LifeWay

Kids Ministry

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

Discipleship, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Spiritual Disciplines

4 Disciplines for a Disciple-building Kids Ministry

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Over the years I have shared the “3 Ds” of a child’s spiritual journey, (Discover, Discern, Decide). As evangelical people, we’ve intentionally placed evangelism as the focus of our ministries but I’m concerned that in many of our churches we have dropped the ball with discipling past the point of conversion. It’s time we focus on a fourth D, DISCIPLESHIP.

One of my favorite books is Richard Foster’s “Celebration of Discipline.” It’s where most of my thoughts regarding spiritual disciplines have originated and continue to contemplate and grow. I want to share four of these as we think about creating a Disciple-Growing Kids Ministry.

Solitude: Spending time alone with God, meditating and focusing on His nature and His character.

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

Being still in a busy world and allowing that silence to increase our awareness of God’s presence and guidance is not easy. Including prayer and meditation in our very busy lives is difficult but the Bible is clear:

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

Children can pray (and should) and we must teach them how. Children can say their own prayers, pray when others are praying, know the Model Prayer, pray Scripture, participate in sentence prayers, and they can create a prayer journal.

Children can get quiet and think about and listen to God (and they should). Children can identify and think about the characteristics of God. It’s been said that children can be still for one minute for every year old they are. Start there.

Bible Study:  Intentionally reading, studying, and memorizing the Bible.

“If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

Reading the Bible renews our minds so that we have the thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes of Christ. But we must go beyond simply reading the Bible to studying, comprehending, and understanding the Scriptures.

A fundamental way of filling our minds with what it needs is to memorize Scripture. The purpose of memorizing Bible verses should be to understand the verse in addition to reciting it. Hiding God’s Word in our hearts is the beginning of pure living.

“I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11

Children can read the Bible (and should). Children can study the Bible (and should). Children can memorize age-appropriate Bible verses and phrases (and should). Kids Ministry leaders must place priority on Bible reading, meditation, and memorization as we equip kids for a successful spiritual journey.

Worship: Responding to the overtures of love from the heart of God.

“Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things and by your will they exist and were created.” Revelation 4:11

Be insistent that the Object of your worship is the One True God. Jesus said:

“You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.” Matthew 4:10

Worship involves our whole being. When asked, Jesus told the scribes the greatest commandment was

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30

Children can worship (and should). Children can participate in different aspects of congregational worship. They can sing, they can pray, they can give, and they can listen and observe (and they should).

Jesus taught that if we don’t praise Him, “the very rocks will cry out” (Luke 19:40). As Kids Ministry leaders we need to be busy putting a few rocks out of business.

Service: Becoming a servant of others.

“Little Children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth.” 1 John 3:18

“But be doers of the word, not hearers only deceiving yourself.” James 1:22

True service builds humility. In his book, Celebration of Discipline Richard Foster says, “Nothing disciplines the inordinate desires of the flesh like service, and nothing transforms the desires of the flesh like serving in hiddenness.”

In choosing to be a servant, we surrender the right to decide who and when we will serve. We become available, vulnerable, and Christlike! Christ was a servant. To be Christlike, we will strive to be servants, too.

“Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into his hands, that he had come from God, and that he was going back to God. So he got up from supper, laid aside his outer clothing, took a towel, and tied it around Himself. Next, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around him.” John 13:3-5

Children can serve (and should). Children need to be less occupied with themselves and more interested in the needs of others. Children can be made aware of others needs and expected to show the love of God in their actions.

Kids ministry should be an equipping ministry, equipping kids and helping to equip families. If we’re not equipping kids with the skills to live as growing, loving, followers of Jesus Christ we’re just playing. Teaching kids spiritual practices, habits … yes, spiritual disciplines must become the core of who we are and undergird everything we do. If not, we’re just playing and not equipping.

Bill Emeott serves as Lead Ministry Specialist for LifeWay Kids. He is a graduate of Mercer University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and has served as a Kid’s Minister. Bill currently teaches 3rd Grade Bible study.

Encouragement, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Spiritual Disciplines

The Disciples Path

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Jana_newKidMin Leader, I have two questions for you. Are you being discipled? Are you making disciples? To be certain, we are in the discipleship business as we pour into the lives of kids and families, pointing them to the gospel. But, what about you? And what about your team? If we are not careful, we can allow our teams of volunteers to “hide out” in our ministries for years at a time without making sure they are firmly planted in daily discipleship. My friend and fellow LifeWay leader, Michael Kelley, joins us on the blog today to give his thoughts about the need for volunteers to stay nurtured in the gospel.

Disciples the Disciples Who Make Disciples

I have a friend who’s fond of saying, “What’s down in the well comes up in the bucket.”

Jesus said something similar, though much more poetically: “How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. A good man produces good things from his storeroom of good, and an evil man produces evil things from his storeroom of evil” (Matthew 12:34-35).

The point remains the same—what is happening in our heart does not stay there. It eventually makes its way to the surface through our words, attitudes, and actions. These outer signs point us to the true condition of what’s happening below the surface.

But consider, for a moment, what happens when the well starts drying up?

Sure, the water continues to flow for a while. The once clear, cool liquid starts to get muddy and brown until it ceases all together. Call it burnout; call it overwork; call it ministry fatigue; whatever you call it, this is something we, as ministers, must pay attention to in the lives of our volunteers.

These ordinary men and women give so much. They spend hours and hours studying, praying, planning, cutting, pasting, and creating. Every time they do those activities they are pulling water up from the source. It is our responsibility to make sure that the source isn’t starting to run dry. We should, then, be concerned that these disciples of Jesus, who are helping make disciples of children, are also being discipled by others. This concern is one practical way we can tend to the hearts of those God has called to do the work of ministry alongside of us, making sure their ministry is coming from the overflow of their own regular encounters with the gospel.

How practically can we do this? Here are three suggestions:

  1. Require a sabbatical.  Yes, volunteers are at a premium. And yes, it is painful to let go of someone who does the good hard work of ministry, even for a season. But sometimes the best thing to do is let the ground lie fallow for a short time so it can recover from the harvest.
  1. Link your age groups.  Consider asking an adult or senior adult group to adopt a kids class. Their role in that adoption would be to substitute teach once every couple of months, and therefore give your kids ministry volunteers a week off. It’s amazing what a single week of rest can do.
  1. Rework your leadership team meetings.  Time is a scarce resource, and there are many details to cover when you meet with your volunteers. But consider devoting a good portion of that time not to logistics, but instead to soul care. For this, we’d suggest a simple, discipleship pathway called Disciples Path. You can download a free preview at disciplespath.com.

Let’s make sure together we aren’t treating people like buckets; let’s instead make sure we are working together to fill the well.

michael-kellyMichael Kelley is a husband and father of three who lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where he serves as the Director of Groups Ministry for LifeWay Christian Resources. He is also the author of “Wednesdays Were Pretty Normal: A Boy, Cancer,” and “God and Boring: Finding an Extraordinary God in an Ordinary Life.” Follow him on Twitter at @_michaelkelley or read more content like this at michaelkelley.co.

Encouraging, Leadership, Parent Helps, Spiritual Disciplines

4 Ways to Encourage Kids to Spend Time with God

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Welcome guest blogger, Dixie Walker!

Hide-and-seek is a familiar childhood game. The point is for one person to search out every possible spot of the given area in order to find the concealed person. Children have so much fun playing this game! The anticipation of finding the one hidden is what makes the game so enjoyable.

When it comes to seeking God, we don’t always think about discovering the wonderful surprises He has in store for us when we open His Word or pray to Him. This ongoing conversation with the Lord is vital to growing stronger in relationship with Him. And this is something important for children to know as they, too, are growing in their faith.

Consider these 4 ways to encourage kids to spend time with God and pass them on to parents!

  1. Fuel it! Pour the Word of God into the lives of your kids. Read it, listen to it, sing it, and talk about it. Make sure each child has a Bible and choose an age-appropriate devotional or reading plan to guide the way into the great adventure of knowing God. (Check out LifeWay’s devotionals More, Adventure, and Bible Express here.)
  2. Share it! Nothing motivates someone to pray more than hearing how God has answered the prayers of others. Your answered prayers will become a positive reinforcement for your child to pursue answers to life events. Your child will learn that seeking the Lord’s will is a natural, enjoyable aspect of the Christian life. A great Bible promise for children to learn is: “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).
  3. Model it! Demonstrate consistent prayer and Bible study in your own life. Keep ongoing prayer concerns/requests in your conversations. Your relationship-building with God will become evident in the eyes of your kids, and in time they’ll want to follow your lead in it.
  4. Journal it! Encourage your child to write down any questions and answers she is currently seeking from the Lord during her quiet times. Assure her that her prayer journal is a private matter between herself and God. Writing down God’s answers to prayer will encourage her to continue building a close relationship with Him.

Seize moments to teach children to seek the Lord. He wants to be found and delights in relationship with all who know Him!

Dixie Walker has been in childhood ministry with families and teachers for the past 20 years. She and her family currently reside in middle Tennessee.

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

Apologetics, Bible Study, Kids Ministry, kids101, Podcasts, Preschoolers, Resources, Spiritual Disciplines

Going Deep With Kids. Deeper Doctrine and Theology is Possible!

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Don’t dumb it down. Very often, good doctrine and theology are sacrificed on the altar of creativity. It doesn’t have to be that way.rp_Jana_new-150x150.jpg

You can have a vibrant and creative children’s ministry that draws kids in, not just to your church, but to our God. Wouldn’t you rather have kids that graduate from your ministry, equipped to do good work and ready to articulate their faith than a group of kids that simply like (or even love) your church? They will love your church even more when they connect with the Savior THROUGH it.

This is a powerful podcast where we unpack several great questions…

  •      When do we start to shape the theology of our kids?
  •      How do we communicate doctrine in a way that kids will understand?
  •      How is spiritual learning similar to other models of learning?

Give us 15 minutes of your time and we will save you hours of frustration in wondering whether or not your kids are grounded in their faith.

You can also get a free resource HERE. It’s the Levels of Biblical Learning®. It gives a wise path of discipleship to unpack key Biblical concepts. One of our curriculum lines, Bibles Studies for Life, Kids uses this discipleship plan as it’s framework.

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.

Kids Ministry, kids101, Leadership, Spiritual Disciplines, Uncategorized

New to KidMin – The Basics for Beginners

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MeredithTeasleyAre you new to kids ministry or do you know someone who is? You’ve got to hear this sit-down we had with Meredith Teasley. She lends her expertise to this topic that can help leaders avoid pitfalls in leadership. You might even hear “Peanuts” in the background. OK, you’ll just have to listen to know what we’re talking about on that.

What is the thing that is MOST important in children’s ministry in order to lead well? Listen in to this brief conversation and find out. You can follow Meredith on Twitter @meredithteasley.

You’ll hear us discuss…

  • Establishing Credibility as a leader
  • Going beyond the kids to lead others who might lead them
  • How to avoid a few common pitfalls in leadership

Also…

You won’t believe what’s in store at our conference later this year. Register your entire family ministry team for the ETCH Conference and hear dozens of leaders share their insight. You’ll also be able to connect with like-minded KidMin leaders in music city!

Bible Study, Devotional, Kids Ministry, Parenting, Prayer, Preschool, Preteen, Resources, Spiritual Disciplines

Teaching Kids to Pray

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by Mary Wiley

No matter if a child is learning to deal with his parents’ divorce or is just sad because he has to wait his turn to play on the swing, kids face battles both big and small. As parents and those who serve kids in the church, you can equip kids to fight those battles wisely through prayer. Teaching kids the spiritual discipline of prayer can feel daunting, and for many parents, they don’t feel capable of teaching their kids something that they also find to be a struggle. We want to equip you in the way you equip kids and parents to strengthen their prayer lives through three resources tied to the movie WAR ROOM.

Below are 5 tips and 3 resources to help you equip kids and parents in their journey toward healthy prayer lives. Let us know what you would add in the comments!

Tip #1: Model prayer daily.

When kids see that you view prayer as important, they will realize that it is also important in their own lives.

Tip #2: Pray for God to do big things.

Remind kids that God is big enough to do all things. He can heal the sickest of the sick and help the most helpless. Praise God for His power and also rely on Him to work.

Tip #3: Pray for God to do small things, too.

Being afraid of the dark or not being able to find a favorite toy might seem big to some kids, but we know in the grand scheme of things it’s a small thing. Make sure to pray for the small things. Never tell a kid their prayer request isn’t worth praying for. All things are worth taking to the Lord, and the Bible says that He cares for all of our concerns.

Tip #4: Talk about what it means to pray without ceasing.

This is a verse we like to throw around sometimes without a lot of explanation, but for a kid’s concrete mind, this sounds like never opening our eyes and having a really bad crick in our necks from bowing our heads for so long. Help kids understand that God wants us to talk to Him like we would a good friend – throughout the day.

Tip #5: Start now!

Don’t feel defeated if you haven’t been praying with your children each day. Each day is new and there’s no better day to start than today! Don’t worry about teaching your children perfectly. Ask God to help you and your children better understand prayer. He is faithful!

3 Resources for Kids:

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Peter’s Perfect Prayer Place 

This story for ages 4-8 follows Peter as he tries to find the perfect place to pray to God. Peter learns that God hears his prayers, no matter where he is, so the perfect place to pray is anywhere that you are!

Screen Shot 2015-09-24 at 2.24.11 PM

Prayer Works

This training guide will equip your 8-12 year olds to develop a strategic, growing prayer life. It is filled with activities, illustrations, and journaling prompts for kids to experience to help them think through why they should pray, why their prayers matter, and if God will answer their prayers.

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This Means War

Isn’t being a teenager a war in itself? Grab this book for those 13 and up to encourage them in their prayer life. This book includes journaling space and also short chapters that answer questions that teens have about prayer. There is no better skill to teach your children than to teach them to pray. As you seek to equip parents and children’s ministry leaders, consider offering up these resources developed alongside the movie WAR ROOM. Our children are walking into battle everyday. Let’s teach them the right way to fight.

Kids Ministry, kids101, Leadership, Parenting, Podcasts, Spiritual Disciplines, Training, Uncategorized

30 Seconds – A Critical Interaction With Parents

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Jeffrey Reed Headshot

We know that we’ve got to lead parents into understanding that they are to be the primary spiritual influences in their kids lives. In fact, practically every Christian publisher gives “take-homes” to give to the parents when they pick their kids up. And yet, kids ministry leaders still find that many of the parents are not picking up the mantle of discipleship. In many cases, we find that the papers and items intended to be tools for parents are left on the floors of our churches.

It’s critical that we communicate clearly and consistently to parents as we encourage them to take the disciple-making lead in their kids’ lives.

This podcast features an interview with Jeffrey Reed and provides practical tips on how to make the 30-second hand-off an effective time for your ministry. At recent conferences, this has been a standing-room-only session. Today, however, you can sit down and listen to “30-seconds.”

30 seconds

Jeffrey Reed serves on the leadership team for LifeWay Kids. He came to LifeWay with a wide variety of ministry experiences including worship leader, director of children’s ministry, and executive leadership in several growing congregations. He, his wife Katherine, and their four kids attend The Church at Spring Hill.

Bible Study, Devotional, Evangelism, Kids Ministry, Parenting, Spiritual Disciplines

How Do You Disciple New Believers?

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By William Summey

I remember so vividly when my oldest son received Christ as Savior and Lord. He prayed at home with my wife leading him in prayer. That day when he received Christ was built upon many teaching moments and conversations about Jesus at church as well as at home. We were so happy and celebrated with him on his spiritual birthday, but we also had many questions: Is he too young? How much does he really understand about the gospel? How do we follow up from here with baptism and joining the church? How do we help him grow and mature as a Christian?

When a child comes to know Christ as Savior and Lord, it is a tremendous moment in the life of that child’s family and in the church body. But like our family, many families will have questions about what happens next. Parents and teachers alike may wonder if their child understands the gospel message, how to follow up with kids afterwards, or how to grow their child deeper. The newly revised I’m A Christian Now! is designed to help in all of these ways.

Designed with eight 1-hour meetings, I’m A Christian Now! leads a child from the basics of the gospel through the first steps of growing as a Christian. Each child also receives an activity book that includes Bible learning games, activities, and puzzles to support what they are learning in class. Kids work through these pages to have fun and learning more about becoming a Christian and how to live as a new Christian.

The content of I’m A Christian Now! addresses a major question in each meeting. You may progress in order through the sessions or pick and choose according to the needs of your group. Regardless, kids will find the activity books fun and exciting. I hope you find that they aid in your discipleship process.

Find out more about I’m A Christian Now! here.

Kids Ministry, kids101, Preschool, Preschoolers, Resources, Small Groups, Spiritual Disciplines, Worship

The B-I-B-L-E. Yes, That’s the Book for Me.

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Chuck-Peters150x-altMusic is a powerful tool for connecting kids to Christ. Are you making the most of music in your kids ministry, or are you missing an opportunity?

Music and singing are core components of adult worship gatherings and have been for thousands of years. An early song of praise is found all the way back in Exodus 15 wherein Moses and the Israelites sang to the Lord to celebrate their deliverance from Egypt. Bible scholars tell us that the 150 Psalms in the bible were written over a period of no less than a thousand years and were compiled into their present form around 2500 years ago. Clearly, music has been part of worship for a long, long time. While the style of music that God’s people have used in worship has changed over the centuries, the presence of music as part of the gatherings of believers has been consistent, and it continues to draw Christ-followers into deeper relationship with the Lord Jesus to this day. Music and worship go together.

Music is also a powerful teaching tool that is employed by educators. From learning the alphabet to Mr. Rogers Neighborhood to School House Rock, teachers know that learning and retention of concepts and information can increase exponentially when a lesson is set to a song. Music and teaching go together.

Many of us who grew up in the church learned foundational biblical truths about our great God through simple songs like Jesus Loves Me, Jesus Loves the Little Children and The B-I-B-L-E. You may even recognize that early song of Moses from Exodus 15, “I will sing unto the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider fell into the sea.” In addition to classic children’s songs like these, scripture memory songs and modern praise choruses (many of which are covers of biblical Psalms) are wonderful tools for leading the children in your ministry closer to God today. As a parent, it blesses me beyond description when I hear my young boys singing scripture-based songs in the backseat of the car on the way to soccer practice.

Are you making the most of music in your kids ministry or might you be missing an opportunity? To what degree is music a regular part of your weekly kids ministry? I want to challenge you to include music – specifically singing – as a regular part of your kids ministry gatherings. Whether you sing a few simple songs with a live leader strumming a guitar or use DVD-driven lyric videos like the optional worship resources included in LifeWay Kids curriculums, play some songs and encourage everyone to sing along!

Make it fun. Get your kids up on their feet to get the wiggles out. Invite a few leaders up front to do hand motions (which adds another memory component). Make a habit of repeating the same songs regularly so your kids get to know them well. Fun and worshipful praise songs will help set the tone for your time, and they’ll stick in your kids minds at home, school, and in the car.

Chuck Peters is Director of Operations for LifeWay Kids. A graduate of Columbia Bible College, Chuck, and his wife, Cris, have served vocationally & voluntarily in Student and Children’s Ministry for many years. They have four amazing children.

Bible Study, Encouragement, Kids Ministry, kids101, Leadership, Spiritual Disciplines, Sunday School, Training

Personal Bible Study … You Need It!

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rp_Emeott-Web21-150x150.jpgGod 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” instead of the fresh overflow that comes from regular personal Bible study.

There are many benefits from personal Bible study! Personal Bible study:

Strengthens …         … in times of fear – Isaiah 41:10; …the weary – Isaiah 40:29-20

Comforts …              … in grief – Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 23

Guides …                 … our daily walk – Psalm 119:105; …us toward success – Joshua 1:7

Provides …               … instruction – Psalm 1:1-3; …all my needs – Philippians 4:19

Reveals …                … God’s Plan – Jeremiah 29:11

Teaches …               … us the truth and freedom – John 8:31-32

Transforms …          … the mind – Romans 12:2;

Assures …                … of salvation – 1 John 5:13

So, how do you find time in your very busy world for this very important discipline? I love teaching Sunday School and I want to be a good teacher to the kids I lead, so I choose to use the Bible account that I’ll be teaching each week 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. Here’s my plan:

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

Day 2:  Read the “Personal/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:  Reread the text in a different translation. If you always read from the KJV then consider on Day 3 reading from the HCSB (or even 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 “Through 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.

Since 2003 Bill Emeott has served as a Kids Ministry Specialist for LifeWay. His passions include childhood ministry leadership training and development, leading children’s Bible Study, and being an Uncle! Bill has been teaching children at First Baptist Nashville for ten years.

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