBS at my established church in the mid-south and at a church plant on the west coast. Teaching in these two very different environments taught me three things.

Context impacts decorations. At my church, we spend hours covering every inch of every wall of the classroom with colorful paper. We hang countless inflatables and cutouts from the ceiling. We make an elaborate entrance in the doorway. At the church plant, we met in a high school and could not start decorating until two hours before VBS started. The only decorations we had were ones that would fit in suitcases or that we purchased onsite. We covered classroom equipment with plastic table covers, placed teaching posters on the bulletin board, and blew up some inflatables. That was it, and that was enough.
Context influences direction of content. At my church, most of the kids in my Bible study group were church kids, either from my church or from another church in town. Most had heard about Jesus, and many already knew the Bible stories. At the church plant, every child I taught was un-churched, and I was privileged to introduce them to Jesus and teach them Bible stories that they had not heard.
Context informs decorum. I already knew many of the kids that I taught at my church. I knew what classroom management techniques worked and I knew the behavior landmines. For the most part, the children who came to VBS knew what was expected of them. Such was not the case at the church plant. I didn’t know these kids or their home backgrounds, and they didn’t know me. Therefore, I had to establish boundaries early and be flexible throughout the week as I adjusted my expectations.

The fact that context plays a vital role in decorations, direction of content, and decorum may seem obvious. Irrespective of the context, kids can learn about Jesus anywhere. However, all the unknown variables can usher in stress unless we fully trust God. Regardless of how much time we prepare, how many decorations are on the wall and hanging from the ceiling, or how many kids show up, God is in control. Always.

Landry Holmes leads LifeWay’s Kids Ministry Publishing Team and is a kidmin volunteer at his church. He is a husband, dad, father-in-law, and dog person.

Kids Ministry, Leadership, Sunday School

June 27, 2016

Teaching Inconsistently, Consistently

By Landry Holmes

How can we teach toward the uniqueness of individual children while maintaining a sense of classroom consistency? What is the balance? Here are some things I have learned that may be helpful in your classroom at church:

Set general boundaries. Make sure each child has the cognitive, developmental, and physical ability to comply with these basic guidelines. Boundaries may include staying in the classroom, treating one another with respect, and following the guidance of teachers.
Be flexible. I taught a child who, because of multiple special needs, had difficulty sitting with a group of kids. During large group, I allowed him to sit with a teacher in another location in the classroom where he could engage his hands in an activity. He still listened as I told the Bible story to the other children who were sitting in a circle. If I had insisted the child sit with the group, he would have been so disruptive that none of the kids would have learned anything from the story. The child with special needs actually responded in such a way that I knew he was comprehending biblical truth.
Provide choices. When kids are allowed to choose between a given set of activities, they tend to learn better. I know some kids who thoroughly enjoy creative art, while others would much rather build something or experiment with nature items. Choices create opportunities for children to learn in the ways God has wired them without being forced to do what everyone else in the room is doing.

Boundaries, flexible expectations, and choices of activities help kids learn individually and as group. Treating children as individuals created in God’s image can actually lead to consistency in the classroom when we provide clear expectations for them and for the group.

Landry Holmes leads LifeWay’s Kids Ministry Publishing Team and is a kidmin volunteer at his church. He is a husband, dad, father-in-law, and dog person.

9 Do’s for KidMin Volunteers (Part 2)

9 Do’s for KidMin Volunteers (Part 1)

10 Questions KidMin Volunteers Should Ask Themselves

Who’s In Control?

Celebrating Advent with Kids at Church

Who’s To Blame?

Bibles and Shoelaces

What Happens When You’re Gone?

3 Things I Learned as a VBS Teacher

Teaching Inconsistently, Consistently

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