Categories: Leadership

14 Ways to Pray for the Kids You Serve Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As KidMin leaders, we can plan, prep, cut, glue, and email all we want, but our efforts to change kids' hearts are futile unless we ask God to do the real work for us. We have the opportunity to reach kids' hearts when they are most vulnerable to the redeeming story of the gospel, and when we pray for the children in our care by name and with specific prayers, we increase that impact exponentially. Use the 14 ways below to pray for the children in your ministry (psst- that's enough for a specific prayer each day over the next two weeks). Share this download with your volunteers or hand it out at volunteer training so your whole team can join together in covering kids in prayer.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Start Praying" align="center"...
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Filed Under Blog, Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership, Volunteers

3 Ministry Tips from the Mouse

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]My sister worked at Disney during the summer of 2018, so we took a trip down to see her and spend some time at the Disney World Parks. While we were park hopping, waving to Belle, and eating Mickey ice cream bars, I noticed a few things about how Disney runs things that can help us do ministry more effectively.   Here are 3 things the Mouse can teach us about ministry. [/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image="5319" img_size="full" alignment="center"][vc_column_text]1) You can be efficient AND effective. The lines may be long for Space Mountain, but they could be MUCH worse. On nearly every ride, Disney has perfected the most efficient and effective system for getting people off the ride faster so more people can get on the ride faster. On top of that, they've designed interactive queues to keep you engaged...
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Filed Under Blog, Leadership

Back to School Blessings Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As we prepare for the school year, I'm reminded of the importance of using Scripture in our prayers, writing our prayers down, and speaking prayers out loud over our families and loved ones. So as the school year begins, share this printable with the families in your ministry and encourage parents to use these scriptures to speak blessings over their children on their first days and weeks of school. Families can print them out and post the prayers around their house or car, and they're small enough to fit into a purse or wallet.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Back to School Blessings" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fproduct%2Fback-to-school-blessings%2F||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text] For the school year: Luke 2:52 - God, help [child's name] grow in wisdom...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents, Leadership, Volunteers

Big Picture Mindset

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text el_id="brittany@deeperkidmin.com"]I love being married to a youth pastor. It makes our schedule a little crazy and we eat way too much pizza but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. One of my favorite things about it is that I get to see the big picture of spiritual development in a child’s life from preschool to high school graduation. (And it's awesome.)  Since I work primarily with kids in preschool-elementary but then also serve as a volunteer with the youth, I get to see how what we do in preschool affects elementary, which affects middle school, which affects high school and beyond. Just this summer included leading worship at VBS, serving with high schoolers in Chicago, worshiping with students at the beach, and watching middle schoolers experience their first mission trip. In just these 6...
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Filed Under Blog, Leadership

Wired for Relationships

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]God wired us with a need for community as a reflection of his triune character, and the same holds true for children. Kids need relationships with their peers and with their leaders. Friendships are especially important in the preteen years. I have found that groups of 6th graders who enter the middle school youth group as friends tend to have an easier time transitioning than a group of students who don’t feel close. Especially as preteens experience “11-year-old atheism” – when children have a difficult time reconciling an unknowable God with their concrete way of thinking – they need leaders they trust and peers they can learn with. Creating a community in which to doubt, play, and grow provides the healthiest environment for engaging children. Learning is a social process in itself, so...
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Filed Under Blog, Leadership, Volunteers

Wired For Technology

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Technology often gets a bad rap, but it’s not going anywhere, and if we don’t work to leverage technology for our advancement of the gospel, we will grossly miss our targets. Today’s kids don’t know a world without the existence of technology and the internet, and the Barna Group has found that children spend an average of five hours on an electronic device (tablet, phone, computer, etc.) every day. As ministry leaders, we have to use technology in our ministries to engage kids in what we are teaching and how it can apply to their lives. If you aren’t using technology in your ministry in some way, you’ll lose kids (and their parents) because they’ll subconsciously view the church as outdated and irrelevant. Kids interact with technology on a daily basis anyway, so why not redirect some of...
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Filed Under Blog, Leadership

Wired for Learning: Developmental Stages KidMin Leaders Need to Know

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We learned earlier in the week how kids are wired uniquely and what we can do to engage them. Today is all about how kids are developmentally wired for learning. The speed at which their little brains absorb and process new information is unlike any other stage of life. This is great news for us! Their minds are already ready for the truths we want to teach them. But that doesn’t mean every child is developmentally ready for every truth. 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...
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Filed Under Blog, Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership, Volunteers

A Game of Darts – Engaging Kids According to How They Are Wired

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Think of children’s ministry like a game of darts. We want what we are teaching (the darts) to stick with the children we are teaching (the dartboard). Engaging children according to how they are wired developmentally and relationally allows us to take better aim and hit the bulls-eye. Trying to teach a preschooler an abstract concept of faith would be like trying to throw the dart backward and hoping it sticks. It may leave an imprint, but will, for the most part, miss the mark completely. Knowing and understanding how children are uniquely wired for learning, technology, and relationships helps us be more effective in our presentation of Biblical truths and allows us to combine theology and scientific theory to create the most well-rounded approach to ministry and sharing the gospel. Over the next...
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Filed Under Blog, Leadership

Volunteer Handbook

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Whether your volunteer team includes 5 volunteers or 500, it can be difficult to make sure everyone is on the same page. While you can (and should) host a volunteer training each year, that one hour every 52 weeks just isn't enough to communicate everything you want your volunteers to know. Creating a volunteer handbook is a great way to share expectations, communicate details, and provide a little extra training for your volunteers to have all year long. I'm sharing my full 34-page volunteer handbook this week, and I hope it helps spark some ideas for creating your own. Feel free to use the wording and details found within it, and if you want a customizable copy so you don't have to start from scratch, it's available here or as part of the Put Me In Coach Volunteer Training...
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Filed Under Blog, Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership, Volunteers

Volunteer Training Email Templates

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]One important aspect of hosting an all-star volunteer training is planning ahead and communicating details. If you expect all of your volunteers to attend training (and I recommend making your training mandatory), you have to give them plenty of notice and reminders.  So this week I'm sharing my entire email communication sequence that invited rookie volunteers to join the team, reminded veterans about training (several times), and even followed up with them after the event.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Communicate with your Volunteers" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F06%2FDKM-Put-Me-In-Coach-Email-Templates.zip||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text]The email templates include emails for Recommitment & Recruiting Save the Date email for...
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Filed Under Blog, Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership, Volunteers

You Can Never Have Too Many Object Lessons: Irresistible Giveaway Results and Responses

I loved doing another giveaway for KidMin Nation's second book Irresistible: How to Engage Kids and Point Them to Jesus. To be entered to win, KidMin leaders from across the globe had to answer one question: What is one of your favorite object lessons for children’s ministry? One of my favorite chapters from the book was all about object lessons, so it was the perfect question. And man was I blown away by the creativity and passion for helping kids connect biblical truths to every-day things. I plan on using some of these ideas in the future, and I hope they spark some creativity for you too! "My favorite object lesson is on salvation. You write on a dry erase board with a Sharpie marker. You can write specific sins or just the word "Sin". Talk to the kids about how we can't get rid of our sins by ourselves, and sometimes our sin feels...
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Filed Under Blog, Book Shelf, Leadership

Beat the Summer Boredom Bucket List

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By July, parents are often ready for school to start again, just so their kids have something to do. Well fear not! Use this template for a July Bucket List to Beat the Boredom and help families finish off the summer with a bang![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Customize the List For Your Community" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F06%2FDKM-Beat-the-Summer-Boredom-July-Bucket-List.docx||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text]This bucket list works for my home town, but you can customize it for your own area, highlighting cheap or free activities already going on in your community. Pick a few of these free events, then encourage families to attend and meet you there. This gives you a month off from planning and organizing events but lets you still enjoy special...
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Filed Under For Parents, Leadership

Irresistible Review and Giveaway

[vc_row 0=""][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="5024" img_size="medium" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" link="https://amzn.to/2FUWbcZ"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text 0=""] Irresistible: How to Engage Kids And Point Them to Jesus By KidMin Nation (Editor: Tina Houser) My rating: 5/5 stars - It was amazing!     Read: June 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 lead or teach children in a Christian setting, you want to know how to help kids connect with Jesus, or you want to learn about engaging kids in a variety of ways. My thoughts: It happened again! I’m thrilled and honored by this opportunity to have a second chapter published in a KidMin Nation book (missed the first one about equipping...
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Filed Under Blog, Book Shelf, Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership

VBS Feedback Forms

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]You may think the most important parts of VBS end after the kids go home on the last day. But there's still a piece of the puzzle you can't leave out: gathering feedback. While it's important to gather general feedback about your ministry, each event (and especially a big one like VBS) provides a great opportunity for growth and improvement. So now that you've torn down decorations, appreciated your volunteers, and thrown away the leftover name tags, here are a few simple forms to help you gather feedback.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Ask the Right Questions with these Feedback Forms" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fproduct%2Fvbs-feedback-forms%2F||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text]Because volunteers and participants of VBS have different experiences, they need different...
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Filed Under Blog, Leadership, Volunteers

7 Practices for Asking the Right Questions & Receiving Feedback Well

One of my volunteers was almost TOO good at giving feedback. Every Sunday, she approached me with a list of improvements for the next Sunday. Sometimes they were small improvements like changing the text color on the screen. Sometimes the improvements required more time and energy, like completely changing the check-out process to make it more efficient for parents and more fun for kids. When the never-ending improvement lists just kept coming, I started dreading these after-Sunday conversations. I even began looking for a place to hide when I saw this volunteer headed my way. It started to feel like nothing was ever good enough! I eventually realized that this volunteer’s intentions were good even if her words weren’t. Just like me, she wanted what was best for the children in the ministry, and she was always willing to be part of the...
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Filed Under Blog, Leadership, Volunteers

VBS Prayer Countdown Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]VBS season is in full swing, and for us, Monday, May 21 marks the 2-week final countdown before VBS begins on June 4 (cue excited yet terrified feeling)! One of the most important parts of preparing for VBS that I willingly admit I am bad at staying on top of is prayer. Reading Priscilla Shirer's Fervent completely revolutionized my prayer life. Fervent taught me that using Scripture and writing down my prayers can help my times of prayer be more purposeful, so I'm applying those strategies to VBS this year. This week's free download is a Countdown to VBS Prayer printable. I'll be printing it this weekend, then putting it with my Bible. Starting Monday, I'll have written, specific prayers for every day until VBS (and through the week of VBS too). I invite you to join me in prayer and use this printable to...
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Filed Under Blog, Leadership

Orange Conference 2018 Notes & Thoughts

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I’m kind of a conference junkie, so when I had the chance to attend Orange Conference 2018 with our church, I couldn’t say no! Orange Conference 2018 focused on how we can do more together. I’m not very familiar with Orange’s curriculum, but I’m a big fan of their theory of ministry that encourages and equips parents through each phase of a child’s life. All of the breakouts and main speakers were great, and I took PAGES of notes, but my biggest takeaway from the conference was the connections I made with other kidmin leaders and bloggers. I am an introvert, so the idea of small talk and meeting new people usually makes me want to hide. But I pushed myself out of my comfort zone to be intentional about meeting people, and I am so happy I did! Special shout out to Dana, Jae, Tessa, and Katy for...
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KidMin Job Descriptions (For You and Your Team)

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Whether you’re growing your team by recruiting volunteers or paid staff, you won’t get far without job descriptions for each role. Job descriptions not only help you communicate the needs of your ministry, but they also help ensure the people who fill those roles are the right fit! This week for Admin April, I’m sharing the job descriptions I’ve used for both paid and volunteer positions. [/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Job Descriptions as Part of the Admin April Bundle Now" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fproduct%2Fkidmin-admin-bundle%2F||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text]The download includes 8+ job descriptions for positions like the Children's Ministry Director, an Assistant Children's Ministry Director, a Nursery/Preschool Coordinator, a High School or...
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Filed Under Blog, Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership, Volunteers

Stay in Your Lane

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I swam competitively all through middle school and high school, and one of my least favorite strokes was backstroke. It took almost 3 years of swimming before I could even do backstroke in a straight line! Too often, I was trying to see where the wall was and where other people were in the race. I would focus on how they were kicking their legs or holding their head and try to mimic their stroke. I was so focused on what they were doing, I completely messed myself up and ended up swimming in zig zags and coming in last.   But backstroke and swimming taught me an important lesson that I later applied to ministry: stay in your lane. When you compare yourself to other leaders or try to do it all yourself, you end up moving slower and much less gracefully. So do you, keep to your strengths, and let...
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Filed Under Blog, Leadership

Summertime Solutions to Volunteer Shortages

Summer is coming, which means families are traveling more and volunteers are showing up less. And while volunteer shortages exist all year, they often feel bigger in the summer. Sometimes finding summer volunteers for your ministry feels like this: If you feel like you're shouting "Heeellllpp! Anybody!?!" into the void, you're not alone. But instead of drawing a face on a volleyball and tossing Wilson into the preteen class, let's acknowledge that summer is a different season that requires different strategies than the rest of the year. So instead of sending out an SOS, let’s build one. S — Start Early Summer success doesn’t start in June, it starts right now. Leaders who think ahead in March and April create margin for themselves later and have an easier June and July. Take time to look at your current team and ask the simple...
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Filed Under Blog, Leadership, Volunteers

KidMin Budget Tracker

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Earlier this week we talked about budgeting our time - and now it’s time to talk about budgeting our money. (Ugh). This is probably my least favorite thing about kidmin (yes even worse than no-show volunteers in my book) BUT it’s an important administrative task we can’t ignore. There is no such thing as a budget fairy to keep track of it all for me (but how awesome would that be?!), so Excel was the next best option. I created yearly and monthly spreadsheets with designated expense categories to help me stay on top of my ministry budget, and this week I'm sharing that tracker with you! [/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Start tracking your budget now!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fproduct%2Fkidmin-budget-tracker%2F||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text]How it Works: Take a...
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Filed Under Blog, Leadership

Budgeting Your Time

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As much as I wish it were endless, time is limited. And your time as a kidmin leader is limited too. So how can you make the most of it? Plan your time So much time is wasted from not having a plan for your time. Even if it’s just a short list on a sticky note, at the end of each day, make a list of what you want to get done tomorrow. That way, you don’t spend a lot of time up front just figuring out what you need to do. You can jump right in, and it helps your brain focus on what needs to get done instead of where to start. (Psst - I really like using Asana as my digital to-do list, and lots of my friends enjoy using Trello).   Track your time If you want to use your time more wisely, you have to know where your time goes. Your church may ask you to track your time or hours anyway. Mine...
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Filed Under Blog, Leadership

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

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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