Landry Holmes

Kids Ministry, Leadership, Vacation Bible School

July 18, 2016

3 Things I Learned as a VBS Teacher

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.

Encouragement, Kids Ministry, Leadership

May 27, 2016

Ready to Quit Kids Ministry?

By Landry Holmes

The alarm breaks through the early Monday morning mental fog. As you roll over in bed to hit the snooze button you audibly groan and think, “Maybe it’s time to quit and let someone younger teach those rowdy kids on Sundays.”

Maybe your defeated feelings don’t wait until Monday to awaken. As soon as the last preschooler is picked up from your room on Sunday morning you think, “I don’t think the children learned anything today. Perhaps I should quit.”

STOP! I’m serious! From where do you suppose those negative thoughts come? They definitely don’t come from the One about whom Paul says, “I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13).

So, what should be your response when you are ready to quit kids ministry? Whether you’re a volunteer or a paid church staff member, you might benefit from some of these suggestions:

In the name of Jesus, tell Satan to leave you alone!
Recognize that your discouragement is real and you’re not the first person to want to quit your place of service. Even Elijah wanted to give up. (1 Kings 19:3-4)
Read, meditate on, and memorize God’s promises in Scripture such as Psalm 23 and Galatians 6.
Rest. Eat healthy food. Elijah did. (1 Kings 19:5-8) Go ahead and take a Sunday off from teaching (Gasp!) and attend adult Bible study and worship, instead.
Call out to God in prayer and ask Him to affirm your call to kids ministry. Tell God you’re frustrated and tired. Then, listen. (1 Kings 19:9-14)
Reverse your focus from internal to external, and enlist a ministry partner. Again, that’s what Elijah did. (1 Kings 19:15-21)

You may be thinking, “So, is quitting ever the right thing to do?” Most of the time, God doesn’t call us to quit. However, God may call us to do something else. Until then keep moving forward, remembering Jesus’ warning: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)

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

April 20, 2016

Ministering in the Midst of the Mess

By Landry Holmes

As my wife and I pulled into the church parking lot on a cold Sunday morning, we saw a woman with special needs walking in the winter weather with her young niece and nephew in tow. I admired the fact that this woman would bring the children to church as often as she could, especially since their mother had committed suicide a few months previous.

On that same Sunday, a senior adult couple brought a younger couple to church, along with the couple’s elementary-aged son. The dad had recently been homeless, the son had lived with relatives until Dad found a place to live, and the mother had just been released from prison.

Not everyone at my church has these kinds of stories, but everyone has a story. And, our stories can be messy. Jesus understands mess. In fact the gospel writer Mark shows us that Jesus came to a messy world, full of messed up people, to offer us hope.

In-your-face Mess

Jesus was no stranger to the messiness of life. After all, Jesus was born in a stable surrounded by animals, placed in a feeding trough, and visited by smelly shepherds.

In Mark, chapter 5, we read that Jesus gets out of a boat and is confronted by a crazy man. The demon-possessed man was no weakling. He had supernatural strength. And, he was loud. He was also tormented by demons.

What does Jesus do? Does Jesus say, “I haven’t had breakfast yet; I’ve been on a boat all night with these smelly fishermen; oh, and by the way, I calmed a storm last night”? No, Jesus meets the mess head on.

A Solution to the Mess

Jesus confronts the mess, not the man. Jesus transports the unclean spirits from the man to the pigs. Have you ever been around pigs? Is anything messier than pigs? And, don’t forget what Jews thought about pigs. They were unclean.

Just as Jesus demonstrated His power over nature by calming the raging waves the night before, Jesus exercised His power over Satan by calming the raging spirit of this tormented man.

When the Mess Ends, Ministry Continues

While the initial mess had ended, there was still more mess for another day. Think about it. The pig herders probably weren’t thrilled that they wouldn’t be bringing home the bacon that night. Also the crowd was afraid, probably more of Jesus than of the formerly demon-possessed man. In the meantime, however, the healed man shared God’s grace with others.

As the healed man could attest, life without Jesus is a life of torment. Like Jesus, we confront people who are messy. Every week, messy children and their families show up at our churches. Families that have experienced pain and tragedy up close and personal. Moms and Dads whose lives of promise are torn apart by hopelessness and bad choices. Children who find hope and love at church. Adults willing to get messy, because ministry is messy.

Kids are messy. Families are messy. Life is messy. Our role as kids ministry leaders and volunteers is to introduce kids and families to the One who came to clean up the mess, Jesus.

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, Parenting

April 2, 2016

Help Kids Know Where Their Help Comes From

By Landry Holmes

The first church in which I served as a full-time staff member was located in the Hill Country of Central Texas. Early in my ministry there, I led a retreat at a ranch where one of the church’s deacons worked as the livestock manager. I remember this humble rancher talking about the Texas hills in the background and how they reminded him of what the psalmist said, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.” (Psalm 121:1, KJV).

As I think about kids today, I wonder if they know the true source of their help. Many voices tell them that their help comes from friends, family, teachers, video games, sports, music, dance, and so forth. The Bible tells us that the help kids need can only come from God the Creator, God the Protector, and God the Savior.

God the Creator—The psalmist asks, “When I observe Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You set in place, what is man that You remember him, the son of man that You look after him?” (Psalm 8:3-4, HCSB) Kids are challenged almost daily with falsehoods about creation. We can show children the Truth in the Scriptures and assure them that the God who made space with all of its vastness cares for the tiniest of His creatures, and especially for them.

God the Protector—Jesus said, “ Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent.” (Matthew 10:29, HCSB) Kids live in a scary world. They go to school not knowing if someone might show up and start shooting at them, or if a bully will make their life miserable, or if the teacher will make them pull a red card. We can teach children that God is in control. Even amidst uncertainty, tragedy, and pain, God is there.

God the Savior—Paul writes, “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10, HCSB)

God’s message is one of hope and redemption. Kids wonder why they’re not very good at baseball, or why they have to go to school when they feel inadequate academically, or why their grandmother died, or why they have to move to a new city in a new state, or why their parents don’t love each other anymore, or why their dad lost his job, or why their mother decided to bring a new baby home, or why they can’t take a cool vacation four times a year, or ___________ (fill in the blank). You and I have the opportunity to point children to the only One they can truly trust and depend on—our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

God, through His Son Jesus, is our Savior, Protector, and Creator. You and I know that adversity strengthens us spiritually; however, kids don’t understand this truth. Nonetheless, we can point children to Jesus, the source of our hope and strength.

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

February 26, 2016

Can Leaders Be “Off Their Game”?

By Landry Holmes

Whether you lead a classroom of kids at church, a group of kids ministry volunteers, or a staff of paid ministry leaders, you may feel the burden of perfection. After all, we’re leaders. We think that when those we lead see us make a mistake, they will think less of us. Even worse, we may think that they will not respect us as leaders. We’re afraid that if people notice that we’re “off our game,” then our influence as leaders will diminish. Moses appears to have succumbed to this sort of thinking, too.

Moses, like many of us, probably thought he had to be the perfect leader. This resulted in Moses’ attempting to judge the people and solve their problems, without assistance. Fortunately, Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, helped Moses see that he was hurting both himself and the people he was trying to help. (See Exodus 18.) Through Moses’s experience, we can learn some truths:

Leaders are always “on,” but there are times when it’s okay to let others see your imperfections.
Leaders who try to be perfect exhaust themselves and those they lead.
Leaders who trust those they lead are more apt to be transparent.
People respect leaders who allow others to see who they really are.
People will follow imperfect leaders who lead with integrity.
People benefit when their leaders admit their own imperfections and make needed course corrections.

Taking Jethro’s advice, Moses made a course correction. Is it time for you to do the same? Stop trying to be perfect and start being who God has created you to be.

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

January 22, 2016

Is it Philosophy or Methodology?

By Landry Holmes

The term “philosophy” gets thrown around a lot, sometimes negatively. However, by definition, “philosophy” is neutral–it’s neither positive nor negative. Merriam-Webster defines the term as, “the most basic beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of an individual or group.”

In kids ministry we sometimes confuse philosophy with methodology. While methods may demonstrate our philosophy, they are more fluid than philosophy. Here are some ways to distinguish the two:

Philosophy is built on biblical convictions. For example, our philosophy should include the desire to introduce kids to Jesus.
Methods are ways to teach our biblical convictions. We may choose to introduce kids to Jesus with large-group games, word searches, crafts, video clips, etc.
Philosophy is very personal and changes very little or none at all, over a long period of time.
Methods can be flexible without violating philosophy. They may change from decade to decade, from year to year, from week to week, and even from child to child.
Philosophy can be stated clearly and briefly.
The list of methods can be almost infinite.

Given the distinctives above, let me ask you a question: “Is the use of coloring pages based on philosophy or is it a method?” Before you answer, take a look down your church’s preschool hallways or in the elementary classrooms.

If the coloring pages, other artwork, or crafts all look alike, then what does that tell you about the philosophy of the teachers? Does it mean that they value product over process? On the flip side, if the coloring pages look like abstract art and the crafts are misshapen, then I would say that the teachers’ philosophy is to teach children in ways God has created them to learn best and that the teachers place process above product.

As for me, I want to choose the latter scenario. In that way, my seldom-changing philosophy drives the various methods I employ. What will you choose?

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

Kids Ministry, Sunday School

August 14, 2014

Why I Put Out So Much Stuff for Preschoolers

By Landry Holmes

Recently, I was told by a sweet, well-meaning preschool teacher that I didn’t need to get out so much stuff for one of our multiple teaching hours at church. After all, not many preschoolers come to that particular session. I understand the reasons behind the question. And, fewer teaching supplies mean less time cleaning up.

However, I enjoy choosing puzzles, toys, blocks, art supplies, and other teaching materials. As I gather the stuff, I think about the delight in the preschoolers’s eyes as they enter a room at church with fun, Bible learning waiting to happen. So, the next time you’re tempted to skimp on the things you gather for preschoolers, keep these five thoughts in mind:

1. God has wired preschoolers differently.

They need to be able to choose activities according to how God has created them to learn. Physical learners need to move. Visual learners need things at which to look. Verbal and relational learners need to talk. Reflective learners need to ponder, and natural learners need to explore. Musical learners need rhythm and music, while logical learners need structure.

2. A variety of learning materials provide more opportunities for teacher-child interactions.

When a preschooler chooses to do another activity, the teacher can continue Bible conversation since the child’s focus is renewed.

3. Preschoolers have short attention spans.

As a rule of thumb, a preschooler’s attention span is one minute for every year of his age. Hence, a three-year-old may lose interest in an activity after only three minutes, unless the activity offers continual change.

4. Busy preschoolers equal fewer behavior problems.

What do preschoolers do when they don’t have anything constructive to do? That’s correct, they often find something destructive to do!

5. Preschoolers are curious.

They will wonder about what toys and art supplies you might furnish the next time they come to church. Keep their imaginations alive!

As you gather teaching materials for your next session with preschoolers, choose at least one toy, puzzle or art supply that you haven’t used in a while. The kids will be excited, and so will you!

Landry Holmes is Manager of Kids Ministry Publishing, Lifeway Christian Resources. He teaches preschoolers and elementary kids at his church in Middle Tennessee. Landry and his wife Janetta are the parents of two adult sons and a beautiful daughter-in-law. When they’re not working or at church, they’re entertaining their rat terrier Ranger (named after the Texas Rangers baseball team).

Media, Training

July 14, 2014

Using Technology With Preschoolers

By Landry Holmes

Five-year-old John (not his real name) usually comes into his classroom at church with boundless energy and an I’m-here-let’s-get-started attitude. However on this particular Sunday morning, he clung to his parents like Velcro®. After I peeled him off his dad, I sat on the floor with John and introduced him to The Gospel Project for Kids Family App on my tablet.

Disclaimer: I fully believe that when preschoolers are at church they should receive personalized attention from a living, breathing adult. Nothing, including mobile devices, should take the place of one-on-one interaction between teachers and kids — nothing!

That said, technological devices are great tools for teaching children the Bible. But that’s all they are, tools. Technology has been around for a long time. There was a period in history in which Bibles were only accessible to church leaders. The “common folk” didn’t have their own copies of God’s Word until a new technology called the printing press came along.

Now, we have TVs, DVD players, live-streaming devices, electronic tablets, smartphones, mp3 players, etc. That’s a lot of teaching tools for a guy who grew up in the 8-Track era! Nonetheless, I have embraced technology at church.

Here are some ways we can leverage today’s technology with preschoolers:

1. Use electronic tablets or smartphones for a transition activity.

This is not time to play Minecraft®. Use one of Lifeway’s family apps or another Bible-related app to help reluctant preschoolers engage in Bible learning. Sit with the child and engage her in conversation as she plays.

2. Employ free or low-cost apps for classroom management.

One of the best ways to help preschoolers take turns doing favorite tasks is to use a name selector app. The app randomly selects a child’s name, and you avoid temper tantrums. Also, there are fun apps for countdowns and time clocks that can be used these to help preschoolers know when it’s time to cleanup.

3. Show 3-5 minute realistic videos to introduce or review the Bible story or life application.

I always hold up my Bible and remind preschoolers that Bible stories and truths come from the Bible, even if we hear them from someone on a TV.

4. Set up a pretend computer in the room.

Make a computer screen out of a cardboard box and attach an old keyboard and mouse. Place sheet protectors on the box so that you can slip in Bible words. Even high-tech kids enjoying imitating adults by playing on pretend devices.

5. Play music on a CD player or mp3 device with external speakers.

Play Bible-related music throughout the session while preschoolers participate in Bible-learning activities. During group time, invite the preschoolers to sing songs and move to the music.

6. Guide preschoolers to sing along to Bible-related music videos.

Even non-readers enjoy seeing words with moving backgrounds or people doing simple motions on the TV screen.

You don’t have to be high-tech to use technology with preschoolers. Begin with something simple, like a CD player, and slowly add additional technology. Remember, technological devices should be used only as teaching tools that enable personal conversation between teachers and preschoolers. So have fun and teach kids about Jesus, using the technology available to you.

Preschoolers, Sunday School

June 20, 2014

How to Kill Your Preschool Ministry

By Landry Holmes

The fact that you are reading a kids ministry blog post indicates that you probably want to grow your preschool ministry, not kill it. However, there may be things you are doing, or not doing, that in essence may be keeping your preschool ministry from reaching its potential. Take this brief quiz to see how your preschool ministry is doing.

Do all of your preschool rooms have at least two, unrelated adult teachers who have passed a background check? More than one qualified adult teacher in a room protects children, teachers, and the church. This is a must.
Is every first-time guest parent greeted either in the parking lot or as soon as he enters the building, and do greeters know where the preschoolers meet?
When parents take their infant to the baby room, is the lighting in the room at an appropriate level? We may think that if a child is sleeping, the room should be dark or semi-dark. If I walk into a dark restaurant, I wonder what the manager is trying to hide. Keep the lights on.
Are your preschool rooms clean, and do they look and smell clean? I admit that I’m anti-germs to a fault, but who wants to leave their young child in a dirty room or one that looks dirty?
Are your preschool rooms clutter-free? Unless you’re a certified hoarder, would you want guests to see your house in a mess? I’m not sure why preschool teachers are notorious for keeping resources that are 50 years old, but perhaps it’s time to close your eyes and throw stuff away. And, don’t give it to another church. They don’t need clutter either.

How did you do? If you answered, “yes,” to all five questions, congratulations, you’re on track to attract young parents and keep them coming to your church! If you answered, “no” to any of the questions, ask yourself what is keeping you from creating a preschool environment that says, “We welcome you and your child to our church; we are ready for you; and we value you and your child because Jesus values you”?

3 Things I Learned as a VBS Teacher

Teaching Inconsistently, Consistently

Ready to Quit Kids Ministry?

Ministering in the Midst of the Mess

Help Kids Know Where Their Help Comes From

Can Leaders Be “Off Their Game”?

Is it Philosophy or Methodology?

Why I Put Out So Much Stuff for Preschoolers

Using Technology With Preschoolers

How to Kill Your Preschool Ministry

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