LifeWay

Kids Ministry

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

CentriKid, Events, Kids Ministry, kids101, Leadership, Uncategorized

Succeeding at Big Events by Managing the Little Details

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JEIn the scope of Church ministry, events that require planning tend to fall more in the space of children’s ministry than just about any other area. VBS. Camps. Family events. EVERY weekend, right? Fewer staff leaders have to navigate the art of delegation and management more than those in KidMin.

You’ve got to listen to this sit-down with Jeremy Echols (JE), who manages the team that leads most of LifeWay Kids’ events. It’s critical to understand that a successful event involves ideation and planning as well as great communication and delegation. This is the perfect podcast if you are about to launch into the planning for VBS or summer camp. (You’ve started that, right?)

Key points from this insightful podcast:

  • Establishing the “why” or “mission” of your event
  • Going from the idea to the execution
  • Staffing to your weakness
  • Artful delegation and evaluation

Speaking of events, it’s not too late to check out or register for these events. Just check out these links!

CentriKid camps

VBS events

ETCH conference

JE (@coachechols) leads the @centrikid camps and events team for LifeWay Kids. He met his wife Emily working summer camp, they serve in the kids area on Sunday’s at church, and they are blessed with their daughter #BabyMadison who was born in 2011.

Apologetics, Kids Ministry, kids101, Parenting, Podcasts, Uncategorized

Theology and Kids

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DSC_3857Sometimes, in children’s ministry, we “wait” to take kids deeper, assuming that the next leader, say, the student pastor, will handle that. What generally happens is that we have churches full of adults who were never challenged to grow in their knowledge of God, which is, by definition, their theology. They are “a mile wide and an inch deep.”

When kids become young adults and stop going to church, it may not simply be because church is boring to them, though that might be part of the problem. It’s more plausible that they never found that deeper connection as kids that created in them a desire to continually go deeper with God as adults. Beyond salvation, good theology draws in the human soul to the Spirit of God that resides within us.

Join us in this brief conversation with Shannon Scott, a great thought-leader on parenting, kids ministry, and life, in general. We’ll hit these topics…

  • Positive trend in kids ministry towards stronger theology
  • The difference between internal heart-transformation and external behavior modification
  • A tip on how to teach the concept of the Holy Spirit to kids

To get more from Shannon, you can check out her blog here.

To get more inspiration and family ministry insight than you can handle, be sure to register for this year’s conference in Music City! Click here to register for the Etch Conference.

 

Kids Ministry, Leadership, Podcasts, Uncategorized

Building A Team

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Don’t go it alone.

Mark-Casual-cropped-216x300Don’t spread yourself thin.

Surround yourself with good people.

These are all words of advice that are often ignored in the KidMin world. We’re busy, right? Don’t let this wisdom go unheeded. It’s critical that you build a team of leaders that can all carry the load of the ministry you lead. Listen to a brief chat with Mark Jones, a seasoned veteran of KidMin. You can check out his KidMin site here.

You’ll hear us cover the following points with Mark…

  • Building a team based on whether you are a vision or detail-oriented person
  • KidMin is as much about developing relationships with other age groups in the church as it is with leading kids
  • Potential hindrances to building a team

To get more inspiration and family ministry insight than you can handle, be sure to register for this year’s conference in Music City! Click here to register for the Etch Conference.

 

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!

Evangelism, Events, Kids Ministry, Uncategorized, Vacation Bible School

VBS – Produce Your Own or Use a Complete Resource?

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MelitaVBS. It’s making a comeback. Churches are realizing that, when good follow-up is executed, VBS is a powerful outreach tool. It can bring families into the church and is a great platform for sharing the gospel with kids. So, the question is, “Is it worth going through the effort of producing your own or is it better to go with a resource that comes complete with curriculum, music, videos, etc.?”

In this podcast, we’ll sit down with a VBS expert who will take a glance at what is required to put on a VBS as well as the choices that a KidMin leader has. You’ll get a glimpse into…

  • A summary of work that goes into LifeWay’s VBS,
  • What a fully-produced VBS offers
  • The Pros/Cons to producing your own vs. using VBS from a trusted provider

It’s right around the corner. Before you consider what you are doing with your kids this summer, listen to this podcast … and check out our VBS and Zip for Kids while you’re at it.

Melita Thomas serves as a Content Editor for LifeWay’s VBS and Zip for Kids resources. Melita holds a masters degree in Christian Education/Childhood Ministry which accompanies her passion and expertise as a leader in kids ministry—both in her role at LifeWay Kids and in the local church. Melita is a member of First Baptist Nashville, where she enjoys teaching kindergartners and preteens.

 

Uncategorized

Wholeness for Leaders

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BRShould leadership be important in kids ministry? You bet! Do we get so caught up in our systems that we forget to manage our volunteers and leaders? Do we always challenge what we think “works” without considering something new. Does your family ministry team have silos?

We’ll talk through several topics in this brief podcast with someone who knows leadership and ministry. You’ll hear us talk about…

  • Blind spots in leadership
  • Identifying Silos
  • What a KidMin leader can do to help shed light on blind spots
Bruce Raley is the Husband of Donna. Father of Patrick and Sarah. Father-in-law to Stephen. Future father-in-law of Noelle. Fan of Arkansas Razorbacks and Tennessee Titans. Former director of Church Education Ministry for LifeWay Christian Resources. Passionate about the church education ministry…particularly starting new Bible study groups. He’s the executive pastor of First Baptist, Henderson, TN.


Encouragement, Encouraging, Kids Ministry, kids101, Small Groups, Sunday School, Uncategorized

The Top Three Things Kids Need to Hear From Their Small Group Leader

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Having enough glue is important. Planning a great activity makes a small group’s time pop! You WANT rp_Emeott-Web21-150x150.jpgparents to ask their kids, “Did you have fun in church?” You want the answer to be “Yes!” But at the end of their lives…at the end of their time with you, their KidMin leader, what are the REALLY important things that kids need to hear.

In this podcast, you’ll hear us suggest that every church should provide an environment where…

  • Every kid hears (and sees) that they are LOVED
  • Each child (and parent) feels that church is a FUN and SAFE place
  • The GOSPEL is the primary foundation for the ministry

“If you use a kids curriculum and you can’t find the name of Jesus in it… there may be a problem.”-@Bill_Emeott

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.

Evangelism, Events, Podcasts, Uncategorized, Vacation Bible School

How to Maintain VBS Energy Throughout the Year

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rp_wooley3-150x150.jpgWe hype it! We prep for it! Thousands of work-hours are put into it. Some begin planning the next as soon as the last is over. In fact, this blog was posted in the Fall!

Why? Because we know that many church leaders are already gearing up for the excitement of VBS for next summer. VBS is not only one of the most effective tools for evangelizing children, but it has energy that can be harnessed and extended throughout the year.

We don’t use the term “expert” lightly here. This podcast features Jerry Wooley, an expert that we believe is one of the most well-versed individuals in VBS. If there were a PhD in VBS, Jerry has earned it! Listen to his insight and, even if your church doesn’t do VBS, consider that it might actually be a strong option for your summer schedule.

Here’s what you’ll hear today:

  • How to prep for VBS so that it doesn’t stress you out
  • How to follow up VBS to get families plugged into your church
  • Tips for developing a VBS calendar
  • Ideas to get people excited early and keep them excited after

Check out LifeWay Kids’ VBS SUBMERGED™ for 2016 on our interactive site. It’s amazing!

Jerry Wooley is the VBS GUY! He serves as the Vacation Bible School Specialist for LifeWay. Don’t expect to talk with Jerry for too long without him asking you about VBS. Jerry loves the local church and serves as a 1st-3rd Grade Teacher at Creekside Fellowship in Castalian Springs, Tennessee.

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.

Kids Ministry, Parenting, Preschool, Preschoolers, Uncategorized

Building Foundations of Faith in Preschoolers

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vogel-150x150AFaith development for preschoolers begins at birth. During the early years of kids’ lives they are beginning to develop a sense of trust. This sense of trust will play an important role in kids’ ability to trust in a God whom they cannot see, because they can trust the significant adults in their life whom they can see.  Trust develops somewhat like this:

  • If you feed me when I’m hungry … then, the God you talk about must be real.
  • If you change my diaper when it’s soiled … then, the Book you talk about called the Bible must really be God’s messages to me.
  • If you pick me up when I’m hurting and sing, “Yes, Jesus loves me” … then, I begin to develop warm, loving feelings toward Jesus.

As the preschooler grows and develops, effective teachers and parents share Bible content in such a way that the child can understand best:

  • Because preschoolers are literal minded … teachers/parents should avoid symbolic language as they share Bible stories.
  • Because preschoolers are curious … teachers/parents provide opportunities for them to discover exciting Bible truths.
  • Because preschoolers have limited attention spans … teachers/parents limit the length of both active and passive learning times while learning from the Bible.
  • Because preschoolers value relationships … teachers/parents get involved in the learning experiences of children … down where the child is.
  • Because preschoolers have God-given needs … teachers/parents love them unconditionally so that the children can learn about God’s unconditional love.

There is so much truth to this statement: With preschoolers, you can’t begin too soon to lay foundations in their lives upon which God can build and draw them into a personal relationship with Him!

Jerry Vogel serves as a Childhood Ministry Specialist in LifeWay Church Resources. He is married to Janie and has four children and thirteen grand kids. Jerry is a member of Brentwood Baptist Church and teaches preschoolers there. He is committed to enriching the lives of those who teach kids as well as making eternal investments in the lives of children.

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