Kids Ministry

Dedicated to helping Kids Ministry leaders in their mission of making disciples

Devotional, Easter, Family, Kids Devotions, Kids Ministry, Parent Helps, Parenting

Free Easter Devotional Guide

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Last year, we shared a free downloadable Easter devotional guide for kids ministers to pass out to families in their ministry. As parents and kids ministers tagged Lifeway Kids in Instagram pictures, Facebook posts, and Tweets, we were so encouraged by families’ commitments to celebrate the Easter story together. We hope our resources help you lead family discipleship throughout your entire church.

Click the image below to download the 2017 version of the Lifeway Kids Easter Devotional Guide. Post the link on your kids ministry social media page or print out copies of the guide to hand out next Sunday. May we truly celebrate our Savior’s resurrection this Easter and beyond. Happy Easter!

Click here to download your free Easter Devotional Guide.

Devotional, Encouragement, Kids Ministry, Leadership

4 Ways to Make Sure Your New Year Shines

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pollard-blueEach year when I celebrate my birthday, I find it odd when people ask, “Wow, don’t you feel older?” I always respond the same way, “Yes, I feel one day older than yesterday.” In truth the passing of time is constant, we celebrate days like birthdays and anniversaries, we have annual celebrations for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year. These celebrations are a great time to think about the passing of time and the events that brought you to where you are today. When we think about celebrating the New Year, many people make resolutions, signifying a fresh start, a new beginning. Is there anything special about the calendar turning from December 31 to January 1? Not really … but, maybe there is!

Did you know that annual celebrations like this are not new to us? It’s true! The Old Testament tells of many celebrations that the Israelites convened in order to worship God. One of those celebrations was the New Moon Festival. The first day of every month was set aside as a day to focus on and worship God. The festival required no work to be done, musical offerings to God, other special offerings, and of course food. The celebration gave the Israelites a time to step back and look at what God had provided for them in the previous month and look forward to His provision for next month.

When we look at the New Moon Festival it gives us a hint on ways we can make sure our New Year starts off well and shines. Here are four ways to make sure your New Year shines.

  1. Remember the blessing. As you get ready to launch into a new calendar year of teaching, remember what God has done for you the last year. Has He provided for your needs in teaching? Has He given you the ability to lead? Has He blessed you with boys and girls to tell the wonderful news of redemption? Remember the blessing.
  2. Anticipate the blessing. If God has provided for you in the past, and He has, He will continue to bless you! Anticipate the blessing to come and thank God in advance for what He will do.
  3. Plan to plan. In preparation for these monthly celebrations the Israelites had a plan for what would happen. If we want to be successful we need to plan for the time we get to minister to boys and girls. Good healthy planning makes a more successful experience when you teach.
  4. Eat. You might be laughing right now, but fellowship is a great tool to get to know the people you teach with. If you are like me, new in a teaching environment, getting to know each other in a few minutes before teaching starts is difficult. Carve out some time to fellowship with your fellow teachers and their spouses if they have them and get to know who you are teaching with.

Four tips that might go a long way in helping you connect with the leaders you are teaching with as well as have a shiny new … and full year.

Tim Pollard teaches 3rd-6th graders Explore the Bible: Kids Worship on Sunday nights at Tulip Grove Baptist Church. He’s passionate about helping kids dig deep into Scripture, which he pursues through his daily work as leader of the Explore the Bible: Kids team. Tim lives with his wife and daughters in Mount Juliet, TN.

Devotional, Kids Ministry, Preteen, Resources

Devotional Giveaway

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lwchilddeptheadshots2016-307-1Once or twice a week, you meet with kids face-to-face, speaking into their development as disciples. You know they are growing spiritually, but imagine the exponential growth that could take place if they make it a priority to spend daily time in the Word.

This week, we’re hosting a giveaway to help you equip kids to study the Bible on a daily basis. Enter below for a chance to win 20 copies of devotions for three different age groups. See the images and downloads below for details on devos.

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Download a preview of the More devotion.

More is a 28-page monthly devotional designed to help kids ages 4-7 develop a habit of daily Bible reading. Each devo includes 10-minute devotions, prayers, and fun Bible-learning activities.

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Download a preview of the Adventure devotion.

Adventure engages kids ages 7–10 and cultivates the disciplines of daily Bible reading and spending time with God. The content is designed to invite today’s media-savvy kids to have a daily relationship-building experience with God. Each devo includes fun facts, puzzles, and games.

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Download a preview of the boys’ side of the Bible Express devotion.

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Download a preview of the girls’ side of the Bible Express devotion.

Bible Express is designed for ages 10 and up. Each issue is produced in a flip-book style with separate sections for boys and girls that is made up of fun facts, puzzles, missionary kid stories, and games. Kids will carry this cool, magazine-style devo everywhere they go.

You could win 20 copies each of More, Adventure, and Bible Express. Click here to enter the giveaway. 

Update: This giveaway has closed. Congratulations to our winner, Cathy Scharf!

Advent, Christmas, Devotional, Fun, Kids Ministry, Parent Helps, Parenting

Free Download: Family Advent Guide

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lwchilddeptheadshots2016-307-1Last year, we posted a blog that provided a downloadable Advent guide for kids ministers to share with every family in their ministry. The response from families and kids ministers was amazing! So amazing, in fact, that we decided to repeat this year. You’ll find the same format with updated content to help parents lead their families into deeper discipleship.

Kids ministers, click the image below to download and print out Advent guides, and then pass them out on Sunday, or email out the link in your weekly newsletter. This is just one more way to make sure you’re equipping parents to lead the way in the spiritual development of their kids.

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Click here to download your free Family Advent Guide.

 

Devotional, Kids Ministry, Leadership

Who’s To Blame?

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Landry HolmesPlace 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.

Devotional, Encouragement, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Training

Teaching From the Overflow!

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emeott-150x150God wants to teach the boys and girls in your ministry from the overflow of what He’s already taught you in your heart. Here’s the problem, many of us find ourselves too busy to seek the flow from God’s Word and end up with a “trickle” (at best) instead of the fresh flow that comes from regular personal Bible study.                                       

So, how do you find time in your very busy schedule for this important discipline?

I love teaching Sunday School and I want to be a good teacher to the kids I’m blessed to teach so I’ve decided to make this a priority. Each week I use the Bible content that I’ll be teaching that next Sunday as a guide for my personal Bible study. Each week (when I’m being a really good Bible study teacher) I start early in the week and spend 5-10 minutes a day reading, studying, and considering what God is wanting to teach me through the Bible content I’ll be teaching the kids.

Here’s my plan:

Day 1:  Read the text from your Bible. Take out your favorite Bible and read the text … even if you know the account, read it again. God wants to speak to you fresh and new every time you read His Word.

Day 2:  Read the “Leader Bible Study” in the leader guide.  Take a few minutes on Day 2 to consider what the curriculum provider thinks about the text. In Lifeway’s on-going resources we provide a one-page deeper dive for leaders for each of our sessions.

Day 3:  Re-read the text in a different translation. If you always read from the KJV then consider on Day 3 reading from the HCSB (or the other way around). For me, this is where I get out my paraphrased version of the Bible.  A paraphrase helps me to hear the text differently and react to the translator’s interpretation.

Day 4:  Choose a favorite commentary to read and consider. God has gifted many men and women with a deep understanding of Scripture and many have pinned their thoughts into commentaries. I’m simple, so I like a simple commentary, J Vernon McGee’s “Thru the Bible.” Find one you like (and understand) and enjoy the deeper dive of their thoughts.

Day 5:  Read and review the Bible account, as it will be presented in the session. Go back to your curriculum and read, review, even practice how you will present the Bible account to your kids.

Teach kids from the overflow. You’ll enjoy it so much more!

Bill Emeott serves as Lead Ministry Specialist for Lifeway Kids. A graduate of Mercer University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Bill has served as a Kid’s Minister and currently teaches 2nd Grade Bible study and Kindergarten Choir.

Bible Study, Devotional, Kids Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Levels of Biblical Learning, Podcasts, Resources, Training

Growing in God’s Word: Teaching the Bible the Way Kids Learn

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As kids grow, their understanding of foundational truth grows with them. In this episode of the Lifeway Kids podcast, Chuck Peters, Jana Magruder, and Bill Emeott discuss the importance of having a framework as we teach the Bible to kids. It’s vital that we understand how God made kids and how they learn at each stage of development. That’s why Lifeway Kids developed a framework called the Levels of Biblical Learning to help kids ministry leaders through this process. We introduce this framework in this episode of the podcast. To go even deeper, Lifeway Kids is also hosting a free, live webinar on Monday, May 9 at 11:30am (CST) that will fully unpack the Levels of Biblical Learning and how this framework can be applied in your church. You can register for free at live.lifewaykids.com.

Devotional, Easter, Fun, Kids Ministry

Free Easter Devotional Guide for Families

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whitlock-4A few months back we provided a Free Family Advent Guide, and the tremendous response compelled us to do it again. In theme with the Easter season, we’ve prepared a devotional guide for the days leading up to and the day of Easter. Families will study Scripture together and grow in their understanding of Christ’s death and resurrection. Simply download the guide and print out enough copies for every family in your ministry!

Here is what you can look forward to as you download your free Easter Devotional Guide:

  • Daily Devotions
  • Scripture
  • Prayer
  • Coloring Pages

You’ll also receive free sessions of Bible Studies For Life: Kids and an excerpt from Levels of Biblical Learning, a guide for teaching spiritual concept areas at a pace kids can understand.

We hope you find this free resource helpful as you build disciples in your ministry. We are excited to celebrate our risen Savior with you. Click here to download your free devotional guide now!

Bible Study, Devotional, Leadership, Small Groups, Sunday School

Ways to Incorporate Scripture in Bible Study

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by Tim Pollard

IMG_0382Bible stories are super cool. God gave us His Word to help us know Him better, and we can do that through Bible study. However, what do we do in our Bible study when we tell kids a Bible story with our Bibles open, but then never refer to it again? Are we showing how important God’s Word is to us? Or to them? Probably not.

Here are some ways to keep kids in the Bible while in the classroom and help kids appreciate the truths of God’s Word to take it outside the classroom.

  1. Bible Skills. This seems obvious, but many times when leaders are looking to drop something from a session, this is the first thing to go. Bible skills, however, are important to teaching kids not just what is in God’s Word but how to use God’s Word.
  2. Devotionals. Using a classroom devotional as part of your teaching will help kids to unfold truths from Scripture that might get overlooked. Using devotionals also gives kids a way to see why these are such valuable tools and may get them using these tools with their Bible study during the week.
  3. Dramatic Play. Most of the time, we think this is only for preschoolers. Older kids, however, still enjoy imaginative play and you can guide your kids to engage with Scripture by acting out the adventures within the text.
  4. Reflective Interpretation. There are a variety of learning styles and reflective learning is one of those styles. Reflective learners will enjoy the opportunity to sit quietly with their Bible open and think about the Bible story they heard.
  5. Small Groups. Peer-led groups are sometimes a great idea—most kids relate to one another better than they relate to adults. Find older kids who might want to lead a small group discussion on biblical topics and give them an opportunity to do just that.
  6. Journaling. Journaling is an important skill for kids to develop as they dive deeper into God’s Word. Let kids decorate a journal that they can use as they engage God in the study of His Word.

I’ve given you a few to get you started, and many other methods can be used to help God’s Word infiltrate our kids’ lives. Feel free to comment with some of your favorite strategies for incorporating God’s Word into your teaching environment.

Tim Pollard teaches 3rd-6th graders Explore the Bible: Kids Worship on Sunday nights at Tulip Grove Baptist Church. Tim leads the team that produces Explore the Bible: Kids.

Christmas, Devotional, Events, Kids Ministry, Podcasts

Christmas Time Is Here…And So Is Jesus

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rp_Jana3-150x150.jpgIt’s never too late…OR too early to talk about Christmas, at least when you understand that Jesus is at the heart of this holiday… this season… and all that we are. In this podcast, we’ll talk about the value of taking your church and its families through the story of Christmas and, ultimately, into the story of Jesus. Have you considered the importance of advent?

Jana Magruder serves as the Director of Lifeway Kids. Jana brings a wealth of experience and passion for kids ministry, education, and curriculum writing. She and her husband, Michael, along with their three children attend Forest Hills Baptist Church where she teaches The Gospel Project to preteen girls.

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