parents

July 3, 2019

Crossing the Checkpoints for Life’s Race

“Let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus…” Hebrews 12:1-2

Back in 2013, the highly-respected late Jerry Vogel wrote about a few of the spiritual mile markers to be celebrated in families’ lives (post). As many of us are planning for a new ministry year with kids transitioning to new classes, this seems like a good time to review these mile markers or checkpoints as I like to call them and consider how our ministries can partner with parents in anticipating and celebrating these spiritual mile markers.

In long-distance races, checkpoints are short stops along the path for runners to regain their strength for the next part of the race. It’s also a place where runners can be encouraged to continue on, nurse any injuries, reevaluate their strategy, and plan for adjustments as the race resumes. Checkpoints are places to revitalize runners and then send them back to the race. These life checkpoints provide natural opportunities to partner with parents to recoup, reevaluate, and realign strategies for moving forward.

Checkpoint #1 – Welcome to the Family

Birth/Adoption – Whether it’s a family’s first child, second, or fifth, each new child adds new rhythms to a family’s life, celebrations and joys along with potential anxiety and challenges.
- “New Addition” Gift Bag – Consider creating a small gift bag to give to new families when a new baby is born or a child is adopted.
- Parenting classes/conference – A great idea for expectant parents is to offer them dedicated training on children’s spiritual growth. Such training should include theology of biblical parenting, trust development, and looking ahead toward future checkpoints.
Baby/Parent/Family Dedication – This is a great checkpoint to provide additional training, like a class mentioned above, to young parents on God’s expectations for Christian parents, showing them how you desire to partner with them in their parenting journey.

Checkpoint #2 – First Steps

Moving up to “Big Church” – Consider preparing “welcome to worship” bags for preschoolers who are transitioning into big church. Offering specific training to help parents/caregivers prepare for this change can help to soothe their nerves and remind them that children will learn how to worship best by watching adults worship.
Learning to Read – Consider celebrating this checkpoint with a meaningful Bible presentation. If your budget allows, your church may purchase an age-appropriate Bible for each kindergartner or first grader. If your budget doesn’t allow or if you prefer to help parents choose their own Bible to give, be sure to guide parents in knowing what kind of Bible would be best for their child. Lifeway offers several options of age-appropriate Bibles at lifeway.com.

Checkpoint #3 – Growing in Faith

“What Is a Christian?” class – Often times kids who regularly attend church will start asking questions about salvation and/or baptism, and parents will immediately jump to trying to schedule a child’s baptism. Having a checkpoint in your ministry to equip parents to ask good questions of their child will give them greater confidence in talking with their children about salvation and baptism.
New Christian Class – An effective New Christian class can give children an opportunity to validate their response to Jesus, as well as give each child and parent confidence they are on a path that is firmly rooted in Scripture. Lifeway Kids’ “I’m a Christian Now” resources can lend structure this checkpoint.
Baptism – Here are a few ideas for developing a strategy to partner with parents in celebrating this checkpoint:
- Provide parents with a one-sheet overview of your church’s theology of believer’s baptism.
- Create a “baptism checklist” to help guide families. Include items like meeting with you or your pastor (according to the practices of your church), mail/email invitations, plan a family meal, provide a “next steps” devotional to each child to guide them in developing healthy spiritual habits.\
First Lord’s Supper – A child who is a new Christian will likely be very excited to finally participate in this church ordinance.
- Help parents anticipate this moment with a dedicated family conversation. Provide a one-sheet overview of your church’s beliefs about the Lord’s Supper, including who is allowed to participate and why, how often it is observed, etc.

Checkpoint #4 – Next Steps

Discipleship – Many parents feel uncertain how to help children grow in their newfound faith by developing healthy spiritual habits (spiritual disciplines). Lifeway Kids’ Growing in My Faith 90-day Devotional can be a helpful resource for families.
Moving into the next age group in your ministry – A final checkpoint that would fall under your ministry would likely be to guide kids and families as they transition into student ministry. Many parents and preteens feel inadequately prepared to move through this checkpoint. Some options here might be: host a parent panel Q&A session with more seasoned parents, connect seasoned parents with parents of preteens in an informal mentor-type setting to allow for more intimate questions, training classes and resources for equipping parents to talk with their kids about all that is changing in their lives, and preteen weekend retreat.

There are other checkpoints that you may choose to include, but hopefully, this has helped you start or continue thinking about ways you can partner and celebrate with parents as the kids in your ministry cross each of life’s checkpoints. I encourage you to “run with endurance the race that lies before [you], keeping [your] eyes on Jesus… ” as you “pursue as [your] goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” (Hebrews 12:1-2; Philippians 3:13-14)

Click here for a downloadable Checkpoints PDF to help you share your vision with families. There are 2 pages in this document. One with the checkpoints we’ve listed in this post, and one with blank boxes for your to write in your own.

Jeremy Carroll is the team leader for Lifeway Kids Discipleship Resources. Before coming to Lifeway, he has been active in local church ministry for nearly 20 years in TN, TX, and AL. 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

July 1, 2019

Celebrate Children’s Ministry Day

By Delanee Williams

Churches throughout the Southern Baptist Convention will celebrate children’s ministry (ages birth-preteen) on Sunday, July 21, 2019. The special day was added to the Southern Baptist Convention calendar after the Executive Committee approved the motion made by a nine-year-old at the 2018 Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas. This is a great day to thank God for the ministry to kids, their families and their volunteers your church provides.

Use this day to remind kids of their importance in the church and how they can tell others about Jesus. Recognize and honor kids ministry volunteers who invest in the lives of children and their families. A variety of resources have been created for leaders to use in their church. Click here to find the downloadable items. Select and use the resources that best meet the needs of your church. How do you plan to celebrate Children’s Ministry Day in your church?

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.

Kids Ministry, Sunday School

June 11, 2019

Fun Father’s Day Craft for Kids

By Heidi Brookens

Father’s Day is almost here and we have a fun DIY Father’s Day coupon book for kids to give their dad! Print out the instructions and a coupon book for each child. You’ll find a full-color version and a black and white version (where kids can get creative and color it themselves).

Instructions

Full-color coupon book

Black & white coupon book

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Kids Ministry Curriculum

May 20, 2019

How Do I Use My Take-Home Page?

By William Summey

God chose parents to be the spiritual leaders in their child’s life. Our churches have the privilege of partnering with parents to lay spiritual foundations for salvation and transformation. Together, we lead kids to learn about Jesus, come to know Him personally and glorify God through obedience to His Word.

Each week in Bible Studies for Life: Kids, we have “Take-Home Pages” for parents and kids to review together what was learned on Sunday morning. Let’s take a look at how the “Take-Home Pages” show ways to continue learning at home throughout the week.

First, take a look at the front side of the “Take-Home Page”:

Notice across the top left is the unit, session number, and title of that week’s session.
On the top right corner, you will see that unit’s memory verse. Practice saying this verse together so your child learns it by heart.
The rest of the front of the page contains two fun Bible-learning activities your child will often complete as part of Bible study. They can also be extra activities for you to complete together at home. Ask your child to explain the answer to these activities to help reinforce Bible learning.

On the back of your “Take-Home Page” we call this the One Conversation page.

We emphasize One Conversation because it is a tool you can use, no matter the age of your child, to talk about what she learned in Bible study that week.
Notice that the largest section on this page is your child’s Bible story. You can choose to tell this story again with your child, then ask your child to tell you the story.
You can also look up the passage in God’s Word together to show your child where the story comes from in the Bible you use at home.
You can do the same for your weekly unit verse and review it together from your personal Bible.

There are several other pieces of information on the page that are important for you to know.

The Life Point is the primary learning point through that week’s study for your child to connect with and apply to her life.
The Bible Meets Life connects the Bible Story with your child’s life at his age and stage.
Live It Out! gives one specific way to put the week’s Bible truth into action.
The Level of Biblical Learning is the Biblical concept taught from that week’s study. This specific statement is part of the larger Levels of Biblical Learning discipleship plan that children build upon in their learning from birth to high school.
The Daily Bible Reading gives other Bible verses you can read together with your kids. They go deeper into either the Life Point or Level of Biblical Learning.

We hope you will find our “Take-Home Pages” useful for talking with your kids about Bible content, theological truths, and how to apply the Bible to your child’s everyday life—so that from the youngest age and stage, kids can grow in their personal relationships with God.

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.

Kids Camp, Kids Ministry, Leadership

May 13, 2019

Tips for Kids Hesitant to Stay Overnight at Camp

By Jeremy Echols

Camp is one of THE BEST WEEKS of the summer, but some kids have never been away from home. We hear from kids ministry leaders who ask about helping young campers get ready for their first time away at overnight camp.

One leader wrote to me and asked:

“I am having kind of a difficult time recruiting because this is the first time a group has gone, our ministry is relatively small right now, and we have a lot of younger children that are hesitant to leave home for a week. If you have any tips, I would greatly appreciate it!”

As a leader recruiting kids (and parents) for the first time, you need to provide as many answers to questions as possible. Anticipate questions and concerns that parents or kids may ask and hold a meeting to talk through it all. An “interest meeting” or “Q&A session” can be a way to discuss camp without parents feeling the pressure of having to sign up or commit to going just by coming to the meeting.

Consider getting parents to go with kids who are nervous about the first time away. I know for some groups that could be problematic to have too many parents, but for other groups that is a key to helping kids feel less nervous and a way to get the needed adult sponsors or chaperones that you need.

With young campers who just haven’t been away from mom and dad before, a test-run might help prepare the families for overnight camp. Encourage parents to find a safe/trusted place for kids to have an overnight (away from home) experience. It might be a couple of nights with grandparents, or possibly some families may want to group up and have a sleepover with some of the girls from the group and another with some of the boys … this could be the type of thing that helps kids have a good time, enjoy their friends, and realize they will survive a night away from home.

More than anything … don’t force it. Take whoever is willing to attend this year and then those who go will come back and help sell it to the other kids for next year. Better to have a smaller group Year 1 than to have a bunch of kids you coerced into going, and they end up having a shaky start to their camp experience.

For more about talking with parents about sending their kids to camp, read “Camp Creates Courageous Parents”

Jeremy Echols leads the camps area for Lifeway Kids. He, his wife Emily, and their precious daughter love their church, their neighborhood, and spending time together. Jeremy enjoys reading, watching sports, and all of his daughter’s after-school activities.

ETCH Family Ministry Conference, Family Ministry, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Uncategorized

May 3, 2019

ETCH 2019 – October 7-9 – Nashville, TN

By Micheal Walley

In the past year or so, my wife has started calling me the “crazy plant man” because our little apartment is full of plants of all shapes and sizes. She would also be the first to point out that I’m not exactly good at keeping all of these plants alive. I haven’t figured out the right balance of light, soil, water, and words of affirmation quite yet. I need to help my plants go beyond barely surviving, and learn how to make them thrive.

As a ministry leader, you might sometimes feel like my houseplants. In ministry, you are constantly pouring out: giving your attention to kids, families, volunteers, and your ongoing to-do list. You might even feel like a plant that has been left in the scorching sun or one that has been deprived of water and nutrients. You might feel burned or you might feel wilted. How can you go beyond barely surviving and learn to thrive in ministry?

That’s our goal for the ETCH Family Ministry Conference 2019: we want to help you THRIVE.

ETCH stands for “Equipping the Church and Home,” and it’s designed to excite and inspire your whole family ministry team. ETCH 2019 will feature inspiring main sessions, practical breakouts, times of connection with other ministry leaders, and fun in order to help you focus on the things that can help you thrive in ministry, and in turn, help others thrive as well.

Make plans now for your entire ministry team (preschool, kids, preteen, middle school, high school, and even leadership) to join us October 7-9, 2019 in downtown Nashville. Check out the incredible line-up for the main session below.

As ministry leaders, we can truly THRIVE when our ministry teams THRIVE, when families THRIVE, and ultimately when the kids & students in our ministries THRIVE.

Find out more at ETCHConference.com. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at etchconference@lifeway.com.

Micheal Walley serves as the Lifeway Kids Event Producer. He is a graduate of Mississippi College and now lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Micheal has been serving in Kids Ministry from the moment he was “promoted” out of kids ministry himself. He loves coffee, leadership, all things creative, and his wife, Anne Marie.

Kids Ministry, Resources, Uncategorized

April 12, 2019

When My Homeschooler’s Bible Lesson Was For Me

By Heidi Brookens

The following is a guest post from Scarlet Hiltibidal.

My oldest daughter is a high-achiever who’s SUPER serious about WINNING and is fully dressed and groomed before I even get out of bed every morning. She is also homeschooled.

Ever Grace is so driven and it has been a joy teaching her to read and write and identify the different parts of the axial skeleton (I don’t actually know much about the axial skeleton). But, the coolest part of homeschooling has been the opportunity to teach her about the real-life, everyday power of the gospel.

Let me tell you about what happened the other day.

I was being a very subpar mom. The frustration of tantrums from my younger daughters and scheduling and laundry had me snappy and impatient. But, it was a Tuesday, so I knew that no matter how I felt, I still had to educate my child.

So, with a too-loud exhale, I rattled off the bolded question I was supposed to read for the day in our Gospel Project Home Edition curriculum. The question read, “In the Bible, there are stories of people who God used to do great things for His glory. Can you think of any?”

The examples the book gave were David, Samson, Daniel, Moses and Elijah.

Half listening, I looked away from the book and pulled a few plates out of the dishwasher.

Ever said, “The woman at the well.”

I didn’t say anything at first, because I was genuinely confused by her answer. I, a professional gospel-centered writer and an unprofessional gospel-centered homeschool educator, basically forgot the gospel and didn’t understand her answer.

“The woman at the well?”

She said, “Yeah. Because Jesus forgave her and then she went and told people about what Jesus did for her.”

Crazy. How breathtaking, right? And how mind-boggling, that eight-year-olds can understand the beautiful mystery of the gospel even better than the adult, “mature” Christians who teach them.

Ever Grace didn’t answer the way I would have answered. She didn’t pick the Bible characters who “accomplished great things.” She picked an unfaithful woman who was recorded in the Bible for doing nothing more than meeting Jesus and telling people she was forgiven.

That’s it.

That’s the whole gospel. We can’t accomplish anything on our own. We’ve got nothing to offer and everything to gain. The greatest thing we’ve ever done is needing what Christ has done for us. We are all “the woman at the well.” And we are all loved.

I’m thankful for a curriculum that’s questions don’t just point my young daughters to the true and beautiful gospel and how it is the centerpiece of every Bible story and every life moment. It also teaches me. It reminds me. It corrects me and comforts me out of my homeschool huffs.

While I was unloading the dishwasher, steeped in selfishness, God used my eight-year-old to remind me that nothing I have failed at today and nothing I might win at tomorrow has any bearing on Christ’s love for me.

At our worst and at our best, we are to-the-cross-and-back loved. We can have to-the-skies joy. And we can embrace and extend the out-of-this-world forgiveness that is ours now and ours forever.

Learn more about The Gospel Project: Home Edition here.

—

Scarlet Hiltibidal is a very professional wife and mother. She is the author of Afraid of All the Things and He Numbered the Pores on My Face. She also writes a regular column for ParentLife Magazine. Scarlet loves sign language with her daughters, nachos by herself, writing for her friends, and learning how to be a pretend-farmer with her husband in Middle Tennessee.

Encouragement, Kids Ministry, Leadership

April 10, 2019

What’s in Your Hand?

By Chuck Peters

Quit worrying about whatever it is that you think you lack.

There’s something about human nature that causes us to want things that we don’t have and to devalue or disregard all of the things that we do have. Ecclesiastes 1:8 reminds us that the eye is not satisfied with seeing, or the ear filled with hearing. There is always something new to be desired or something next to be sought after. It can be easy for us as ministry leaders to be discouraged by what we don’t have and to pine for things that we wish we had. This can turn into ‘if only’ longings that can sound something like this:

“We could have such an amazing kids ministry and reach so many kids in the community if only …”

We each fill in the if only in our own ways. If only we had a gym. If only we had a better playground. If only we had a cooler kids space. If only we had more volunteers. If only we had more budget. Living in the depths of your ‘if onlies’ can be paralyzing. It can sap your strength and crush your spirit. Aren’t we blessed to serve a great God who heals paralytics and casts out false spirits? We need to remember that we belong to a God whose strength is made perfect in our weakness and who lifts up the downcast. All things are possible through Him. He is above and beyond our circumstances and He has promised to complete the good works that He has begun in us.

For all of my fellow ‘if only’ leaders out there, let me remind you of the account of one of our own kind. In Exodus 3 and 4 we find Moses tending flocks in the desert. He has made mistakes. He fled to the desert after killing an Egyptian who was harsh to one of his Hebrew brothers. You remember what happened next. One day he looked up and saw a bush that was burning. But this was a weird bush. While it burned it wasn’t consumed. The Lord spoke to Moses from the bush. God told him to take off his shoes. God told him His name. And God called him to a mission: to go to Pharaoh and tell the king to let God’s people go. Do you remember how Moses responded to this miraculous commissioning? He disqualifies himself. Moses tells God that He has the wrong guy. “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent” “my mouth and my tongue are sluggish.” Moses wants God to pick somebody else. Anyone else. Maybe you’ve heard yourself making similar excuses. I can’t do that. I don’t have what I need. I don’t have what it takes. But God reminds Moses of a bigger truth: “Who placed a mouth on humans? Who makes a person mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say.”

I love the question that God asks Moses in Exodus 4:2. “The Lord asked him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ ‘A staff,’ he replied.” —I can picture Moses looking at the stick he was holding. ‘This thing? It’s just a stick.’ Here’s Moses. He was raised in a royal palace as the adoptive son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He had every advantage. He was lavished with luxury. Now he is living in the hot dusty desert and all he has is a stick.—But, wait! Don’t miss what happens next! God instructs Moses to take the one thing that he has—his staff—and throw it on the ground. When he does it becomes a snake! Then God tells him to pick it up (by the tail) and it becomes his stick again. The point is not that this was a miraculous or magical stick. The point is that even an ordinary broken-off branch can be used for wondrous things when it is in the hands of one who is called and equipped by God. God used that very same stick all through Exodus. God used it as a lesson for Moses in the desert. God used it to display His power to Pharaoh. God used it when He parted the Red Sea.

God is not limited by what we do not have!!! While Moses was focussed on the ability that he lacked, God demonstrated that He already provided everything Moses needed. All Moses had to do was give it to God and follow His instructions. So, quit worrying about whatever it is that you think you lack. Whether ability, support, or resources. Offer to God whatever it is that you already have in your hand and watch Him do incredible things.

Chuck Peters is Director of Operations for Lifeway Kids. A graduate of Columbia Bible College, Chuck has served vocationally & voluntarily in Student and Children’s Ministry for many years.

Encouragement, Kids Ministry, Leadership

March 13, 2019

Ways to Avoid Burnout in 2019

By Logan Meek

Burnout. Just hearing the word burnout can bring up feelings of exhaustion and hopelessness at work. Chances are good that if you’ve been involved in ministry in any capacity, you’ve faced feelings of burnout at some point.

Whether you started out 2019 feeling like you’re on track to avoid burnout, or whether you started off the year in a rut on day 1, every day gives us a chance for a fresh start. Today’s post offers five practical suggestions to help avoid burnout in 2019:

Admit that you can’t do it all. A lot of times this is something we really do have to admit. We convince ourselves that working harder will solve all our problems. Work hard, but remember that there will always be more on the to-do list.
Refuse to live in comparison. Sometimes we don’t know we want something until we see what other people have. Comparison steals away contentment that can be found in following God where He lead us. Without contentment burnout comes quickly, so don’t spend your energy trying to live up to comparisons.
Turn off the screens. Because of how accessible technology makes us, we can work in flexible ways that weren’t really possible, even five years ago. We never have to be in the office to get things done. But the accessibility of work can take over our lives if we let it. Give yourself permission to stop working when the day is over. Your emails will still be there tomorrow.
Say “no” more. It’s difficult for most people in ministry to say “no” to things because we know that our work has an eternal impact. But saying no to others sometimes gives you the freedom to say yes to your family and yourself. We can’t keep giving of ourselves if we never take the time to take care of ourselves.
Take a personal retreat. Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could take a weekend and go to a cabin (with a rocking chair, hot tub, and lots of coffee!) to spend restful time with the Lord? Maybe you can … and if you can, do it! But a personal retreat can be as simple as blocking out a few hours one morning or afternoon to spend time reading the Bible and praying.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” As you serve God in 2019, remember that Jesus is the only one who can offer true rest!

Logan Meek leads the Student Life for Kids team. Logan joined the Student Life For Kids team in 2014 after spending two years as a Sixth Grade teacher with Teach For America. He believes in the importance of strong kids ministry to help kids build strong spiritual foundations.

Kids Ministry, Leadership, Parenting

March 11, 2019

Camp Creates Courageous Parents

By Jeremy Echols

As a leader in kids ministry, you’ve seen kids “grow up” at camp, but did you know camp creates courageous parents too?

Camp is an amazing environment for kids to get out of their normal routine, try something new, explore a new place, and make lifelong memories. Every summer we see kids do brave things like trying a zip line, jump off the diving board, or in some cases, their courage is tested by just traveling on the bus and staying away from home for a few nights.

While the kids are away at camp, some parents breathe a sigh of relief … but most parents wonder, worry, and have to face fears of their own! Will my child like any of the food in the dining hall? Will my daughter make new friends? Will my son shower at some point during the week?

We love to encourage kids to grow through the camp experience, but parents can grow too. Here are some challenges that a Kids Ministry leader can give parents in your pre-camp information meetings. Encourage parents to grow, and give them support as you challenge them to:

Send your child to an overnight camp without you. This is a huge step for some parents and not as big a deal for others. As a kidmin leader, you must discern where the parent/child readiness is here.
Invest in your child spiritually at home, even if you don’t know all the answers. Your kids ministry teaching is wonderful, but a parent investing at home is so much more valuable than what we can do at camp or at church.
Trust other people like a church leader or summer staff to pour into your child spiritually. It takes a team, and sometimes a new face or new place at camp will uncover a wonderful discipleship conversation where camp staffers and church leaders contribute to a child’s spiritual growth.
Allow your child some independence. Give parents a packing list, but encourage them to allow their kids to make their own clothes selections and eating selection in a stay away situation like camp.
Make the necessary sacrifices. For some families, it means sacrificing time at the beach or the pool. For other families, they have to make financial sacrifices to afford to send a child (or children) to camp. Help parents see the importance of camp and be courageous to trust God with their time and finances because of the powerful spiritual impact camp can have on kids.

For parents who are not sending their kids away for the very first time, there may be different opportunities for growth. It could be that going to camp and investing in the whole group, eating camp food, and staying in the dorm is the courageous move. For parents who cannot go away to camp, they may need to be courageous enough to allow some distance and NOT call their child every day at camp. This might help the child be more courageous with leaving home and grow through the feelings of homesickness.