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

S’more Thankful – Fall Appreciation

• Download Tags
• Supplies needed:
  • Deconstructed s’mores (graham crackers, chocolate, marshmallows)
  • Cellophane bags
  • Twine or ribbon
  • Downloadable s’more tags
• Instructions:
  • Place a deconstructed s’more in a cellophane bag.
  • Secure it with twine and a tag.
  • Say thanks to volunteers this fall!

Sweet as Pie – Thanksgiving Appreciation

• Download tags
• Supplies needed:
  • Individual pie slice boxes
  • Sticker paper
  • Thanksgiving pies
  • Downloadable pie slice labels
• Instructions:
  • Print pie slice labels onto sticker paper.
  • Place sticker labels on top of each box.
  • Place one slice of pie in each box.
  • Pass out pie boxes to volunteers, or place in a stack in the break room so volunteers can select their favorite kind of Thanksgiving pie.

What is the driving force of your kids ministry on Sunday mornings, Wednesday nights, and any time you meet the kids that attend your church?

On Sundays, my wife and I serve in our church’s kids ministry. Every month, all large group hosts from every service at my church gather together with our kids pastor, and we plan the next month of kids ministry large group. While we do spend time reading through scripts and brainstorming fun activities, we always cast a vision that communicating the gospel is our ultimate goal every single Sunday. While it might be easy to teach a moral or a behavior modification, we need to always be pointing these kids to the source of life-transformation, Jesus Christ.

Here are three tips to help always use the gospel in every area of your kids ministry:

1. Evaluate your ministry. As early as this Wednesday or Sunday, ask yourself, “How are we doing?” Take a look at all aspects of your programming (small groups, large groups, kid’s church, etc), and truly evaluate how clearly the gospel is presented. If you find the gospel is not clearly presented, make a goal to have a plan of action to improve by the next time you meet with your kids.
2. Cast vision with your volunteers. Like my kids pastor does with our large group volunteer team, meet with your leaders and clearly cast the vision for your kids ministry to focus on the gospel. Show your volunteers ways how to incorporate the gospel into every activity, game, and teaching time. For some of your volunteers, it might be the first time they have shared the gospel, so encourage them and equip them to clearly communicate the gospel with kids. This “meeting” could look like a lunch, or could simply be a short meeting before your normally scheduled time.
3. Find resources to help. You are not alone! There are tons of great resources out there to help share the gospel with kids. If your curriculum is missing the gospel in favor of teaching them a good moral, find a curriculum that clearly points kids to Jesus. One easy resource we recommend is “The Gospel: God’s Plan for Me.” We love how clearly it presents the gospel on a kids level.  (In fact, this is exactly how I phrase the gospel when I’m teaching the kids in large group at my church.)

If you are lucky, you have the kids in your ministry maybe an hour or two each week. If that’s the case, at most, you will have only 52 hours (or less!) of their attention for an entire year. How much of that time will you spend sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ this year?

Have you ever walked into a kids ministry space and wished you were still a kid? Your space will be one of the first impression that guests have of your church so make it look great! Whether you are repurposing an old space or touching up an existing one, there are a few things you can do to make the area inviting for your kids, parents, and volunteers.

Add Some Color

The first and easiest way to recreate a space is by adding a fresh coat of paint. This will renew the space and give the whole area a clean look. When choosing colors for a kids area, it can be tempting to find the brightest and boldest colors out there and splash them everywhere. Remember that while your children’s area is a place for the kids to have fun, it is also a place for learning. Using a neutral color like an eggshell or gray will give your entire ministry space cohesion. Using a color palette like the one below on accent walls in different rooms can create a fun and inviting area for your ministry and give it the fun you are looking for.

Good Directions

Part of creating a welcoming environment for your ministry area is to be sure that guests and parents can always find their way through the space. Some of the best ministry spaces I have experienced were created through clear signs and directions. Simply updating the signs around your building can give the entire area a new look and become more welcoming to guests.

Engage with the Kids in Worship

In your main children’s worship area, having a system that enables you to run sound and video can be a great asset! Putting your logo on the screen and playing music as kids walk in will enhance the experience and get the kids excited for the time ahead. During worship, having the words on the screen or using curriculum such as The Gospel Project Worship Hour will help engage the kids in worship. When teaching the kids, it is great to have visuals that reinforce your lessons to connect the worship to the gospel and help instill the lessons into the kids.

By Isaac Kierstead