Categories: Blog

Bible Skills vs Bible Truths – Which Should You Focus On In Children’s Ministry?

As children’s ministry leaders, we carry the incredible responsibility of helping the next generation grow in their understanding of God’s Word. But when it comes to teaching the Bible, there’s often a tension we feel between teaching Bible skills and teaching Bible truths. Which is more important? Where should we focus our time? First, what's the difference?  Bible skills are the practical tools that help kids navigate and understand the Bible. These include knowing the books of the Bible, knowing how the Bible is organized (testaments, books, chapters, etc.), understanding how to find chapters and verses, and sometimes even recognizing different genres of Scripture (e.g., history, poetry, prophecy) or learning how to use a concordance or cross-references (for older kids). On the other hand, Bible truths are the foundational...
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Bible Skills Poster

Hang this poster in your small group and large group ministry spaces to help kids remember how to look up a verse from the Bible! Knowing Bible skills is just as important as knowing Bible truths, and this simple poster will help kids develop the skills they need to uncover the Bible’s truths for themselves! Download the poster here! This poster comes from The Books of the Bible Activity Pack from Family Faith Builders. Find the full resource with even more ways to make Bible skills accessible and fun for kids...
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8 Ways to Shake Things Up in Your KidMin This Year

Children’s ministry can be full of routines, and while routines are good (and kids thrive on consistency), doing the same thing week after week can lead to burnout for leaders and boredom for kids. That’s why it’s so important to shake things up every now and then! Trying something new in your KidMin not only keeps things fresh and engaging for the kids but also reignites your own creativity and passion. A small change can make a big difference in your ministry’s energy and effectiveness. If you’re looking for ways to add a little spark to your KidMin this year, here are 8 ways to shake things up! Change your schedule. If your ministry time always follows the same order (welcome, worship, teaching, small groups), try mixing it up. Maybe start with small groups instead of ending with them. Or move worship to the middle. Changing...
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How To Make A Prayer Labyrinth

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In the past, I've shared 10 Prayer Station Ideas, and one of them included a prayer labyrinth. A labyrinth is a special kind of maze historically used to promote deep thinking and soul-searching. I like to use it to help teach kids (especially those who like to move) about prayer! What You Need: King size flat sheet Pencil Tape measure/ruler Sharpie (regular and thick) You'll need to do some measuring, but don't worry, I've done all of the calculations for you! Mark your checkpoints in pencil, lightly sketch the maze paths in pencil, then trace over the path marks with Sharpie. Add any extra details you want (I like to add directional arrows and a title, but that's the extent of my artistic ability). Throw the sheet in the wash to erase any stray pencil marks, and your prayer labyrinth is...
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12 Months of Volunteer Appreciation Ideas

Use this list and the links below to create a plan for appreciating your volunteers all year long! Download a printable version here! January: A can of soda or some fuzzy socks with the generic version of this tag printable! February: “Thanks for Being the Heart of Our Ministry” + some Dove heart chocolates! (Not free, but here’s a printable to help!) March: Have a surprise basket of baked goods/treats (or extra coffee) on time-change Sunday! April: For anyone who serves with your special Easter Event or on Easter Sunday, grab some Peeps and thank them for being “one of your peeps!” (Not free, but here’s a printable to help!) May: The Big Thank You, a church-wide volunteer appreciation event with food trucks or popsicles available for free for all volunteers after service(s). June:...
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Non-Gift Volunteer Appreciation Ideas

Volunteer appreciation is a key part of retaining your team and creating a healthy culture. But remember to think beyond just gifts for appreciation! Think about your volunteers' love languages and how you can show appreciation without physical items. Here are some ideas:  Host a special event. Invite them out to dinner or host a special event at your church just for your volunteers. Maybe you bring in a Christian comedian? Maybe you host a game night for their families? Maybe you provide lunch after services one Sunday in the form of a fleet of food trucks? Maybe you host a Parents' Night Out that’s just for volunteer families. Bonus points if you can include their families in the event too!  Ask them questions, get their input, and gather feedback. One of the best ways to show volunteers you care and respect them is to reflect on the...
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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. (And you don't have to do it alone! Join us Thursday, January 2, 2025 for an online interactive workshop where we'll plan and pray for our year together. Save your spot here!) 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...
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Goal Getter Pages

These Goal-Getter pages pair well with our free Ministry Goal Setting Guide to help you keep track and stay accountable to your goals all year long! What’s included? Block Year Planner (to see your year visually - is one season busier than others?) Yearly Goal Planner by Month (choose 1-3 goals to focus on each month) Monthly Goal Pages - get specific with your monthly goals here by adding the action steps needed to make them happen Weekly Planner - Use weekly to help focus your tasks and goals. Download Goal Getter Pages Here!   These pages are additional resources found in the Workshop Workbook for our upcoming Mapping Out Your Ministry Year Planning and Prayer Workshop happening Thursday, January 2, 2025! This ridiculously practical online workshop will guide you in creating a balanced ministry...
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Top 10 Christmas Worship Songs for Your KidMin

Your kids will love singing along to these Christmas worship songs that help remind them about why we celebrate Christmas! Seeds Kids Worship - "Joy (Luke 2:8-14)" - This one literally has kids singing the story of Jesus' birth! Listen here. Doorpost Songs - "Go Tell It On the Mountain" - Here's a bubbly, upbeat version of the classic Christmas carol. Go tell everyone: Jesus Christ is born! (My preschooler has been singing this one non-stop!) Listen here. Yancy - "Christmas Time" - Slow things down and remind kids of the true meaning of Christmas: love, peace, joy and most of all Jesus. Listen here. Amber Sky Records - "Christmas This Year" - This is a favorite in our house and in our ministry! Listen here. Doorpost Songs - "Unto Us" - The familiar words of Isaiah 9, “Unto us a child is born,” come to life in a brand new way in this...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents, Leadership

Christmas Cards Printable

Need a simple and fun activity for Christmas that encourages kids to think about sharing the joy of Christmas with others? Print these sweet Christmas cards on cardstock, cut, then let kids color and write a special Christmas note inside! Perfect for early arrivers, a family activity, or a small group activity. Download the Cards here! These Christmas Cards are included in the Make It Christmas Family Devotion, a devotional/activity book organized into four weeks of Christmas experiences to help families focus their Christmas on Jesus! It’s available in 2 versions to give the option to make it a kit with materials or provide just the book with printables. Learn more about this unique Christmas family devotion...
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5 Steps for Finishing Your Year like a KidMin Pro

As the year winds down, it’s easy for children's ministry leaders to shift into survival mode (or maybe you've already been in survival mode since Thanksgiving). Between holiday events, family commitments, and the regular demands of ministry, December can feel overwhelming. But what if instead of just surviving, we made it our goal to finish the year strong? To actually enjoy this season and set ourselves up for success in the next year? Here are some practical steps to help you end the year like a KidMin Pro and set the stage for January. Celebrate - Take time to celebrate all God has done in your ministry this year. What were the big wins? What prayers were answered? Celebrate those victories with your team, volunteers, and even your congregation. This might look like sharing a year-in-review video during a Sunday service, writing...
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Last Christmas

🎵 "Last Christmas, we shared these ideas & freebies, but some of you weren’t here. This year, to save you some time, I’m bringing them back in case you missed them." 🎵 Ok, so maybe those aren’t the lyrics, but it’s true! (And you already have my heart anyway, kidmin leader.) Here are our top posts and freebies from Last Christmas! Wondering to Bethlehem Advent Devotional for Kids If you’ve been around long, then you know how much I love talking about the imagination and learning. Developing a child’s biblical imagination is a key element of their spiritual development, which is why I am STOKED for the newest Advent Devotional for Kids: Wondering to Bethlehem. Learn more about it here. 3 Things Every Child Needs to Know About Christmas There are a lot of things kids may know about Christmas and...
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8 Christmas & Winter Hands-On Devotions for Families

Our 8 Summer Toy Family Devotions was such a hit, I am THRILLED to share these Christmas and Winter options! Kelly, a kidmin leader in Springfield, IL, created these to share with the families in her ministry as part of her parent resource shelves. Below you will find devotions built around easy-to-find items. Some of these are Christmasy - others are just wintery that could be available all season long.  You can choose to use all or only some - each is independent. You can reword or change up any of the devotions included here - make them your own! The document is unformatted; I use them plain like this, but you are welcome to format them and pretty them up however works for you! You’re also welcome to use these at church and make as many copies as needed for your church families. If you want to provide both the devotions and the items to your...
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Making PLANS: Advent Devotional for KidMin Leaders

Many of our resources and freebies are geared toward the kids and families in your ministry, but this week is for YOU, kidmin leader. It's an overview and preview of a weekly Advent devotion written specifically with children’s ministry leaders in mind. So block out 20 minutes on your calendar for the first week of Advent, grab your Bible, print this free sample of week 1, and spend time with Jesus this Advent season. Praying for you as you place your hope in Him.  The Advent season is one of eagerness and anticipation. For KidMin Leaders, it’s also a time for planning. Every prayerful plan you develop and implement will guide others toward Jesus. Whether you plan with a team or on your own, there’s a significant amount of preparation to be done this time of year. This interactive Advent devotional was created just for you, the KidMin...
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Making PLANS: Advent Devotional for KidMin Leaders Free Sample

Many of our resources and freebies are geared toward the kids and families in your ministry, but this freebie is for YOU, kidmin leader. Here’s week 1 from a 4-week Advent devotional written specifically with children’s ministry leaders in mind. So block out 20 minutes on your calendar during the first week of Advent, grab your Bible, print the following pages, and spend time with Jesus this Advent season. Praying for you as you place your hope in Him.   Download the Advent Devotional Sample Here   If you enjoyed this Advent devotional, download the full month (4 weeks + Christmas Eve/Day)...
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6 Benefits of Gratitude

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Happy November! This month is all about turkeys, family, and one of my favorite postures to teach kids: gratitude. There are countless verses in the Bible that help us express our gratitude to God, and when we can help kids develop an attitude of gratitude, we set them up for lifelong habits of success in a variety of ways. Here are 6 benefits of gratitude to consider as we head into a month-long focus on thankfulness: Emotional Health: Gratitude makes us more confident, leads to higher self-esteem, and can even improve decision-making. Mental Health: Thankfulness increases mental strength and resilience. It can even help reduce anxiety, a key benefit in a culture where kids and teens are more anxious than ever before. Physical Health: Even though gratitude is an attitude, it can affect our...
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Thankfulness Discussion Cards for Families

Share these thankfulness leaf discussion cards with the families in your ministry to give them an easy way to foster discussion about gratitude this month! Families can use one a day for 8 days or use them all at a special Thanksgiving meal! Just print, cut, and distribute to families, or share the PDF via email! Download the Thankfulness Discussion Cards Here! These Thankfulness Discussion Cards come from our Fall into Thankfulness Family devotions! Each resource includes 7-8 thankfulness cards like the ones in this download. The resources also include a corresponding devotional that can be done as a family activity to reinforce the thankfulness card and provide an opportunity for quality family time and conversation. Learn more about the preschool family devotions here and the elementary family devotions...
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4 Ways to Help Kids Develop an Attitude of Gratitude (And Why it’s Important to Their Success)

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]One of my favorite Christian authors, Dr. Caroline Leaf, is a communication pathologist and cognitive neuroscientist who studies how the brain and body work together. (Seriously, y'all, she's brilliant.) I stumbled upon one of her blog posts recently that talked about how having an attitude of gratitude leads to success. Here's what she said... Did you know that gratitude is essential to success? If you can’t appreciate what you have to be thankful for right now, it is harder to achieve what you desire in the future. In fact, gratitude changes the brain and body for the better! Research on the effects gratitude has on our biology shows how being thankful increases our longevity, our ability to use our imagination, and our ability to problem-solve. You can read even more of what Dr. Leaf has to say about...
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10 Verses Kids Need to Know For Christmas

Christmas is about the coming of our Savior, and it's our job as children's ministry leaders to remind kids and families of that, give them space to explore and experience the story, and point them back to Scripture every chance we get. So here are 10 verses kids need to know for Christmastime, especially as we enter the season of Advent. Many of them are short enough for kids to memorize, and you can use them in your curriculum, Christmas events, Advent resources, and more! Find all of our Christmas and Advent resources here. Isaiah 9:6 (NIrV) - "A child will be born to us. A son will be given to us. He will rule over us. And he will be called Wonderful Adviser and Mighty God. He will also be called Father Who Lives Forever and Prince Who Brings Peace." (And here's a worship video that will help kids memorize it!) 2 Corinthians 9:15...
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7 Thanksgiving Crafts That Help Develop Gratitude

As you're planning your Sunday or mid-week lessons for the Thanksgiving season, here are 7 fun craft ideas for your kidmin that help kids develop an attitude of gratitude! More than just turkey coloring pages or a creative art project, these Thanksgiving-themed crafts will help kids focus their hearts and minds on being grateful! A Giant Group Poster - I saw this idea from Go Curriculum, and it seems so much fun! You just print a large poster of a coloring page at your local print store, then lay it out on a table and invite kids to color as a group! Find more details and download a free colorable poster from Go here. Gratitude Jars - These are a classic November idea. Give each child a jar or container of some kind, and let them decorate it. Provide a simple label and gratitude prompts like these for kids to cut and place in their jars....
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Thankful Bookmarks Freebie

Bookmarks are fun to color and make a great craft! This set of 8 Thanksgiving bookmarks can be colored, glued to cardstock, laminated - so many fun and creative possibilities! Add these bookmarks to small group time, worship activity bags, or send them with kids as a take-home project! Find even more Thanksgiving craft/activity ideas here, and find all of our Thanksgiving resources here! Download the bookmarks...
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Candy Cane Games for Your KidMin

Play these fun candy-cane-themed games in your kidmin this Christmas! They’re perfect for large group or small group time! These games came from our Candy Cane Christmas 4-week series! Download a printable version here! Candy Cane Face Supplies: candy canes (at least 36) To play: Invite 3 kids up on stage, and give them a basket of at least 12-15 candy canes. Kids have 1-2 minutes to hang as many candy canes on their face as possible (in lips, over ears, on nose, etc.). The child with the most candy canes at the end of the game wins! Candy Cane Chaos Supplies: candy canes (1 per person) To play: Give each person a candy cane that they must hook/hang on their finger and put their other hand behind their back. When you say go, everyone has to try and get other people to drop (or grab) their candy canes without dropping...
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5 Ways to Prepare for Christmas in Your KidMin

It may only be October, but Christmas is coming! I don't know about you, but I've already started listening to Christmas music. :) The Christmas season can be one of the most joyful—and hectic—times in children’s ministry. With all the excitement of celebrating Jesus’ birth, it’s easy to get caught up in the chaos. But planning ahead can help you lead your ministry well and ensure the focus stays on the true meaning of Christmas. So here are 5 ways to prepare for Christmas in Your KidMin: Start early. Starting early is key. December will be here before we know it, especially when juggling multiple events, lessons, and volunteer coordination. Begin planning for Christmas as early as October (or even earlier if you’re able!). This will give you time to prepare Jesus-centered lessons (find our favorite Christmas curriculum...
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Celebrating 7 Years of Serving You!

This week, we're celebrating 7 years of serving you, an amazing community of children's ministry leaders. Don't miss out on our special Lucky 7 Birthday Scratch-Off Sale (head to our home page to play) and win a promo code for up to 37% off your next order! We're also sharing our top 7 posts and resources from the last 7 years. These are the ideas and downloads YOU have loved the most! Top 7 Posts From the Last 7 Years: 10 Scriptures for Kids About Light 5 Things KidMin Leaders Must Do to Effectively Partner with Today's Parents 10 Verses to Pray Over Your Kids as They Head Back to School  Worship Activity Bags: Praise Packs Learn the 10 Commandments with Your Fingers Teaching Kids About Pentecost Simple but Meaningful Holy Week Activities for Families Top 7 Subscriber Freebies: Crew Cards (available to...
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Thirsty for God Object Lesson (Psalm 42:1-2)

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Earlier in the week, I shared a great resource for Old Testament Object Lessons from Future Flying Saucers, so today I thought I’d share one of my favorite object lessons! More than just knowing the Bible, I want kids to WANT to know the Bible. To long for time spent in the Word and to foster a desire to spend time with God. But if this is something we want to develop, we have to teach it! [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title="Download the Printable Version" align="center" link="url:/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/DKM-Thirsty-for-God-Object-Lesson.pdf"][/vc_column][/vc_row] Every kid has been thirsty, and every kid drinks water throughout their week. I like to use water, straws, and Psalm 42:1-2 (NIrV) to teach kids about being thirsty for God’s Word. The best...
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