3 Steps To Mapping Out Your Ministry Year

The Lord guides our steps, but we can be good stewards of the time He’s given us through intentional planning. Planning ahead allows for a more balanced and sustainable year in ministry, and it doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming. So grab your calendar and a pencil (because we never plan in pen), and let’s jump in to map out your ministry year! 1) Start with the big picture. Look at the vision of your ministry and use it to set goals for the year (use our Ministry Goal Setting Guide to help). Then create calendar events that help you accomplish those goals. Our goals give us the direction and boundaries for our calendar. Write down all the big, important, we-do-them-every-year, this-isn’t-going-to-change-unless-the-rapture-happens dates first (Easter, Christmas, church-wide events) so you can plan around those. Also make...

6 People to Celebrate With As a New Semester Begins

At the beginning of the year, I shared that my word for the year was celebration, and I confessed that celebration is a spiritual discipline I often skip over in pursuit of the next goal, event, or task. So this year, I've tried to be more intentional about taking time to reflect and celebrate. Want to join me? As we head into back-to-school season, consider celebrating with different groups of people in your ministry: Volunteers - Weave celebration into every interaction or gathering you have with your volunteers (especially your annual volunteer training!). It boosts morale, reminds them of their purpose, and keeps their enthusiasm for serving high! (More on celebrating your volunteers here.) Parents/Grown-ups - Grown-ups love hearing positive stories about the kids in their lives. Share major milestones and even small wins with the...

Sunday Celebrations Printable Journal

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As a ministry leader, you probably have a lot of plates spinning on a Sunday morning. From check-in to new guests to volunteers to supply bins, there's a lot to think about. It can be hard to slow down and celebrate the ways God shows up week in and week out. Use this 5-year celebrations journal to help you pause, reflect, and celebrate what God does in your ministry each week, no matter how small the celebrations may seem.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Sunday Celebration Journal Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F07%2FDKM-Sunday-Celebrations-Journal.pdf|target:_blank"][vc_column_text] How To Use: Print off this journal and place it in a 3-ring binder or folder. There are typically 52 Sundays a year. Each page in this journal...

My Favorite Promotion Sunday Tradition in Kids Ministry

Do you have any traditions or special ideas for back-to-school season or Promotion Sunday? Something you do every year that encourages kids to reflect on the past year but also get pumped for the year ahead? A special way to celebrate the start of a school year or moving to new ministry classes/small groups? My favorite back-to-school or Promotion Sunday tradition is much simpler than you might think: showing a picture slideshow or video that recaps the past year. This video or slideshow shares pictures and clips of special events, Sunday mornings, mid-week programs, etc. Set it to an upbeat worship song your kids loved from the year, and you're all set! I like to show this video recap on Promotion Sunday every year and use it as a launching point for small group discussion questions like: What was your favorite thing we did at church...

Back-to-School Worry Wall Prayer Activity

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Kids have so many worries when it comes to going back to school! Their minds are often filled with anxiety about what is to come in the year ahead. Share this Worry Wall prayer activity with kids (send it home or complete it together at church) to help them recognize their worries and bring them to God.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Worry Wall Prayer Activity Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F07%2FDKM-B2S-Worry-Wall-Prayer-Activity-Freebie.pdf|target:_blank"][vc_column_text]This activity is part of the Back-to-School Faith Time Capsule family resource, a family faith kit that will help kids create a time capsule for the new school year that is related to their faith in God. Check out the Back-to-School Faith Time Capsule as well as other...

6 Ideas for Following Up After Summer Events

Summer is often a busy season in ministry with extra events, special services, and even overnight trips. So much planning and preparation go into these events that we can sometimes forget about the importance of following up AFTER the events are over! But we miss out on crucial opportunities to connect with families when we ignore the follow-up opportunities that summer events provide. So here are 6 ideas for following up after your summer event(s). Plan ahead. Make your follow-up procedure part of the planning process for the entire event. So while you're thinking about VBS decorations, volunteer appreciation, and worship playlists, think about how you can follow up with families after your event is over. When you include the follow-up in the main planning of the event itself, it helps make sure follow-up doesn't slip through the post-event...

Special Event Review/Evaluation Template

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Reviewing and evaluating your ministry events can often be just as important as planning them, but sometimes we get so caught up in the event itself that we forget to evaluate! Use this simple and easy special event review template to recap your special events, take notes for next time, and keep a record of your special event details.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Word version here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F06%2FDKM-Special-Event-Review-Template.docx|target:_blank"][vc_column_text]Check out some of our favorite events below! [/vc_column_text][products columns="3" orderby="rand" order="ASC" ids="7039, 49656, 16784, 19953, 84335, 81303, 9476, 22133, 14214, 45338, 76761, 48447, 11075"][vc_btn title="Explore all of our Event Resources...

Share This With Your Families: Kids Bible Experience

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We all know this generation of digital natives requires a unique approach to ministry, and this is especially true for our preteens! I'm always on the lookout for new resources to share with families, and this might be one of my new favorites! You may already know about the Bible App for Kids, but YouVersion in partnership with OneHope has now created the Kids Bible Experience as the next step for preteens once they've outgrown the kid version. Designed for 7-11-year-olds, the Kids Bible Experience is the next level of scripture engagement for kids and preteens. It features new videos, questions, and scripture verses every day to help preteens cultivate daily habits of engaging with God's Word. In the experience, preteens will find… Fun, fresh perspectives - They’ll hear relevant insights from a...

Faith-Based Apps for Kids & Families

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It's summertime, which means screen time at home has probably risen over the last couple of weeks as parents are trying to find ways to keep their kids busy. Help your families make screen time, God time with this awesome list of faith-based apps for kids! Download the ready-to-print PDF version, or edit the list using our customizable Canva template.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_btn title="Download the PDF version here (ready to share with families)!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F06%2FDKM-Faith-Based-Apps.pdf|target:_blank"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_btn title="Download the Customizable Canva Template Here" align="center"...