Categories: Leadership

Back-to-School Survival Kits

Making back-to-school survival kits are the perfect opportunity for you to connect with the families in your ministry as they head back to school. A Back-to-School Survival Kit can be a great opportunity to provide families with simple ways to connect with God and each other! The point of the survival kit is to provide families with items they’ll need to “survive” the school year. You can include a spiritual element like this free customizable calendar, this Back to School Prayer Journal for Kids, or this full Back to School Survival Kit that includes a family devotional and the list of ideas below. You can also include physical items that offer practical help and encouragement. Here are some ideas for packing and distributing your Back-to-School Survival Kits! What do I pack the Back to School Survival Kits in? Colorful gift...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents, Leadership

5 Ways to Celebrate Back-To-School Season in Your Ministry

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Knowing the rhythms of life for the families you serve and stepping into those rhythms to celebrate milestones is a key factor in connecting with your families. One of the biggest milestones each year is back-to-school season! So here are 5 ways to celebrate this important time in your children's ministry: Host a special event - Whether it's a family event like a Back to School Prayer Bash, a Taco Bingo Night, a Family Trivia Night, or a kids-only event that gives the parents a break (like our science-themed Parents' Night Out), hosting a fun kick-off event for the Back to School Season is a great way to help families celebrate! Find all our favorite Back-to-School Special Events here. Equip families to celebrate at home - A lot of prep goes into the back-to-school season for families. School supply...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents, Leadership

4 Classroom Management Tips For Your Volunteers

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Classroom Management will make or break your volunteers' experience teaching and your kids' experience learning. Share these simple and quick best practices for classroom management with your volunteers to help them serve and lead well. Sharing simple strategies and techniques like these with your team helps them enjoy leading/serving in your ministry (which means they'll stick around longer) and helps kids enjoy learning about Jesus (always a win).[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download a Printable Version Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F07%2FDKM-Classroom-Management-Tips-Tricks-for-Volunteers.pdf|target:_blank"][vc_column_text] Be early. Be prepared - The first one to arrive is the one in charge. Be sure that you are the first one in the...
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Filed Under Blog, Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership, Volunteers

5 Tips for Turning a Meeting into a Party

No one wants to attend ANOTHER boring meeting, and your volunteers are no different! Using just a few simple and applicable ideas, you can host trainings that volunteers actually WANT to attend. Whether it’s an annual volunteer training or your weekly volunteer meeting, here are five tips for turning your meetings into a party! Don’t call it a “meeting.” You probably aren’t super excited about attending meetings, and your volunteers aren’t either. Whether you call it a training session, a convention, a conference, a summit, a rally, or even a gathering, what you call your training event will subliminally influence a volunteer’s attitude about attending. Offer food (even if it’s just a brownie bite). It’s a great way to show appreciation for your volunteers from the very beginning. If you feed them, they will come. ...
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Filed Under Blog, Leadership, Volunteers

Bumps and Bandaids: Why Incident Report Forms Belong in Your KidMin Administration Processes

Whether it's a game that gets a little too rough at VBS or some heightened emotions on a Sunday morning, accidents and injuries happen in your children's ministry. Do you have a system in place for when they do? Once the dust settles and the bandaids are put on, the incident isn't over yet. Next, you want to complete an Accident/Incident Form to document what happened. Filling out an Accident/Incident Form might feel like extra paperwork in the moment, but it's a simple step that serves a big purpose. These forms protect your ministry, your volunteers, and most importantly, your kids. By clearly documenting what happened, when it happened, and how it was handled, you're creating a record that can help clarify misunderstandings, answer parent questions, and demonstrate your commitment to safety and care. It also sets a tone of professionalism...
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Filed Under Blog, Leadership

Beyond Sunday: Equipping Families for Worship at Home

Last week, we talked about why summer is the prime time for connecting with families, and this week's guest blog post from Dylan Arms, a worship leader based in Greenville, SC, has a great resource + ideas for equipping families specifically in worship at home:  As someone who’s been in ministry for years—and now a new parent myself—I’ve come to recognize something simple but powerful: what happens inside our church walls is only a small part of a child’s spiritual formation. The songs they sing on Sunday can echo throughout the week, especially when we equip parents to carry the experience home. Music has a way of lodging truth deep in the heart. A child may forget a memory verse or a lesson summary, but they’ll remember the lyrics of a worship song they love. That’s why it’s so important that the worship moment doesn’t...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents, Leadership

Summer: The Prime Time to Connect with Families in Your KidMin

Summer is a prime time to connect with families. I know what you’re thinking. “But they don’t come to church as often.”“They’re out of town more.”“I feel like we barely see our families in the summer!” Exactly. That’s why summer is the ultimate opportunity to connect with families. It may seem counterintuitive, especially when the rest of the church seems to hit pause until the fall. But when attendance gets sporadic and the normal rhythms fade, we’re handed a unique opportunity: the chance to reach families outside of our (and their) usual routines. Summer offers built-in moments for memory-making, creativity, and connection. And if we approach it intentionally, we can make a big impact on our families—even if we don’t see them every Sunday. Here's why (and a few ideas for how): Families spend more time...
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Filed Under Blog, Leadership

20+ Father’s Day Ideas for Your KidMin

Celebrate the dads and men in your church this Father's Day with one or more of these fun 20 ideas! TEACHING/STUDIES Father's Day Holiday History Lesson Super Bible Father Figures Bible Study Guide for Kids CRAFTS/PRINTABLES Father's Day Superhero Soda Can or Chocolate Bar Wrappers Father's Day Handprint Crafts Father's Day Coloring Cards Father's Day Dad Joke Coloring Cards Father's Day Tie Goody Bag Craft Father's Day Printables Father's Day Tie Craft Father's Day Coupons To the Best Pop (Soda or Popcorn) Father's Day Scratch-Off Printables GAMES Does Dad Have Hair on His Chinny Chin Chin?  Double Vision: Father's Day Name That Super Dad Screen Game Father's Day Minute to Win It Games MEDIA I Love My Dad Because... Mini Movie Things Dads Say Mini Movie  Dad Jokes Mini...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents, Leadership

3 Spiritual Growth Milestones to Celebrate With Kids

Sometimes it's hard to measure "success" in children's ministry. How do you know if what you're doing is effective? What can you share with leadership to show tangible results? Discipleship is a heart matter, so the numbers and the results are often hard to see, but there are 3 spiritual growth milestones you can celebrate in your children's ministry, and this week's blog post from Courtney Weaver from David C Cook helps us explore these important milestones to celebrate with kids:  As children’s ministry leaders, we aim not to regurgitate lessons from our curriculum but to truly teach kids in ways that deepen their faith. While every child’s faith journey is unique, there are key spiritual milestones that signal their growth—and we should be celebrating them! Think about the example that Abram sets in Genesis 12—God appears to...
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Filed Under Blog, Leadership

5 Ways to Change Things Up This Summer in Your KidMin

Summer often means more sporadic attendance - for both families and volunteers. It's a great season to change things up and keep things exciting for the kids, but sometimes it means relying on volunteers who don't typically serve in your ministry. So what can you do to change things up to accommodate fluctuating numbers and give a more laid-back feel for you and your team? Here are 5 ideas: Take things outside (or at least change up your seating). If your weather, size, and space allows, invite kids to grab a chair or set up some picnic blankets and teach the lesson outside! They’ll love the change of scenery and it’s a much more casual environment that sometimes more easily allows for the next two ideas. If you can’t go outside, consider changing the seating to sit in a circle, on the floor instead of in chairs, etc. - something to...
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Filed Under Blog, Leadership

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...
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Filed Under Blog, Leadership, Volunteers

Summer Serve Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Use this free Canva template (free Canva account required) to create a Summer Serve initiative for your children's ministry! Update the provided template with your ministry information, then share the flyer/form at your church, in the bulletin, online, ask if you can place one in every chair for a few weeks in May, etc. Find ways to encourage and recruit some extra help this summer to give your regular volunteers a break! (P.S. Here are 4 places to look for summer volunteers for your ministry.) Here's how to access and use the Canva template: Click Here to open the template in Canva (free Canva account required). Modify the wording and options to best fit your ministry. Save the document as a PDF. Print and distribute via your chosen method(s). Pray for God to fill your summer volunteer...
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Filed Under Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership, Volunteers

Children’s Ministry Mother’s Day Ideas for the 5 Love Languages

Moms are pretty special, and they deserve to be celebrated. But each mom is unique and feels celebrated in a different way. Use some of these ideas and resources to celebrate the moms in your ministry in the way(s) they feel loved the most. Offer a combination of the different ideas to hit all 5 love languages! (And find all of our ready-to-use Mother's Day resources here!) Quality time: Pass to a local family museum or fun family outing - Even as something simple as an ice cream coupon so the family can go on an ice cream date with mom! Mother/Son Prayer Journal by Christie Thomas - I don't have sons, but I bought a copy of this family devotional. Wow, what a resource! What better way to spend quality time together than by studying God's word as a family? It would make the perfect gift for the boy moms in your ministry! Bible Moms...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents, Leadership

3 Correction Strategies That Work (Excerpt From Boundless Hope For Every Child by Kim Botto)

When I talk with children's ministry leaders about a top struggle in their ministry, one of the common answers is engaging kids and redirecting disruptive behavior. More and more leaders are struggling with the classroom management side of leading and teaching kids, and part of that is because kids learn differently now than they have in the past and because we're seeing a rise in neurodivergent kids. Whenever a leader mentions this sort of challenge, I always point them to Kim Botto's new book: Boundless Hope for Every Child. This book is a must-read for anyone passionate about making every child feel seen, understood, and welcomed. With practical and personal insights, this book strikes the perfect balance between heartwarming encouragement and actionable strategies. It's helpful without feeling overwhelming, offering real-world solutions for...
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Filed Under Blog, Book Shelf, For Parents, Leadership

Easter Encouragement for the KidMin Leader

Hey KidMin Leader, You’re almost there! The final countdown to Easter Sunday is on, and I know what that means for you. It means extra crafts to prep, last-minute program changes, and either finalizing plans for your upcoming Easter event or reviewing the one that already happened. It means organizing lesson plans, confirming volunteers, and double-checking that every detail is ready for the biggest Sunday of the year. It’s exciting. It’s exhausting. It’s Easter. But before you dive into one more to-do list, can I remind you of something? You are doing holy work. Every plastic egg you stuff, every craft you cut out, every game you organize, and every Bible story you tell is a seed planted in a child’s heart. A seed that could grow into a lifelong faith in Jesus. This Sunday isn’t just another Sunday. It’s the day we celebrate...
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Filed Under Blog, Leadership

10 Non-Candy Easter Prizes/Gifts

Easter season brings gifts, prizes, egg hunts, and more fun! But if you've worked with kids long, you know giving a room full of kids a bunch of sugar can lead to complete chaos. So I've been researching, and here are my 10 favorite non-candy Easter gifts/prizes/egg-stuffers for kids along with some links to the printables when possible! (Trust me, the parents in your ministry will appreciate the non-sugary gift!) Easter Slap Bracelets (These fit inside eggs perfectly when they're rolled up!) These rubber poppers + this fun rubber popper family activity that remind kids Jesus is alive! Cross Pop Its (Kids are still so obsessed with pop its and fidget toys!) Bible Verse Rubber Bracelets (Kids can wear these year-round, and it helps them learn scripture!) Easter Cards (To put in the goody bags or folded up into eggs with a little...
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Filed Under Blog, Leadership

5 Tips for Sharing the Gospel With Children This Easter

Easter will soon be here, and as you're celebrating the life, death, and resurrection of our Savior, you're probably also sharing the gospel story (or at least some element of it) with the kids and families who walk through your doors. Easter Sunday often brings new families and visitors who may have never heard the gospel before, so it's vital we share it with intentionality and purpose. That's why I'm excited to share this guest blog post from Jaden Howard, a DKM Vendor, on 5 tips for sharing the gospel with children! These tips come from and helped create her Magnetic Gospel Easter Object Lesson. So as you're thinking through your Easter morning lessons, keep these 5 tips in mind:  Don’t Forget the Good Stuff: When I (Jaden) first started evangelizing to children, I would put so much emphasis on Jesus’ death on the cross, that I...
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Filed Under Blog, Leadership

7 Ways to Prepare for Guests this Easter So They Want to Come Back

Easter is usually one of the highest-attended Sundays of the year, with lots of new families and guests visiting your church for the very first time. It’s a wonderful opportunity to welcome them, share the hope of Jesus, and invite them to become part of your church community. But if you want those families to come back after Easter, you need to be intentional about creating a positive and welcoming experience. Here are some practical steps to help ensure your children’s ministry is ready to make a lasting impact: Get your check-in ready. Make sure your check-in process is streamlined and guest-friendly. Offer online pre-registration solutions if possible. Double-check that you have plenty of sticker labels on hand, and pray that the technology works without a hitch. A smooth check-in experience sets the tone for a stress-free...
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Filed Under Blog, Leadership

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 + on Deeper KidMin's social media 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...
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Special Event Review/Evaluation Template

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Reviewing and evaluating your ministry events can often be just as important as planning them, but sometimes we get so caught up in the event itself that we forget to evaluate! Use this simple and easy special event review template to recap your special events, take notes for next time, and keep a record of your special event details.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Word version here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F06%2FDKM-Special-Event-Review-Template.docx|target:_blank"][vc_column_text]Check out some of our favorite events below! [/vc_column_text][products columns="3" orderby="rand" order="ASC" ids="7039, 49656, 16784, 19953, 84335, 81303, 9476, 22133, 14214, 45338, 76761, 48447, 11075"][vc_btn title="Explore Easter Events here!"...
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Filed Under Blog, Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership

The Best Way to Reach Families this Easter

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=""]Several years ago at the Bible Creative Conference, one of the speakers, Dale Hudson of Building Children's Ministry, talked about one of the best ways to reach the families at our church: give them opportunities for shared, memorable experiences that point to a greater purpose. So this Easter, how can we give our families a chance to create a shared, memorable experience that points to a greater purpose? These ideas might help! Help them throw a family Easter party - Everyone loves celebrations! Even if you host an Easter event, you can provide ideas and supplies for your families to celebrate Easter at home too! Just like an in-person event, think through a special theme, games, family devotion, snacks, and fun for your families! This is a great opportunity to help your families host their own...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents, Leadership

Lent Devotion for KidMin Leaders

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=""]Many of our resources and freebies are geared toward the kids and families in your ministry, but this freebie is for YOU, kidmin leader. Here’s week 1 from a 7-week Lent devotional written specifically with children’s ministry leaders in mind. So block out 15 minutes on your calendar during the first week of Lent, grab your Bible, print the following pages, and spend time with Jesus as you prepare to celebrate Easter. Just like your favorite snacks can be satisfying, these devotionals will satisfy your soul as you spend time with Jesus![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the free Lent devotion here!" align="center" css="" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F02%2FDKM-Lent-Devotion-for-Leaders-Freebie.pdf|target:_blank"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column...
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Filed Under Blog, Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership

6 Ways To Honor Lent Without Fasting

Lent is a powerful season for reflecting on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Traditionally, Lent is associated with fasting—giving something up as a way to focus on Christ. Fasting is a spiritual discipline, and we should teach kids about it, but not everyone in your church or ministry may feel called or equipped to fast, especially children and their families. Or maybe your church doesn't emphasize Lent and fasting at all. The good news? There are plenty of other meaningful ways to honor Lent and lead your ministry through this sacred season. Here are 6 non-fasting ideas to help you guide the kids and families in your ministry as they embrace Lent: Make prayer a daily practice. Help kids and families develop a rhythm of daily prayer during Lent. Provide them with a simple prayer guide, perhaps focusing on themes like...
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Filed Under Blog, Leadership

3 Keys to Teaching Kids, Not Lessons

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=""]What would you say is the most important aspect of your lesson each week? The "hook"? The gamification elements? The life application? Plot twist! One of the most important aspects of your lesson doesn't even have to do with the lesson itself. It's actually the KIDS you are teaching and how well you know them! Effective and creative Bible teachers place as much value on knowing the children they teach as on the content of the lesson.  Yes, solid content and preparation are important, but if you're not taking a few characteristics about the kids you teach into account, your effectiveness drastically decreases. So here are 3 keys to teaching kids, not just lessons. Know your kids relationally. Kids learn best from people they know and love. Build relationships with your kids - both inside and...
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10 Bible Verses About Love That Kids Should Know

The Bible has a lot to say about love, which tells us love is pretty important to God (it is a big part of His character after all). As we enter a season that focuses a lot on love, let's help the kids and families in our ministry know about the love found in Scripture and in our Heavenly Father. Here are 10 Bible verses about love that kids should know: 1 John 4:7 - "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God." (NIV) Psalm 136:26 - "Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever." (ESV) 1 Corinthians 13:4,8 - "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud... Love never fails." (NIV) (Psst - here's a Valentine lesson to help you teach this verse to kids through prayer stations!) Romans 12:10 -...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents, Leadership
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