6 Ways To Honor Lent Without Fasting

Lent is a powerful season for reflecting on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Traditionally, Lent is associated with fasting—giving something up as a way to focus on Christ. Fasting is a spiritual discipline, and we should teach kids about it, but not everyone in your church or ministry may feel called or equipped to fast, especially children and their families. Or maybe your church doesn't emphasize Lent and fasting at all. The good news? There are plenty of other meaningful ways to honor Lent and lead your ministry through this sacred season. Here are 6 non-fasting ideas to help you guide the kids and families in your ministry as they embrace Lent: Make prayer a daily practice. Help kids and families develop a rhythm of daily prayer during Lent. Provide them with a simple prayer guide, perhaps focusing on themes like...

Pretzel Playdough Prayer Activity for Lent

Share this fun and simple hands-on prayer activity with your families this Lent season! It shares a brief explanation of Lent, how pretzels are connected, and gives a fun playdough prayer activity families can do together. Or use it as a small group activity or worship response time in your ministry setting. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PRETZEL PLAYDOUGH PRAYER ACTIVITY FOR LENT! This activity is one of the bonus activities included in our Pretzel Prayers Lent Family Prayer Resource! Pretzel Prayers is a family resource that thematically uses pretzels to encourage daily habits of prayer and Scripture reading while teaching about the historical connection of pretzels and Lent. Learn more about this resource...

Developmental Stages Training Tool for Your Team

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=""]While children may progress through stages of learning at different rates, they tend to follow the same patterns of development from birth to the preteen years, and when we engage kids based on their developmental stage, we can take better aim at the dartboard. Use this week’s download to gain a general overview of a child’s characteristics in each stage and what that means for a practical application to ministry.  Include this information in your volunteer training to really set up your team for success![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the developmental stages printable here!" align="center" css="" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F06%2FDKM-Developmental-Characteristics-KidMin-Leaders-Need-to-Know.pdf|target:_blank"][vc_column_text css=""]If you...

3 Keys to Teaching Kids, Not Lessons

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=""]What would you say is the most important aspect of your lesson each week? The "hook"? The gamification elements? The life application? Plot twist! One of the most important aspects of your lesson doesn't even have to do with the lesson itself. It's actually the KIDS you are teaching and how well you know them! Effective and creative Bible teachers place as much value on knowing the children they teach as on the content of the lesson.  Yes, solid content and preparation are important, but if you're not taking a few characteristics about the kids you teach into account, your effectiveness drastically decreases. So here are 3 keys to teaching kids, not just lessons. Know your kids relationally. Kids learn best from people they know and love. Build relationships with your kids - both inside and...

10 Valentine Crafts That Remind Kids of God’s Love

Valentine's Day is all about love, and there are SO many cute crafts we can offer kids to help celebrate! But what if we were intentional about the crafts we offer? Let's go beyond hearts and valentines and invite kids to make Valentine crafts that remind them of God's love! Here are 10 ideas: Heart Prayer Pockets - Kids decorate paper or felt hearts with a pocket where they can tuck in prayer requests or names of people they want to share God’s love with. Jesus Loves Me Door Hangers - Provide foam sheets or cardstock for kids to design heart-shaped door hangers with phrases like “Jesus Loves Me” or “God’s Love Lives Here.” Heart Paper Airplanes - This is one craft the boys in your ministry will actually WANT to make! Fold a paper airplane so it looks like a heart flying through the air! DKM Subscribers can find...

Help Kids Experience God’s Love Through Valentine Prayer Stations

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This Valentine’s Day, don’t just talk about God’s love; help kids experience God’s love through prayer stations (aka worship response stations). A prayer station is an activity that allows children to express their responses to God about what they are learning and who He is. Each station looks different and gives the child an opportunity to respond to God in a different way.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Give Me 10 Prayer Station Ideas" color="sky" align="center" link="url:http%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F01%2FDKM-Prayer-Stations.pdf||target:%20_blank|"][vc_single_image image="3729" img_size="large" alignment="center"][vc_column_text]Some churches leave these prayer or worship response stations up in their children’s area all the time and use them weekly. As a mobile...