Categories: Leadership

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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Filed Under Blog, Book Shelf, Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership

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

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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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 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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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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It’s a Date! (Calendar Planning Checklist)

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Now that the summer is over, and I’m looking to the school year ahead, I created a calendar planning checklist to help me plan out the year without leaving anything out. Planning your calendar year ahead of time helps you see the big picture of what you’re doing in your ministry and stay on top of things (looking at you, procrastinators). When you know what’s coming 2, 3, or even 6 months down the road, you are better able to delegate, plan, focus on your goals, and use your time wisely. So grab your favorite calendar (print or digital), print off the checklist, and plan away! What you need: Goals for the year so you have a direction (Use the DKM Goal Setting Guide to help) Calendar (digital or print) Pencil (because we never plan in pen) DKM Calendar...
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Filed Under Blog, Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership

Goal-Setting Guide

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Studies have shown that when you write down your goals, you are 42% more likely to achieve them because it engages both the creative and logical parts of your brain. So when was the last time you wrote down specific goals for your ministry? Setting goals for the year can be overwhelming and intimidating, so I hope this free download helps make that process more manageable and successful. I’ll be praying Psalm 20:4 over you as you work through this guide to map out the year ahead. The children and families we serve are too important not to take the time to intentionally look to their futures.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Help me set goals this year! " color="sky" align="center" link="url:http%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fproduct%2Fministry-goal-setting-guide%2F||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text]The Deeper...
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Think Big, Start Small, Keep Moving

The best piece of advice I've ever heard for making and reaching goals (in life or in ministry) was from some random speaker at a Catalyst conference. He said: Think big, start small, keep moving. Think Big: As you set goals for yourself and your ministry, think big. If nothing was holding you back (not even a lack of budget or volunteers), what would you want to see happen this year? We serve a God who specializes in doing the impossible, so dream big! Maybe your dreams are so big that you'll need more than just this year to complete some of your goals. That's OK! What 3 or 5-year goals do you have for your ministry? Start small:  Now that you've got your grand plans, look for the specific, next steps that will help you accomplish each goal. You can't jump from point A to point D without going through steps B and C first. And if you were...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents, Leadership

7 Steps for Setting – And Achieving – Ministry Goals

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] The start of the new year is a great time to set goals and resolutions for the months ahead, but where and how do you start? Setting goals can seem overwhelming, so here's my process for setting - and achieving - my ministry goals. You can also download my interactive Goal Setting Guide to walk you through this process.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] 1) Start with prayer. This really should be a given in our line of work. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] 2) Keep the vision in mind. I use my ministry vision statement like a colander or pasta strainer and run all new ideas, events, and activities through that filter. 100% of the ideas and suggestions I get may be good ideas, but if they don’t fit within the overall vision of my ministry, then they aren’t...
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Change the Name, Change the Game

At our Christmas Eve service and at other intergenerational services throughout the year where children attend the service with their parents, I have always created a “Busy Bar” with coloring pages, crayons, and small, quiet toys that kids can pick up to use during the service. But after studying family ministry in a seminary course on reaching families in the 21st century, I realized that my good intentions to promote intergenerational worship were encouraging an opposite mentality. Diana Garland, a family ministry expert, warns against providing distracting materials for intergenerational services because it unconsciously tells children that they will be bored and encourages them to disengage. While I do my best to relate the toys and activities to the main sermon points, even calling these items a “busy bar” encourages distraction...
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Instant Christmas Pageant (Just Add Kids)

[vc_row][vc_column 0=""][vc_column_text]Last Christmas (no, I didn’t give you my heart) but I went out on a limb for our Christmas Eve service and tried an instant Christmas pageant with our children. No practice. No rehearsals. Lots of cuteness. Basically, I read the Christmas story from Luke and kids acted out the scene on-stage with nativity masks. Our Christmas Eve services are family services, so children ages 4 and above attend with their parents and we try to include more interactive elements in the service than usual. The instant Christmas pageant turned out to be the best (and funniest) Christmas Eve element we ever did! [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row 0=""][vc_column 0=""][vc_btn title="Click Here to Download the Instant Christmas Pageant Plan" align="center"...
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Christmas Volunteer Appreciation Ideas #2

[vc_row 0=""][vc_column][vc_column_text 0=""]Last week we shared a couple of Christmas Volunteer Appreciation Ideas that would really wow your team. This week, we’re sharing some equally amazing gifts, but for a smaller budget. Each download even comes in multiple color options! 1. Your volunteers have warmed your hearts, so you can warm their hands!  What you need: Hand Warmers (make your own or buy these in bulk), Deeper KidMin Pocket Hand Warmers Printable, assembly supplies (twine, ribbon, bows, etc.) Optional: Avery 5395 Labels for easy assembly - just print, peel, and stick on the hand warmers packets! Price point: ~$1 per volunteer (hard to beat that) We even made our own hand warmers one year by filling flannel, microwave-safe fabric pockets with mint-infused rice! Pop them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, and...
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Filed Under Blog, Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership, Volunteers

3 Tips for Christmas Volunteer Appreciation

[vc_row 0=""][vc_column][vc_video link="https://youtu.be/OY9IvljUNfU" align="center"][vc_column_text 0=""]We all know that appreciating our volunteers is important, and Christmas is one of the best times to show them how much you value them! As you plan your volunteer appreciation, here are a few ideas and tips to help you make their season merry and bright.    Up your Sunday breakfast game. Whether you provide a breakfast snack for your volunteers weekly or not, amp it up at Christmas to remind them how important they are to you and to your ministry. You may be thinking about a Christmas party or volunteer dinner. December is a CRAZY month, so if you’re going to throw them a party or ask them to come to an event, make it something they can bring their whole family to. Don’t add to their stress. As always, a small gift can express...
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Christmas Volunteer Appreciation Ideas

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text 0=""]It's Christmas time! OK, OK, it's really only Thanksgiving, but in the world of ministry, that means you're already thinking ahead to Christmas (and hopefully have been for a while). Spread some Christmas cheer to your volunteers this year using one of our free printables for Christmas volunteer appreciation gifts.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="2px"][vc_btn title="Click Here to Download Christmas Volunteer Appreciation Printables!" color="sky" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fproduct%2Fchristmas-volunteer-appreciation-bundle-1%2F||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text]1. Let your volunteers know they're worth more than a pot of gold! What you need: A Hershey's Pot of Gold for every volunteer, the Deeper KidMin Pot of Gold Printable Download, Avery 5164 labels Price...
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Filed Under Blog, Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership, Volunteers

Fishes and Loaves – Kids Service Project

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Each November, we host a service project called Fishes and Loaves where our children prepare freezer meals for children in foster families. We partner with the 111 Project, but this is an easy service project you could do with your ministry too, no matter where the meals go! (Hint: Check with your Care/Hospitality Team; they're always looking for meals to bless someone with!)[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Click Here to Download the Fishes and Loaves Service Project Plan! " color="sky" align="center" link="url:http%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fproduct%2Ffishes-and-loaves-kids-service-project%2F||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text] How it works: Collect offering from kids church for a few months, or use money from a designated missions budget. Use that money to buy the ingredients yourself. (Use a...
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Response to Shooting at FBC of Sutherland Springs, TX

[vc_row][vc_column 0=""][vc_column_text]My worst nightmare happened at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas this past weekend. I won’t go into details of the situation because you can read about those in the many news articles circulating the web this morning, but I wanted to share my thoughts and hopefully some encouragement with our community. Because it was our community that was affected. It may have happened in a small Texas town, but through our shared faith in Jesus Christ, we are deeply connected to this tragedy, even if we were not directly touched by its events. As a children’s pastor, one of my reoccurring nightmares included an active shooter walking into the high school where we met and how my team and I would handle the situation. These nightmares always occurred on Saturday night and left me on edge throughout the...
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Connect with Kids Throughout the Week with Crew Cards

[vc_row 0=""][vc_column][vc_column_text 0=""]How do you connect with the children in your ministry throughout the week? One way we did this was by asking each volunteer to take just a couple minutes after Sunday service to write a postcard to a child. We provide postcards and pens in Crew Card Folders, they pull out a pre-addressed postcard, jot down a quick note, and then stick it right back in the folder. We mail the postcard for them on Monday morning, and kids are PUMPED to receive mail from their leaders at church.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Click Here to Download Your Crew Cards Printables" color="sky" align="center" link="url:http%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fproduct%2Fcrew-cards%2F||target:%20_blank|"][vc_single_image image="3277" img_size="full" alignment="center"][vc_column_text]Now you might be thinking, that seems like a lot of...
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Filed Under Blog, Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership, Volunteers

The Paradox of New

[vc_row][vc_column 0=""][vc_column_text]There’s been a lot of NEW in my life lately. New job, new personal business, new class in seminary, new boots for the fall season. And honestly, sometimes the new can be absolutely terrifying (except for my boots – they’re super cute). New brings you to the edge of the unknown and just shoves you right in the deep end. It requires quick adaptability and a high level of emotional energy to handle all the situations coming your way that you’ve never experienced before. I’m having to learn about website coding and SEO’s, and the world of digital marketing is a whole realm of unknown that often leaves me cross-eyed. New also means letting go of something so you can grab onto what God has for you next. But letting go is hard. Part of me is still grieving what I had to leave behind to step into this...
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16 Delegation Tips from Disney

[vc_row][vc_column 0=""][vc_column_text]Raise your hand if you struggle with delegating? (*both hands raised over here*). We come up with a million reasons NOT to delegate... It’s just easier if I do it myself. It will get done faster if I just do it myself. I want to make sure it’s done right. I just don’t know who to ask. I don’t want to inconvenience anybody else; after all, isn’t this part of my job? But handing over smaller tasks (and even some bigger ones) to your team can free up your mental energy and your schedule to dream big for your ministry, and we shouldn't do ministry alone. Here are 16 tips from Disney that can help you be a better delegator.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] 1. Make a list of what others could be doing and let them do it! You focus on the bare...
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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! Click on the image below to download a copy of my favorite Scripture Memory Games. 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...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents, Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership

7 Psalms to Encourage A Child

[vc_row 0=""][vc_column][vc_column_text 0=""]In a recent post about blessing your child, we mentioned that reading Scripture to them and over them can be an easy first step. Using Scripture to encourage your child is also a great way to instill the importance of God's Word and teach them a reliance on God. We studied through the book of Psalms in our small group last year, diving into a variety of themes and circumstances the different psalmists deal with.  One of my favorite things about the Psalms is the examples they give us about how to deal with different emotions and how to talk to God about how we are feeling. While these Psalms can be a great source of encouragement for you as an adult, sharing the Psalms with your kids can be a great way to help them understand that it's OK to be angry, sad, frustrated, lonely, mournful, etc. and how to...
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