LifeWay

Kids Ministry

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

Kids Ministry, Leadership, Sunday School, Volunteers

Volunteer Appreciation Ideas

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Use these fun ideas to show your volunteers you appreciate them! Click links below to download PDFs.

You make our Kids Ministry sparkle! 

  • Download tags
  • Instructions:
    • Attach to a can or a bottle of chilled sparkling water and deliver to each volunteer

You are all that and a bag of chips! 

  • Download tags
  • Instructions:
    • Attach each tag to a bag of chips and hand-deliver to every volunteer

When it comes to teaching kids, you really take the cake!

  • Download tags
  • Instructions:
    • Cut out, attach to snack cakes, and deliver to volunteers
Kids Ministry, Resources, Sunday School

Celebrating World Down Syndrome Day

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It’s March 21: World Down Syndrome Day! All over the world, people will be decked out in cool T-shirts and brightly-colored socks to raise awareness for the rights, inclusion, and well being of people with Down syndrome.

Today is a great day to remember that differently-abled children will be much better equipped to make the life-changing decision to become Christians when churches open their doors, arms, and hearts to them and their families. Special Buddies can help!

Special Buddies is designed for children in grades 1-6 who have intellectual and developmental special needs. It is part of the Bible Studies for Life curriculum line. One of the primary differences about Special Buddies is that a new Bible story is introduced every other week instead of every week. This enables kids to learn and grow at a gentle (and individualized) pace, allowing time for extended activities or repetition of meaningful activities over the two-week span.

A child with any of the following characteristics can thrive in an environment where the Special Buddies curriculum is taught:
• a child who would benefit from remaining in the same classroom with familiar teachers for several years in a row
• a child with social limitations
• a child who has minimal reading, writing, and verbal communication skills
• a child who needs individual attention and assistance to complete hands-on activities
• a child who is unable to tolerate typical classroom noise
• a child who requires an adapted physical environment

Special Buddies is versatile. Try one of these methods:
• Implement it in a self-contained classroom comprised of children with special needs.
• Use it with an individual child who receives one-on-one care at church while parents attend Bible study.
• Plug it in as a supplemental resource for a child with special needs who attends a typically-graded Bible study group but responds well to modified lessons and individualized attention.

Want to learn more? Visit TeachKids@Lifeway.com or contact William.Summey@lifeway.com for a free sample.

Register now for our Special Buddies Giveaway on March 25! You will have until 8 a.m. on 3/25 to follow this link and register here

To learn about Special Friends VBS, follow this link

Joy Fisher is Content Editor of Bible Studies for Life Special Buddies. Her 20-year-old son, Samuel, has Down syndrome.

Bible Study, Sunday School, Teaching Kids

Why Prepare? Is it really all that important?

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In 1 Corinthians 14:40 we read, “Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.” I’m convinced that the time we have with kids at church should be fitting and orderly. That certainly includes Bible study. After all, if it’s worth doing (and teaching kids the Bible is definitely worth doing) then it’s worth doing right! Preparation is the key. Here are five reasons why weekly preparation is important and vital to your success.

  1. Preparation allows you the opportunity to hear from God. I’ve often said that God wants to speak to the kids in your class from the overflow of what He’s teaching you in your heart. Spiritual and biblical preparation allows God to use your “comings and goings” to bring the biblical text you’re teaching to life. No prep equals no opportunity for God to teach you. You’ll teach better when you’ve prepared the biblical content and taken the time to pray and meditate on the passage you’re teaching. Then, you’ll be teaching from the overflow.
  2. Preparation ensures that you’ll accomplish your goals. It’s been said, (and I agree), “If you don’t know where you’re going, you won’t know if you get there.” Preparation helps you understand your session goals and gives you a path for which to teach toward and meet those goals.
  3. Preparation says, “This is important.” We give time (or make time) for what we believe is important. What could be more important than teaching kids God’s story for them? We all live busy lives but giving prep time for your weekly Bible teaching needs to be a priority. Kids will notice, parents will notice, and you will notice.
  4. Preparation cuts down on behavior problems. Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying, “A failure to plan is a plan to fail.” I would elaborate on that by saying a failure to plan almost always is a recipe for disaster. If you don’t have a plan, kids do… and it usually doesn’t include a biblical application.
  5. Preparation reduces stress and allows you to sense the work of the Holy Spirit and join Him during your session. When you adequately prepare and are ready for the kids the minute they enter the room, you’ll be open and sensitive to the Holy Spirit at work around you. Often times God is at work around us but we’re too distracted by our lack of preparation to notice. Don’t miss the “still small voice” because you failed to prepare.

The best session is a prepared session. The best teacher is a prepared teacher. Be the best you can be. Offer to your kids the best you can give and they deserve. Practice the gift of preparation.

Here’s a prayer I dare you to pray: “Lord, bless me according to my preparation.”

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.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Sunday School

See, Show, Share, and Compare LifeWay Kids Curriculum

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Comparing LifeWay Kids curriculum resources is easier than ever thanks to a brand new collection of easy-access resource guides available online now at teachkids.lifeway.com. The new TeachKids webpage lets you quickly and easily see, show, share, and compare leader guide samples, scope-and-sequence study plans, and the underlying philosophy-of-ministry frameworks for Bible Studies for Life: Kids, Explore the Bible Kids and The Gospel Project for Kids. These fast and simple samples are formatted as digital flipbooks that you can instantly review, reference, compare, and share using your smartphone or computer without filling out a form or downloading files.

Curriculum Sampler

Each resource includes a digital flipbook that lets you instantly flip through curriculum samples for Kids and Preschool versions, including teacher guides, activity pages, family resources, and worship options so you can examine and evaluate each resource on-demand. Pages inside each flipbook contain embedded links that connect you directly to product pages on lifeway.com where you can see product details and prices.

Study Plan

Quick access to Study Plan flipbooks allows you to quickly assess the scope and sequence of each resource so you can know exactly what kids and preschoolers will study throughout each three-year study cycle. Here you’ll find suggested use dates, the key Scripture passages for each session, and volume, unit and Bible story titles.

Framework

Each LifeWay Kids curriculum resource is informed by an underlying philosophical framework that influences the writing and editing of every session. These frameworks are not curriculum; they are foundational approaches to teaching biblical truth to kids that are designed to inform teachers and parents of the learning strategies upon which each resource is built. Once you determine which of these three distinct approaches to teaching you prefer, you will have an easy time choosing the curriculum resource that aligns with your preferred philosophy. Details on each of these frameworks as well as printables, apps, and training videos are available free from LifeWay Kids.

Bible Studies for Life: Kids is based on the Levels of Biblical Learning®; a scholarly guide based on the idea that kids learn and comprehend concepts differently as they grow in maturity, therefore, we must teach biblical truths in well informed age-appropriate ways. The Levels of Biblical Learning outlines how children can best understand 10 different biblical concepts at different age levels.

Check out the Levels of Biblical Learning flipbook now at http://teachkids.lifeway.com/bsfl-framework/ or view the Levels of Biblical Learning details page at http://LifeWay.com/LOBL

Bible Skills for Kids is all about the promotion of biblical literacy and Bible familiarity and informs the Explore the Bible Kids resource. Bible Skills for Kids identifies various Bible skills that children can grasp and master at various stages of development, such as identifying Old and New Testament books, memorizing the books of the Bible, matching people in the Bible to the book in which they appear, and memorizing a wide range of scripture verses.

Check out the Bible Skills for Kids flipbook now at http://teachkids.lifeway.com/etb-framework/ or view the Bible Skills for Kids details page at http://LifeWay.com/bibleskillsforkids

Big Picture Questions and Answers for Kids undergirds the Gospel Project for Kids. It outlines 76 theological concepts in six overarching categories formatted using a systematic easy-to-understand question-and-answer approach and includes a “Seeing Jesus in the Bible” section that explains how the whole Bible is one big story that’s all about Jesus and the Gospel. Check out the Big Picture Questions and Answers for Kids flipbook now at http://teachkids.lifeway.com/tgp-framework/ or view the Big Picture Questions and Answers details page at http://LifeWay.com/BPQA

The Quiz

If you want help determining which resource best matches your personal study style you can take the What Kind of Kids Minister Are You? quiz. This 5-question quiz helps direct you to the resource that teaches the way you like to teach.

The new TeachKids webpage was designed with you in mind, making it easier than ever to compare curriculum samples, study plans and foundational frameworks for Bible Studies for Life: Kids, Explore the Bible Kids, and The Gospel Project for Kids. Now you can see, show, share and compare these trustworthy resources from one easy-to-find place: TeachKids.LifeWay.com. Check it out today and share the link with your teachers, volunteers and partners in ministry as you evaluate which LifeWay Kids curriculum you’ll choose to use.  

Fun, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Resources, Sunday School, Uncategorized
Crafts, Encouragement, Family Ministry, Kids Ministry, Ministry, Resources, Sunday School, Teaching Kids, Uncategorized, Volunteers
Christmas, Crafts, Encouragement, Encouraging, Family Ministry, Fun, Kids Ministry, Ministry, Preschool, Small Groups, Special Needs, Sunday School, Teacher Appreciation, Teaching Kids, Uncategorized, Volunteers
Bible Study, Resources, Sunday School, Teaching Kids

Packed with Value

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I have learned so much working with the Bible Studies for Life: Kids team this year and had such joy helping produce this ongoing curriculum for preschoolers and children. One of the most valuable resources we produce for teachers may be the least known — the leader pack. Of the many questions I receive from teachers new to our Bible study curriculum, I often hear these two: “What is a leader pack? Is it worth the extra cost each quarter?”

My answer is always a resounding yes — Leader packs are so valuable for teachers in the classroom! The challenge we face is to engage today’s visual learners and spark their imaginations with art and other engaging visuals that capture the attention and engages preschoolers and children to go deeper into understanding Bible Stories and how they apply to them. The leader pack helps us engage the visual learner.

Leader packs also make teaching easy. They are designed to go hand in hand with the leader guide, providing colorful pictures, posters, and other visuals that support teaching as well as games and materials that are connected to activities teachers will lead each week as part of their Bible teaching. Here are some details that show how valuable this resource is.

Teaching Pictures: The leader pack contains a teaching picture for every Sunday of that quarter. Teaching pictures bring alive the Bible story for children with an engaging visual of biblical art. Pictures are suitable for hanging on your focal wall and holding as you tell or review the Bible story. Our philosophy is that teaching pictures are not something just to be gazed upon (although they should be intriguing, beautiful pieces of art) as if kids will learn all that need to know on their own simply by looking, but they are to be engaged with interaction between teacher and learner (what are they thinking? what are they feeling? at what point of the story do you think this happened? what happened next?) so that kids understand on a deeper level what is happening in a Bible Story.

Memory Verse and Visual Posters: Each quarter kids’ packs will have three unit verse posters, one for each unit verse, making it easier to post on your focal wall for that month to help kids memorize it. Many age groups also have other unit posters that can be added to the focal wall to engage learners.

Teaching Aids: The leader pack contains many of the go-to teaching aids each week that connect back directly with activities in the leader guide and make teachers’ preparation easier. These colorful, creative items engage kids with that week’s Bible story and real life application.

Ultimately leader packs, through engaging visuals and teacher aids, help us reach our goal in Bible Studies for Life — for kids to receive the gospel message and to apply what they are learning to their lives each day.

William Summey is the Publishing Team Leader for Bible Studies for Life: Kids. He is a graduate of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Vanderbilt University. William lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Christy, and their two sons.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Sunday School

Impacting Visual Learners with the Gospel

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If you haven’t read William Summey’s part 1 of this post, you can find it HERE.

Having great visuals seems to be critical to effective teaching today. Some kids may be more prone to be engaged visually than others, but well-designed visuals, as William describes, can be an incredible way to engage kids of all ages as they consider the people, places, and events of the story each picture represents. In addition to using teaching picture visuals to help connect kids with Bible stories, many resources also include larger visuals. Sometimes these are large posters to place in a foyer or hallway, or maybe they are smaller posters that can be placed side-by-side almost like puzzle pieces. Whatever format these larger visuals take, they can be a major asset in helping kids connect to Bible stories.

Large visuals can provide a larger-scale wow factor. When space permits, using large versions of curriculum visuals can really make a space pop. Because of their size and bright colors, large-scale visuals will draw the attention of both kids and parents. They can be great discussion starters for parents to connect with their kids. If you don’t have space for the largest versions of available visuals, you can often use a piece of a poster set in your space to give extra cohesiveness between your space and what your kids are learning.

Large visuals often attempt to give a broader understanding of the content being studied. Like connecting pieces of a puzzle, large-scale visuals often try to tell a bigger story than what their classroom-size counterpart is able to do. Large visuals can tie together sessions into a bigger picture.

With the Fall 2018 release of The Gospel Project for Kids Volume 1, we are excited to include two brand new large visuals: (1) Giant Timeline and Genealogy of Christ and (2) our Small Group Timeline and Map Set. Each of these resources is beautifully colored, graphical poster sets to help remind kids (and adults) that the stories we are learning are about real people who lived in real places at a real time in history.

With The Gospel Project for Kids’ Giant Timeline, children can begin to see God’s one big story as it unfolds from session to session and volume to volume. Children can track the progress from Genesis to Exodus and all the way to Revelation. Each volume is on its own poster so if space does not permit displaying all 12 posters, a single volume’s poster can be used in a common space. Our new Genealogy of Christ four-poster set is included with the purchase of our Giant Timeline. This poster set graphically depicts Jesus’ family line from Adam and Eve down to Joseph and Mary. It’s a large four-poster set that shows both Matthew and Luke’s accounts of Jesus’ family line. 

With The Gospel Project for Kids’ Small Group Timeline and Map Set churches can equip classrooms with 36 11-by-17-inch posters to display in classrooms. With each unit on a page, leaders could use one page at a time if space is limited or display all the posters side-by-side for large-scale impact. Our brand new oversized Map Set comes with four different maps: two for the Old Testament and two for the New Testament. In addition, a sheet of pin drop icons is provided to be able to place on a map and track the real places events occurred. 

Most people, and it seems kids in particular, are drawn in by things they see, and there is so much information fighting for their attention. When we can make use of large-scale visuals to bring focus and cohesiveness to our teaching sessions and kids ministry space, we are able to help drown out the noise with a more singular focus, even if only for an hour or two.

Jeremy Carroll is the team leader for The Gospel Project for Kids. Before coming to LifeWay, he has been active in local church ministry for nearly 20 years in Tennessee, Texas, and Alabama. 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.

Kids Ministry, Leadership, Sunday School

Impact Visual Learners with the Gospel

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The Art of Teaching Pictures

It has been such a pleasure these past few months working with the Bible Studies for Life: Kids team. I have learned so much and had such joy helping produce this ongoing curriculum for preschoolers and children. One of the greatest joys has been the opportunity to develop new teaching picture art each quarter. The challenge we face is to engage today’s visual learners and spark their imaginations with art that captures the attention and engages preschoolers and children to go deeper into understanding not only what is happening in the picture but also the real lives of the people involved—their feelings, thoughts, emotions. Then kids will start to be able to do what we hope to accomplish in Bible Studies for Life—for kids to receive the gospel message and to apply what they are learning to their lives each day.

So how do we accomplish this goal? Our philosophy is that teaching pictures are not something just to be gazed upon (although they should be intriguing, beautiful pieces of art) as if kids will learn all that need to know on their own simply by looking, but they are to be engaged with interaction between teacher and learner (what are they thinking? what are they feeling? at what point of the story do you think this happened? what happened next?) so that kids understand on a deeper level that these were real people with the similar thoughts, feelings, uncertainties, doubts, fears, hopes, faith, and wonder that they have today.

The following are some examples of kinds of questions you could ask and comments about the teaching pictures you show each week:

Prophets Told about Jesus (a picture of a prophet telling a crowd about the coming Messiah): The people of Israel listened to stories from prophets for generations and re-told those prophecies about the coming Messiah—Jesus. Why do you think God told them what He was going to do? How do you like waiting? How long is too long to wait? How do you think they felt waiting for years? How do you think they felt when Jesus actually arrived? What were they hoping the Messiah would do? Were they surprised by Jesus?

Joseph and His Family (young Joseph with his father or family): Joseph was his dad’s favorite. What problems would this cause in your family if one child was a favorite of the parents? How did Joseph feel? How did his brothers feel? How does God want us to treat others? How was God at work in Joseph’s life? How did God use Joseph later to help save his family?

Esther (before the king or just before or after entering the throne room and approaching the king): How do you think Esther is feeling? Do you think she prayed before she went in to see the king? What do you think she prayed? Do you think she prayed after she saw the king? How do you think she felt after she saw the king? How does God use us in similar ways to share the message of the gospel with others?

As teachers, help bring about this in how the kids you teach interact with teaching pictures. Great art and your teaching will help engage today’s visual learners and help them apply Bible truths to their lives!

Look for Impact Visual Learners With The Gospel Part 2 on the blog later this week by The Gospel Project for Kids’ team leader, Jeremy Carroll.

William Summey is the Publishing Team Leader for ParentLife, kids devotionals, and short-term products. He is a graduate of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Vanderbilt University. William lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Christy, and their two boys.

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