LifeWay

Kids Ministry

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

Family, Fun, Games, Parent Helps, Parenting

It’s Cold Outside: 3 Things to Do in Winter with Kids

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Winter is knocking on our doors. As you approach this season of long days stuck inside with bored kids, take some time now to prepare for a little fun. 

Box O’ Fun

Purchase a tub and fill it with tons of creative supplies. At our house this tub contains:

  • Construction Paper
  • Blank Paper
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Markers
  • Crayons
  • Colored Pencils
  • Coloring Books
  • Play Dough
  • Kinetic Sand
  • Washi Tape
  • Pipe Cleaners
  • Googly Eyes
  • Watercolors
  • Paintbrushes
  • Stamps
  • Ink Pads
  • Glitter
  • Glitter Glue

Make a visit to your local dollar store and load up on any craft supplies you can find. Keep the TV off for a few hours and encourage your kids to craft their hearts away! Make thank-you cards for Christmas gifts, use cardboard boxes to make robots, cars, or homes for stuffed animals. The possibilities are really endless and you will be amazed at the creations your kids will come up with. 

Living Room Slumber Party

Tell your kids to throw on a fresh pair of pajamas and bring their pillows and blankets to the living room. Pile everyone up on the floor and turn on your family’s favorite movie. Make sure to pop some popcorn and grab a sweet snack to share. When the movie is over, let each child pick a board game to play. Everyone gets a turn! Our favorites include Hedbanz®, SushiGo®, and Chutes and Ladders®. Looking to really surprise your kids? Pillow fight! The laughter is sure to ensue.

Indoor Snow Storm

Keep a spare ream of white copy paper and a large bag of cotton balls around the house just for days like this. Give the whole stack of paper to your kids and encourage them to make as many paper snowflakes as they can. When they’ve finished, tape them to the windows and anywhere else you want! Cover the house in snowflakes. You can even string them from light fixtures, stick them to bathroom mirrors, and attach them to your door frames. When the house looks like a snowstorm hit it, divvy up the bag of cotton balls and throw an indoor snowball fight! Let your inner child come out as you play along with your kids!

Nancy Cornwell is the content editor for ParentLife magazine and the mom of three kids. She is always looking for good ideas to keep them entertained at home.This article first appeared in the December 2019 issue of ParentLife.

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

Christmas Activities for Kids: Christmas Tree Bingo

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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

Happy Birthday Jesus! 3 Tips for Throwing a Birthday Party for Jesus.

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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.

Family, Parent Helps, Thanksgiving

Helping Families Give Thanks This Thanksgiving

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The family feast is coming, and I’m looking forward to it as much as anyone. My normal contribution to the spread each year includes a few pies and a side dish or two. These goodies are a fun part of the annual Thanksgiving festivities, and items that we’re all grateful to have. But, other than wolfing down another slice of pumpkin pie, do you ever stop to count your other blessings, “naming them one-by-one” as the old hymn suggests?

When we think of our blessings broken down in this way, we have so much to be thankful for! But before we become proud in thinking this has anything to do with our own goodness, we need to keep some things in mind: God is the provider of all good things in our lives. In Psalm 121:1-2 we read: “Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

As a reminder, things in life as we know them can disappear so quickly! We must change our mindset to one of thankfulness each day — not just in November. So, after we get this “attitude of gratitude” drilled down into our thinking, how can we enhance and pass on this philosophy to our kids early in their lives?

Through the Senses

Help your child with hands-on projects to show thankfulness for what she has by sharing with others. Use sight, taste, touch, hearing, and smell to get a start with these outreach projects.

  • Preschoolers can create a watercolor picture as a Thanksgiving “card” for an elderly neighbor.
  • A simple fall-scented candle would make a great gift for a friend of any age.
  • Record a cheerful message from your child(ren) on your phone and then text it to relatives and friends who live too far away to visit in person.
  • Share your homemade goodies with some international students who are “stuck alone” on campus over the holiday.

Through Relationships

When you hear of a friend or family member experiencing a challenging situation, take note of it. Find ways to include your kids in reaching out as a way of showing gratitude for the ability to help during this difficult time.

  • Take some food to a friend or family member who recently lost a job.
  • Buy additional baby items (diapers, bottles, formula, pacifiers) for a young family you know who may be a little tight over the holidays.
  • Provide a “free” night of childcare for someone with young kids, knowing they are typically stretched financially.
  • Invite a single adult from church or work to your home for the holiday mealtime fun if they don’t have a place to go to for the day.

Through the Community & World

Keep yourself updated on needs in your community and (for older kids) the world. When you see a way your family might help, discuss a plan for meeting some of those needs.

  • A project such as Operation Christmas Child® is a great way to enlarge your child’s focus toward people outside his immediate circle of family and friends.
  • Check community boards at local gyms and churches for tangible ways to help in surrounding neighborhoods with service projects, or provision of clothing or food items.

Always remember to verbally express your own thankfulness for God’s goodness when interacting with your family members. Your children especially will enjoy hearing your excitement as you recount God’s blessings in your life.

Dixie Walker has been in childhood ministry with families and teachers for the past 20 years. She and her family reside in the metro Atlanta area.

This article first appeared in the November 2017 issue of ParentLife.

Advent, Christmas, Devotional, Family, Kids Ministry, Parent Helps

2019 Family Advent Guide

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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!

Encouragement, Family

5 Lessons I’m Learning as a Dad of Kids with Anxiety

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Many kids struggle with anxiety today, not a mere nervousness, but rather what can be an overwhelming and paralyzing fear. In this blog post, I share a few lessons I’m learning on how to help my own kids who struggle with anxiety in hope that they help you navigate the anxiety that might occur in your ministry.

Anxiety is an ever-present foe in my family, one which I despise. Two of my kids struggle with anxiety pretty much on a daily basis, and as their father, it destroys me to see it. Anxiety, like depression, is a word we throw around quite a bit, so let me explain what I mean, or perhaps rather what I don’t mean.

When I say my kids struggle with anxiety, I don’t mean that they worry some or that they get nervous on occasion. Oh, they do worry and get nervous, but it’s much more than that. For most of us, we can control those feelings. We can make sense of them and keep them in proportion. But my kids can’t. Their anxiety overwhelms them. It plagues their minds and crushes their hearts. That’s why I say they struggle with anxiety. They don’t want to be anxious and they try to fight against it, but it is a battle they often lose. They don’t just have anxiety; anxiety has them.

For my family, we see anxiety manifest itself in so many ways: going to school, being in new situations, experiencing changes in our routine, knowing where mom is, and even seeing a friend in the park. Handling these episodes of anxiety is challenging enough for me, let alone knowing how to help my kids during them. I tend not to be a worrier, so it’s hard for me to relate with what they are experiencing. Plus, I’m a problem-solver; I want to fix what is “broken” so I often come at these episodes from that unrealistic posture. Add to the mix that I am a selfish sinner who often lacks the grace and patience my kids need and deserve, and it is a formula of failure more than one of success.

But in God’s kindness, He is teaching me—ever so slowly—how to support my kids during and through their anxiety. Here are five lessons He’s driving into me:

1. Knowing what not to say matters … greatly. We mean well, but often our desire to say something outweighs the wisdom of what we actually say. The result is that we can offer what comes across as platitudes. I’ve told my kids, “don’t worry,” but I can see how that rings hollow. Telling them not to worry, as if they can but are choosing not to, just doesn’t help. In that moment they cannot not worry. Another one I’ve said is, “everything is OK.” While I know that to be true, my kids don’t feel that truth in the moment. Rather, it’s better for me to acknowledge their struggle. Acknowledge that what they’re experiencing is difficult and let them know I’m sorry they are experiencing it, but I will be with them during it and through it. “This stinks. I’m so sorry you are feeling this right now. I’m here with you. We will get through it.” 

Likewise, be careful about quoting Bible passages, such as Matthew 6:25-34, Philippians 4:6-7, or 1 Peter 5:7, as if a kid struggling with anxiety only needs to understand and believe these verses to be OK. Yes, the gospel is the ultimate answer for all that is broken in the world, but just as we wouldn’t quote Psalm 103:3 instead of giving penicillin to a child with pneumonia, we shouldn’t only give Bible verses to our kids. Rather, we want to remind our kids of God’s sovereign power and His love for them. We want to encourage our kids that the gospel says that in Christ, they are fully loved and accepted by God, no matter what—even if they might feel like a failure because of their worries and doubts. Give them life through God’s Word, not potential, albeit accidental, condemnation. 

2. Patience is not a virtue; patience is a necessity. Perhaps my greatest struggle with my kids’ anxiety is my lack of patience. It’s actually a problem for me in general, but when it comes to helping kids navigate anxiety, patience is not a virtue, it’s a must. So the best thing for us to do is to pray up. Remind ourselves that the kid doesn’t want to be anxious—it’s not a choice. Ask God to help frustration give way to compassion. Step away for a minute if possible and needed. Getting frustrated, or even mad as I have done at times, doesn’t help anyone—you, or especially the kid. 

3. Find and Encourage Tools that Help. My kids have been helped a great deal with tools taught or given to them by counselors. Perhaps it is saying something or focusing thoughts on something. Or perhaps it is squeezing a stress ball. Having tools to use can greatly help a child experiencing anxiety, but there may be times when the anxiety is so severe, it’s difficult to even get the kid to use those tools. Be ready for that. For me, it only adds to my frustration, so I need to be mentally and spiritually ready to help my kids help themselves when they refuse to use the tools they have been given. The flip side of this is that a kid who has found tools that work can provide help and encouragement to others. We have seen this with our kids helping one another when one is struggling and it is a beautiful reminder of God’s kindness to use any bad for His glory (see Gen 50:20).  

4. Routines Give Comfort. The best way to help with anxiety is to help your kid proactively. One of the best methods I have found is to create and guard routines as much as possible. For my kids, new and different prompt panic. The fear of the unknown is very real for them. As a result, we try to guard our family routine as much as we can. Comfortable, familiar rhythms are a balm on the mind and heart of a child who struggles with anxiety. But there will be times when new situations cannot, and should not, be avoided. Prepare your kid for the upcoming event by reviewing the schedule, talking about specific areas that might prompt anxiety, and planning on what tools would be most helpful.

5. Lighten the load. In light of the last tip, do what you can to lighten the load. Keep life as consistent and simple as possible. This means saying “no” to plenty of things, even good things. For our family, this might mean abstaining from various one-time events that pop up and trying to protect our daily schedule as best as we can (such as dinner time and bedtime). In the classroom, this might mean being extra careful about changing your routine, and when you do, giving any kids who struggle with anxiety plenty of advance notice. Talk them through exactly what will be happening … and be ready to have that conversation more than just once!

Brian Dembowczyk is the managing editor for The Gospel Project. He served in local church ministry for over 16 years before coming to LifeWay. Brian earned an M.Div. from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a D.Min. from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his family live in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Family, Family Ministry, Kids Ministry

When Your Child is Anxious: 3 Ways You Can Help

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Welcome back to KidsMinstry 101 guest blogger, Josh Straub!

We had a faulty smoke detector last week at our house. My refusal to spend more money on a new detector was the only thing that kept me from taking a sledgehammer to it. After changing out the batteries twice, I finally reset it—only to discover after loud chirping twelve hours later (at 6:00 AM) it was an entirely different detector that needed to be reset.

The chirping went on for days. One evening, as I tried to fix it, I thought it would be a good idea to tell our 4-year-old son, Landon, and 2-year-old daughter, Kennedy, what it meant if that beeping sound ever went off.

“When you hear this alarm,” I told them, “it means we have to get out of the house.”

“But why, Daddy?” asked our son, with a look of panic on his face.

“Well, buddy,” I replied…

BEEP! BEEP!

The system chirped again. Landon welled up with tears. “Daddy, we have to get out,” he said, visibly scared.

Kennedy started to cry too.

With an annoying smoke detector going off and two crying kids, I began to wish I had told them it was the ice cream truck outside. There’s nothing a good ice cream sandwich won’t fix.

Now, every time they hear a beeping sound, they talk about it — because surely the battery in the toaster oven, doorbell, or construction truck going backward is about to die. I’m just happy they’re learning to talk about it.

Here are three ways we can help our kids when they feel anxious.

1. Let them ask questions.

Putting language to what we feel is like emotional brain surgery. Simply allowing our kids to voice what they fear reduces anxiety. That’s because when their feeling neurons connect with language neurons in their brain, it helps them begin to make sense of their experience.

The other night I opened the windows in our kids’ playroom upstairs. Landon, Kennedy and I stood looking out the window at a neighbor’s cat and a rabbit nearby. Landon started to push his head against the screen. I told him not to push the screen because he could break it.

A few seconds later he asked me to read the sticker on the screen. Not knowing what it said, I just read it aloud. “Warning: Screen will not stop child from falling out window. Keep child away from open window.”
Yeah. And this happened the night after the beeping sound. Talk about overwhelming your already anxious child. Not much was said after that. Landon just slowly moved away from the window and played with his trains.

Later that night, at 2:30 AM, I felt a nudge beside my bed. “Daddy,” Landon said, “if I push on the screen, I’ll fall out of the window, right?”

Groggily, I stood up, walked him back to his bed and lay down with him. “We shouldn’t push on the screen,” I answered.

Knowing he was worried, I figured I would go sleep in his bed with him. Not more than five minutes later, Kennedy woke up. As I went to put her back to bed, Landon welled up with tears. 

“Daddy, will you come back?”

This was out of the norm — so much that Christi, who was awake by now as well, heard Landon crying. She walked over to his room and lay down with him. “Buddy, what’s wrong?” she asked in a calm voice, “What questions do you have?”

Lord bless her, she lay with him for the next 30 minutes just talking. Landon asked questions; Christi answered them. Landon talked about his fears; Christi put them into perspective.

When Christi came back to bed she said, “He’s learning about the dangers of the world, but doesn’t know how to process them.”

Her calm voice and listening ear in the middle of the night was gold for our son’s brain. I was ready to settle for the bronze and just lie down and go back to sleep beside him.

2. Play with them. 

Especially for children up until the age of 7, fantasy play is critical for calming their fears. Play is about power and powerlessness.

When Christi and I came home from a date night at 9:30 PM, Landon had waited up in his bed until we got home. He was so excited as I entered his room. Standing on his bed, arms spread wide, he said, “Daddy, you’re home!”

The next day I was playing with Landon and Kennedy. We built a fort. With Kennedy and I inside, Landon declared, “You guys lay down and pretend I just got home from work. When I come home, stand up and say, ‘Landon, you’re home!’”

Children use play to make sense of their feelings. Taking 20 minutes a day to enter into their world and allow them to dictate the play has powerful implications on emotional intelligence and self-competence later in life.

3. Be calm.

If we’re anxious, our kids don’t know if they can be safe. Anxiety has a trickle-down effect on kids. In fact, one research study shows that a parent’s ability to manage their own stress is the second-best parenting strategy — only behind love and affection —  for getting the outcomes we desire most in our kids.

Be realistic about the reaction you give and the real danger of the situation. A skinned knee isn’t a disaster; it’s a mark of your kids having fun.

Joshua Straub, Ph.D. is a speaker, author, and marriage and leadership coach. He and his wife, Christi, cohost the In This Together podcast and are coauthors a new children’s book, What Am I Feeling? and a new Bible study, Homegrown: Cultivating Kids in the Fruit of the Spirit. Josh also is the author of Safe House: How Emotional Safety is the Key to Raising Kids Who Live, Love, and Lead Well. Josh equips leaders, military families, and churches in emotional intelligence and family wellness.

Looking for more? Connect with ParentLife online at facebook.com/parentlife. Order at lifeway.com/parentlife.

Family, Family Ministry, Kids Ministry

Crossing the Checkpoints for Life’s Race

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“Let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus…” Hebrews 12:1-2

Back in 2013, the highly-respected late Jerry Vogel wrote about a few of the spiritual mile markers to be celebrated in families’ lives (post). As many of us are planning for a new ministry year with kids transitioning to new classes, this seems like a good time to review these mile markers or checkpoints as I like to call them and consider how our ministries can partner with parents in anticipating and celebrating these spiritual mile markers. 

In long-distance races, checkpoints are short stops along the path for runners to regain their strength for the next part of the race. It’s also a place where runners can be encouraged to continue on, nurse any injuries, reevaluate their strategy, and plan for adjustments as the race resumes. Checkpoints are places to revitalize runners and then send them back to the race. These life checkpoints provide natural opportunities to partner with parents to recoup, reevaluate, and realign strategies for moving forward.

Checkpoint #1 – Welcome to the Family

  • Birth/Adoption – Whether it’s a family’s first child, second, or fifth, each new child adds new rhythms to a family’s life, celebrations and joys along with potential anxiety and challenges. 
    • “New Addition” Gift Bag – Consider creating a small gift bag to give to new families when a new baby is born or a child is adopted.
    • Parenting classes/conference – A great idea for expectant parents is to offer them dedicated training on children’s spiritual growth. Such training should include theology of biblical parenting, trust development, and looking ahead toward future checkpoints.
  • Baby/Parent/Family Dedication – This is a great checkpoint to provide additional training, like a class mentioned above, to young parents on God’s expectations for Christian parents, showing them how you desire to partner with them in their parenting journey.

Checkpoint #2 – First Steps

  • Moving up to “Big Church” – Consider preparing “welcome to worship” bags for preschoolers who are transitioning into big church. Offering specific training to help parents/caregivers prepare for this change can help to soothe their nerves and remind them that children will learn how to worship best by watching adults worship. 
  • Learning to Read – Consider celebrating this checkpoint with a meaningful Bible presentation. If your budget allows, your church may purchase an age-appropriate Bible for each kindergartner or first grader. If your budget doesn’t allow or if you prefer to help parents choose their own Bible to give, be sure to guide parents in knowing what kind of Bible would be best for their child. LifeWay offers several options of age-appropriate Bibles at lifeway.com.

Checkpoint #3 – Growing in Faith

  • “What Is a Christian?” class – Often times kids who regularly attend church will start asking questions about salvation and/or baptism, and parents will immediately jump to trying to schedule a child’s baptism. Having a checkpoint in your ministry to equip parents to ask good questions of their child will give them greater confidence in talking with their children about salvation and baptism.
  • New Christian Class – An effective New Christian class can give children an opportunity to validate their response to Jesus, as well as give each child and parent confidence they are on a path that is firmly rooted in Scripture. LifeWay Kids’ “I’m a Christian Now” resources can lend structure this checkpoint.
  • Baptism – Here are a few ideas for developing a strategy to partner with parents in celebrating this checkpoint: 
    • Provide parents with a one-sheet overview of your church’s theology of believer’s baptism. 
    • Create a “baptism checklist” to help guide families. Include items like meeting with you or your pastor (according to the practices of your church), mail/email invitations, plan a family meal, provide a “next steps” devotional to each child to guide them in developing healthy spiritual habits.\
  • First Lord’s Supper – A child who is a new Christian will likely be very excited to finally participate in this church ordinance. 
    • Help parents anticipate this moment with a dedicated family conversation. Provide a one-sheet overview of your church’s beliefs about the Lord’s Supper, including who is allowed to participate and why, how often it is observed, etc. 

Checkpoint #4 – Next Steps

  • Discipleship – Many parents feel uncertain how to help children grow in their newfound faith by developing healthy spiritual habits (spiritual disciplines). LifeWay Kids’ Growing in My Faith 90-day Devotional can be a helpful resource for families.
  • Moving into the next age group in your ministry – A final checkpoint that would fall under your ministry would likely be to guide kids and families as they transition into student ministry. Many parents and preteens feel inadequately prepared to move through this checkpoint. Some options here might be: host a parent panel Q&A session with more seasoned parents, connect seasoned parents with parents of preteens in an informal mentor-type setting to allow for more intimate questions, training classes and resources for equipping parents to talk with their kids about all that is changing in their lives, and preteen weekend retreat. 

There are other checkpoints that you may choose to include, but hopefully, this has helped you start or continue thinking about ways you can partner and celebrate with parents as the kids in your ministry cross each of life’s checkpoints. I encourage you to “run with endurance the race that lies before [you], keeping [your] eyes on Jesus… ” as you “pursue as [your] goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” (Hebrews 12:1-2; Philippians 3:13-14)

Click here for a downloadable Checkpoints PDF to help you share your vision with families. There are 2 pages in this document. One with the checkpoints we’ve listed in this post, and one with blank boxes for your to write in your own.

Jeremy Carroll is the team leader for LifeWay Kids Discipleship Resources. Before coming to LifeWay, he has been active in local church ministry for nearly 20 years in TN, TX, and AL. Jeremy earned a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. A Middle Tennessee native, he and his family live in Murfreesboro, TN.

Family, Family Ministry, Parenting, Podcasts

Ministering to Families with Kids From Hard Places with Jamie Ivey

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Jamie Ivey shares practical ways that you can love families that are parenting kids from hard places. How does the church come alongside them and serve them well? 

Jamie Ivey is a podcaster, writer, and speaker from Austin, Texas. She is the proud mama to four kids and the wife to Aaron, worship pastor of The Austin Stone Community Church. Jamie loves to encourage women to passionately follow Jesus through any stage of life. She does this through writing and her weekly podcast, The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey. Jamie‘s debut book “If You Only Knew: My Unlikely, Unavoidable Story of Becoming Free,” released in January.

Advent, Christmas, Family, Family Ministry, Kids Ministry

An Advent Plan for Families

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Nothing is more precious than a newborn baby. However, in the months leading up to his birth, a lot goes into organizing for that infant’s arrival! One major undertaking for most expectant families is clearing out a room to become the nursery in order to fill it with baby items: a crib, changing table, toy shelves, diapers, burp cloths, and bibs. Hours of thought even go into deciding on a theme for the nursery décor, bedding, and stroller.

Christmas Advent includes preparation as well. Not with finding a spare room in our homes, but in our hearts, for the arrival of Jesus! As we move expectantly into this year’s Advent season, let’s consider the thoughts and actions of a certain mom in biblical history—Mary—as she gave intentional focus to servanthood, acceptance, thankfulness, and finally celebration in preparing for the coming of her firstborn child—Jesus!

WEEK 1 (December 2):

“’I am the Lord’s servant,’ said Mary.” Luke 1:38

Gifting vs. Giving (of Yourself)

From the time we’re young, we aspire to greatness! As children, we tell our parents that one day we will be the best doctor or astronaut or dancer they’ve ever seen! As parents, we then brag to others as we tell them how great our kids are with all their endeavors.

There’s nothing wrong with striving to use God-given talents and skills in the very best ways possible. But proper attitude is key! We’re reminded of this in Philippians 2:3-4, where we read: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Even though many people ascribe to Mary greatness for being the mother of Jesus, Mary’s attitude going into her pregnancy with the Christ child was one of humility in servanthood to God—giving her total being to the Lord without hesitation.

As we look toward Christmas Day this year, how can we change our focus from achieving greatness in the eyes of others to serving one another out of the blessings God has already given us?

FAMILY ADVENT-ure:

This month, try a few of these “giving” activities to those in your community:

  • Serve in your city’s soup kitchen for the homeless.
  • Take some easy-to-heat meals to an elderly neighbor.
  • Collect colorful, fun hats and gloves (child and adult sizes) for a homeless shelter.
  • Deliver Christmas goodies to a local pregnancy center.
  • Invite a college student (who can’t get home for the holidays) to your home for Christmas parties or on Christmas Day!

WEEK 2 (December 9):

“May it be done to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38

Worth the Wait

Especially for kids, it’s hard to wait for Christmas Day to get here! How often do we hear our children ask, “How many more days until Christmas?” The anticipation of ripping open big, shiny, bow-wrapped gifts is almost more than kids can stand! They ask the question each time—even though they really don’t want to wait until Christmas!

As parents, we also get in a hurry for what, how, and when we want things. Waiting often feels unbearable! How can we model to our children the ability to be satisfied with answers given from God, accepting His plans over what we may be wishing for or wanting to hear?

In this week’s Advent verse, Mary’s summation was right on point in her attitude and timing when she told the angel Gabriel, “May it be to me as you have said.”

FAMILY ADVENT-ure:

Use the acronym W–A–I–T for ideas to use with your family as you count down the days leading to Christmas.

W “Welcome Christmastime! Idea Jar” Place a festively decorated jar in a common area of your house, along with small pieces of paper and a pencil. As ideas come for things to do over Christmas break, write them down and toss them in the jar. Then have fun engaging in those activities!

A Assemble a Christmas tree (real or artificial) for an elderly person in your neighborhood or church or help a single mom who might need assistance with her décor.

I Invite families of your children’s friends to a Christmas program at your church.

T Text one person each day between now and Christmas with a heartfelt Christmastime greeting. Adding an appropriate seasonal meme would be a fun touch as well!

WEEK 3 (December 16):

“My soul praises the greatness of the Lord.” Luke 1:46

Birthday Blessings!

There are moments that are difficult to express in words. One such time for me was immediately following my son’s birth. I had a C-section, so I was hooked up to all types of tubes for anesthesia and oxygen. But even with all of those awkward instruments and positioning of my body, I’ll never forget the moment the doctor laid my newborn son to my chest after he was born. My eyes immediately filled with tears of absolute joy in witnessing the arrival of my long-awaited baby boy!

Mary was obviously struck with such great pleasure that her very soul was overwhelmed in thankfulness to the Lord for giving her such wonderful news—that soon, she would be the mother of Baby Jesus!

FAMILY ADVENT-ure:

Assign (or draw for) names of all family members. Each person is to write (or younger children may draw pictures) how they are thankful for the family member assigned to them. In other words, how they’ve been a “Christmas blessing” this past year. The message may be gift-wrapped and then opened Christmas Day.

WEEK 4 (December 23):

“My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Luke 1:47

Let the Party Begin!

This season, no doubt you’ve been part of at least one Christmas party with tables overflowing with food, hours of enjoyment with friends, and possibly funny gift exchanges. Holiday celebrations are simply part of the Christmas spirit!

But years before holiday parties came about, Mary celebrated (rejoiced)  over the news that Jesus would soon be arriving! She knew Jesus was not just a baby to be born. He would be “great … the Son of the Most High”—the Savior!

FAMILY ADVENT-ure:

What are some ways your family can celebrate Jesus amidst other Christmas events? Start this focus when your kids are young and make it part of your Christmastime tradition. Here are a few ideas:

  • Enjoy a “Happy Birthday, Jesus!” cake as part of your family’s Christmas Eve party. Sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus before you begin eating it.
  • Set up a makeshift Nativity scene alongside your Christmas tree décor. Talk with younger children about the biblical story of Mary and Joseph watching over Baby Jesus.
  • Keep child-safe Nativity sets available for preschoolers and younger children to play with during weeks leading up to Christmas, and talk about it with them.

This post was provided by ParentLife Magazine. The writer, Dixie Walker is a freelance writer of Christian family ministry resources. She and her family reside in Nashville, Tenn.

Looking for more? Connect with ParentLife online at facebook.com/parentlife or the ParentLife blog. Order at lifeway.com/parentlife.

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