Looking for some fun gift ideas to show appreciation to your volunteers? We’ve got your covered! Click below to download some fun ideas.
Soapin’ you have a merry Christmas!
Easter Egg Hunt Blues
The annual Easter egg hunt is over, leaving in its wake empty plastic egg shells covered in dry grass and stained with melted chocolate. When you and your team were stuffing those 14,000 eggs, you thought this day would never come. You fretted over securing enough candy, and your house looked like the chickens had come home to roost. Now, you’re wondering why you feel blue.
After a major event—even one filled with blissful mirth—feeling melancholy is normal. One way to escape the doldrums is to get some physical nourishment and rest. Next, take some time to evaluate the Easter egg hunt. I suggest doing this alone first, and then with your team. Ask yourself (and your team) questions such as these:
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- What was our goal or purpose for the event? (If you held the Easter egg hunt because, “We always have one,” then you may need to redefine your goal before planning the next one.)
- Did we accomplish that goal or purpose? In what specific ways?
- Did we plan the event with enough lead time to be successful?
- Did the entire church participate, or just a select few? How can we involve more people in the next big event?
- Who came to the egg hunt? Regular attenders of our church? Unchurched people in our community?
- How did the Easter egg hunt further the mission of our church?
- What can we do next year during the Easter season to reach families with the gospel?
We ask ourselves these tough questions to ensure that egg hunts and other events are vehicles that help accomplish the mission of the Church as set forth in Matthew 28:18-20, to “make disciples.” All those mismatched plastic eggs you find under your couch and in the church flower bed six months from now, just might be worth it.
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 two adorable grandbabies.
Bible Teaching Activity: Bible Teaching Picture Puzzles
Puzzles are a helpful teaching tool to keep preschoolers engaged in learning. Many children enjoy puzzles, especially reflective, visual, and logical learners. Use the activity below to teach and review any Bible story with preschoolers.
Supplies Needed:
- Bible
- 2 Matching Bible Teaching pictures (save teaching pictures from the leader pack each quarter)
- Scissors
- Glue or glue stick
- File folder
- A piece of Velcro®
- Plastic zipper bag
Prepare:
- Open a file folder horizontally.
- Attach one teaching picture to the right side of the file folder with glue or a glue stick.
- Then, cut the matching teaching picture into the number of pieces developmentally appropriate for the children in your class.
- For storage of the puzzle pieces, attach a plastic storage bag with Velcro® inside the folder and left of the picture.
- For durability, consider laminating or covering the teaching picture puzzle.
Teach:
- Open a Bible to the Bible story and place the puzzle (folder open showing the Bible picture and the cut puzzle pieces beside it) on a table.
- Invite a child to put the puzzle together. Encourage him to place the pieces over the completed picture. (To make the activity more challenging, guide a child to put the puzzle together beside the teaching picture.)
- As the child works, share the Bible story.
- Review the Bible story with him, asking questions and referring to the picture in the puzzle.
- Help him discover ways he can apply the Bible story to his life.
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.
Christmas Bible Learning Activities for Babies
The Christmas Season is full of opportunities to teach babies about the Birth of Jesus. Use the following activities to teach babies at church and at home.:
Flip Through a Book:
Gather poster board, clear contact plastic, hole punch, ribbon or yarn, Christmas cards with pictures of the angel, Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus and the shepherds.
- Mount Christmas card pictures on pieces of poster board. Laminate or cover with clear contact plastic. Make holes on the side of each page and bind them together with ribbon or yarn.
- Show the baby how to turn the pages. As you look at each page, talk about the pictures.
- Say: “Mary had a special baby named Jesus. He was born in Bethlehem. You are a baby and have a special family.”
- Alternate Option: Take apart the book and lay the pages on the floor (taped together) to make a manger scene mat. Place the Bible near the manger scene mat. Encourage the baby to crawl to the mat.
Shake and Hear Sounds:
Gather a Bible, large jingle bells, clear plastic bottle, glue
- Place different colors of large jingle bells in a clear plastic bottle. Use glue to securely seal the cap to the bottle.
- Shake the bottle allowing the baby to hear the sounds of the bells jingling. Help the baby shake the bottle.
- Open the Bible to Luke 2:11 and say the Bible phrase, “Jesus was born.” Continue to notice sounds the baby hears and remind the baby that Mary heard she would be Jesus’ mother.
- Talk to a baby: “Do you hear the bells? Mary heard from the angel that she would be Jesus’ mother.”
Wrap a Baby Doll:
Gather a Bible, soft doll (no parts that could poke), soft blanket
- Wrap a doll loosely in a soft blanket. When the baby crawls to you, allow him to see the baby doll, reach to touch and hold the baby doll.
- Say: “Jesus was born. Mary wrapped Him in soft cloths. She laid Him in a manger.”
During this Christmas season, be intentional to teach babies in your life about the Good News of Jesus’ Birth.
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.
Introducing the CSB Read to Me Bible
I’m beyond excited to get to announce the release of the new CSB Read to Me Bible! As both a classroom teacher and a parent, I have been a long-time fan of our previous Read to Me Bible. In fact, when we were told it was going out of print, I was disappointed – maybe even a little heart broken!
So, when I found out LifeWay was redesigning this Bible to make it even more helpful for teachers and parents, you might have heard me shout out a little hallelujah!
Below is a list of some of the notable features:
- All Bible story illustrations by the same artist, Cheri Bladholm (in a classic, realistic, and inviting style)
- 54 Bible stories with bold print included to provide two levels of reading
- Easy-to-read, single-column format
- Designed for birth through age 6
- Full text of the CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
- Special helps for parents, including Bible Skills and Biblical Learning Levels
- List of helpful Bible verses to help a child (and parent) know where to look for answers to some hard questions
- Highlighted verses within the Bible text
- Basic Bible vocabulary for children
- 3 full-color pages with a simple New Testament map and pictures of Bible-times churches and clothing
- 8 pages with black-and-white illustrations of places and things in the Bible
Whether you are a parent or a teacher of young kids ages 0-6, I know that you’ll find the CSB Read to Me Bible a great addition to your home or classroom. I’m so thankful that this new generation can fall in love with God’s Word and can have this to treasure for a lifetime.
Klista Storts serves as a Content Editor for LifeWay Kids. Before coming to LifeWay, she served as the Weekday and Preschool Specialist at the Tennessee Baptist Convention and as Director of Preschool Ministries at churches in Oklahoma and Tennessee. Klista has a passion for equipping leaders to share the love of Christ and lay foundations for conversion in the lives of kids.
Creating a New and Expectant Parent Ministry, Part 2
Creating a new and expectant parent ministry is an effective way to reach new families in the community and build relationships with parents. In an earlier article, I shared ways to begin building relationships with families prior to the birth of a baby or adoption. Use the steps listed below to continue building relationships with families after the baby arrives.
- Visit the Family When Baby Arrives. Schedule a time to visit the family. Depending on their schedule and situation, you may visit the hospital or at their home. Take small gifts for the parents such as BabyLife or ParentLife. Possible gifts for the baby include baby care items, a blanket, or small remembrance. Don’t forget to include the siblings. Bubbles or play-doh make show you care about the brothers and sisters, too
- Celebrate the Baby’s Arrival. Consider ordering reusable yard signs to place in the family’s yard for a couple of weeks after the baby’s birth. Make sure to get permission from the family before placing the sign in the yard.
- Other Aspects of the Expectant Parent Ministry. Be prepared to minister to families in all situations. Include an encourager on your ministry team to serve families who have babies with special needs. Also, add an encourager who can minister to families who experience a miscarriage or stillbirth.
- Follow-up with Parents. A few weeks after the birth of the baby, the assigned encourager visits the new parents. She uses this opportunity to check with the parents to learn of any new ways the church can minister to them, pray for them, and answer any questions the parents may have about the preschool ministry.
Other Steps to Remember:
- Prepare a Calendar for the Year. During the year, plan events such as mom’s brunch, parents’ dinner, or an ice cream sundae party for expectant and new parents (mom and dad) to attend. At these events, include a time of fellowship, relevant information for parents, and information about the church and preschool ministry. Ask teachers from the babies’ classes to share their testimony with the families. Explain what the babies experience in their classes on Sunday morning and how they are taught biblical truths in age appropriate ways.
- Prepare a budget. When preparing a budget, remember to include gifts for parents, babies, and siblings. In addition, estimate the costs of events and socials.
Creating a new and expectant ministry in your church helps build trust with new and expectant parents. What steps do you need to take to begin this meaningful ministry?
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.
Creating a New and Expectant Parent Ministry, Part 1
Parents are waiting longer and longer to bring their babies to classes in preschool ministry. They keep their babies with them for a variety of reasons. Leaders can gain parents’ trust by building relationships with them even before the baby is born or adopted. Creating a new and expectant ministry is a way to build relationships with parents.
A new and expectant parent ministry is a connection point. It’s an opportunity for churches to impact new parents in the church and in the community. Follow the steps listed below to begin this impactful ministry in your church.
- Communicate the need for the ministry to the Pastor and other church leadership. Pray and share the vision of why this ministry is important. Communicate stories of families who are expecting in your church. Give the ministry a name such as Blessed Expectations, First Contact, or Cradle Connection.
- Enlist a coordinator and ministry team. The coordinator leads the ministry team working hand-in-hand with the preschool/children’s minister. She performs the day-to-day details of the ministry such as making the initial contact with expectant parents and planning events. The coordinator enlists encouragers to serve on the ministry team. These ladies are assigned to an expecting couple ministering to them.
- Discover names of prospective couples. Create avenues for members to share names of expectant parents in the church (including themselves) and families in the community who may not be connected to a church.
- Initial contact by coordinator. The coordinator makes an introductory call to gather information such as due date, and learn of ways to pray for the expectant parents. Then, the coordinator assigns an encourager to each set of expectant parents.
- Encourager contacts during the pregnancy or adoption process. During the months leading up to the baby’s arrival, the encourager builds a relationship with the couple through visits, calls, writing cards, and praying for them.
These steps help build a foundational relationship with the expectant parents before the baby is born. Which do you feel are the most important steps? Are there any others you would include? In part 2, I’ll share how to continue building the relationship with families when the baby arrives.
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.
Preschool Christmas Crafts
All parents love Christmas tree ornaments made by their children. My wife and I still have treasured kid-made ornaments that are over 40 years old. And, we continue to place them on our Christmas tree each year!
Two of our favorites:
Wooden Drapery Ring Ornament:
Gather:
- Wooden Drapery Ring
- Acrylic Paint
- Glitter/Sequins
- Glue
- Photo of your child (possibly posed in front of a stable scene)
- Felt scrap
- Ribbon
- Black permanent marker
Create:
- Lay drapery ring on top of kid’s photo and then on the scrap of felt and trace the ring.
- Cut out the traced circle on the photo and on the felt.
- Paint the drapery ring.
- Glue the ring onto front of the photo with the metal circle of drapery ring on top.
- Trace, cut out, and glue felt circle onto the back of the photo.
- Decorate ring with glitter/sequins.
- Tie a loop of ribbon onto the metal ring for placing the ornament onto your Christmas tree.
- Print the child’s name and date on back of the ornament with a black permanent marker.
- Enjoy for years!
Jesus and the Star Ornament
Gather:
- Yellow star cut from poster board
- Gold/metallic chenille stem
- Small amount of hay
- Glue and tape
- Small, oval shape from white paper
- Small circle shape from pink or tan paper
- Silver sequins
- Black permanent marker
Create:
- Position the star with one of the points at the top.
- In the two lowest star points glue a small amount of hay.
- Glue the white oval onto the top of the hay for baby Jesus’ body.
- Glue the pink or tan circle onto one end of the oval for baby Jesus’ head.
- Encourage the child to draw a face on the baby Jesus with the black marker.
- Make a loop with the chenille stem and tape it onto the top/back of the star.
- Print the child’s name and the date on the back of the ornament.
- Enjoy for years!
Jerry Vogel is an Editorial Ministry Specialist in LifeWay Kids. He is a graduate of Dallas Baptist University and has served over 40 years in Kids Ministry at the local church level as well as at LifeWay. Jerry currently teaches four-year-olds at his church.
Connecting with Families of Babies
- Contact expectant parents during the pregnancy or adoption process; introduce yourself as a teacher in the baby class.
- Throughout the pregnancy or adoption process, ask the family how you can pray for them.
- Share your testimony with parents. Parents enjoy hearing more about the adults who care for their baby.
- Provide an opportunity for parents to tour your preschool area. During this time, explain the cleaning and disinfecting process for toys and classrooms. Share other church policies such as the security procedures, wellness policy, and other helpful information. Talk about other ways parents can be involved in the preschool ministry and your church.
- Communicate details of a baby’s experiences in your class. Explain to parents how you teach biblical truths in ways their baby learns.
- When the baby is born, visit the family at the hospital or at their home. Schedule a time prior to visiting them. If possible, include a little gift from the church welcoming the new baby.
- Learn name pronunciations and spellings of the baby’s name and other family members.
- Provide an information sheet for parents to complete about their baby. The information should include helpful tips for teachers to know while caring for the baby. Continue to update the information for the baby as needed.
- On the baby’s first Sunday in your class, send home a little keepsake stating the Bible story, listing his teachers’ names, and any other important information. After the baby’s first Sunday, contact the parents to see how the experience was for them as parents and for their baby.
- Continually, communicate with parents giving them an avenue to share questions or concerns. Be willing to listen to any concerns they may have and answer their questions.
Which ideas would work best in your church? What are other ideas have you found to help build connections with families?
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.
Praying for Babies and Their Families
As a teacher, you influence a baby’s life as you teach him each week. The Holy Spirit works through you to lay spiritual foundations of faith. Prayer is another way to impact families with babies. As teachers, we can pray for the babies in our class. Use the suggestions listed below to begin your prayer time during the week. As you continue to pray, think of additional ways to pray for the babies in your class.
- Pray for babies as they grow and develop emotionally, mentally, physically, socially, and spiritually.
- Pray for the marriages of the parents and guardians. Pray they will make church a priority in their family’s life.
- Pray for wisdom and guidance from the Holy Spirit as parents seek to provide a godly home for their family.
- Pray your relationship as a teacher deepens with families as they trust you to care for their baby. Seek the Lord to find ways to build connections with these families.
- Pray for your preparation and spiritual growth as you teach babies biblical truths each week.
- Pray for sensitivity to know ways to minister and share the gospel with the families of babies in your class.
Pray for the babies before, during, and after the teaching session. Commit to pray each day for the children in your class. As you pray, keep a journal of ways you see the Lord working in and through you. During the year, look back through the journal. Reflect and recognize ways the Lord has answered your prayers. Seek the Lord and remember He is with you as you teach and minister to the babies and their families at your church.
Delanee Williams serves as a Kids Ministry Specialist with LifeWay Christian Resources. She is a graduate of Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Delanee is passionate about developing, equipping and encouraging leaders in kids ministry.
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