2019

Make Your Own Toilet Paper Blower

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]For one of our VBS days this year, we needed a toilet paper blower to help us show the kids how exciting it is to spread God's goodness (full object lesson idea here)! Making one is easier than you think, and you probably already have the supplies you need laying around in your garage.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link="https://youtu.be/XUcffMM2tDs" align="center"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Supplies: leaf blower (electric or battery-powered so it turns on with a button or switch, not a gas leaf blower you have to crank) paint roller (without the brush/sponge) tape (I used painter's tape because we were borrowing the leaf blower, but you can use duct tape if your leaf blower's transformation into a toilet paper blower will be permanent) ...
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VBS 2019 Name Tag Templates

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Are you getting WILD at your VBS this summer? Here are 4 different name tag designs to use with LifeWay's In The Wild or Group's ROAR VBS curriculum. Jen Kline over at The Best VBS designed and created this awesome download. Read more about some of my favorite VBS resources from Jen here.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download VBS 2019 Name Tag Templates Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F09%2FVBS-2019-Name-Tag-Templates-Freebie-Final.zip|||"][vc_column_text]This download includes 4 total designs, with at least 2 variations of each design, giving you more than 8 options for your VBS Name Tags! Please note: Because this download is a zipped folder with multiple files, it may not be viewable on mobile...
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The Best VBS Resources

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]If you're like me, it's crunch time. There are 13 days and counting until our VBS week, so VBS is just about all I can think about these days. That's why I'm PUMPED to share some of the best VBS resources from Jen Kline over at (aptly-named) The Best VBS. Here are some of my favorite posts or resources from Jen's site:[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image="12997" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://www.thebestvbs.com/45-incredible-vbs-ideas/"][vc_column_text]1. 45 Ideas for VBS Directors - I mean who doesn't want a fully-curated list of 45 ideas for VBS? This list covers everything from decorating tips (like what kind of tape to use to make things stick without ripping up the wall) to thoughtful volunteer appreciation gifts (free food!) to organizing...
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Pin the Tail on the Whale Jonah Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Here’s a splashy twist on a familiar game for your summer series or lesson on Jonah! This activity can easily fit into any lesson or small group time, although it was originally created for the Journey Through Jonah 8-week series.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download Pin the Tail on the Whale Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F09%2FPin-the-Tail-on-the-Whale-Printable.pdf||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text]Supplies: Pin the Tail on the Whale Printable (with tails cut out), tape, blindfolds Details: This is a simple activity that plays off the classic “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” party game. Have kids blindfolded, spin them around, and then walk to place the tail on the whale. For an added twist, have them share one fact about Jonah and his...
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24 Volunteer Appreciation Ideas

Last week, we did a giveaway for the latest KidMin Nation book all about volunteers. To be entered to win, you had to answer the question: "What was your favorite volunteer appreciation gift you ever gave?" I LOVED hearing all of your creative ideas (and I've taken notes to use some of them in the future). Here's what all of you shared, and congrats to Kim and Jessica for winning a free copy of the book! (Didn't win but still want a copy of Rock Stars: Inspiring a Team of Unstoppable Volunteers? Order your own copy here.)   One year I led VBS and asked all the workers what their all-time favorite snack was. At the end of the week, they came to the office and were gifted with it. One person wrote that they liked pickles, and they were completed shocked that I took the effort to find a single dill pickle! In retrospect, I think it all...
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Rock Stars Book Review and Giveaway

[vc_row 0=""][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="12049" img_size="medium" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" link="https://amzn.to/2CSaJ99"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text 0=""] Rock Stars: Inspiring a Team of Unstoppable Volunteers By KidMin Nation (Editor: Tina Houser) My rating: 5/5 stars - It was amazing!     Read: April 2019[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row 0=""][vc_column 0=""][vc_column_text 0=""]This book is for you if... you lead volunteers, you want to encourage and equip your volunteers My thoughts: This book came at the perfect time! We just finished up Admin April 2019, focusing on all things volunteers, so I loved reading this book that gave me new ideas and perspectives on volunteers too. This isn't the first time I've been honored to have a chapter published...
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“Freaking May!”

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I loved this insight from Dema Kohen, one of our DKM Marketplace Vendors and just had to share. Here's some of his wisdom on serving our families well in the month of May (and how to help them). It's the first day of May, and... many families in our churches are freaking out. But don't take my word for it. Take a look at this post that popped up in my Facebook feed earlier today. (This is from one of the moms who attends our church.)[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image="12632" img_size="full" alignment="center"][vc_column_text]Take a good look at this calendar, because I dare to say it represents reality for 95% of the families in your congregation. If you are thinking of pulling off a big event this month... don't do it! At least don't do it until you ask the families in your church if they...
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Super Volunteer Appreciation Gift Card Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]If we want our volunteers to stick around, we have to celebrate them! Remind your volunteers how SUPER they are with this free volunteer appreciation gift card printable! (Gift card not included in download.)[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download Super Volunteer Appreciation Printable Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F09%2FDKM-Super-Volunteer-Appreciation-Gift-Card-Printable-Final.pdf||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text]All you need is this printable, gift card(s) of your price and choice (my volunteers love Starbucks and Chick-fil-a), and some glue dots! Just print and cut the download, add your gift cards using glue dots or double-sided tape, then hand out to your volunteers as a way of saying...
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Celebrating (& Retaining) Volunteers

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]If we want our volunteers to stick around, we have to celebrate them! Here are some easy ways to celebrate (and therefore retain) the volunteers in your children's ministry. Say thanks. As often as possible, thank the volunteers on your team verbally or in writing. Send out weekly “thank-you” emails to all who served that Sunday, and try to write at least one handwritten note a week to a volunteer on your team. We even created superhero-themed postcards you can use to remind your volunteers how awesome they are! Download them here. Think of specific reasons you are thankful for the volunteer, and thank them for who they are, not just the job they fill (i.e. “thank you for using your creativity to help our preschoolers understand more about the story of Jonah today” instead of just “thank you for...
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Top Ten Volunteer Expectations Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Your volunteers are the superheroes of your ministry, but that doesn’t mean they can read your mind! Use this free printable to communicate your expectations of volunteers and remind them what you need from them. Go into the details of each expectation at your annual training, then use this printable to remind volunteers throughout the year, post in your Volunteer Facebook Group, or hang up in your classrooms.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download Top Ten Expectations Printable Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F09%2FDKM-Top-Ten-Hero-Expectations-Printable.pdf||target:%20_blank|"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="11077" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank"...
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4 Types of Volunteer Training

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Just like pie comes in a variety of forms, so does effective volunteer training. Each method described below uses the ingredients of prepare, inspire, and equip to reach volunteers in a variety of levels, formats, and times. Pumpkin Pie - Annual Training Much like we typically eat pumpkin pie once a year at Thanksgiving, your annual training is the special once-a-year training for your entire volunteer team. For rookie and veteran volunteers alike, this training happens every year, typically at the start of the school year, and it is the chance to prepare, inspire, and equip your team for the year ahead. It should include an overview of the ministry, an explanation of curriculum and teaching resources, explanation of policies, procedures, and expectations, child protection policies, discipline guidelines,...
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Volunteer Covenant

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Part of effective training is teaching your volunteers about your expectations for them. But sometimes it's hard to communicate your expectations with your volunteers. Here's what Julia, one of our Vendors (and the creator of this week's freebie), shared about her experience when she implemented a Volunteer Covenant as part of the application and training process: When I started in my kidmin role nearly 5 years ago, I was struggling with how to keep volunteers accountable and communicate expectations. While many of them were members and had filled out volunteer applications, what I needed from them weekly - both in our children’s ministry and in their lives outside of it - wasn’t being clearly communicated! So, I crafted this volunteer covenant. Each of our volunteers signs this covenant before serving in...
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PIE Them in the Face: Effective Volunteer Training

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Effective volunteer training will PIE your volunteers in the face. And I’m not talking about a whipped cream pie (although that could be fun). Effective volunteer training will prepare them, inspire them, and equip them to serve to the best of their ability based on their God-given talents and gifts. No matter what type of training you’re doing, you can incorporate these three ingredients to make your training more effective. Prepare Them Your volunteer training should prepare your volunteers to lead. That means sharing the nuts and bolts of the ministry, the safety policies, the expectations of a good volunteer, etc. What do volunteers need to know to serve and lead well? This element of training can be long and tedious, but I make it bite-sized and easier to digest by making a “top 10" list of the...
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Children’s Ministry Volunteer Application

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A volunteer application is an important part of the volunteer screening process in children's ministry. It not only helps you collect important information, but it also helps you see a volunteer's heart for serving and passion for kids.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title="Download Volunteer Application Now" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F09%2FVolunteer-Application-Background-Check.doc||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text]Using a volunteer application helps ensure your volunteers want to serve with your ministry, are capable of serving with your ministry, and are safe to serve with your ministry. This week's free download is a volunteer application created from a variety of options and inspired by Smart Church Management....
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Volunteer Screening Process

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] As part of the volunteer recruitment process, it's important to take the necessary precautions to screen new volunteers and make sure they're the right (and safest) fit for your ministry. Here's the screening process I used in my ministry to help make sure our volunteers understand the importance and expectations of their role. Volunteers who serve with our kids should... Attend for 6+ Months. Serving is an important step in being part of the body of Christ. Before a volunteer steps into their role, you want to make sure that they are getting spiritually fed, getting connected, and – most importantly – desiring to serve at your church as a part of the commitment to making this church family theirs. *Requirement for lead volunteer positions only: Become a Member - Becoming a member means that they protect...
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Volunteer Recruitment Email Templates

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Recruiting volunteers takes more than just an on-stage announcement. You have to build relationships, communicate your vision, and make personal asks. So this week I'm sharing my email templates that invited rookie volunteers to join the team and asked veteran volunteers to recommit. (Note: This download is a zipped folder, which means you won't be able to open it on a mobile device.)[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Templates Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F09%2FDKM-Volunteer-Recruitment-Email-Templates.zip||target:%20_blank|"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_empty_space][vc_single_image image="11077" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank"...
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Volunteer Recruitment

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We're kicking off Admin April 2019 by talking about Volunteer Recruitment. Don't you wish a million hands would shoot excitedly into the air when you ask if anyone wants to volunteer with your children's ministry? Me too! But that's not quite how reality works, so here are some tips for recruiting volunteers and inviting them to join your kidmin team. (And here are the email templates I used to recruit volunteers to my team!) Start with prayer. Just as with everything else in ministry, we should start with prayer: acknowledging God’s ownership of our ministry and asking Him to “send laborers into the His harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38, NIV). Begin by praying about your ministry as it currently is, where you feel God is calling your ministry to go, and who can help you get there. Identify the needs. Prepare a...
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Admin April 2019: Volunteers

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Happy Admin April! Every April, we focus on resources and strategies that help you rock the administrative responsibilities of our kidmin role. (Check out Admin April 2018 here - think budgets, behavior, and forms, oh my!) This year's focus is all things volunteers! From recruitment to training to volunteer appreciation, managing our volunteer teams is an administrative task we must do well in order to succeed. Here's a look at what we've got coming up this month, and check back here for a final compilation of all the Admin April Volunteer resources... Week 1 [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="11123" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/volunteer-recruitment/"][vc_btn title="Read Volunteer...
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Empty Egg Small Group Activity

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Use this activity in your small groups to invite kids to hunt for the empty egg (like the empty tomb), and complete actions along the way![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download printable version here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F09%2FDKM-Empty-Egg-Small-Group-Game.pdf||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text] Supplies: 14 empty plastic eggs, Empty Egg Hunt Printable (page 3 of this free download), Easter basket Prep: Print and cut the Empty Egg Hunt Printable, putting one action slip into each plastic egg, or create 13 of your own action slips. Leave the last egg empty. Detailed Instructions: Ask: Why was the tomb empty on Easter morning? (let children respond: because Jesus is alive!) Ask: What would have done if you came to the tomb and...
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Rubber Popper Easter Family Activity

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Use this object lesson as part of your Easter teaching time, or print several copies of the second page to give out poppers to each child and send them home with a fun family Easter activity![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download Printable Version Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F03%2FDKM-Rubber-Popper-Easter-Family-Activity.pdf||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text] Turn the popper inside out and set it down. Wait for it to POP up! Jesus was buried, but He didn't stay down. He rose UP from the grave, and He lives today! What a reason to celebrate! [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text] 1) Grab your popper and a Bible. 2) Turn the popper inside out and set it down. Wait for it to POP up! 3) Read...
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Spices & Smells: Hands-on Easter Activity for Kids

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Invite kids into the experience of the Easter story through the sense of smell! Use this activity as a way to introduce your Easter lesson and to invite kids to use their imaginations to experience the Easter story.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download a Printable Version of the Activity" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F09%2FDKM-Spices-and-Smells.pdf||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text]Supplies: Variety of spices (ex. Cinnamon, cloves, aloe vera gel, olive oil, cardamom, dry mustard, etc.), Small dishes Details: Have a variety of scents and smells available to each small group. These don't necessarily have to be stereotypical 'biblical' scents - simple spices available at a grocery store (cinnamon, cloves, aloe vera gel, olive oil, cardamom, dry...
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Easter Songs About Salvation for Kids

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Last year, I shared my Top 5 Easter Worship Songs for Kids, and this year, I'm sharing my top Easter songs for kids that really focus on the topic of salvation through Jesus. While most worship songs include this topic, I like these songs for the way they communicate our salvation through Jesus' death and resurrection for kids. Several of them can be downloaded from Worship House Kids.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]I Stand Amazed (How Marvelous) by Yancy - I love it when Yancy takes an old hymn and re-works it into a song ofr kids! This song invites kids to thing about how marvelous it is that Jesus took our sins and sorrows. It's a little slower, but it's a great way to invite kids into a reverent time of worship and response.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]This is Amazing...
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Dinner Discussions Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We all know the dinner table is an important place for families to connect, build relationships, and grow together spiritually, so use these dinner discussion questions to help families connect with each other at the dinner table.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Dinner Discussions Printable here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F09%2FDKM-Dinner-Discussions-Printable.pdf|||"][vc_column_text]Print and pass out a copy of the download pages for each child, encouraging them to use the questions at home during family dinner. Tip: Use the third page (each topic is worth 10 points) to make it a competition and see who can earn the most points throughout the week! Just remember not to talk with your mouth full....
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The Power of the Family Dinner

Since we talked about fasting last week, it's only natural to talk about dinner time this week, right? :) One of our DKM Vendors wrote a compelling argument for encouraging families in our ministries to spend time together around the dinner table, so rather than trying to reinvent the dinner table discussion wheel, I'll just let Dema Kohen do the talking this week... Family dinners are SPECIAL times. I would even say, they are SACRED times. In a world where media over-saturation and activity-overload are disconnecting us from ourselves, others, nature, and God, family dinner is the glue that can hold the family together.  I'm convinced that one of the most important things a church can do for the families is to encourage them to gather around the dinner table more often and teach them how to do it. I don't have time to cover the...
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Give Up, Fill Up Fasting Activity for Kids

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Earlier in the week, we talked about important elements of teaching fasting to kids, so here's an activity to help kids learn that fasting is a way for us to give up something so God can fill us up.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Give Up Fill Up Fasting Activity for Kids!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F09%2FDKM-Give-Up-Fill-Up-Fasting-Activity-for-Kids.pdf||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text]Supplies: 2 paper/plastic solo cups per child 1 copy of the Give Up/Fill Up slips per child Scissors Markers (to label the cups) Here’s how it works: Give each kid two plastic cups; one labeled “GIVE UP” and one labeled “FILL UP” and a set of “Give Up, Fill Up” strips. Give them scissors and have them cut their strips...
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