Christmas

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

December 16, 2019

Christmas Activities for Kids: Christmas Tree Bingo

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.

Christmas, Teacher Appreciation, Volunteers

November 5, 2019

Christmas Tags – Free Download

By Kids Ministry 101

Use these tags to add a little touch of Christmas cheer to gifts for volunteers and all of your presents this year. Click on each image below to download a full page of tags.

**Download all tags from Bible Studies for Life: Kids**

**Download all tags from Explore the Bible: Kids**

**Download all tags from The Gospel Project for Kids**

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!

Advent, Christmas, Kids Ministry, Leadership

December 24, 2018

The Fourth Week of Advent: LOVE

By Bill Emeott

Have you ever “re-gifted” a Christmas gift? I have … and I have to tell you it wasn’t a good experience for me.

As a Kids Minister, I was always getting “token” Christmas gifts. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciated EVERY MUG I ever got … but there were just so many … (You’re laughing right now because you know exactly what I’m talking about). After three or four years the collection had gotten out of control and I decided to use these jewels as door prizes for my annual Kids Ministry leadership appreciation party. I put some fresh candy in the mugs, wrapped them in red and green cellophane and proudly issued them to teachers and leaders as they left my party.

The next Sunday morning I walked in my office to find one of the mugs I had distributed sitting in the center of my desk with a note underneath. The note read, “Bill, I thought you might want this mug back since it has your name on it. Thanks for the candy though!” Oh, the embarrassment. I never did figure out who re-gifted my re-gift (good manners on his part) … but I have thought a lot about re-gifting since then and I’ve come to the conclusion that re-gifting isn’t so bad if the gift you’ve been given is worth re-giving.

When I think of Christmas and “love” my mind immediately goes to what many call the most loved Bible verse of all, John 3:16, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”

Today, on December 24 … Christmas Eve, I want to remind us of our obligation to re-gift the Greatest Gift ever given, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. He is worth re-gifting. There is no better gift, EVER!

As you go through the next couple of days of celebrating, don’t forget to share what God has done for you. Take the time to acknowledge that Gift and be intentional about “re-gifting” with your family, friends, and those who pass your way. Be careful about the mugs, but be really free with the Savior. There are folks out there who really need that gift this year!

Bill Emeott serves as Lead Ministry Specialist for LifeWay Kids. He is a graduate of Mercer University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Bill has served in Kids Ministry for almost 30 years and currently teaches 3rd Grade Bible study at his home church in Nashville, TN.

CentriKid, Christmas, Kids Ministry, Leadership

December 17, 2018

Large Group Games and the Gospel

By Lydia McMillan

Tis the season for Christmas get-togethers and New Year parties. If you have a couple of kids or A LOT OF KIDS all in one place, then we have a game for you! Organized Mass Chaos! (or as we call it at CentriKid Camps, OMC!)

CentriKid is known as the HOME OF OMC! It is our large-group recreation game that takes place on the last full day of camp. If you have never experienced OMC before here are the basics you need to know:

OMC stands for Organized Mass Chaos.
Split your kids into different groups. At CentriKid we split our groups up by color teams corresponding with the grade the kids have completed.
The object of the game is for your team to collectively complete the most individual tasks.
Each kid is given a task card and whenever they complete it they put it in their team’s bucket only to retrieve another task to complete.
The game lasts anywhere from 10-20 minutes based on supplies and the location, and weather. (I would cut the game short if it is really hot or really cold.)

Even in the middle of all this fun, we are intentional about sharing the gospel with kids at camp.

Since you know that kids learn in different ways, it is important to take the time to unpack the games that you play in your Kids Ministry. This will help those hands-on learners grasp in a more solid way the connection between everyday life and their relationship with Jesus.

Here is a way you may connect OMC with God’s word:

We have a lot in common with OMC. We all played OMC together, but we are also special and uniquely created. Every player at OMC is dressed differently and had different tasks to do during the game, but God knows each of us individually. Psalm 139:13-14 says “For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well.”

God has created us and formed us into the people we are. He has given us our eye color, our personalities, our dreams, and made us different from anyone else on earth. God put in so much more effort into making you special and He loves you so much more. We are God’s creation and He wants us to have a personal relationship with Him. **Now you have a great run-way into sharing the gospel with your kids after playing a game of OMC!

Are you interested in playing OMC with your kids? Check out the Official OMC Game Messy Edition and Yellow Edition to purchase OMC for your ministry!

Once you have the digital version of the OMC game cards, you can access the special bonus editions with additional tasks for all the different seasons and holidays. With these combined versions, you will be good to go create your own Organized Mass Chaos!

View and download all the free special editions at CentriKid.com/OMC!

Lydia McMillan works on the CentriKid Camps team. She manages social media, produces videos, works with actors, and leads production elements. She is married to Joshua and they have two kiddos who keep them very busy.

Advent, Christmas, Kids Ministry, Leadership

December 17, 2018

The Third Week of Advent: JOY

By Bill Emeott

My favorite Christmas carol is “Joy to the World.” I think that hymn sums it all up for me and when we finally sing it at church, I know it’s Christmas time! Growing up someone once said that true joy can be found when one get’s his joy in order. A simple acrostic helps put your priorities in order and can really help you find joy this holiday season.

J – Jesus: I know it’s an old saying but it’s the truth and we should never tire of focusing on Jesus at Christmas. Get this one right and everything else usually falls into place. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed with all the “stuff” that Christmastime brings but our challenge is to make sure that Jesus stays at the center of our Christmas celebrations and fun. For me, that takes some intentional planning and preparation. Scheduling time with friends and family to not only exchange gifts, eat awesome food, and enjoy each other’s fellowship, but to stop and purposefully focus of The Gift we’ve been given through Christ Jesus. The focus can’t stop with His birth but quickly move to His sacrifice, truly the greatest gift ever given.

O – Others: Don’t misunderstand me here. I am very aware that Kids Ministers are most ALWAYS focusing on someone other than themselves, but I’m talking about looking for folks who might not be expecting your kindness and share with them a bit of Christmas joy. Are there people in your community that you and your family could reach out to this season? What about the senior adults in your community who may be alone? What about those who’ve been severely affected by the ongoing recession? Perhaps you know someone who experienced death this year and is doing Christmas for the first time without their loved one. There are people all around us who are in need. Look for ways to express love to others.

Y – You: Please note that YOU are on this list! Too many times we overlook ourselves and never get around to doing something nice for “me.” After you’ve got the “J” and the “O” straightened out, take some time for the “Y,” you! Carve out some time this season to take care of yourself. Read a book; watch a movie; take a nap. Sometimes, we can’t find our joy because we’re too tired to look. Over the holidays schedule some time to relax and refresh so you’ll be refueled for the New Year.

Joy to the world the Lord has come; Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room, And heaven and nature sing.

Joy to the earth! The Savior reigns; Let men their songs employ;

While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrow grow, nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love.

Advent, Christmas, Kids Ministry, Leadership

December 10, 2018

The Second Week of Advent: PEACE

By Bill Emeott

We’re well into the Advent season and I’m getting more and more excited about celebrating the birth of Jesus on December 25. I am thankful for the opportunity to be reminded of the Christ child and the gift He is to me.

In March of 2010, my father was given a diagnosis no one wants to hear. My dad was told that he had cancer and that left untreated, he would live about six weeks. Additionally, the doctor shared that because of the kind of cancer he had and because of his age, traditional therapies would not be available to him. It was a pretty tough diagnosis for him and for our family.

I remember visiting dad in the hospital after the diagnosis. I remember that we all had heavy hearts and we were all pretty shook up. I remember my dad telling me that day that he was going to be okay. I remember thinking, “no, dad … you’re really not okay this time.” As we talked he shared with me that for him, it was just a “moving on” from this life to his eternal life with Jesus. He was certain that his life wasn’t going to end; it was going to continue in heaven. He specifically said that he was at peace with God.

As I think about that example of peace I’m even more convinced that the only true peace comes from knowing Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Jesus chose to come to earth and ultimately die for us so that we might have eternal life and a real peace.

My pastor shared it well when he said, “If you want to know the peace of God, you need to be AT peace WITH God!” And, the only way to be a peace with God is to know His Son, the Prince of Peace … Jesus, the baby we celebrate this holiday season.

As the weeks and what turned into months passed it wasn’t always good for dad … but I am thankful for the peace that was my dad’s that first day. I am thankful for the example he gave us as he testified to the knowledge that His Savior, Jesus Christ was enough for him.

Take time today to thank God for His gift, The Gift … Jesus … the Prince of Peace!

Christmas, Kids Ministry, Leadership

December 5, 2018

Appreciating Volunteers During the Christmas Season

By Delanee Williams

It’s the Christmas season. That time of year we go nonstop. We have parties and events to attend, tasks to complete, gifts to buy, and most importantly our Savior’s birth to celebrate. You may have already decided on ways to honor your teachers, or you may not have had the chance to think about it. As church budgets can be tight, more and more kids ministers are looking for creative ways to say “thank you” to teachers. Consider using one of the following ideas to honor teachers this Christmas.

Provide a breakfast one Sunday morning in December. Invite teachers to come early, eat breakfast, and enjoy time fellowshipping with other teachers. It’s a small way to say we remember you and appreciate you.
Send a Christmas card with a handwritten note. Write a personal note in the card sharing a genuine, specific reason you appreciate them. While this may not seem much, reading a personal encouraging note can affirm teachers.
Purchase classroom Bibles in honor of your leaders. There’s no more impactful gift than the Word of God. Purchasing these gifts for the classroom will not only benefit the children but the teachers, too. Find a way to let the teachers know these are being purchased in honor of them and their service.
Consider giving in another way that impacts lives for the gospel such as the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering through the International Mission Board or another ministry your church supports in the community. Make sure to communicate with the teachers about the gift given in their honor.

Can you think of any other ways you can recognize your teachers this Christmas? Remember it’s important to honor them, their time, and remind them of the opportunity they have to teach boys and girls about the most important baby ever born: Jesus! Enjoy the Christmas season!

Delanee Williams serves as a Ministry Specialist with LifeWay Kids. She is a graduate of Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Delanee has served in kids ministry for over twenty years and is passionate about developing, equipping and encouraging leaders.