Categories: Blog

Dinner With Jesus Easter Family Activity

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Share this activity with your families to complete during or after Easter! Families will read the Road to Emmaus story in Luke 24 and then have a "dinner with Jesus". The provided discussion questions will help guide the experience, and it's a simple activity for families to do during dinner together.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Dinner with Jesus Family Activity Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F03%2FDKM-Dinner-with-Jesus-Freebie.pdf|target:_blank"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="101197" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/product/an-easter-week-walk-7-day-family-devotional/"][/vc_column][vc_column...
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Glow in the Dark Event Decoration Ideas

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Whether you're hosting a Glow in the Dark Easter Egg Hunt or another glowing event, use these ideas to help you decorate your space and tie in the glowing theme! Glow Stick Lanterns Supplies: Glow sticks, connectors Use the connectors in a kit like this one to create several glow stick lanterns to hang around your event area. They don’t provide much actual light, but they were great for marking doorways, gates, etc. Glowing Balloons Supplies: white balloons, glow sticks Blow up the white balloons, inserting 2 activated glow sticks into each one before tying it off. (Tip: blow the balloon up halfway, then quickly insert the glow sticks and continue blowing.) Using different colored glow sticks will give you a different color glowing balloon. Tie your glowing balloons up at the entrance or in...
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Cost-Saving Ideas for Your Easter Egg Hunt

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]If you're putting on an Easter Egg Hunt but need to cut back on your budget, try one of these cost-saving ideas! Ask church members to donate pre-filled eggs. Reuse eggs year to year. After the egg hunt, have kids empty the eggs and keep the candy, then collect eggs to reuse for the next year. OR don't stuff the eggs to begin with, and have kids turn in their empty eggs for a goody bag of candy. Rather than handing out food such as cotton candy, popcorn, etc., see if local food trucks would be willing to come set up at your event. Combine your egg hunt with another local church to help save money. Shop at your local dollar store for eggs and prizes. Limit kids to 20 eggs a piece (or fewer). Shop the day(s) after Easter for next year’s event. Buy prizes/trinkets rather than using...
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25 Apps/Tech Tools KidMin Leaders Can’t Live Without

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Though it may have its negatives, our digital world provides lots of new tools and resources we can use to help us do ministry more effectively and efficiently. Last year, I asked kidmin leaders in a FB group about the 1-2 apps or tech tools they can't live without in children's ministry. Here were the top 25 answers (in no particular order):[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] Canva (top recommended) Remind FaceBook Page & FaceBook Groups (Psst Here's a training to help you make the most of your ministry's social media.) Propresenter Right Now Media Planning Center Amazon - "It's where I get all my supplies!" Weather Channel App - "Just in case I need a rain plan." Notion - "Basically you can make pages which house all the different notes you need as a children’s minister. Then...
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Preparing for Lent: What Would Your Schedule Look Like If God Were in Charge Of It?

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I'm a schedule-and-routine person through and through. I like my calendar and my daily task lists, and the predictability of a schedule brings my head comfort and my heart joy. But as we head into the Lenten season, I've been pondering this question: What would my schedule look like if God were in charge of it? I'd probably spend less time scrolling social media. I bet I'd spend more time resting and even sleeping. I'd probably spend more time investing in intentional relationships with others. I'd definitely spend more time in prayer and the Word. When I shift my view of my schedule from something all mine to control to an offering to sacrifice to God, how I spend my time shifts dramatically. Interruptions in my day become divine appointments that God just didn't put on my calendar. Quiet times and studying...
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Fasting Tracker Freebie for Lent

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Fasting is a spiritual discipline that even kids can participate in, and with this fasting tracker printable, you can help kids track their progress through the Lent season of fasting. Each week, kids are encouraged to give up (fast from) something. Each night of that week, they color in the corresponding box to show they completed the fast for the day. Kids have the option to change what they fast from each week, or fast from the same thing throughout the entire season.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Lent Fasting Tracker Freebie Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F01%2FDKM-Fasting-Tracker-Freebie.pdf|target:_blank"][vc_column_text] Find other resources for helping kids understand and practice the spiritual discipline of fasting...
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30 Must-Know Bible Verses for Young Kids

Kids, even young kids, can memorize Scripture to help them learn God's word and apply it to real-life situations. If you're looking for a place to start, here's a list of 30 Bible verses (NIV) perfect for young kids... "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness," - 2 Timothy 3:16 "Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”" - Mark 10:27 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." - 1 Peter 5:7 "But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”" - 1 Samuel 16:7 "Be still before the Lord and...
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Guacamole! Bible Skills Game Free Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Just print and cut this free printable to play Guacamole - a Bible skills game for kids you can use over and over again. To play, kids take turns drawing a card. They must say whether the book on the card is from the Old or New Testament. If they are correct, they keep the card. If they draw a "Guacamole!" card, they must put all their cards back. The player with the most cards at the end of the game wins! More variations for playing are included in the instructions in the printable. [/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Guacamole Bible Skills Game Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F11%2FGuacemole-Bible-Skills-Game-from-Deeper-KidMin.pdf|target:_blank"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="54675"...
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Valentine Resources Your KidMin Will LOVE

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Valentine's Day is a great opportunity to not only teach kids about God's love but to create space for kids to experience God's love too! These Valentine Resources can help...[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Shop All Valentine Resources Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fproduct-category%2Fseasonal%2Fseasonalvalentinesday%2F|target:_blank"][vc_separator color="custom" border_width="5" accent_color="#3ac1e1"][vc_custom_heading text="Help Kids & Families Experience God's Love Through Prayer..." font_container="tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%233ac1e1" use_theme_fonts="yes" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fproduct%2Flove-one-another-valentine-prayer-stations-lesson%2F|target:_blank"][vc_column_text] God’s Conversation Hearts is a Scripture-based prayer prompt...
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How to Lose a Volunteer in Only 1 Week

Do you have new volunteers joining your team as we hit the mid-point of the school year? Maybe it's time for a mid-year volunteer training, or a refresher for your rookie volunteers as they jump into serving with your ministry. Maybe you're in the midst of a volunteer recruitment process or celebrating your volunteers to help them feel encouraged and inspired in their roles. No matter what your volunteer to-do list looks like right now, check out this guest blog post from David Rausch, creator of Go! Curriculum and a DKM Vendor, all about how to lose a volunteer in only 1 week (so you can make sure they're not running for the exit the first time they serve):  I recently began volunteering for a ministry at my church called "Los Vecinos." Using my high school level of Spanish, I roughly translated that to mean "The Vaccines," but upon further...
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Don’t Just Think Outside the Box; Expand the Box

As we head into a new year, you might be looking for new and creative ways to engage kids with the gospel. Check out this week's blog post from Rosemary Winbush, one of our DKM Vendors, about how to not only think outside the box, but how to EXPAND the box when it comes to creativity in children's ministry:  More than ever before, there is a need in Children’s Ministry for more innovative ways to reach children and enhance the ministry we provide for them. It’s getting harder and harder for children to hear the Word of God, so we must become more resourceful to get the job done. The global call to children’s ministry has not changed, but the ways we do it need change. We have all heard of the saying ‘think outside the box,’ but in the future, let’s not only think outside the box; let’s EXPAND THE BOX. Let’s allow our minds to...
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6 Ways to Make Scripture Memory Fun

Scripture memory can be a daunting goal to accomplish, even as adults, but the importance of hiding God’s Word in our hearts is undeniably valuable. Check out some of the ideas below for making memorizing Scripture fun (and therefore easier) for you and your kids. We’ve used several in our ministry context, and they are easy to apply at home or in your ministry too! 1) Make it a game! There are SO MANY ways to make memorizing scripture a game, and the more fun your kids are having, the more they’ll want to memorize! Check out some of our favorite scripture memory games here. 2) Sing it Out! – Make up your own song, chant, cheer, or rap using the words in the verse. You could also check out several resources that are readily available for you and your family. JumpStart3 and Seeds Family Worship both provide relevant worship music...
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Scripture Snowball Fight Game

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This is a fun winter game to help kids memorize scripture! Use it in your ministry setting, or share it as an idea for your families to play at home![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download a printable version here! " align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F12%2FDKM-Freebie-scripture-snowball-fight-game.pdf|target:_blank"][vc_column_text] Supplies: white paper writing utensil music (optional) How to Play: After picking your verse to memorize, write one word from the verse on separate sheets of white paper. Then, wad the paper up to become "snowballs." When you say go, begin having a snowball fight with the paper wads (you can play music while you are doing this, too). When the music stops, everyone begins opening up the snowballs. Then kids must...
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A Prayer for Unhurried Intimacy

Do you choose a "word for the year"? I used to scoff at the practice, but now, I love finding the ways God works through a particular theme throughout a particular season. I've started documenting my words for each year, and what a testimony they have been to God's faithfulness in my life. In 2020, my word was change (lol). I thought it was just about having my first child, but a month after she was born, a global pandemic hit and changed a lot more than just my family life. But oh the creativity that God has pulled out of that season! In 2021, rest. In 2022, celebrate/celebration. As I've prayed about God's theme for me for 2023, one word continues to show up: intimacy. Intimacy in my family and as a mother as we recently welcomed baby #2. Intimacy in my relationships with others that goes deeper than the superficial. And most...
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What Live Christmas Trees Remind Us About Children’s Ministry

Are you team live Christmas tree or team fake Christmas tree at your house? I'm team real Christmas tree all the way. Always have been. Always will be. I love the smell, the excitement of decorating the tree, and the process of choosing just the right tree to take home from a local Christmas tree farm (I have a whole checklist of Christmas tree requirements). I even tried to plan the birth of my second child around being able to go get our live Christmas tree as usual. :) Our live Christmas tree twinkles in the corner of our living room, and it's got me thinking about our calling to serve kids and families. As we head into Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I hope these reminders bring you encouragement, hope, and energy as you make the final preparations for some of the biggest services of the year. Here's what live Christmas trees can...
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Christmas Shoppe Community Event

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Looking for a way to serve and connect with your community this Christmas season? Ashley, a kidmin leader in LA shared with me about a special Christmas Shoppe event his church puts on every year, where his church provides a Christmas shopping experience to needy families in the area: "We have several low-income families in our campus areas and they would not be able to provide Christmas for their kiddos, so we provide that experience for them. We have different themes each year: last year was Polar Express with trains running around the tops of the lobby walls and this year will be a Christmas farm with red trucks, string lights, and trees." To communicate with families who may want to participate, Ashley's church goes through their school systems, counselors, and those who know the families that need help....
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Christmas Shoppe Community Event Details & Documents

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Looking for a way to serve and connect with your community this Christmas season? Ashley, a kidmin leader in LA shared with me about a special Christmas Shoppe event his church puts on every year, where his church provides a Christmas shopping experience to needy families in the area: “We have several low-income families in our campus areas and they would not be able to provide Christmas for their kiddos, so we provide that experience for them." We shared an overview of the Christmas Shoppe event on the blog here, but Ashley also agreed to share some of the documents, plans, and details for hosting a Christmas Shoppe event as a free download for our subscribers![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Christmas Shoppe Event Details and Documents Here!" align="center"...
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Last Christmas 2022

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]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![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="70538" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/brand-new-bible-games-and-a-giveaway/"][vc_custom_heading text="Brand New Bible Games" font_container="tag:h2|text_align:center" use_theme_fonts="yes" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fbrand-new-bible-games-and-a-giveaway%2F|target:_blank"][vc_column_text]I don’t...
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Help Families “Treasure These Things in their Hearts” this Advent Season

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This post is an excerpt from the family devotion included in the Family Advent Calendar Kit from Vanessa Myers of Family Faith Builders.  "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." Luke 2:19 When you think about Christmas, what are some things that come to mind? Your first response might be opening presents! Maybe you also said Christmas lights, candy canes, trees, ornaments, baking cookies, or traveling to visit family. How many of you said the birth of Jesus? As Christians, it's the whole reason we celebrate Christmas! We don't celebrate because we get gifts, but we celebrate because Jesus was born on this earth as a gift from God to save us from our sins so we could live forever with Him in heaven one day. As Christians, we also celebrate the season of Advent. This...
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Nativity Trail Mix

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Everyone loves snacks, especially around the holidays, so why not share a special snack with your kids and families that reminds them of the nativity? This Nativity Trail Mix recipe and guide provides families with a fun, simple, and tasty way to remember the reason for the season all December long. Make it for them and send it home in goody bags at one of your Christmas events, or send home the printable with families and encourage them to make the snack at home together![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the printable version here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F10%2FDKM-Nativity-Trail-Mix-Freebie.pdf|target:_blank"][vc_column_text]Nativity Trail Mix Ingredients Pretzel Sticks Mini Marshmallows Animal Crackers Hershey Hugs &...
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Keeping Christ in Christmas at Home (Without Overwhelming Families)

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I'm excited to share some thoughts from Christie Thomas, author and one of our DKM Vendors, today! Here's what she has to say about keeping Christ in Christmas at Home (without overwhelming families)... It was the same every November. The same woman in our church would strike up a conversation, which would inevitably lead to the question, “are you going to run a Christmas pageant this year?” I love a great Christmas pageant and was involved in many large-scale pageants and musicals as a child, but it never felt like the right fit for this church. The desire for a pageant seemed to come from a feeling of nostalgia, which, to me, isn’t a good enough reason to burn myself and our families out at Christmas. (Psst - check out a few reasons you should - and shouldn't - host a Christmas pageant here.) I...
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Happy Birthday Jesus Banner Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Share this colorable printable with the families in your ministry to help them decorate for a special birthday party for Jesus this Christmas! Or use the banner in your ministry setting for a special Christmas event/service or a regular Sunday morning. Just print, color, cut, and string up![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Happy Birthday Jesus Banner Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F10%2FDKM-Happy-Birthday-Jesus-Banner-Freebie.pdf|target:_blank"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="89383" img_size="full" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/product/birthday-party-for-jesus/"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text]And if you really want to take your...
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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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Why You Should Host a Children’s Christmas Production – And Why You Shouldn’t

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Were you in the kids' choir at church growing up? I was, and I LOVED it. I even stayed on as an assistant youth director after I aged out of the program in middle school, and it influenced my extracurricular activities in high school. The kids choir was one of my favorite things about church, and the yearly Christmas production was always something I looked forward to. That's why I surprised myself as a children's pastor when I declined requests to put on a children's Christmas production each year. Maybe it was because I knew the amount of time and energy that goes into the programs and didn't feel like I could add that to my plate. Maybe it was because we were a mobile church at the time, and I couldn't logistically see how it would work. Maybe I just knew I didn't have the necessary skills to lead something...
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Idea Evaluation Flowchart

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]You probably have and hear a lot of ideas in children's ministry, whether your own or suggestions from someone else. Use this idea evaluation flowchart to help you determine what ideas are valuable for you to pursue and which ones you can let go or table for the future. [/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Idea Evaluation Flowchart here! " align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F09%2FDKM-Idea-Evaluation-Flowchart.pdf|target:_blank"][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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