Kids Ministry

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

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Connecting the Gospel with Activities (Training from CentriKid)

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At CentriKid, we share the gospel with kids by connecting spiritual applications with many of the activities throughout the camp day.

We have a training session for connecting the gospel to every activity with kids. This is a page from our playbook that is available for you to lead your ministry as a more gospel centered kids ministry.

Download the free Training Plan that includes a guide for the session, links to the handout for participants, & training videos you can use as part of the session.

For your kids ministry or for parents in your ministry, here are some great additional resources:

We know the importance of clearly sharing the message of Christ to kids and camp gives many opportunities to connect God’s Word to camp activities. My prayer is that this training will give you confidence in connecting every activity to the gospel. 

With this training session, we are opening up the playbook and equipping kids ministry leaders to train their volunteers with the same materials and plan that we use to train CentriKid staffers. Thousands of adult leaders experienced this training session at camp in 2019 and we hope this resource is valuable for many more to be trained in connecting the gospel to every activity with kids.

Jeremy Echols leads the CentriKid Camps team. He, his wife Emily, and their precious daughter love their church, their neighborhood, and spending time together. Jeremy loves to read, watch sports, and grill burgers.

Discipleship, Kids Ministry, Leadership

Whom Are You Discipling?

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Ministry is time-consuming. There are so many details to handle, and daily interruptions often distract us. Yet, Jesus reminds us in Matthew 28:19-20 that our primary purpose is to “make disciples.” As KidMin leaders we have the opportunity to be disciple-makers of at least four groups.

  • Preschoolers:  A true disciple is a follower of Christ, so how can preschoolers become disciples before they receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior? They can’t, but they can learn about who Jesus is and how Jesus wants us to live. When we allow God to use us to build these spiritual foundations in the lives of preschoolers, we are preparing young children for a life of discipleship.
  • Elementary Kids:  Similar to preschoolers who are not yet believers, we can teach kids the foundations of the faith. Once a child becomes a Christian, we have the responsibility of helping them grow in their faith by developing healthy spiritual habits such as Bible reading and prayer.
  • Parents:  One of the ways we can disciple parents is by providing them with resources to disciple their own children. Also, we can encourage parents to develop their own personal spiritual habits. Remember, however, that some parents may not be believers. Part of the disciple-making process includes sharing the gospel with them.
  • Volunteers:  God calls us to equip volunteers, which we do with resources, training, and encouragement. But, what about discipling volunteers? We can do this one-on-one and in group settings when we talk about what God is doing in our church and in our kids ministry. Also, we can encourage volunteers to develop healthy spiritual habits, including studying the Bible and worshipping with other adult believers. You might even consider starting a small group just for preschool and children’s teachers in your church.

Look back over the list. You may already be doing some of these things as part of your ministry. If not, consider making a few adjustments to reclaim your purpose as a disciple-maker. 

Landry Holmes is the Manager of Lifeway Kids Ministry Publishing, Nashville, TN. A graduate of Howard Payne University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Landry served on church staffs before coming to Lifeway. He is a church leader, writer, workshop facilitator, and publisher.  Landry also teaches children at his church in Middle Tennessee. He and his wife Janetta are the grandparents of three adorable grandbabies.

 

Kids Ministry, Leadership, Ministry

Helping Kids who Deal with Anxiety Issues

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Anxiety!! Sometimes even the word brings a flutter to our hearts. For anyone who has experienced an anxious child, you know that this is something that has become more pervasive in the past few years. Kids today have a lot more external stressors that bring anxiety. Social media influences and an increase in peer pressure are all piling up on kids. Anxiety can take many forms, and, all of us deal with anxiety in some form almost every day. How we handle our anxiety, and how we guide kids to handle their anxiety, may sometimes be different. As adults, we have coping mechanisms that are better developed, however, these same mechanisms may not be as developed in kids. Here are a few things to think about as you help kids deal with this issue.

  1. Acknowledge that the anxiety is real. Many times kids seem to be anxious over things that we as adults view as “non-essential” or “no big deal.” If you are going to help a kid deal with his anxiety, you must acknowledge that he is genuinely anxious about something that is real to him.
  2. Don’t avoid activities that might cause anxiety. Kids can learn that things that may make them anxious, most often, won’t actually harm them. By avoiding situations that may cause anxiety, you may inadvertently create a situation where a child will never learn to deal with her anxiety.
  3. Communicate. When talking about anxiety, really listen, and really talk. Make sure you ask questions that will help the child think through what is causing the anxiety and suggest possible solutions respecting the child’s feelings. Ask open-ended questions that aren’t leading. Share experiences you may have had with the same kind of stressor and how you handled the experience.
  4. Model appropriate responses. One of the best ways to help a child deal with anxiety is to model for them appropriate responses to stressors. By modeling calm responses, kids can copy your behavior when they discover their anxiousness might not really be a threat to their safety.
  5. Pray with the child. Pray for God’s peace in the situation. Prayer is important and by letting kids hear you pray for them by name, sometimes the anxious feelings they have will lessen.

I recently chatted with a child whom I know struggles with anxiety and asked what advice she could offer to kids struggling with anxiety. The answer I received was, “Trust that God is in control. When I start thinking about things that cause me stress, I try to pray and ask God to help me know that most of what I stress about never even happens.” Taking this advice, let kids know that God is in control and kids (and adults) can always turn to Him when struggling with anxious feelings.

Tim Pollard is passionate about helping kids dig deep into Scripture, which he pursues through his daily work as leader of the Explore the Bible: Kids team. Tim lives with his wife and daughters in Mount Juliet, TN.

Fun, Kids Ministry, Vacation Bible School
Kids Ministry, Vacation Bible School

VBS 2020 Clue #5

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Your final clue for Lifeway’s 2020 VBS is hidden in the illustration above (hint: click here to view it fullscreen!). Find the five items and then use your findings to help you sleuth out next year’s VBS theme.

Think you’ve figured everything out? Post your guess on our Lifeway VBS Facebook page.

Make sure you tune in next week for the big reveal on June 5 at 1:00 p.m. CT. RSVP here.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Teaching Kids

5 Ps for Productive Planning: Part 4

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So far we’ve looked at the first three of our 5 Ps for productive planning. If you haven’t read parts 1, Pray about the Upcoming Session, 2,  Prepare your Heart for the Session, and 3, Plan the Session be sure to read those posts to catch up. Let’s jump in for the final 2 phases:

Play Out the Session

We can see from the previous phases that our session really begins before whatever our scheduled session time is. This section of our conversation will be shorter since these are posts about planning. In this phase, we are putting all of our preparation and planning into action.

A few thoughts about the actual session though may be helpful. Remember to arrive early, whenever possible. Many KidMin leaders ask their teachers to be ready to receive kids 15 minutes before the scheduled session start time. This is a great habit. Not just to put a smile on the face of the ministry leader, but also for that first child who arrives. Being prepped and ready when the first child arrives communicates to that first child and her family that you are excited to teach the important truths of the Gospel. It coveys that the children are valued and that you believe the time spent in Bible study is important. Use this time wisely and get to know your kids and allow your kids to get to know each other. This is a great time for building relationships.

Everything we have talked about up to this point demonstrates that having a plan is strategically important. So have a plan, but be flexible and sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s movement in your group. You’ve been praying for God to move in the lives of your kids throughout the planning process, so don’t miss an opportunity for the Spirit of God to work because you’re stuck in your plan.

Pursue Session Follow Up

Finally, just as the session begins before the scheduled start time, follow-up may continue the session beyond the time the last child is picked up. In our Plan the Session phase, we made a plan for follow-up. Now is the time to work that plan.

Even in our digital age, kids love to get cards in the mail. Mail cards to your class regularly. This may not be every week, but determi9ne a strategy. Here is one card strategy to consider:

  • First-time Visitors receive cards early during the week following their first visit.
  • Regular attenders receive cards once a month and on their birthdays. Don’t wait for a faithful attender to be absent before she receives mail.
  • Absentees receive cards.
  • Parents receive cards once a quarter.

Another part of follow-up includes the parents of the kids in your group. Many parents are longing for resources to continue their kids’ learning at home and to help disciple their children. Regularly including parents would be a great part of your strategy for follow-up.

Bonus “P”

Pray again. Hopefully your whole planning process has been saturated with prayer. As a bookend, remember to whisper a prayer of thanksgiving after your session ends to thank God for working in you and through you to reach the kids in your church and community. What a privilege we have of serving the next generation of God’s Kingdom.

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.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Teaching Kids

5 Ps for Productive Planning: Part 3

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So far we’ve looked at the first two of our 5 Ps for productive planning. If you haven’t read parts 1, Pray about the Upcoming Session and 2, Prepare your Heart for the Session be sure to read those posts to catch up. Let’s jump in with phase 3:

Plan the Session

After you’ve become familiar with the Bible story and key ideas and sifted through the activities for the ones you believe will work with your group, move on to choosing the activities you will use and in which order you will do them. If you’ve starred any activities, start by going back to those first. Note: curriculum will often have a suggested order for activities and flow, but don’t feel obligated to follow that flow if it doesn’t fit your church schedule or if you believe another flow of activities will work better for your group.

Pro Tip: Don’t forget “early arrival” activities. Teaching begins when the first child arrives. Try to have meaningful ways for kids to be engaged as soon as they enter your room.

Also, consider transitions from activity to activity. Having a plan for how you move from one activity to another will put you at ease during the session. Consider the timing of each activity within the session. The big idea here: Don’t leave these to chance. Have a plan before your session begins.

If possible, use this phase of preparation to gather and organize any needed supplies or, at least, make a plan for when you will gather supplies. It may be to gather supplies later in the week or arrive early on the day of your session. The point is to go ahead and think about it early so it doesn’t sneak up on you later on.

Next, practice telling the Bible story. And practice out loud. I cannot stress the importance of this too much. The Bible story is one of, if not THE most important part of each session, so practice telling the story. The first time you read or tell the story out loud should not be on a Sunday morning in a room full of kids. By spending time practicing telling the Bible story aloud, you will have greater confidence during your session to communicate the truth of Scripture to your kids. In addition, the more you practice telling the story, you will find the best rhythms and tone of voice for different parts of the story.

I know it can be awkward. But practice. Practice while looking in a mirror. Practice sitting in your car on a lunch break at work. Practice telling the Bible story to your spouse, grandkids, or the cat. Just verbalize it and practice. Then, during your session with a group of onlooking kids, you will be more comfortable and your passion for God’s Word will be more clearly heard through the clarity of your storytelling.

Finally, plan follow-up. Follow-up with attendees, parents, visitors, and absentees. More on this later, but if at all possible, lead out on follow-up. Relationships built through activities and reading the Bible together will be a great avenue for meaningful gospel conversations. The kids we serve find deeper appreciation, even if they don’t know how to communicate it if we as their teachers take ownership of follow up instead of leaving that to paid church staff.  

Come back tomorrow for the next “P” for productive planning.

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.

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

ETCH 2019 – October 7-9 – Nashville, TN

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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, Leadership, Teaching Kids

Tips for Teaching Gen Z

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Recently I was asked to teach a breakout session titled “Understanding and Teaching Gen Z.” Gen Z represents college kids (born after 1995) to older preschoolers (born before 2015ish). I use “ish” because there seems to be a debate regarding the exact years.

That’s a new topic for me, so I began to do the research on this youngest identified generation with hopes of educating myself and finding ways to share with others how to be successful with this new generation. I searched for, ordered, and read several books by authors I trust. Then I searched the internet and read many, many articles and blogs (some I trust and some I’m not so sure about). What I found was a lot of information about trends, practices, and characteristics of the older side of Gen Z but not so much on the younger kids; the ones we teach. The implications were there but I was looking for some practical tips.

Tim Elmore has always caught my attention. He not only shares statistics about the youngest generations, he genuinely loves and desires to help them be successful. His books and lectures offer hope and encouragement for those of us who lead and teach. Tim will soon release a new book (yet to be titled) on Gen Z but his last book, “Marching off the Map: Inspire Students to Navigate a Brand New World” was very helpful as I learned and prepared.

In chapter 3, “Who are Today’s New Natives?” Dr. Elmore shares tips for connecting with and leading Gen Z. I want to share six of his tips and expand on the implications for teaching in the older preschool and elementary classroom. The seventh tip wasn’t listed in this chapter but certainly is implied (and stated) throughout the book.

  1. Keep it Short. Today’s kids have short attention spans. That doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t able to concentrate because they can. However, within seconds kids decide if what you’ve got to say is worth their attention. If you miss that window you’ll have to work hard to regain their trust. Engage quickly and deliberately. Be ready the moment a child enters the room. This requires preparation and intentionality. Be on time (early). Be prepared.  Be engaging.
  2. Make it Visual. We know that kids are visual learners. They learn best when there are images that support the content you’re teaching. Use pictures, maps, and other visuals (even screens) to engage and maintain their interest.
  3. Feed their Curiosity. We also know that kids are naturally curious so as teachers, we should use that to our advantage. Whet their appetite then lead them to discover more as your session progresses.
  4. Give them Ownership. I’ve talked about this for years when I help teachers understand guiding behavior. It’s been my experience that when kids choose what they’re going to do, they tend to work harder to see that succeed. What choices do the kids in your class get to make or is the entire session prescribed to them? And then, once choices are made, allow them to have ownership. It can be our tendency to “do it for them” but we’d be better off to “help them do it.”
  5. Make it Interactive. This generation is more connected than any other generation in history, yet statistics tell us that loneliness is at epidemic proportions. The kids I know desperately need more face-to-face socialization but in our classrooms, we often tell them to sit down, listen, and don’t talk or interrupt. Allow groups to work together. Allow time for discussion and interaction. If you want retention, foster interaction.
  6. Gamify your Content. It’s no secret that kids today love gaming. Boys and girls alike are spending hours each day playing on their favorite gaming stations and online phone/tablet game apps. So, if you can’t beat ‘em (and we can’t) then join ‘em (at least at some level). I’m not talking about filling our classrooms with gaming stations and iPads. I’m talking about positioning kids in their natural habitat and using the familiar concepts of points, competition (in moderation), badges, and levels to engage them in learning. I think it would be fun to talk to your favorite kid and ask him/her about her favorite games and then see if application could be made to your Bible teaching sessions.
  7. Build Relationships. Nothing can (nor should) replace healthy, loving relationships with kids and their teachers. It’s an old adage but it’s still true today and maybe even more so with this generation than any before: “They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Everything we do should be umbrellaed by love; a genuine love for them and our desire for them to know the genuine love of Jesus who gave himself so that they might have a right relationship with the Father and spend an eternity with Him in heaven. There is no greater love. There is no greater relationship. Model that for your students.

So, there you go. The first of what I’m sure will be many conversations in this blog on this subject. As we learn more, we’ll share more. I’d love to know your thoughts, your experiences, and your discoveries on teaching the youngest members of Gen Z.

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.

Kids Ministry, Resources, Uncategorized

When My Homeschooler’s Bible Lesson Was For Me

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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.

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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.

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