Leadership Archives - Kids Ministry

July 15, 2019

Whom Are You Discipling?

Ministry is time-consuming. There are so many details to handle, and daily interruptions often distract us. Yet, Jesus reminds us in Matthew 28:19-20 that our primary purpose is to “make disciples.” As KidMin leaders we have the opportunity to be disciple-makers of at least four groups.

Preschoolers: A true disciple is a follower of Christ, so how can preschoolers become disciples before they receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior? They can’t, but they can learn about who Jesus is and how Jesus wants us to live. When we allow God to use us to build these spiritual foundations in the lives of preschoolers, we are preparing young children for a life of discipleship.
Elementary Kids: Similar to preschoolers who are not yet believers, we can teach kids the foundations of the faith. Once a child becomes a Christian, we have the responsibility of helping them grow in their faith by developing healthy spiritual habits such as Bible reading and prayer.
Parents: One of the ways we can disciple parents is by providing them with resources to disciple their own children. Also, we can encourage parents to develop their own personal spiritual habits. Remember, however, that some parents may not be believers. Part of the disciple-making process includes sharing the gospel with them.
Volunteers: God calls us to equip volunteers, which we do with resources, training, and encouragement. But, what about discipling volunteers? We can do this one-on-one and in group settings when we talk about what God is doing in our church and in our kids ministry. Also, we can encourage volunteers to develop healthy spiritual habits, including studying the Bible and worshipping with other adult believers. You might even consider starting a small group just for preschool and children’s teachers in your church.

Look back over the list. You may already be doing some of these things as part of your ministry. If not, consider making a few adjustments to reclaim your purpose as a disciple-maker.

Landry Holmes is the Manager of LifeWay Kids Ministry Publishing, Nashville, TN. A graduate of Howard Payne University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Landry served on church staffs before coming to LifeWay. He is a church leader, writer, workshop facilitator, and publisher. Landry also teaches children at his church in Middle Tennessee. He and his wife Janetta are the grandparents of three adorable grandbabies.

Kids Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership

July 10, 2019

A wise plan of discipleship requires a PLAN! (GIVEAWAY)

By Jana Magruder

Prioritizing ministry goals and decisions is of utmost importance – especially in Kids Ministry. There are hundreds of decisions to make almost on a daily basis. Everything from programming Wednesday nights (or not), to which craft supplies are needed this month! Big decisions, medium and small decisions, optional decisions and mandatory decisions. In children’s ministry, I like to refer to these decisions as open and closed-hands decisions. Many if not most of the daily decisions we make are open-handed – meaning, there is not just one answer. You have choices (and sometimes that makes it harder!) These could include: how to set up classrooms, do we separate girls and boys in small groups?, which songs to sing in large group, should we do a mission project this year?, and so forth.

However, there are decisions we make that are bigger and more consequential. I put these in a different category – the closed-handed decisions. They are non-negotiable. One of these in the KidMin world is that you MUST have a wise plan of discipleship in place for your children. Cherry-picking content for Sunday mornings based on personal preferences could be detrimental to the spiritual health of the flock you are shepherding. I challenge you as a colleague in ministry to have a plan that helps keep you and your leaders on track in a way that acknowledges what children learn and when. This is beyond a study plan or a curriculum. This is a framework that guides and ensures that by the time kids leave your ministry and head to the Student ministry, they are ready.

In order to stay on track with a wise plan of discipleship, you need just that – a PLAN! Preschoolers, kids, preteens (all the way until adulthood) need to understand biblical concepts that help them engage and grow in God’s word. A plan that our team developed and freely give away in multiple formats is called The Levels of Biblical Learning. This framework centers around eight different age groups beginning with babies all the way through high school – yes, you can get your student minister on board with these! Each age group teaches children and teens ten biblical concepts in a way that makes sense for their developmental abilities. It’s a helpful tool to train volunteers and equip families. You can learn more about The Levels of Biblical Learning and even download free copies and train your team using our free videos by going to lifeway.com/lobl

I’d like to give away a package of 10 Levels of Biblical Learning, Growing In God’s Word booklets. Simply complete the form below to be a candidate. Look for more GIVEAWAYS each month.

Levels of Biblical Learning Booklet Giveaway

Jana Magruder serves as the Director of LifeWay Kids. She is a Baylor graduate and offers a wealth of experience and passion for kids ministry, education, and publishing. She is the author of Nothing Less: Engaging Kids in a Lifetime of Faith, Kids Ministry that Nourishes: Three Essential Nutrients of a Healthy Kids Ministry, and Life Verse Creative Journal, which she co-authored with her teenage daughter. She and her husband, Michael, along with their three children reside in Nashville.

Encouragement, Kids Ministry, Leadership

July 8, 2019

When Leadership is Followership

By Landry Holmes

Are you a leader or a follower? The correct answer is, “Yes.” Sometimes God calls us to lead, and at other times God calls us to follow. Knowing the difference is key to being an effective preschool and/or children’s ministry leader.

Recognize that everyone has a leader. You may lead a paid staff and/or a group of volunteers. However, your immediate supervisor is your leader whether you’re a volunteer or on the church payroll. And your supervisor is under the authority of his/her leader. To take this concept to its logical conclusion the only church leader not under the authority of someone else is Jesus, the head of the church. (See Ephesians 4:15-16).
Adapt your role to the situation. When you’re in a church staff meeting you are probably a follower unless you’re the senior or executive pastor. You will want to yield to the authority over you, and when you disagree you can do so with love and Christlike deference to your leader. (See Romans 12:3-8,10).
Step back and let others lead. As a leader of people, I have to remind myself that I don’t always have to be in charge. I learned this from a colleague who models followership. When he asks someone to coordinate the setup and take-down of an event, my friend places himself under the authority of that individual. If you assign a volunteer to coordinate a KidMin event at church, then empower that person to tell you what to do. This simple, yet difficult act is what Jesus instructed us to do when He washed His disciples’ feet. (See John 13:13-15.)

Young children are prone to exclaim, “You’re not the boss of me!” Sometimes as adults we think the same thing. Nevertheless, in reality, every KidMin leader is a follower. Whom are you following? Are you modeling followership to the people you lead?

The Bible says to “clothe yourselves with humility toward one another because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5) Volunteers will more likely continue to follow a leader who is also a humble follower than someone who acts like the boss of everyone.

Kids Ministry, Leadership

July 1, 2019

Celebrate Children’s Ministry Day

By Delanee Williams

Churches throughout the Southern Baptist Convention will celebrate children’s ministry (ages birth-preteen) on Sunday, July 21, 2019. The special day was added to the Southern Baptist Convention calendar after the Executive Committee approved the motion made by a nine-year-old at the 2018 Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas. This is a great day to thank God for the ministry to kids, their families and their volunteers your church provides.

Use this day to remind kids of their importance in the church and how they can tell others about Jesus. Recognize and honor kids ministry volunteers who invest in the lives of children and their families. A variety of resources have been created for leaders to use in their church. Click here to find the downloadable items. Select and use the resources that best meet the needs of your church. How do you plan to celebrate Children’s Ministry Day in your church?

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.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership

June 24, 2019

6 Things Kids Leaders Should Know about Curriculum: Part 6

By Brian Dembowczyk

When people ask me what I do for a living, I tell them that I help produce Bible study curriculum. But, of course, it is so much more than the way I feed my family—it is a passion and a privilege, one I seek to steward well. With that deep care for curriculum in mind, I want to share six things that I wish every kids leader knew about curriculum. Knowing these things, I believe, can transform a ministry, which more importantly, can transform lives.

So far we have covered:

And finally…

A curriculum is just one part of a comprehensive discipleship strategy.

A good curriculum is an important part of a discipleship strategy, but it is not all of it. As we think about our call to disciple kids we have to think beyond curriculum. Discipleship takes the form of living life together side-by-side, participating in small groups, gathering in worship, and much more. A good curriculum can go a long way in your discipleship efforts, but it cannot cross the finish line by itself.

This means that we need to think about how the curriculum we are using complements our greater discipleship efforts. It’s not all up to the curriculum, as important of a role as it may play. But before we can consider that, we really need to be clear of what discipleship is.

In his book, The Drama of Doctrine, theologian Kevin Vanhoozer argues that Scripture should be read more like a drama—like a script intended not just to be read, but acted out. I like that analogy. Our goal is not to study the Bible to learn facts—although they are important. Our goal is to study the Bible as our script pointing us to what Jesus has done and what we are to do now in light of what He has done. This means that we need to consider carefully how the gospel affects how we live today in our unique context. That, to me, is a great way to think of discipleship. Discipleship is not about just learning data. Neither is it about just behaving in a set way. It is about knowing Christ and understanding the heart of the gospel such that we might be able to live in any and every context in accordance with God as we bring Him glory.

Do you see why a curriculum cannot be mistaken for a comprehensive discipleship strategy? It can only be one part of such a strategy because as we talked before about there being no perfect curriculum, your context is unique. And that unique context requires discipleship that cannot rest solely in a curriculum, no matter how good it might be.

So as you consider the curriculum you use, recognize its strengths and weaknesses. Recognize where it helps your context’s discipleship efforts and where it does not. Be aware of other ministry efforts (such as VBS) that cover the areas of discipleship the curriculum does not. Above all, be clear of any unique role the curriculum you use plays in your discipleship efforts.

Questions for reflection

How do you see the curriculum you use integrating into a larger discipleship strategy? Are there any unique aspects of discipleship that the curriculum and your Bible study time alone can fulfill?
Do you see yourself as a discipler of your kids? Why or why not?

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.

Kids Ministry, Leadership, Ministry

June 17, 2019

Helping Kids who Deal with Anxiety Issues

By Tim Pollard

Anxiety!! Sometimes even the word brings a flutter to our hearts. For anyone who has experienced an anxious child, you know that this is something that has become more pervasive in the past few years. Kids today have a lot more external stressors that bring anxiety. Social media influences and an increase in peer pressure are all piling up on kids. Anxiety can take many forms, and, all of us deal with anxiety in some form almost every day. How we handle our anxiety, and how we guide kids to handle their anxiety, may sometimes be different. As adults, we have coping mechanisms that are better developed, however, these same mechanisms may not be as developed in kids. Here are a few things to think about as you help kids deal with this issue.

Acknowledge that the anxiety is real. Many times kids seem to be anxious over things that we as adults view as “non-essential” or “no big deal.” If you are going to help a kid deal with his anxiety, you must acknowledge that he is genuinely anxious about something that is real to him.
Don’t avoid activities that might cause anxiety. Kids can learn that things that may make them anxious, most often, won’t actually harm them. By avoiding situations that may cause anxiety, you may inadvertently create a situation where a child will never learn to deal with her anxiety.
Communicate. When talking about anxiety, really listen, and really talk. Make sure you ask questions that will help the child think through what is causing the anxiety and suggest possible solutions respecting the child’s feelings. Ask open-ended questions that aren’t leading. Share experiences you may have had with the same kind of stressor and how you handled the experience.
Model appropriate responses. One of the best ways to help a child deal with anxiety is to model for them appropriate responses to stressors. By modeling calm responses, kids can copy your behavior when they discover their anxiousness might not really be a threat to their safety.
Pray with the child. Pray for God’s peace in the situation. Prayer is important and by letting kids hear you pray for them by name, sometimes the anxious feelings they have will lessen.

I recently chatted with a child whom I know struggles with anxiety and asked what advice she could offer to kids struggling with anxiety. The answer I received was, “Trust that God is in control. When I start thinking about things that cause me stress, I try to pray and ask God to help me know that most of what I stress about never even happens.” Taking this advice, let kids know that God is in control and kids (and adults) can always turn to Him when struggling with anxious feelings.

Tim Pollard is 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.

Encouragement, Family Ministry, Kids Ministry, Leadership

June 10, 2019

Be Positive: In Leadership, Attitude is Everything

By Chuck Peters

Have you ever been in a confined space with someone who is clearly sick? The worst example I can think of is a crowded flight. You know how it goes. You board the full-flight plane and squeeze your way into seat B; the middle seat. You are squished between two big dudes in A and C and they are both hogging the armrests (ugh). You haven’t started to taxi and you are already feeling claustrophobic. You reach up and twist open that tiny air vent over your head to try to at least get a little air. That’s when you hear it. HACKKK! AAACK! WHUARRF! Someone on the flight is coughing up a lung. The pervasive echoes of their phlegmy expulsions make it difficult to tell exactly where the germ-spreader is seated, but you suddenly become acutely aware that it really doesn’t matter: the very same vent that moments ago brought you a sense of relief is funneling the stale recirculated air of the enclosed cabin right onto your face. The very same air that Mr. Hacky Hackerson is poisoning with his expectorations. You try pulling up the neck of your undershirt to cover your nose and mouth like a makeshift SARS mask, but you realize that resistance is futile. Within this closed environment, everyone on board is going to catch whatever the contagious person has.

This story is meant to do more than merely make you uncomfortable. There’s a powerful principle here that we need to understand as leaders in ministry. Are you ready? Here it is: Whatever you have is contagious. While you are (hopefully) not literally coughing on the people you lead, in a figurative sense you spread your DNA onto the people you lead every time you interact. The question is: what will they catch as a result of their exposure to you?

It is important for leaders to acknowledge that our attitudes, opinions, moods, values, and work ethic are contagious. We need to choose to vaccinate ourselves against carrying and spreading negative, sickly, poisonous perspectives into our culture. While some people are more naturally inclined towards a sense of positivity than others, we are responsible to maintain a healthy mental, spiritual, and emotional perspective on our ministries and ministry teams.

Don’t be a grouch. Kids ministry can be the most exciting and enjoyable place to serve and minister, but every ministry takes on the tone that is set by its leader. Determine to be positive, and set an expectation of joy in your work and service. People love a joyful leader and are drawn to want to be part of whatever they are doing. On the contrary, people reject negative leadership and avoid following leaders who are not pleasant to be around. Your attitude is a choice. Choose a positive one.

Be careful who you grumble to. It can be easy for leaders (even those who are predominantly positive) to inappropriately voice complaints and disappointments to people on their teams (and beyond). Wise leaders take care to keep criticisms private so they do not taint the opinions of those who do not need to hear them. It is wise to maintain a few close friends and advisors that you can go to with your struggles. It is not a good idea to air your grievances publicly.

Attitude is everything. At the end of the day, the attitude that you choose to exhibit will influence everyone around you. Lamentations 3 teaches us to look for hope through God’s mercy. Lamentations 3:40-41 challenges us to check our hearts and, if necessary, change our attitudes, “Let us examine and probe our ways, and turn back to the Lord. Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven.”

May we be faithful to maintain healthy hearts so that we may infect the people we lead with hearts that revere God’s Word, love His Son, and encourage others to do the same.

Chuck Peters is Director of Operations for LifeWay Kids. A graduate of Columbia Bible College, Chuck has served vocationally & voluntarily in Student and Children’s Ministry for many years.

CentriKid, Kids Camp, Kids Ministry, Leadership, StudentLife for Kids

June 7, 2019

Camp 2020 – Registration is Open!

By Jeremy Echols

Registration is open for all LifeWay Camps for 2020! Many churches plan their calendars in advance, so look ahead and make sure you get your camp spots reserved now for next summer.

CentriKid Camps and Student Life For Kids dates are online and open for registration, and many of them will fill up quickly. The earlier you sign up, the more options are available to choose from.

For CentriKid Camps, visit centrikid.com

For Student Life For Kids, visit studentlifeforkids.com

No matter the camp you choose, reserve your spot today, deposit free! Deposits are not due until 2020. This way, you can register for camp and confirm your calendar dates, but wait for next year’s budget to take care of the deposits.

Contact us with any questions you have along the way. For more planning tips, if you’ve never been to camp, listen to this podcast Planning for Summer: Why Camp Is Important or read 3 Things You Could Be Missing if you Skip Summer Camp.

Jeremy Echols leads the camps area for LifeWay Kids. He, his wife Emily, and their precious daughter love their church, their neighborhood, and spending time together. Jeremy enjoys reading, watching sports, and all of his daughter’s after-school activities.

Kids Ministry, Leadership

May 29, 2019

Does Children’s Ministry Matter? Part 3

By Bill Emeott

If you didn’t catch the first two parts of this series take the time to click back and read Part 1 and Part 2. Let’s finish up with points 4 & 5 today.

#4: Children’s Ministry Matters Because Families Matter.

God’s plan for spiritual leadership and faith development is parents. But they need our help. One of the coolest things about what we get to do as Kids Ministry leaders is our partnership with parents.

I may not be an expert in parenting, but I can be an expert in equipping, empowering, and encouraging families. I can equip parents with information that helps them to continue learning taught at church, at home. I can share apps that reinforce biblical content taught at church. I can send emails, post share squares, create facebook pages, and use other outlets to encourage parents. I can be their loudest fan, cheering them on to success.

Additionally, today’s parents insist on safe environments for their kids. We live in a nervous time heightened by a greater awareness of sexual abuse, shooters, and germs. Parents want to know that church is a safe place. Because families matter we provide clean, safe, attractive, and inviting space for kids.

Children’s Ministry Matters Because Families Matter!

#5: Children’s Ministry Matters Because the Future Matters.

Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Children aren’t just the church of the future, they are the church right now. We should be developing Great Commission, Great Commandment, Acts 1:8, missional kids who are given opportunities to be the church.

Yes, children are the church of today but they are also the church of the future. They are the future leaders of the Church. If the next pastors, missionaries, Bible study leaders, or seminary professors aren’t in our classrooms, where are they? The values we instill in kids today will equip them to lead the next generation. It’s imperative that we give kids a firm foundation so they can build the future on that foundation.

Because the future matters we:

Model behaviors and habits that we want kids to emulate for a future generation.
Equip boys and girls with spiritual habits that will lead them well grounded into the future.
Equip kids to not only know the gospel, but we equip and encourage them to share the gospel.
Don’t wait for kids to “grow up” to lead, we let them lead while they’re growing.
Give kids the opportunity to lead and be on mission, practicing the Great Commission in the safety of our ministries.

Children’s Ministry Matters Because the Future Matters!

Children are a blessing and a gift from the Lord (Psalm 127:3). But, with every blessing comes responsibility. We have a responsibility to teach, equip, love, and lead.

YES!!! CHILDREN’S MINISTRY MATTERS!

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.

Kids Ministry, Leadership

May 28, 2019

Does Children’s Ministry Matter? Part 2

By Bill Emeott

If you didn’t catch Children’s Ministry Matters Because Children Matter, take the time to click back and read part 1 of this series. Let’s keep going.

#2: Children’s Ministry Matters Because Time Matters.

Researcher, George Barna brought to light the truth:

A person’s lifelong behaviors and views are generally developed when they are young—particularly before the age of 12. TIME MATTERS.
By the time a child is 9 years old their basic moral foundations have already been formed. That’s 3rd grade! TIME MATTERS.
By age 13, a person has formed their basic beliefs about things such as the nature of God, the reliability of the Bible, the existence of an afterlife and the everlasting love of Jesus. TIME MATTERS.
A person’s biblical worldview is in place before they go to 6th grade. TIME MATTERS.
Nearly ½ of all Americans who accept Jesus as their Savior do so before reaching the age of 13 and 2/3 of born again Christians make their profession of faith before their 18th birthday. TIME MATTERS.

Because time matters we lay foundations of faith and foundations for conversions. Because time matters we make sure the gospel is a priority and shared appropriately and regularly. Because time matters we see each opportunity as a gift with a responsibility to “train up” the children we’ve been given to shepherd.

Children’s Ministry Matters Because TIME MATTERS!

#3: Children’s Ministry Matters Because Spiritual Growth Matters.

Here’s a question for you. When are we discipling kids to be more than “born again” but to be “born again, mature Kingdom building, culture-shaping followers of Jesus?”

We have a responsibility to not only share the gospel with kids but to lead boys and girls past the point of conversion to being growing disciples of Jesus Christ.

To some degree, evangelicals have done a good job of making the main thing the main thing. Evangelizing the nations is the command (Matthew 26:19-20) but what about the first part of the Great Commission? Making disciples? I’m concerned that in our attempt to simplify our programming we deprogrammed our ability to disciple and haven’t replaced that programming with other viable ways to move a child past the point of conversation.

Because spiritual growth matters we need to make sure we have adopted wise plans for discipling kids. Not some willy-nilly approach of “hit and miss” or “whatever looks good” or “whatever they’re doing” (whoever “they” are). We must assess our programming and build plans built on a philosophy of growing disciples.

Children’s Ministry Matters Because SPIRITUAL GROWTH Matters!

Join me tomorrow for the last two points in part 3 of this series.

Whom Are You Discipling?

A wise plan of discipleship requires a PLAN! (GIVEAWAY)

When Leadership is Followership

Celebrate Children’s Ministry Day

6 Things Kids Leaders Should Know about Curriculum: Part 6

Helping Kids who Deal with Anxiety Issues

Be Positive: In Leadership, Attitude is Everything

Camp 2020 – Registration is Open!

Does Children’s Ministry Matter? Part 3

Children’s Ministry Matters Because Families Matter!

Children’s Ministry Matters Because the Future Matters!

YES!!! CHILDREN’S MINISTRY MATTERS!

Does Children’s Ministry Matter? Part 2

Children’s Ministry Matters Because TIME MATTERS!

Children’s Ministry Matters Because SPIRITUAL GROWTH Matters!

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