Landry Holmes

May 25, 2018

Help Kids Navigate a GoFundMe® World

We live in the age of the crowd. Need a lot of people to help with an idea or project? Try crowdsourcing. Need to raise money for yourself or an organization? Use an online crowdfunding platform.

Merriam-Webster defines crowdfunding as “the practice of obtaining needed funding (as for a new business) by soliciting contributions from a large number of people especially from the online community.” While the term crowdfunding may be new, the concept is not.

The New Testament church in Acts knew firsthand what it meant to provide necessary funding for those in need: “Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need.” (Acts 2:44-45)

What does this have to do with kids ministry? Almost daily, our kids and their families are asked to give to various causes. The Internet has provided well-meaning, as well as unscrupulous, individuals an easy entry into our wallets. Door-to-door solicitation and plastic collection jars at the cash register are being replaced by online GoFundMe® campaigns. Some of these fundraising efforts are legitimate, others are not.

Nothing is inherently wrong with GoFundMe® and other crowdfunding mechanisms. They definitely have been used for good. The question for us, however, is, “How can we teach kids about godly financial stewardship, regardless of the manner in which funds are collected?” Consider guiding kids to learn these biblical principles:

- The church is responsible for its impoverished members. (See Acts 6:1-7.)
- Giving is a voluntary and cheerful privilege. (See 2 Corinthians 9:7.)
- A sense of entitlement does not glorify God. (See Philippians 4:10-20.)
- If we can work, we should work. (See Proverbs 6:6-11.)

God’s plan for caring for the physical needs of Jesus’ followers in the New Testament was simple. Those in the church who had financial resources were to share them with believers who needed help. Those who chose to follow their own plan faced dire consequences. Just ask Ananias and Sapphira. This husband and wife duo sold some property, decided to keep some for themselves rather than share with fellow church members, and collaborated a lie about their offering. As a result, Ananias and Sapphire both “dropped dead” because they dishonored God. (See Acts 5:1-11.)

Crowdfunding worked for the fledgling church when its members glorified God with their gifts. And, why did most of them give cheerfully? Because God gave the ultimate gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. Isn’t that what we want kids to learn and practice? If this generation of kids learns to give in response to God’s amazing love and not out of guilt or a sense of obligation, then who knows, maybe we won’t need secular crowdfunding.

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 grandparents of two adorable grandbabies.

Easter, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Preschool

April 4, 2018

Easter Egg Hunt Blues

By Landry Holmes

The annual Easter egg hunt is over, leaving in its wake empty plastic egg shells covered in dry grass and stained with melted chocolate. When you and your team were stuffing those 14,000 eggs, you thought this day would never come. You fretted over securing enough candy, and your house looked like the chickens had come home to roost. Now, you’re wondering why you feel blue.

After a major event—even one filled with blissful mirth—feeling melancholy is normal. One way to escape the doldrums is to get some physical nourishment and rest. Next, take some time to evaluate the Easter egg hunt. I suggest doing this alone first, and then with your team. Ask yourself (and your team) questions such as these:

- What was our goal or purpose for the event? (If you held the Easter egg hunt because, “We always have one,” then you may need to redefine your goal before planning the next one.)
- Did we accomplish that goal or purpose? In what specific ways?
- Did we plan the event with enough lead time to be successful?
- Did the entire church participate, or just a select few? How can we involve more people in the next big event?
- Who came to the egg hunt? Regular attenders of our church? Unchurched people in our community?
- How did the Easter egg hunt further the mission of our church?
- What can we do next year during the Easter season to reach families with the gospel?

We ask ourselves these tough questions to ensure that egg hunts and other events are vehicles that help accomplish the mission of the Church as set forth in Matthew 28:18-20, to “make disciples.” All those mismatched plastic eggs you find under your couch and in the church flower bed six months from now, just might be worth it.

Kids Ministry, Leadership, Media, Technology

March 26, 2018

10 Ways to Leverage Kids’ Technological Distractions

By Landry Holmes

On my way to church on a recent Wednesday evening, I found out that I needed to help in preschool choir. The lead teacher’s family had the flu, so her co-teacher would be taking the lead and she needed an assistant. Miss LeeAnn, a college student, quickly pulled together some music videos and a Bible story app on her smartphone, which she subsequently connected to the TV in the preschool classroom. And away we went!

Miss LeeAnn leveraged technology in order to effectively teach biblical truth that Wednesday night. Today’s preschoolers and elementary kids are what Marc Prensky calls digital natives. They have never known a world without smartphones and electronic tablets. So, instead of lamenting that fact, let’s use technology in positive ways at church.

Embrace technology for what it is, technology; and don’t condemn kids for using it.
Teach kids the theology of technology. Remind them that their identity is in Christ, not dependent on how many “likes” and “shares” they receive.
Help kids apply what Jesus referred to as the greatest commands—love God and love others—to their use of technology, rather than succumb to negative digital distractions.
Establish ground rules for mobile devices at church for both teachers and kids.
Incorporate the usage of family apps in class.
Use TV screens.
Take pictures/video of kids engaged in Bible learning, in real time. However, be sure to follow your church’s privacy policy.
Present biblical truth and life application in terms of sound bites, quotes, memes, short videos, engaging images, share squares, and emojis.
Build in time for interruptions. When kids have questions, try to respond immediately. If a child makes a relevant statement, allow for open discussion on the spot if appropriate.
Use large group experiences to teach patience. The world of smartphones has created expectations of immediate gratification. When a child has to wait for a teacher or her peers before speaking or taking action, she will learn patience; and patience is biblical. (See Galatians 5:22.)

Speaking to a previous generation, G. K. Chesterton stated, “The huge modern heresy is to alter the human soul to fit modern social conditions, instead of altering modern social conditions to fit the human soul.” Our job is not to change the gospel message to fit technology, but rather to leverage technology to teach kids the unchanging truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Encouragement, Kids Ministry, Leadership

March 7, 2018

5 Tips to Becoming Less Technologically Distracted

By Landry Holmes

This morning I awoke early, spent time looking at my electronic tablet while getting ready, connected my smartphone to my vehicle’s audio system, drove to the airport and showed the parking attendant the reservation on my smartphone, checked my baggage using the boarding pass on my smartphone, went through the security checkpoint with my electronic boarding pass, boarded the plane with a quick scan of my smartphone’s airline app, and read emails until time to switch my smartphone to airplane mode.

And I wonder why I’m tired, stressed, and distracted! Granted this is not a typical morning for me; however, almost every day begins with reaching for my tablet or phone and ends with putting them away before crawling into bed exhausted. Our world has become so connected and attached to powerful electronic devices that we are constantly technologically distracted everywhere we go. Even the security checkpoint officer was briefly distracted this morning when she stole a quick glance at her smartphone.

What does this have to do with teaching preschoolers and elementary kids at church? Tony Reinke in his book 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You says, “We check our smartphones about 81,500 times each year, or once every 4.3 minutes of our waking lives.” That could mean you’re checking your phone almost 14 times during the one hour you’re teaching kids at church.

So, what can you and I do to be less distracted by technology as we attempt to teach kids the Bible? Here are five steps that can apply not only to the classroom setting, but to work and home as well:

1. Accept the reality and limits of technology. Technology is here to stay and will continue to be more invasive. However, it can never make us omnipresent. The sooner we learn that, the more engaged with real people in real time we will become. Smartphones and tablets will never take the place of one-on-one, biblical conversations with kids.
2. Evaluate your personal tech usage. Free tools exist that can help you know if you are too connected digitally. Search online for the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), the Facebook Intensity Quiz, and other assessments. Make changes based on your evaluation.
3. Establish “No Tech” zones. Place your smartphone out of reach in the classroom. Know where it is for emergencies, but otherwise “forget” where it is. Say to yourself and your co-teachers, “I don’t check my phone in the classroom.” Just making this statement reinforces your resolve.
4. Use the “do not disturb” feature on your phone. If you don’t know how, ask a first grader to show you. Basically this feature allows calls and texts only from specific contacts, such as your spouse or children’s pastor.
5. Enlist a tech accountability partner. This could be your co-teacher. Give her permission to give you “the look” or some other signal when you start pulling your phone out of your pocket. I teach every week with a Millennial, and she NEVER uses her smartphone in the classroom. I could learn from her example.

A few months ago I was sitting in the blocks area of a Bible study classroom, and a pre-kindergartener was trying to explain something to me. He felt compelled to say, “Hey!” to get my attention. I almost missed a Bible-teaching moment because I was looking at a text. That shameful incident helped me make some changes. What about you? What changes will you make this week?

Well, it’s time to put this blog post to bed and send to the editor. For the price of a fast-food meal I could connect to WiFi while flying 38,000 feet in the air and email what I just wrote, but I’m too frugal for that . . . or distracted.

Kids Ministry, Leadership, Parent Helps, Preschoolers

January 17, 2018

Promote a 2018 Preschool Bible-reading Plan

By Landry Holmes

There are a myriad of Bible-reading plans available via special edition Bibles, websites, and apps. Some plans call for reading the entire Bible in 365 days. Others may take the Bible student on a year-long journey that examines major biblical themes.

If preschool parents are even thinking about a 2018 personal Bible-reading plan, they probably are not considering the possibility of including their children. However, recent LifeWay research has shown that Bible reading is the most important thing parents can lead their children to do in order to place them on a healthy spiritual trajectory.

One way we as kids ministry leaders can equip parents to engage their preschoolers in Bible reading is by providing resources such as these:

LifeWay Kids Apps on the iTunes Store or Google Play

CSB Read to Me Bible

For Kindergarteners, you may want to kick it up a notch and provide kids with Foundations for Kids: A 260-day Bible Reading Plan for Kids and their parents with Foundations: A 260-Day Bible Reading Plan for Busy Believers. Parents and kids together can go through a guided plan of reading the Bible, examining essential passages from Genesis to Revelation.

Parents often begin plotting their child’s intellectual map before they bring their baby home. They think about how they will teach them pre-reading skills, pre-math skills, music appreciation, and sports. So, suggesting that we encourage parents to develop and stick to a Bible-reading plan for their preschooler is not outlandish at all. Let’s give them tools to get them started in 2018!

Discipleship, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Preschoolers

November 15, 2017

Can Preschoolers be Discipled?

By Landry Holmes

No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you and the title doesn’t contain a typo. This post is about preschool discipleship, not preschool discipline.

By definition, a disciple is someone “who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another.” Therefore, the answer to the title question would appear to be, “No.” Most preschoolers have yet to trust Jesus as their Savior and Lord, the first step in becoming His disciple. However, God can use us to build foundations for discipleship in the lives of preschoolers.

LifeWay’s Levels of Biblical Learning® informs us on some ways in which we can do that:

Model discipleship by reading the Bible to preschoolers and praying out loud, using familiar vocabulary.
Tell babies and toddlers that Jesus loves them and that Jesus did everything God told Him to do.
Remind the youngest preschoolers that God has plans for them and helps them grow like Jesus grew.
Teach three- and four-year-olds that the Bible teaches what Jesus did and God wants people to learn from Jesus.
Help five-year-olds understand that Jesus died on the cross and is alive and that people who love Jesus want to obey Him.

Admittedly, the suggestions above are very basic. And, that’s the point. Our role as leaders, teachers, and parents is to lay the groundwork so that when a child does receive God’s gift of salvation through Christ, he or she will already know some foundational discipleship truths.

So if we allow ourselves some latitude, the answer is, “Yes, preschoolers can be discipled through the teachings of the Bible in preparation for a fuller expression of discipleship after they become true Jesus followers.”

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Sunday School, Teaching Kids

October 9, 2017

Is Trustworthy Content a Kidmin Deal Breaker?

By Landry Holmes

If you are a kids ministry leader, then you are a content provider.

“Whoa! Hold on now!” you may be thinking. “I’m not publisher, writer, song-writer, or video producer; so how am I a content provider?” Every preschool and children’s ministry leader and teacher is a content provider. The question is, “What kind of content are you serving to the kids in your church?”

Our ultimate goal is to make disciples of kids. The Bible is clear that making disciples includes teaching them the Bible. Jesus says in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Emphasis mine.)

So, what are we teaching the kids in our churches? I’ve seen a lot of curriculum, some published and some not. A lot of good, trustworthy content is available. However, there is also an abundance of not-so-trustworthy content out there. How do we discern the difference?

Start with asking yourself, “Does the content teach the truth and nothing but the truth?” Paul reminds his young protégé in 2 Timothy 2:15 to, “Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.” (Emphasis mine.) This means that we present Bible content to kids without embellishment, always. If we think we have to add to the Bible content just to make it interesting to kids, what are we saying about our belief in God’s inerrant word?

Another question to ask is, “Does the content point kids to Jesus?” This may come as a surprise to many of us, but kids were around during Bible times. How do you think they learned about God’s plan of redemption? They studied the Scriptures. Again, Paul reminds Timothy, “And you know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15)

The kids alive during Bible times either experienced violence and hardship or heard stories about battles and God’s provision. Some of them heard about the Messiah. Others sat in the Messiah’s lap. They also memorized long passages of Scripture that didn’t have any action in them. Do you think their parents and teachers embellished the stories of old to keep kids from being bored? Of course they didn’t, and neither should we.

Before you teach kids this week, evaluate the video, music, scripts, and printed words you plan to present. Does the content teach God’s truth unaltered and point kids to Jesus? If not, what changes will you make to be a provider of trustworthy content?

Encouraging, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Sunday School

September 13, 2017

Can’t We All Just Get Along? Navigating Teacher-Child Conflicts

By Landry Holmes

Teach preschoolers or elementary kids long enough, and you’ll discover that not all children think you hung the moon. In fact, you may have difficulty even liking an individual child. Not liking a child doesn’t mean you don’t love him or her. However, if you find yourself hoping that a certain child is on vacation every Sunday of the year, then maybe you have a problem with liking that particular kid.

Fortunately God loves the child you are in conflict with, and God loves you. Because of that love, God sent His Son Jesus to rescue both you and the child who seems bent on making your life miserable. Most the time that kid doesn’t intend to be your nemesis. The child’s actions that lead to conflict are seldom, if ever, premeditated.

Through the years, I have taught workshops on classroom management, discipline, and positive guidance. There are definitely some techniques that equip us as teachers to navigate teacher-child conflicts. However, what do you do when none of those techniques work? When the conflict seems to be ongoing, week after week? I offer five suggestions:

Make your goal teaching kids the Bible, not being liked by every child.
Remember that conflict with a child is the direct result of a sinful, fallen world.
Pray for the child’s heart, not for self-preservation.
Practice biblical classroom management, even when nothing seems to be working.
Focus on the child’s strengths and positive traits.

Above all, remember that Jesus loves you even when your own actions are at odds with God’s Word. Extend to challenging kids the same grace that God offers you through Christ Jesus.

Encouragement, Kids Ministry, Leadership

August 2, 2017

Beating the Sunday Afternoon Blues

By Landry Holmes

Three weeks ago my birthday was on a Sunday. I quit counting birthdays last year; however, acknowledging my birthday on a Sunday gives added meaning to the Sunday afternoon blues. Many of us experience melancholy on Sunday afternoon (or on Monday morning), birthdays notwithstanding.

No matter how great a Sunday morning Bible study session or kids worship hour is, the Sunday afternoon blues often come knocking on my door. If you experience a similar emotion, maybe these ideas will help you beat the blues:

Know your personality and temperament. If you are introverted by nature, you are more susceptible to the Sunday afternoon blues. If you tend to be introspective and melancholy, you are more susceptible as well. Knowing your susceptibility puts you on alert that Satan “is prowling around like a roaring lion” and may use this occasion to tempt you to doubt God’s calling on your life to teach kids. (1 Peter 5:6-9)

Eat something healthy. When I was a young adult, a seasoned pastor remarked that after Sunday evening worship services he would go home and eat an egg sandwich. There are times when fasting is appropriate. The Bible is also clear that we are to take care of our bodies. When Elijah was depressed after a victorious worship experience on Mount Carmel, an angel instructed him to “get up and eat.” (1 Kings 19:1-7)

Rest without electronics. Many times the last thing I view at night and the first thing I look at in the morning is either my iPad® or iPhone®. That’s not healthy, and that’s not rest. After teaching kids, go home, eat a healthy meal, and take a nap. Elijah did that, too. (1 Kings 19:6)

Get up and move. Wait! Didn’t I just say to rest? Yes, but don’t sleep your day away. I have found that if I follow a Sunday afternoon nap with activity, I feel better emotionally. For some, this may entail going to church for Sunday evening services, then returning home and taking a walk or carrying out the trash. Exertion is not necessary, just get moving. Again, look at Elijah. “He got up, ate, and drank. Then on the strength from that food, he walked forty days and forty nights.” (1 Kings 19:8) (Okay, forty days is a bit extreme.)

Stop beating up yourself. Let’s face it you’re not perfect, and neither are the kids you teach or the parents you serve. You are going to make mistakes at church. Get over them and leave them in the church parking lot. If you need to rectify a situation, do so. Certainly ask God to forgive you. Then, go home and rest in Jesus. (Hebrews 4:9-11) Most likely the kids have already forgotten about the incident in question.

Recount positive things that happened at church. One of the causes of the Sunday afternoon blues is being tired. When I’m tired—and especially when I’m both tired and hungry—I tend to think about what went wrong in the session with kids. Train yourself to talk about what went right before you say anything negative. Sunday lunch should be a time of recounting how God is at work in your class and in your church. Paul and Barnabas provide a good example for us: “After they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported everything God had done with them and that he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.” (Acts 14:27)

Thank God that every week you get to teach kids about Jesus. And thank God for the families He lets you serve. Along with Paul we can say, “I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:3-6)

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 grandparents of two adorable grand babies.

Encouragement, Kids Ministry, Leadership

July 21, 2017

Seven Signs You’re a #kidmin Perfectionist

By Landry Holmes

I’m a recovering perfectionist. Well, I think I am recovering. I need to ask my wife what she thinks. On second thought, maybe I’m really not to the recovery stage yet. However, at least I’m only a perfectionist about some things. (Just take a look at my garage! It looks like a hoarder has taken up residence.)

If you have similar dialogs in your head, then welcome to the perfectionist club. Come on, don’t deny it. There are areas in your life that lean toward perfectionism. The good news is that perfectionism is not all bad. There is a time and place for this behavioral tendency.

For example, I work on a team with editors and graphic designers. We strive everyday for excellence, and a degree of perfectionism is helpful. The same could be said for your role as a kids ministry leader.

However, as a good friend always told me, “Any strength taken to an extreme can become a weakness.” So, what are the indicators that suggest you may need to relax a little and let some things go? Here are my seven, and you may desire to add or subtract from this list:

The title of this blog post bothers you. After all, #kidmin is not a word. Should the “k” in #kidmin be uppercase since it’s in a title? Will everyone know why there’s a pound sign (hashtag) in front of the word?
Your mantra is, “Be perfect because I am perfect.” This is no way to make friends or to earn the respect of those you lead. Never, ever expect perfectionism from others. This will only lead to frustration on both sides, and could leave you without volunteers. Only Jesus was perfect.
You’re known as The Fixer. As a man and a perfectionist, I have a double dose of “fixeritis.” Perfectionists wear themselves out trying to fix everything, and they don’t teach problem-solving skills. The more problems you fix, the more problems people will bring you. Stop trying to fix everything.
Problems are increasing, and solutions are decreasing. When you are always striving for perfectionism, you tend to be risk averse. And you burn a lot of mental, emotional, and physical energy trying to be perfect, instead of focusing that energy on the problem. Perfectionism stifles problem solving.
Delegation is a foreign word. Let’s face it, you think you’re the only one who can perform a task like it should be performed. The truth is that someone else probably can do the task better than you, but you are still needed. Delegating tasks frees you up to lead and do additional tasks. Trust others to do the work, encourage them, pray for them, and then hold them accountable.
Projects are never finished. An example is this blog post. It began as “Three Signs You’re a #kidmin Perfectionist,” then it was six. Now, it keeps going and going and going . . . Eventually you have to let something go and move on to the next task or project. Go ahead, paint that last stroke on the VBS backdrop. Send that email. Put a period on that sentence. Now, you can start planning the next kids ministry project or event.
There had to be a seventh sign that you’re a perfectionist. Why? Because seven is a perfect number, correct? Or is it?

Help Kids Navigate a GoFundMe® World

Easter Egg Hunt Blues

5 Tips to Becoming Less Technologically Distracted

Promote a 2018 Preschool Bible-reading Plan

Can Preschoolers be Discipled?

Is Trustworthy Content a Kidmin Deal Breaker?

Can’t We All Just Get Along? Navigating Teacher-Child Conflicts

Beating the Sunday Afternoon Blues

Seven Signs You’re a #kidmin Perfectionist

All Ministry Sites

Digital Resources

LifeWay Network