Father’s Day Coloring Pages

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Use these punny Father's Day coloring pages to celebrate the men in your ministry on Father's Day! Some of the pages are generic for use with any father figure![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download Father's Day Coloring Pages Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F05%2FDKM-fathers-day-coloring-pages-1.pdf|target:_blank"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image="82845" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/?s=father%27s+day&post_type=product"][/vc_column][/vc_row]

“What kind of art does God make in heaven?” A Question about the Lord’s Prayer

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]One day we were learning about the Lord's Prayer. During large group time, we read it out loud, invited kids to read/say it with us, and went through the Lord's prayer, explaining the different parts. When we got back to small group time, I asked the question: "Does anyone have any questions about today’s lesson? Anything that it made you wonder about?" One 2nd grade girl said, “I wonder what kind of art God makes in heaven.” And I said, “You know, that’s a good question, I wonder what kind of art He makes too. What made you think of that?” She said, "Well you know, it says at the beginning of the prayer, our father, who art in heaven. I like to make art too.” This elementary schooler, with her developmentally literal-thinking brain took that to mean "Our father, who does arts...

Lord’s Prayer Poster For Kids

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Use this Lord's Prayer Poster to help teach kids about the Lord's Prayer from Matthew 6! Print it and hang it in your children's ministry space, or print a copy for each child to take home. It's also a great supplemental resource for any time you're teaching about the Lord's Prayer![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Lord's Prayer Poster Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F05%2FDKM-Lords-Prayer-Poster-Freebie.pdf|target:_blank"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="64038" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/product/teach-us-to-pray-a-9-week-series-on-the-lords-prayer/"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text]And if you'd...

5 Reasons Overnight Summer Camp is Important For Your Kids Ministry

You may have a love/hate relationship with overnight summer camp. On the one hand, it's a great week to invest deeper in kids' faith, build relationships, and just have fun together. On the other hand, camp food is not always the greatest, and your back may not appreciate sleeping on a bunk bed for a week. But going to overnight summer camp, whether you attend one that runs the show for you or you create and run your own, is a critical event in a child's faith development, especially as they move into their preteen years and eventually up into the youth group. Here's why: Summer camp creates memories. The fun and shared memories created at camp help bond a group of kids and leaders like not much else can. My husband (a youth pastor) says that camps and retreats are like relationship-building on steroids. This is especially important for...

Summer Camp Parent Info Sheet Template Freebie

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Are you headed to overnight camp this summer with the kids or preteens in your ministry (here are 5 reasons why you should be)? Use this free Camp Parent Info Sheet Template to share all of the important details parents need to know in one simple document! It includes details like the packing list, itinerary details, contact info, etc.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download this freebie here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F05%2FDKM-Camp-Parent-Info-Sheet-Freebie.docx|target:_blank"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="82482" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/product/so-youre-going-to-camp-bundle/"][/vc_column][vc_column...

Make a Splash with these Summer Resources for your KidMin!

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Things are heating up as summer rolls around, but that doesn't mean the spiritual life of your kids has to cool down! While summertime often means even more sporadic church attendance as families enjoy trips, vacations, and downtime, the summer can be an opportunity for spiritual growth for the kids and families you lead. Make a splash in kids' faith this summer with these awesome resources! If you'd like a more visual version of this page, find that here.[/vc_column_text][vc_toggle title="New for 2022" custom_font_container="tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%233ac1e1" custom_use_theme_fonts="yes" use_custom_heading="true"]Summer Splash: Summer Event - Host a wet-n-wild summer event that helps your families stay cool and have fun! This event is designed as a relationship-building event, giving kids and...

Free Summer Bucket List Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Give this free bucket list guide to families in your church to help them be intentional about fun this summer! [/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Summer Bucket List Printable Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F05%2FDKM-Summer-Bucket-List-Freebie.pdf|target:_blank"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="59194" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/product/summer-devotional-and-buckets-of-fun/"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text]For instructions to make your own summer buckets of fun, as well as more Printables, templates for sticker labels and tags for the buckets, a supply list, social media images, a...

4 Places to Find Summer Volunteers for Your Ministry

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Volunteers are hard to come by in the world of children's ministry, especially during the summer after your team has been serving all year long! When possible, it can help to give your regular volunteer team a break during the summer months so they can relax, recharge, and refresh. Our subscribers have access to a Summer Serve printable that can help them recruit a team of summer volunteers, and here are 4 specific places to find volunteers to serve in your ministry during the summer months... College Students - They're headed home for the summer and most of them will be looking for something to do! Invite them to be part of your ministry on Sunday mornings. They often get out of school earlier than local public schools, so try and connect with them early or mid-May when they're just getting home! Present it...

Sweet Sound Review & Giveaway

As children's ministry leaders, we wear a lot of hats. Goldfish-buyer, chaos-wrangler, volunteer coordinator, family-supporter, and so much more. Worship leader may even be one of the roles you play, and it may even be one of the roles you feel least confident about (that was me for sure!). That's why I'm so excited to share about a new book from Dove-award-winning kids worship leader, Yancy. Sweet Sound is all about the power of discipling kids in worship, and it's one that every children's ministry leader (or any worship leader, really) needs to read. One of the things I loved about the book was how the first part shared a theology of worship and the second part was super practical. The first part of the book focuses on the life of David and the lessons we learn about worship from him. It was a theological explanation of worship (what it...

White Carnation Mother’s Day Gift Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Did you know the white carnation holds significant meaning to the Mother’s Day holiday? Use this activity and the attached printable to help kids create a simple but meaningful Mother's Day gift for the important women in their lives![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download this activity here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F04%2FWhite-Carnation-Mothers-Day-Gift-Printable.pdf|target:_blank"][vc_column_text] Supplies: white carnation for each child, printable for each child to fill out, markers, paper hole punch Say: Anna Jarvis is the woman who started Mother’s Day. Well, as a young girl growing up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Anna and her mother cared for a garden full of white carnations. These were her mother’s favorite flower. In 1907, Anna...

3 Simple But Meaningful Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Mother's Day is right around the corner, and you may be wondering what to gift the women in your ministry. Since becoming a mom myself, I've realized the gifts moms want most are 2 things: 1) simple and 2) meaningful. So here are 3 simple but meaningful Mother's Day gift ideas to celebrate all of the women in your church. White Carnations - Did you know the white carnation is the official flower of Mother's Day? Anna Jarvis, the creator of Mother's Day, used to tend a garden full of white carnations with her mother as a girl. In 1907, Anna delivered 500 white carnations to her church. She requested that each mother in the congregation get one as they arrived at church that week. Every year after that, the church upheld the tradition and continued to hand out carnations at the Mother’s Day service....

Easter Cross Coloring Pages

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Need a last-minute Easter activity that helps kids think about Jesus' resurrection? These Easter Cross Coloring Pages are just what you're looking for! Find all of our Easter resources here.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Easter Cross Coloring Pages Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F04%2FDKM-Easter-Cross-Coloring-Pages.pdf|target:_blank"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/4"][vc_single_image image="80308" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/DKM-Easter-Cross-Coloring-Pages.pdf"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/4"][vc_single_image image="80309" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank"...

Tell Me You’re Planning an Easter Event Without Telling Me You’re Planning an Easter Event…

Tell me you're planning an Easter Event without telling me you're planning an Easter event. I'll go first. One time I experimented with roasting Peeps instead of regular marshmallows for an Easter-themed s'more snack. 😂 Your turn! I posed that question in some popular children's ministry Facebook groups last week and had a BLAST reading through all of the answers! Here are some of my favorites: "I am trying to calculate the total weight of 1,000 filled plastic eggs and trying to decide if I can lift them myself (if they all fit in one container)." "I asked my congregation to donate over 10,000 plastic eggs." "I just bought around $200 worth of chocolate chips and mini eggs." "I took buckets of sand from the playground (so people can walk through a tomb with their bare feet)." "Instead of a ball pit, I could have an egg...

“Monday Thursday?” Explaining Maundy Thursday to Kids

"Monday Thursday?! No, Ms. Brittany." *sigh* "It goes Monday, TUESday!" a 2nd grader in my small group corrected me. She thought I was naming the days of the week all out of order and was appalled at my lack of common sense knowledge. I promise: I do know the order of the days of the week. We were talking about Holy Week, and I referenced Maundy Thursday (which does kind of sound like "Monday Thursday" honestly). Her exasperated correction led to a short but insightful conversation for our small group about Maundy Thursday: what it means, why we celebrate it, and even why it's called "Maundy." I have to admit: I didn't know all the answers to their questions. There were times I had to say "I don't know, but I'll look it up and get back to you next week." I knew the basics but wanted to know more, so I did some research and dove headfirst...

16 Easter Books for Kids that Share the Biblical Story

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]My 2-year-old loves books, and we try to rotate books in and out of our reading lineup based on the season/time of year. Based on research and recommendations from others + my family's own personal favorites, here's a list of Easter books for kids that share the Biblical story![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="78675" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://amzn.to/3Jrv4Dz"][vc_column_text]A Very Happy Easter - 4-7 years old - We have a Christmas book from the same authors, and it is one of our all-time favorites. I love the interactions, the illustrations, and the way the story is presented. I'm excited to read this one as a family![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image...

Illustrate and Imagine Easter Activity

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Help kids bring the Easter story to life by using this imaginative activity to engage kids’ creativity and invite them into the experience of Biblical times.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download Illustrate & Imagine Easter Activity Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F02%2FDKM-Illustrate-and-Imagine-Easter-Activity-final-copy.pdf||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text]Supplies: Butcher paper or newsprint, drawing utensils Details: Provide a large sheet of butcher paper or white paper for each small group of kids. Have them illustrate what they imagine the world was like during Jesus' time. They can draw things they may have learned from the Bible, what they imagine towns looked like, animals, sights, or scenes from Jesus’ life. The sky is the...

Cultivating Biblical Imagination (not just Biblical Knowledge) in Kids

Last week, I joined my friend, Ana Zugheri, on her YouTube channel to talk about creativity as leaders in children's ministry: how we foster our own creativity, how we balance the organizational and creative sides of a leader's job, and I even got to talk about Brain Dumps for a bit. One of my favorite questions Ana asked was about how we help kids be creative. This question fit right in with some research I've been doing and what has been on my heart and my mind for a blog post to share, so it was cool to see how God tied it all together! God is an imaginative God - He had to be, in order to be the Creator God. Think about all of the different plants and animals in the world. Just take a look at this tiny, glowing,  "immortal" jellyfish and tell me that doesn't take some imagination. Or read up about this carnivorous, snake-like plant...

How To Make Your Easter Eggs Glow

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]If you're hosting a Glow in the Dark Easter Egg Hunt or just want to add some fun to your egg decorating, there are a few options you can try to make your eggs glow... Plastic Eggs + Finger Lights – This is the route we use for our Glow in the Dark Egg Hunts. The finger lights last several hours, meaning you can stuff them before the event and they’ll still be glowing when it’s time to hunt/after the event. Plus, the kids loved taking them home. Just flip it on, then put one finger light into each plastic egg. Plastic Eggs + glow sticks – Though a popular and somewhat cheaper option than the finger lights, we ended up avoiding this option. The glow sticks did not fit well into the eggs, making the eggs pop open often. Also, the glow sticks didn’t glow as brightly inside the eggs, so we didn’t...

The Return of the Egg Hunt

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Egg hunts are back! After 2 years of NOT being able to host your annual Easter egg hunt event, this year looks hopeful! While I know not all areas are able to fully reopen, many places are moving forward with their egg-citing special Easter plans. Here are 5 resources to make the return of your Easter egg hunt egg-stra special: Easter Egg Hunt Event Guide - An Easter Egg Hunt can be overwhelming – especially if you have never done one before or if it's been a while! Help make planning your egg hunt a BREEZE with this Easter Egg Hunt Event Guide. It includes ideas, timelines, questions, and guides to take you step-by-step through the planning process. Learn more here. Easter Egg-stravaganza - What makes Easter Egg-stravaganza different than your typical egg hunt? While some eggs have candy or...

Easter Resources 2022

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of our Savior this Easter with these awesome resources!  If you'd like a more visual version of this list, find that here.[/vc_column_text][vc_toggle title="New for 2022" custom_font_container="tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%233ac1e1" custom_use_theme_fonts="yes" use_custom_heading="true"]Easter Egg-stravaganza - A gospel-centered egg hunt that can be hosted at church or home. What makes Easter Egg-stravaganza different than your typical egg hunt? While some eggs have candy or treats, some eggs have Easter story pictures from the Bible. Kids hunt for the eggs, then help you tell the Easter story by putting the pictures in order! As the eggs are recovered, the good news is discovered—Jesus is alive! Learn more here. Egg Hunt Event Guide - Is this your first...

Helping Families Navigate Conversations About the Violence in Ukraine

Last year, the Lent season began around the 1-year-anniversary of the onset of a global pandemic. This year, the Lent season begins alongside an eruption of violence and chaos in the country of Ukraine that has ripple effects worldwide. Both situations (and all of the others that have happened in between) pull us out of our normal routines and force us to look both inward and outward. Janel Cubbage, a psychotherapist and Bloomberg Fellow with Johns Hopkins, recently tweeted: Respectfully, after the last two years I think we’re beyond the “is anyone else having trouble concentrating with everything going on” phase and need to be asking why we’re upholding a culture that expects us to carry on business as usual. Lent is historically a season to focus on suffering, confession, fasting, and prayer. It's a season when we're supposed to...

Kids Devotion Giveaway: The Bible Food Truck

Vanessa Myers always finds ways to help kids connect with God's Word, and The Bible Food Truck does exactly that! I love this food-truck-themed devotion for kids that invites them to dig into the Bible. There are 75 devotions total that focus on Bible verses that talk about food, drink, or fasting, starting in Genesis and working through both the Old and New Testaments. Each devotion is straightforward and simple enough for kids to digest, but also deep enough to give them something to chew on and apply. The action steps at the end of each devotional help kids take their faith to go and make it applicable in their everyday lives. These ideas help kids not just read Scripture but put it into action too. The overarching project of creating your own food truck is such a fun way to tie all of the devotions together, and what a great goal for kids to...

5 Ways to Make Birthdays Special For the Kids In Your Ministry

Last week, our daughter turned 2, and while we had lots of birthday celebrations at home, it was such a special treat to see how our church family celebrated her for her birthday too! So it got me thinking about how important (and easy) it can be to make birthdays special for the kids in your ministry. Recognizing a child’s birthday lets them know that they are valued and worthy of special attention. And when kids feel special, that opens doors with their parents for even more ministry opportunities. So how do you make birthdays special? Here are some ideas... Know about birthdays ahead of time. Set up notifications on your phone to remind you of birthdays or keep a printable like this one on your desk. When you recognize a child’s birthday before they even tell you about it, it heightens their excitement and makes them feel so...

Birthdays to Remember List Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Use this birthday tracker printable to keep track of the birthdays of all the kids in your ministry. Just write the date number and name of each child under the corresponding month! Then keep this list handy to send birthday cards several months at a time or for a quick reference on Sunday morning to see who you should be on the lookout for to celebrate their birthday![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Birthdays to Remember List Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F02%2FDKM-Birthdays-to-Remember-List-Printable-Birthday-Calendar-List-1.pdf|target:_blank"][vc_single_image image="76430" img_size="medium" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank"...

Family Fasting Plan Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Share the printable on the following page with the families in your ministry to encourage them to think and pray together about what they can give up for Lent - as individual family members and as a whole family. Invite them to hang the printable on their fridge and encourage each other throughout the entire season of Lent. Remind them that Lent isn't just about giving something up. Lent is about making room in our hearts and lives for God to fill us up with His presence and His word. Find more ways to encourage families to celebrate Lent here.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Family Fasting Plan Printable Here" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F02%2FDKM-Family-Fasting-Plan-Printable.pdf|target:_blank"][vc_single_image image="76015"...