Categories: Blog

New Kid Forms & Med Forms – Collecting the Information You Need

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]When new families walk into your church for the first time (after they've probably checked out your website), the last thing they want to do is fill out a really long medical and media release form that seems like they’re signing their lives away. But forms like these are important for protecting you, your team, and the children you serve. So use a separate visitor information form that covers the basics, and if they decide to come back for a special event, then you can ask them to complete the full medical and media release form that all of the families in your ministry fill out. This week for Admin April, I’m sharing both my New Kid Information Form for visiting families and my full Medical and Media Release Form (in both print and digital formats) that all participating families complete every...
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4 Questions to Evaluate the First First Impression: Your Website

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]No, that title wasn’t a typo. There’s a new first impression that visitors have of your church, and they see it before they even walk through your doors: your website. New findings have shown that 75%-90% of visitors will look at your church website before deciding to attend. So what kind of first impression is your website (and especially your kidmin section) giving to potential first-time guests? I know that web development and control over the website is probably out of your hands, but you can (and should) still have a voice in making sure your first first impression is a good one. Here are 4 questions to help you evaluate your church website… Is your website updated? If it looks old, has low-quality photos, or includes outdated content, people will assume your church is old,...
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Admin April 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Happy Admin April! All month long, I'll be sharing resources that help you rock the administrative responsibilities of our kidmin role. Think budgets, behavior, and forms, oh my! In case you missed a week, here's what I've shared so far... Week 1 [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="4473" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/5-tips-for-behavior-management-at-church/"][vc_btn title="5 Tips for Behavior Management at Church" align="center" button_block="true" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2F5-tips-for-behavior-management-at-church%2F||target:%20_blank|"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="4477" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link"...
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Filed Under Blog, Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership

Behavior Management System (SLLRP)

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In the past I've shared my 5 Tips for Behavior Management at Church, which discusses the importance of sharing behavior expectations with kids. To help the kids in my ministry understand my expectations for them, I created 5 Rules called the "5 I Can's", that eventually became known by the kids as SLLRP (pronounced "slurp"). They were adaptable for any situation too, so I could remind kids to "SLLRP it up" at VBS, a preschool playdate, or on a Sunday morning, and they'd know exactly what I was talking about. These “I Can” Statements help kids remember how we should behave at church so we can get the best out of our time each Sunday morning and learn all about what God wants to teach us. They allow kids to take ownership of their time at church each week and to empower them to CHOOSE to do the right thing....
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Filed Under Blog, Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership, Volunteers

Easter Volunteer Appreciation Printable – Thanks for Being One of My Peeps!

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I don't have to tell you how big Easter is in the kidmin world. Egg hunts, family events, Holy Week services, and more, and that doesn't even include preparation for Easter Sunday! You and I both know you can't pull off this busy season without your awesome team of volunteers, so use this quick and easy printable to remind them you're glad they're one of your peeps.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download your Peeps Printable here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fproduct%2Fpeeps-easter-volunteer-appreciation-printable-graphics%2F||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text]1) Buy Peeps during the Easter season (buy them after Easter for major discounts). 2) Print the following pages on either colored paper or Avery 5164 Shipping Labels (be sure to follow the printing instructions on the...
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Equipping Parents – Ideas from Leaders Just Like You

I had a great response to my giveaway of Home Grown, the new book from the KidMin Nation Library. To be entered to win, KidMin leaders from across the globe had to answer one question: What is one way you equip the parents in your ministry to be spiritual leaders in their homes? And the responses were excellent! Both rookie and veteran leaders shared their thoughts, and their honesty, vulnerability, and creativity blew me away! So I wanted to share some of the answers leaders posted, and I hope they spark ideas and creativity for you too. This is something that's been pulling strong at my heart here lately. I'm a brand new children's ministry director and unfortunately, there's never been a plan of action to equip parents. This is something I would love to implement asap. Thank you so much for the blessed opportunity to win this great...
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Palm Sunday Craft Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Since we celebrate Palm Sunday every year, it can be difficult to come up with new crafts each time, but this one has been my favorite "outside of the box" palm craft idea! It's super simple, takes minimal prep work, and makes a pretty palm branch! Supplies: Palm Sunday Craft printable green scrapbook paper or different shades of green paper (cut into 1-inch squares) glue sticks [/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Get your hands on the palm Sunday craft now!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F03%2FDKM-Palm-Sunday-Scrapbook-Craft.pdf||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text]Prep: Cut green scrapbook paper or different shades of green paper into 1 inch squares. Do: Give each child a Palm Branch Craft Printable. Spread out the green scrapbook...
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Filed Under Blog, Free Weekly Downloads

Home Grown Review and Giveaway

[vc_row 0=""][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="4365" img_size="medium" onclick="custom_link" link="https://amzn.to/2MCjw3B"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text 0=""] Home Grown: How to Equip Parents for Spiritual Leadership By KidMin Nation (Editor: Tina Houser) My rating: 5/5 stars - It was amazing!     Read: March 2018[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row 0=""][vc_column 0=""][vc_column_text 0=""]This book is for you if... you serve in children's ministry, you think parents are an important part of discipleship, you want more practical ideas for equipping parents that you can implement today. My thoughts: As a contributing author to this book (check out chapter 4 for my thoughts on being a parent cheerleader), I am a little bit biased. But there really is so much good stuff in this...
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Wiping Sin Away Prayer Activity

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This is one of my favorite prayer activities to help kids think about their own sin, ask God for forgiveness, and see a visual of how Jesus washes away our sin. Here's how to do this activity with your kids too. [/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Give me the Prayer Activity" align="center" link="url:http%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F03%2FDKM-Wiping-Sin-Away-Activity.pdf||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text] Cut and laminate the hearts (included in the download). Give each child a heart, a dry erase marker, and a baby wipe. Encourage kids to think of their sins, write them on their heart, then wipe them away, thanking Jesus for wiping away our sins. [/vc_column_text][vc_cta h2="Want to see how this fits into a Sunday lesson?" h4="Check out the free Squeaky Clean Sunday...
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Talking with Kids about Jesus’ Death

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Easter often brings up a tricky subject in the kidmin world: death.  How do you explain Jesus’ death to preschoolers? Or to your sensitive elementary kids? And what about kids who have recently experienced a death? Should we just gloss over that part of the Easter story to spare their feelings? One Easter, one of the 2nd graders asked me a question that reminded me the importance of talking to kids about Jesus’ death. Her mother had passed away suddenly a few months before Easter, and after the lesson, she quietly walked up and asked, “Ms. Brittany, how old was Jesus when he died?” I responded and said “We believe he was around 33 years old.” She said, “Hmm, so he was younger than my mom when she died. I bet Jesus’ family missed him too.” (Give me a minute to stop weeping over...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents, Leadership

Fleeing From Sin Game

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Want a fun, large-group game to help kids learn a healthy reaction to sin? Give this one a try! I used it as an opening game for the Squeaky Clean Sunday lesson, and it helps set the stage for the full 4-week Squeaky Clean Easter unit! Prep: Print several copies of the "Sin Signs" Printable that comes with the download. Give these signs to your volunteer leaders before service starts, and help them coordinate an order to hold up their signs. Play: Play music and invite the children to mingle/move/dance around the room. Cut the music off randomly, and one leader will hold up their sin sign. Children should flee as fast as they can from the leader holding the sin sign. (In the Squeaky Clean version, kids run away from the sin signs and to the rubber ducks!) Continue playing as time...
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Top 5 Easter Worship Songs for Kids

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Here are my top 5 favorite Easter worship songs for kids! We pull out the top three on this list and sing them every year. Kids know them, love them, and look forward to them each Easter season. All of these songs are available for download on Worship House Kids. Happy Day - Perfectly communicates that Jesus washes our sins away and how exciting that news is! (Fits the Squeaky Clean Easter theme perfectly!)   1, 2, 3 - Helps kids learn about Jesus' resurrection plus how (and why) Jesus rose 3 days later.   Hosanna Rock - Written for preschoolers, but even my elementary kids loved this one! So active, easy, and fun!   Here is Our King - This one comes with motions in the video, so half of your work is already done! Plus, use it to remind kids that God is our...
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Baptism Guide for Parents

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Sometimes parents wonder whether their child is ready for baptism or not. Share this guide with them to help parents talk with their children about baptism and discern if their child is ready to take this important step of faith.   Not sure YOU know how to talk with kids about baptism? Read tips for you as the leader here.[/vc_column_text][vc_cta h2="Want to teach a full lesson on baptism?" h4="Use this Easter season to do just that! " txt_align="center" color="sky" add_button="bottom" btn_title="Show me the baptism-focused Easter unit! " btn_color="sky" btn_align="center" btn_link="url:http%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fproduct%2Fsqueaky-clean-4-week-easter-unit%2F||target:%20_blank|"]The 4-week Squeaky Clean Easter unit closes with a special lesson on baptism, teaching kids what it is, why it's...
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Talking with Kids About Baptism

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Baptism isn’t just taking a bath at church or playing in Holy Water fountains; it means so much more! When we are baptized, it is an outward sign of an inward change. We know that when Jesus died on the cross, He wiped away our sins and made us clean. Baptism is our way of showing others that we have been wiped clean of our sins. But baptism happens AFTER we have given our lives to follow Jesus. Your heart changes first; then you are baptized to symbolize the change in your heart. Seems simple, right? Then why is baptism often so confusing for kids? Kids are concrete thinkers and have a hard time with abstract ideas, so trying to understand that the baptism symbolizes our death to sin and new life in Christ can be tough! Kids often hear "baptism" and "becoming a Christian" as interchangeable phrases,...
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Small Groups vs. Stations

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Most curriculums offer a large-group, small-group format for Sunday mornings, but as a mobile church with limited time, space, and resources for creating an exciting environment, I had to come up with a way to make our mornings more engaging for kids. So I adapted the big-name curriculum we were using to fit a new format: large-group time, then stations. Kids LOVED it! Stations allow more movement throughout the morning and mean that you need fewer supplies since only one small group will be doing the activity at a time. Since each station lasts 10 minutes, that one kid who HATES crafts knows that a new activity is coming soon, so it helps eliminate disengagement. Kids go through the stations in the same order each week, but start at a different station, leaving enough structure for stability but enough...
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You’ve Been Egged – A Creative Way to Invite the Community to Your Egg Hunt

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Two years ago, I decided I couldn't be the only one inviting families to our Glow in the Dark Easter Egg Hunt each year. But how would I involve families in the process without adding stress to their schedules and without taking a big chunk out of my ministry budget? Thus, Easter Egging was born! It's simple, it's cheap (you only need some colored paper and plastic Easter eggs), and most importantly, it's so fun that kids will WANT to invite their friends this way![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="I want to egg someone!" color="sky" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fproduct%2Fyouve-been-egged-printable%2F||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text]Here's how it works... Print and copy the free download, double-sided, on fun colored paper. Then make a plan of which families you want to egg. I...
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Volunteer Dove Chocolate Valentine Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Give your volunteers some love this Valentine's Day with a simple gift. It's always a good time to let your volunteers know how much you appreciate them, and with this week's free printable, it'll only take you a few minutes of prep work to thank them for being the heart of your ministry. I heard about this idea at a breakout session with Kathie Phillips, the brilliant KidMin leader and author behind KidMinspiration. What you need: Dove chocolates Glue Dots DKM Volunteer Valentine Printable Just print, cut, stick on the chocolates, and you're ready to go![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title="Help me love on my volunteers this Valentine's Day!" color="sky" align="center"...
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The KidMin Supply You Need But Probably Don’t Have

We've all been there. You turn around for one second and sweet little Johnny in the preschool class pours the bowl of glue all over his hands and is proceeding to lick it off his fingers. (You're also sure the 1 tsp of glue you put in the bowl has somehow multiplied in a twisted Jesus-feeds-the-5,000 kind of way.) Or you're cleaning up the elementary craft area and you have to throw away 3/4 of the glue sticks because the caps are either missing or not tight enough to keep the glue from drying out. The ones that ARE left are covered in hair, yarn, and every kidmin leader's favorite: glitter. Well hold onto your craft supplies, my friends, because these little inventions will change your life. Glue Dots are exactly what they sound like: small adhesive dots of glue that can be used for crafts, gifts, and so much more. They're like the...
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Parents’ Night Out – Valentine’s Edition

[vc_row 0=""][vc_column 0=""][vc_column_text 0=""]Give parents a break! This Valentine’s Day, give the parents in your ministry a night out without the kids. Host a Parents’ Night Out (PNO) where you have youth or empty nesters watch the children while their parents enjoy 4 hours of children-free time. You basically throw one big party for the kids, use youth as your volunteers, and the parents have a night out for dinner and a movie, running errands, or just relaxing at home with no kids![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Click Here For Details on Planning and Promoting Your PNO" color="sky" align="center" link="url:http%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fproduct%2Fparents-night-out-pno-valentine-edition%2F||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text 0=""][vc_row][vc_column width="1/1"][vc_column_text]We always offer the event for free, but we encourage...
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The Most Productive Thing You Can Do Today

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This morning I had plans to pull together a lesson, work on another free download for all of you, and read a few chapters for seminary homework. But God kept interrupting my focus with the song below, and He used it to remind me of a lesson I’ve been learning over the past year. I so often confuse productivity with movement, action, and results, which leads me to believe the lie that spending time in prayer is unproductive. I know that’s not true, but there’s often a sneaky little voice in my head that reminds me of everything else I could be doing instead. I’m working on silencing that lie and retraining my brain to accept the idea that creating stillness is a form of spiritual productivity. I’ve learned that when God interrupts my plans for the day, I better pay attention, so I took a break...
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3 Sites For Parents to Review Movie Content for Their Children

All parents have concerns about the content of what their children are watching, but no one has time to preview every movie or tv show their child wants to see. Whether your kids are watching on the big screen or a handheld screen, use these sites to find in-depth reviews of any movie's content without having to watch it yourself first. The Dove Foundation - I like this one because it breaks down the movie concerns into different categories: violence, language, sexual content, etc. and even tells you specifically what the instances are.    Plugged In - This site from Focus on the Family is similar to the Dove Foundation, but it is not as easy to read through. One bonus is that it tends to give more details on the spiritual aspects of the movies rather than just a warning of the possible questionable content and offers reviews...
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3 Movie Sites to Help You Avoid a #Fail Moment Like Mine

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]At the first Parents Night Out that I planned, I showed the movie Shrek. We were a boy-heavy ministry at the time, and I thought, "Swamps, ogres, dragons... the boys will love it!" Well they also loved it when the characters cussed 4 times - yes, 4 times - throughout the movie and they got to tell their parents they heard a potty word at church. #fail Since that wonderful experience of inadvertently teaching the sweet preschoolers new words, I always read up on any movie I plan to show in my ministry. Using one or all three of the following sites helps make sure I’m not showing anything inappropriate and helps me prepare to address any issues that may arise. Learn from my Shrek mistake, and use these sites to preview movie content before showing it in your ministry. The Dove Foundation - I like this one...
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Faithful Finance (Lit Lowdown)

[vc_row 0=""][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="3703" img_size="medium" onclick="custom_link" link="https://amzn.to/2B6TUaq"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text 0=""] Faithful Finance: 10 Secrets to Move from Fearful Insecurity to Confident Control By Emily G. Stroud My rating: 5/5 stars - It was amazing!     Read: January 2018[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row 0=""][vc_column 0=""][vc_column_text 0=""]This book is for you if... you are a Christian who spends money, talking about finances stresses you out (two hands raised over here) but you know you need to know this stuff, or you want a Godly perspective of maintaining your personal finances that is simple enough to understand and apply. My thoughts: I will be the first person to admit that talking about finances gives me heart...
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Add Parents to Your Team: Setting Up a Parent Council

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Your ministry team isn’t complete without these important players: the parents. Whether they’re your favorite or your least favorite family (don’t lie, we all have favorites), having parents on your ministry team as more than just volunteers is important. To help give parents a voice in the ministry, better partner with them in discipling their children, and help build trusting relationships, I set up a Parent Council in my 2nd year of ministry and have loved it ever since. What is it? A Council, by definition, is an advisory board of people formally constituted and meeting regularly. A Parent Council is a group of 8-10 parents of your choosing that meet regularly to provide feedback, guidance, and input on the ministry. This is a sounding board for you as you plan as well as an extra team to rely on for...
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Be a Parent Cheerleader (Not a Coach)

Ministry with children and youth is just as much about the parents as it is the kids themselves. But sometimes our approach to equipping parents can actually have the opposite result of what we want. In my early years of ministry, I provided resources about how to be the best parent and what the “Christian parent” should be doing in their home, but I quickly learned that sometimes these types of resources created more guilt and shame than encouragement or advice. Moms did not feel they could live up to all of the resources I was providing, and it left them feeling overwhelmed. I have learned to switch my mentality as a children’s pastor from “parent coach” to “parent cheerleader” (especially since I do not have children of my own yet). It may just seem like semantics, but this shift actually creates a brand new mindset to...
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