Training – Page 3

CentriKid, Evangelism, Kids Ministry, Leadership

September 11, 2018

Share the Gospel with Kids – Training Session from CentriKid

At CentriKid Camps, we are clear about our purpose—we serve the church in her mission of making disciples. One of the best ways we can do that is by using every activity at camp to intentionally make the message of Christ clear in the lives of kids.

Bible Study and Worship are obviously times when we share the gospel and unpack what it means to live a life that is committed to God. We also train our staff to share the gospel through Recreation, Track Time activities, and even Hang Time.

We aim to help kids grow in their relationship with Christ and to present the message clearly for those who don’t have a relationship with Christ. Our staffers are faithful to share clearly in every programmed activity of the day—never with the intent of pressuring children, but always with the heart of making it easy to talk about the things of God and ask questions.

Download the free Training Plan and prepare for your next training session:

Training Plan (guide for the session including links to the handout & training videos)
The Gospel God’s Plan for Me Booklets
The Gospel God’s Plan for Me – 6 Session Leader Guide

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 2018 and we hope this resource is valuable for many more to be trained for sharing the gospel with kids.

Jeremy Echols leads the CentriKid Camps team and manages the Lifeway Kids events. 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.

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

August 29, 2018

ETCH Spotlight: Stephanie Chase

By Bill Emeott

Meet my friend, Stephanie Chase.

Stephanie Chase has been married to Rick Chase for 25 years and has loved partnering with him as they raised their three children. She is a graduate of Texas Tech University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Stephanie has served in Education and Kids Ministry as a teacher, director, writer, and trainer for over 20 years and currently serves as the Kids Minister at Champion Forest Baptist Church. Stephanie loves the Lord, her family, people, and is passionate about developing leaders and raising up the next generation of believers through writing, speaking and serving!

We are very excited that Stephanie is returning to our faculty again this year for ETCH 2018. Stephanie will be leading these sessions at this year’s event:

Burn Out? What do I do When I Can’t Go Anymore?

Nobody wants to admit when it happens but it does. Every leader experiences burn out at some point in ministry. Learn the signs, steps to move to a new start, and ways to prevent it.

You + Parents = Eternal Impact

Where do children go when they leave your ministry each week? HOME! What’s happening there? Discover how to connect, encourage, and equip parents to continue at home what you start in your small group or ministry!

Technology is Taking Over the Families I’m Leading – What do I Do?

Families spend far more time on technology than in God’s word, at church, or with each other? Frustrated by this fact? Discover ways to help families put technology in its proper place and move from screens to faces, keyboards to conversations, and pics to people they love.

Don’t miss your opportunity to hear Stephanie and many other great breakout presentations. Check out ETCHConference.com and register HERE.

(Register NOW to avoid the price increase on Sept. 1)

ETCH Family Ministry Conference, Kids Ministry, Leadership

August 22, 2018

ETCH Spotlight: Kevin Jones

By Bill Emeott

Meet Kevin Jones.

Kevin is a native of Louisville, Kentucky. He is the Co-Editor of Removing the Stain of Racism from the Southern Baptist Convention: Diverse African American and White Perspective and contributor in Perspectives on Family Ministry. Jones’s longing is to see fathers build resilient sons and to see Christian teachers and leaders influence the lives of students nationally and internationally, both teaching and leading to the glory of God. He and his high school sweetheart, Demica have three children.

Kevin will be presenting these important breakouts during ETCH 2018:

Solid Faith in Broken Classrooms:

Many teachers and students in Christian and secular context have a firm understanding of the Gospel, but struggle to implement evangelism in the public square. During this session, I will encourage and share essentials on having solid faith in the classroom.

Methods of Family Ministry:

During this session, Kevin will share lessons learned while serving in diverse ministry approach context. Participants will be given a snapshot of social, contextual, and spiritual indicators specific to each (Family-Integrated Ministry, Family-Based Ministry, and Family- Equipping Ministry) context and hear how to appreciate a hybrid of these approaches.

The Church’s Responsibility in Culture Shaping:

During this session, Kevin will share things vital on how to prepare the next generation on cultural sensitivity. Learn to identify and understand opportunities and challenges that affect the home and churches response to continued growth in ethnic diversity.

Don’t miss your opportunity to hear Kevin share from his heart this year at ETCH 2018. If you still need to register, CLICK HERE!

Kids Ministry, kids101, Leadership, Training

August 13, 2018

KidsMinistry101.com: Lifeway Kids Free Training & Equipping Content Portal

By Chuck Peters

The genuine heartbeat and ultimate motivation behind the Lifeway Kids team is to equip the church for more effective ministry to kids and families. One of the most obvious ways we seek to accomplish this is by writing and publishing teaching resources for leading kids in Bible study and discipleship. We know that what churches teach matters—a lot—so we are committed to using Bible college and seminary trained writers and editors to write, edit, and review every resource we provide. We are fully committed to providing doctrinally-sound materials that communicate content you can trust. From this value, we will never waiver. You can take confidence knowing that everything we publish has gone through a stringent approval process. We know that what we teach matters. That’s what makes Lifeway Lifeway. We also know that providing teaching resources is only one aspect of equipping the church. In order to be good teachers and leaders, people need training, inspiration, and encouragement. That’s why we have created Kidsministry101.com.

Kidsministry101.com is your destination for training and equipping resources from the Lifeway Kids team. There you will find our blog, podcast, gospel presentation videos, training links, and a place to subscribe to the free Kids Ministry 101 quarterly print magazine. Our goal is to provide you with articles, interviews, and resources that inform, instruct, and inspire you as you teach God’s Word to kids, recruit and lead volunteers, manage the administrative side of your ministry, and connect with families. The content here is based on the best practices and practical experience that the Lifeway Kids team has amassed over decades of service in ministry. As we share ideas and insights with you, you can share some, or all, of the posts and resources with your team members, leaders, and even the parents of kids in your church.

Kidsministry101.com is your one-stop destination for a wide array of free ministry equipping resources to help you do what you do well. You can visit the URL directly by entering kidsministry101.com in the browser of your desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone, where you can subscribe to have new blog and podcast episodes pushed to you, or you can “Like” Lifeway Kids on Facebook to receive new blog posts and podcast episodes in your facebook feed.

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.

Kids Ministry, Leadership, Reaching

July 27, 2018

The ABCs of Salvation is not the Gospel

By Kids Ministry 101

Kids Ministry 101 welcomes guest blogger Aaron Wilson. This article was originally published in Facts & Trends.

School may be out for the summer, but many kids will still be learning their ABCs over the break.

The ABCs of salvation, that is.

This popular children’s ministry acronym stands for admit, believe, and confess. It’s a simple way churches teach parents and volunteers to share the gospel with kids—especially during the week of Vacation Bible School.

A quick Google search of the ABCs of salvation reveals the phrase has become established church jargon. Numerous Christian websites, YouTube videos, and Pinterest boards strive to teach kids the gospel through this simple structure.

But as ministry leaders and parents prepare to use this evangelistic framework, they should be aware of the propensity to confuse the ABCs of salvation with the gospel itself.

AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION

In its simplest form, the ABCs of salvation is not the gospel; rather, the acts of admitting, believing, and confessing (and you might tack on, repenting) are all biblical responses to the gospel.

This distinction is important. As essential as it is for kids to learn how to glorify God in responding to the gospel, they cannot do so unless they first rightly hear the message that prompts a response.

For this reason, Lifeway includes the following in its VBS gospel presentation tools to supplement the ABCs of salvation:

God rules—The Bible tells us God created everything, including you and me, and He is in charge of everything. (Genesis 1:1; Revelation 4:11; Colossians 1:16-17)
We sinned—We all choose to disobey God. The Bible calls this sin. Sin separates us from God and deserves God’s punishment of death. (Romans 3:23; 6:23)
God provided—God sent Jesus, the perfect solution to our sin problem, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. It’s something we, as sinners, could never earn on our own. Jesus alone saves us. (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9)
Jesus gives—Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. Because Jesus gave up His life for us, we can be welcomed into God’s family for eternity. This is the best gift ever! (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18)
We respond—We can respond to Jesus. The ABCs of Becoming a Christian is a simple tool that helps us remember how to respond when prompted by the Holy Spirit to receive the gift Jesus offers.

NOT RUSHING THE GOSPEL

When children’s ministry leaders are presenting the gospel, it can be tempting to rush to the last point and seek what may be a premature response from kids by inviting them to admit, believe, and confess before kids have an adequate understanding of what the gospel really is.

This can be especially true during VBS when leaders are understandably eager to share how many decisions were made that week for Christ.

But it serves children best when adults slow down the pace of gospel presentations to ensure that kids clearly understand the full message of God’s redemption—which includes the story of creation, the Fall, and God’s restoration through Jesus Christ.

Elaborating on the full gospel helps protect children from growing up to trust in an experience in which they prayed a prayer, walked an aisle, or signed a card. It shifts their spiritual security from a one-time personal event to the actual substance of the gospel, which is centered on Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection.

So how can churches help prepare leaders and parents to share the full gospel with kids during VBS? Here are four suggestions:

PROVIDE TRAINING

It’s easy to fill VBS training sessions with information about crafts, snacks, and bathroom policies. While all of these things are important, churches should also make sure to reserve time to train volunteers on how to share the gospel with kids.

Crafts made at VBS won’t likely make it through the week. However, a proper presentation of the gospel can have an eternal impact on a child’s life. You can help make sure your training majors on what’s most important with resources like “Leading a Child to Christ” and the booklet “The Gospel: God’s Plan for Me.”

TELL A STORY, NOT A FORMULA

At its core, the gospel is a story about good news. Children are captivated by stories, but for the sake of time, it can be tempting to shorten gospel presentations into a formula in which A+B+C=salvation.

While it’s true salvation is by grace through faith, that formula won’t lead to conversions if children don’t understand why grace is needed in the first place and how it is provided through the cross. As you train your VBS volunteers, encourage them to present the gospel as a story rather than as an evangelistic equation.

STRIKE THIS PHRASE

Well-meaning Christians sometimes try to seal the deal of a gospel presentation with the following phrase: “Now, all you have to do to become a Christian is…”

The problem is, Jesus never talked like this. Salvation is a free gift of grace that is not given on the merit of works. However, Christ often challenged people who brought a casual attitude to discipleship (Matthew 8:18-22).

Jesus encouraged people to count the cost before they decided to follow Him said anyone wanting to come after Him must be willing to die daily to his or her sinful life (Luke 14:25-33; Luke 9:23). He also told the parable of a man who was willing to give up everything he had for the sake of gaining a treasure that represents the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 13:44).

Have your volunteers teach free grace as they go through the ABCs of salvation, but encourage them to guard against using phrases that might understate the significance of what it means to follow Christ.

ESTABLISH AN ONGOING GOSPEL CULTURE

Some parents sweat over the idea of having “the gospel talk” with their kid.

These parents—who might be serving as VBS volunteers at your church—tend to view the act of sharing the gospel as a one-time event. With only one chance to get it right, it’s no wonder they’re nervous!

You can alleviate this pressure by helping parents and leaders grow comfortable sharing the gospel every week. This happens by helping kids make connections between individual Bible stories and Scripture’s overarching redemptive narrative.

For more practical suggestions on how to establish this kind of culture in your children’s ministry, check out the eight-week activity book What is a Christian, releasing this July, and the book Gospel-Centered Kids Ministry by Brian Dembowczyk

THE GOAL OF VBS: PREACHING THE GOSPEL

Even if they don’t go to church, most Americans recall attending VBS and report positive memories of the event. Your church can help attendees remember that VBS wasn’t a just fun summer distraction, but that it was also a setting in which they clearly heard the gospel proclaimed.

Take time to train your volunteers on how to point kids to Christ. But instead of starting with the ABCs of salvation—the response to the gospel—you might consider ending with it.

Aaron Wilson is husband to Jennifer, father to Abel and Belle (7-year-old twins), and serves as an associate editor in Lifeway Corporate Communications. He enjoys spending time with his family and writing about God’s glory. Follow him on Twitter at @AaronBWilson26 and at FactsAndTrends.net.

ETCH Family Ministry Conference, Kids Ministry, Leadership

June 26, 2018

ETCH 2018: Unbroken

By Micheal Walley

Lifeway’s ETCH Family Ministry Conference is all about helping you link together with other ministry leaders in your church to better serve the families in your church from birth to high school. ETCH stands for “Equipping the Church and Home” and we are excited to announce our 2018 theme: “Unbroken.”

“A cord of three strands is not easily broken.”

In many churches, different age level ministry areas stand alone. The preschool ministry is disconnected from the elementary ministry. The kids ministry is not anywhere close to being on the same page as the student ministry. These ministries often have different programs, different content, and totally different ministry philosophies. We can often see these ministries like silos on a farm standing alone without connecting or supporting one another. Parents and volunteers also feel disconnected and out of the loop with what’s going on. This approach to family ministry is BROKEN.

As a result of our BROKEN strategies, we often lose kids, students, and parents as they muddle through competing messages and ever-changing practices. Families desire consistency in the church as they weave throughout the different stages of their child’s life. There’s a better way of doing family ministry: an “UNBROKEN” way to do family ministry.

What would it look like for every church to intentionally link together preschool, kids, student, and NextGen ministry? What would it look like to create that seamless, unbroken experience for kids and families?

When our ministries link up with cohesive philosophies, ministry approach, and content, we can craft the spiritual trajectory we hope our kids will follow with consistent, long-range goals from preschool through high school. When we do this, each ministry area is pointing to Christ in the same clear way. Just like the cord of three strands, our family ministry areas are stronger when they link together.

We hope you’ll join the Lifeway Kids and the Lifeway Students team October 17-19 in Nashville as we dive deep into what a truly “Unbroken” family ministry approach looks like. You’ll hear from family ministry experts, be inspired by engaging worship and keynote speakers, and form stronger bonds with the other leaders in your ministry. You can find out more and register by visiting etchconference.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

April 16, 2018

Ministering in Times of Transition

By Delanee Williams

Transitions are inevitable. We all experience some type of transition at different points in our life. We go through them as church leaders. Families in our churches experience them, too. Transitions can be positive and challenging. For some, it may be adding to their family by birth or adoption. Others may be relocating to a new city. Some families may receive a diagnosis of a health illness or learning difference. These are just a few of the many transitions the families under your leadership may experience. Through my years in ministry, I’ve observed these general commonalities in many families experiencing transitions:

People have an opportunity for growth.
People may experience grief.
People may be more sensitive to everyday situations.
People may experience anxiety.

Although I’ve observed some probable characteristics, I’ve also noted many unique points as well. We must seek to understand each family and their situation in order to best minister to them. Below are practical ways to minister to families during transitions:

Remember to give grace to others. More than likely, you aren’t aware of all the family is going through and the details of their situation.
Pray for and with them. It’s encouraging to know people are praying for you. It’s even a bigger blessing to hear them praying aloud for you.
Provide in tangible ways if needed. Ask families, “What needs to be done?” rather than, “Let me know if I can help.”
Provide practical help. Some may need help beyond your expertise. Connect them with a professional in that particular field. Share blog articles, books and podcasts to help them in their situation.
Listen. Ask questions to help them process. Many times, people just need someone to listen to them as they process what they’re experiencing. Also, some people process differently and may not want to talk about the situation. Honor their request.
Ask the family if they would like you to connect with others who have experienced a similar situation.

During times of transitions, we as church leaders can set an example of ministering to others. What additional ways would you add to the list to minister to families?

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, Leadership, Media, Technology

March 26, 2018

10 Ways to Leverage Kids’ Technological Distractions

By Landry Holmes

On my way to church on a recent Wednesday evening, I found out that I needed to help in preschool choir. The lead teacher’s family had the flu, so her co-teacher would be taking the lead and she needed an assistant. Miss LeeAnn, a college student, quickly pulled together some music videos and a Bible story app on her smartphone, which she subsequently connected to the TV in the preschool classroom. And away we went!

Miss LeeAnn leveraged technology in order to effectively teach biblical truth that Wednesday night. Today’s preschoolers and elementary kids are what Marc Prensky calls digital natives. They have never known a world without smartphones and electronic tablets. So, instead of lamenting that fact, let’s use technology in positive ways at church.

Embrace technology for what it is, technology; and don’t condemn kids for using it.
Teach kids the theology of technology. Remind them that their identity is in Christ, not dependent on how many “likes” and “shares” they receive.
Help kids apply what Jesus referred to as the greatest commands—love God and love others—to their use of technology, rather than succumb to negative digital distractions.
Establish ground rules for mobile devices at church for both teachers and kids.
Incorporate the usage of family apps in class.
Use TV screens.
Take pictures/video of kids engaged in Bible learning, in real time. However, be sure to follow your church’s privacy policy.
Present biblical truth and life application in terms of sound bites, quotes, memes, short videos, engaging images, share squares, and emojis.
Build in time for interruptions. When kids have questions, try to respond immediately. If a child makes a relevant statement, allow for open discussion on the spot if appropriate.
Use large group experiences to teach patience. The world of smartphones has created expectations of immediate gratification. When a child has to wait for a teacher or her peers before speaking or taking action, she will learn patience; and patience is biblical. (See Galatians 5:22.)

Speaking to a previous generation, G. K. Chesterton stated, “The huge modern heresy is to alter the human soul to fit modern social conditions, instead of altering modern social conditions to fit the human soul.” Our job is not to change the gospel message to fit technology, but rather to leverage technology to teach kids the unchanging truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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 two adorable grandbabies.

Discipleship, Kids Ministry, Leadership

December 1, 2017

3 “Whys” for Practicing Generational Discipleship

By Jeremy Carroll

You may have heard a sermon or read an article based on Deuteronomy 6:4-9. This familiar “go to” passage for family ministry is an important one for both church leaders and parents. It is a beautiful, albeit challenging, set of instructions for parents, and it is a great model for which parents to strive. Specifically referring to the family, this passage sets up an expectation that older generations are to train up younger generations. As we read through the Bible, we see that this generational disciple-making relationship is not limited to parents and children.

To help our conversation, let’s set out a working definition of generational discipleship. Generational discipleship is happening when a follower of Jesus who has reached certain spiritual, physical, and chronological mile markers in life intentionally helps others follow Jesus where they are to reach their next spiritual mile marker. In other words, someone who has “ been there, done that” helping others who haven’t.

Let’s take a look at a few reasons why Christians should be strategically involved in generational discipleship.

Discipling others reveals the object of our worship. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

From Deuteronomy 6, the first few verses are statements of worship. There is only one God and He alone is to be worshiped (Deut. 6:4), and we worship Him by loving Him with everything we are: heart, soul, and strength (Deut. 6:5). Of course this isn’t limited to the Old Testament. When Jesus was asked “Which command of the law is the greatest?” in Matthew 22:34-40, He quotes these verses from Deuteronomy reemphasizing that we need to be “all in” as we worship and follow Jesus.

Discipling others reveals obedience to our mission. (Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 28:19, Acts 1:8)

You are probably familiar with Matthew 28:18-20 in which Jesus gives a commission to His disciples: Go and make … disciples. That’s right! To be obedient to our mission as followers of Jesus, we must be active in disciple-making. God requires us to be faithful managers of the gospel (1 Corinthians 4:2). To be found faithful, we must not leave the gospel sitting on a shelf. We must share it’s power for salvation.

God has chosen the people of God, empowered by the Spirit of God and equipped with the Word of God, to be about the mission of God. Those in younger generations are desperate for older generations to authentically show them the way. This is your mission, do you choose to accept it?

Discipling others reveals our ongoing hope for God’s church to outlive us. (Psalm 78:2-8, Judges 2:6-11)

All of us who are actively serving the church, particularly in Kids Ministry, are doing so with the hope that God is raising up a future generation to continue His work long into the future. For many of us, it is this hope that compels us to work tirelessly to serve kids, students, and their families. Discipling relationships are the key for our own personal contribution to this future.

The Old Testament gives us two pictures of the outcome when the people of God either did or did not take their mission seriously.

In Psalm 78:2-8, we see an example of when the people of God DID take their mission seriously. Take a moment to read those verses, taking special note of verses 6 and 7. The psalmist gives us two “so that” statements:

“so that a future generation—children yet to be born—might know”

“so that they might put their confidence in God”

Verse 6 challenges us that our investment in younger generations should not be limited to the children in our lives. Yes, we should invest in them, but as we invest in this group of kids and teenagers, let’s pray for their children and grandchildren … “children yet to be born.” And verse 7 reminds us that the goal is for younger generations to “put their confidence in God.”

We see the second picture back in Judges 2:6-11. Here we read some of the most devastating, heart-wrenching verses in the entire Bible: another generation rose up who did not know the Lord or the works He had done for Israel. The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.

So how can we be involved in generational discipleship? We’ll have to save that for another time …

Here is a prayer I pray often: God, grant me wisdom to learn from those who have gone before me and intentionally invest often in those that follow.

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 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.

Podcasts

November 30, 2017

Kids and Emotional Milestones

By Andy Dukes

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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According to statistics, we are the most addicted, in-debt, depressed, obese population in U.S. history. We go to great lengths to avoid, deny, medicate or suppress emotions. Our country is full of adults who never learned how to navigate their emotions in a constructive way. What would it look like to raise a generation of emotionally and spiritually healthy children? David Thomas, LMSW, stops by the podcast to discuss the emotional development of children.