Categories: Leadership

Step-by-Step Summer Family Engagement Plan

Hear an overview of how one leader used this plan for a summer pizza delivery initiative here! Download a printable/save-able version here! Step-by-Step Plan: 1. Identify Goals and Budget Goal: Enhance family engagement, reinforce community bonds, and maintain connection with the children and their families during the summer. Budget: Allocate funds for pizza, delivery materials (magnets, etc.), and other potential activities like Christmas cookies. 2. Plan and Communicate Calendar and Communication: Create a clear and detailed summer calendar highlighting all events and dates, including the special delivery days. Email and Social Media: Send out emails and post on social media well in advance. Use graphics and engaging language to get families excited. 3. Sign-Up Process Online Form: Use an online form (e.g., Google...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents, Free Weekly Downloads, Leadership

5 Ways to Increase Engagement on Your Children’s Ministry Social Media

Recently, Deeper KidMin had a few reels go viral (follow DKM on Instagram and join the fun here) and it's been wild. I've experimented with a few different things and learned a lot about what seems to work best for fostering engagement on social media (at least for now - it's constantly changing). You may not be trying to go viral (honestly, I wasn't either) but you SHOULD be trying to reach more of your families and engage with them online. Find 5 tips for your kidmin social media in general here, and check out the tips below to see what I've learned over the last few months and what it means for your ministry to increase engagement online: Use real-life pictures and videos whenever possible. Making appealing graphics and using the graphics provided in your curriculum are great and can save time, but people really want to see authentic...
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KidMin Social Media Planner Template

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]An effective social media strategy for your children's ministry requires planning, but that doesn't mean it has to take up hours of your precious time! Use this week's free download to help you plan weeks' worth of social media posts at a time. Print 1 copy of the first page and use it to choose one idea for each day to help you create a template plan for your ministry social media posts. Print multiple copies of the second page, then use it to map out your weekly posts, several weeks at a time! Download the KidMin Social Media Planner Here! Want to go deeper with your social media strategy? Check out Chapter 7 in the book Time to Update: 7 Areas to Integrate Digital Discipleship into Your Children‘s Ministry Strategy. Time To Update explores 7 areas of your children’s ministry strategy where you can...
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Baptism Adventure: Unique Baptism Resources for Kids and Preteens

As kids are hearing the gospel and expressing their faith at camp and VBS this summer, are you thinking about their next steps? Salvation decisions are an important part of children's ministry since we get to share the gospel with kids at a time when their little hearts are most open to receiving it, but if we don't think intentionally about following up with a child after they've made a decision to give their life to Christ, we're missing a big piece of our roles as disciple-makers. One natural next step: baptism! Earlier this year, I learned about an incredible resource that Rivers Crossing Church in Ohio created to help kids and preteens explore baptism in fun and adventurous ways! A team at Rivers Crossing created 3 books that inspired special Adventure Kits: Maya and River’s Campout Adventure (a fiction book, like a modern-day...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents, Leadership

Sermon Notes For Kids List

If you search “Sermon Notes for Kids” on the web, there are literally hundreds of options that show up. So to help you narrow down your search, here’s a list of links to my favorite free sermon notes for kids! Sermon Notes for Kids are a great activity to include in your worship bags and encourage kids to participate in the church service. I recommend including a sermon notes printable every week, but feel free to change up the look, layout, style, or format each Sunday to add variety for your kids! Then start over and cycle back through them. Before long, your kids will have favorites! Emoji Sermon Notes Printable that just released from Deeper KidMin! Sermon Notes Bundle from Deeper KidMin (Including pages for Pre-Readers!) Free Bible Coloring Pages from Sermon for Kids Worship Notes for Kids PDF from MMMCrafts Kid’s...
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Summer Devotional For KidMin Leaders Free Sample

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 one of the devotionals from a 10-week Summer Refresher devotional written specifically with children’s ministry leaders in mind. So block out 20 minutes on your calendar this week, grab your Bible, print the following pages, and spend time with Jesus this summer season. Download Summer Devotional Here! If you enjoyed this Summer devotional, download the full 10 weeks of devotionals for summer...
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10 Summer Scripture Activities for Kids & Families

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, especially if you can equip them with ways to dive deep into Scripture this summer! So here are 10 of our favorite summer activities and resources that help kids and families dig into Scripture over the summer: S'more Scripture - A summer resource for kids that helps them memorize Bible verses! Summer Scripture Scratch-Off - A fun and simple way to encourage a daily habit of prayer and reading scripture over the summer months while focusing on who God and Jesus are! Scripture Scoops - Scoop up the Word of God this...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents, Leadership

5 Reasons Your Kids Aren’t Singing (And What You Can Do About It)

Since we've recently been experimenting with how to better engage kids in worship in my own church setting, I'm excited to share this week's blog post from Dave Ray from Doorpost Songs! Dave and his wife create awesome worship videos created specifically for kids, and you can find some of them in the DKM Marketplace here.  As a worship leader, I don’t know if there’s anything more uncomfortable than singing my heart out while the congregation stares at me with (at best) passive indifference or (at worst) open antipathy. Chances are good you’ve experienced one (or both) of these in your kids’ ministry. Maybe you’ve given up hope that your kids will ever engage in worship. If you find yourself secretly dreading worship time every week, you’re not alone. After twenty years of experience leading kids, I’ve seen five common reasons why...
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What Millennial Moms Want From Your KidMin this Mother’s Day

We've been talking all month long about today's parents, how they're different from parents of the past, and what that means for our strategy in effectively partnering with parents. With Mother's Day coming up, let's talk specifically about today's moms. Research has shown that Millennial moms prefer experiences over things, and they love to customize. Like the rest of their generation, they're technologically inclined, highly connected online, and are always looking for ways to make their lives easier. They value life management assistance (think house cleaners, meal services, organizational apps, etc.), and they are also more likely than moms of generations past to work outside the home and contribute to the family income. So while the carnation still makes a sweet gift, consider getting a little more intentional or creative with how you...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents, Leadership

Parent Resources Shelves: A Digital Interview with a Local KidMin Leader

Last week, we talked about moving beyond a vending machine mentality and into a meal kit mentality when it comes to our strategy for effectively partnering with parents (a month-long conversation you can join here). I ran across a Facebook post from Kelly Turner, a kidmin leader in Springfield, IL, about the success she's found with her parent resource shelves, and I knew we had to talk more! Kelly graciously shared ideas and pictures and even took the time to answer a few questions about her parent resource shelves. I love that they move beyond just a stagnant spot for resources to a deeper strategy for equipping parents. You might be asking: "But aren't parent resource shelves just like a vending machine? Isn't that what we're trying to move beyond?" Yes! We are trying to move beyond just resourcing parents, but an easy first step in...
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Filed Under Blog, Day-to-Day, For Parents, Leadership

Is Your Ministry a Vending Machine or a Meal Kit?

When I ask what leaders do to equip parents or to partner with them, most of them say they provide resources. Equipping parents has become synonymous with that; when we say we "equip parents," what we often really mean is "distribute resources." And while there's nothing wrong with that, if our strategy for partnering with parents stays ONLY in the resources lane, we've got an incomplete and ultimately ineffective strategy. The idea of equipping parents only through distributing resources has turned our ministries into vending machines and created a vending machine mindset when it comes to equipping parents. In a vending machine ministry mindset... The children's ministry leader operates like a vending machine by simply providing resources without much interaction.  Parents are expected to come to the church or ministry location...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents, Leadership

3 Lies Parents Believe About At-Home Discipleship (And the Truths You Can Help Them Discover)

I've been eyeball-deep in research about today's parents - specifically Millennial parents - lately, and a common factor among parents is a list of reasons why they can't disciple their kids at home. But in reality, those reasons are often lies, and as children's ministry leaders, we can help parents replace those lies with important truths about their role as primary disciplers of their children. To speak into this discussion, I'm excited to share this week's guest blog post from Christie Thomas, author and one of our DKM Vendors, all about the 3 lies parents believe about at-home discipleship and the truths we can help them discover: If your efforts to equip families with the best family discipleship resources aren’t well received, know this: The answer isn’t to send home more resources to gather crumbs in the minivan, but to take one...
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5 Things KidMin Leaders Must Do To Effectively Partner with Today’s Parents

If you’ve been serving in children’s ministry for longer than a week, you’ve realized that children’s ministry is not just about the children. It’s about the parents and grown-ups in a child’s life too. That's why we'll be focusing on partnering with parents for the next 4 weeks and diving deep into how to effectively minister to this generation of parents.  To kick off our month-long discussion, we have to identify WHO today's parents are, and surprise: they're Millennials! Millennials may spark a variety of stereotypes in your mind: entitled young adults who eat avocado toast for breakfast and still live with their parents. But in reality, we Millennials are all grown up. The Millennial generation includes anyone born between 1981-1996, which means that in 2024, Millennials now range in age from 28 to 43 years old. (We're getting...
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3 Tips for Celebrating Easter as a Family When You’re in Ministry

Ministry life means holidays look different for leaders and our families. You're at church earlier (and later) than everyone else. Special meals and gift times are shifted to accommodate service times. The days surrounding a holiday are often filled with leading special events you've spent months planning. So this week's guest blog post focuses on you, kidmin leader, and how to honor your family in the midst of a ministry holiday season. This week's guest blog post comes from David Reneau of Lead Well Ministries, and he shares honestly about his experiences and lessons learned when it comes to celebrating Easter as a family when you're in ministry...  Imagine: it’s the Friday before Easter. You’ve been busy with all the marketing, event planning, service prep, and inviting. You’re probably a little tired and the light at the end of the...
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Interactive Bible Storytelling Technique: Treasure Hunts

You know I'm all about interactive storytelling, especially with today's digital native kids. That's why I'm excited to share this week's guest blog post from Jennifer Lake all about incorporating a treasure hunt or scavenger hunt into your Bible lesson: Bringing the Bible to life is not something new to any ministry leader, but finding innovative ways of engaging your audience is always a win. Treasure/scavenger hunts are both fun and interactive, helping younger learners deepen their knowledge of the Bible. Treasure hunts offer an immersive learning opportunity by inviting kids to hunt for something (an object, a picture, etc.) that relates to the story or helps tell the story. They are also a great way to explore deeper biblical themes and symbols. When you incorporate scavenger hunts into your teaching time, you bring the tapestry of...
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18 Egg Hunt Alternatives

I've seen lots of questions in various kidmin Facebook groups this year about alternative Easter event options different from the typical egg hunt. I love the creativity those conversations are sparking! Based on the conversations I've seen with ideas from leaders like you, here are a few alternative egg hunt ideas to help you and your families celebrate Easter! Neighborhood Egg Hunt or Around the Town Egg Hunt - This idea requires neighborhood involvement, but it's so fun! Encourage families to hang a printable/poster of an Easter egg on their front doors. They could even have kids cut and color the Easter egg sign out of poster or even printer paper (craft time!). Then, as families walk around the neighborhood, they can “hunt” for the eggs on the front doors of their neighbors and see how many they can find. Find 5 free egg coloring...
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10 Non-Candy Valentine Gifts for Kids

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]With Valentine's Day falling on a Wednesday this year, you may be considering a simple Valentine gift or treat to share with the kids and families in your ministry. 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 Valentine gifts for kids along with some links to the printables when possible! (Trust me, the parents in your ministry will appreciate the non-sugary gift!) Scripture Valentine Cards + Heart Stress Ball (Kids are dealing with a lot these days! Remind them that they are loved and that they can count on God with this simple idea!) "I'm Stuck on You, Valentine" + Sticker Pack (Kids love stickers! Use Generic stickers or Valentine-themed stickers) "I think you are...
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Hearts and Ashes: Navigating Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday in Your KidMin

As we gear up for February, we find ourselves facing a unique and exciting overlapping of two significant events on the calendar: Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday. This year, these two special days fall on the same date (February 14), creating an opportunity for a rich and meaningful exploration of God's love and compassion.  Valentine's Day, traditionally celebrated as a day of love and affection, may seem worlds apart from the solemn observance of Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the Lenten season. But as they coincide this year, it gives us a great opportunity to help children understand the connections between these seemingly unrelated occasions. Valentine's Day evokes hearts, candies, and talk of love of all kinds. In children's ministry, we can focus on God's love and sharing that love with others. Ash Wednesday invites...
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4 Strategies For Supporting Young Parents in Your Church

As a young mom, Sundays are hard. Managing to get all of us dressed, fed, (and sometimes dressed again if breakfast took a turn) and out the door on time is a true feat of willpower, focus, and detailed scheduling. That's why I'm so thankful for leaders who are intentional about creating strategies that support and encourage young parents. We need it! :) This week's guest blog post comes from Susan McPherson from Esther Press as she shares 4 strategies for supporting young parents in your church... As a church leader, your dedication to the body of Christ correlates with a calling to encourage and support fellow believers. Young parents in your church can especially use this support as they navigate the new world of parenthood. As you welcome young families into your church, the best way to strengthen relationships with them is by offering...
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2024 Word of the Year: Habits

Do you have a word of the year? I used to think it was silly, but now I love it when God gives me a theme to shape my year. I use the word to guide my learning, my goals, and my daily interactions. My 2024 word of the year is habits. I've been praying about my 2024 word of the year since November 2023, asking God to reveal what He wants me to focus on. I threw around a few ideas and tried to give God suggestions of my own, but they were all grand words with grand expectations that just didn't seem to fit. When God whispered "habits" into my heart, my first thought was "God, that's not big enough." But once He placed the idea there, the word kept popping up everywhere and reminding me that small habits often have the biggest impact. My goals and desires for 2024 may not be as grand as they have been in the past (like writing/publishing a book,...
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Habit Tracker Guide + Printable

Use this Habit Tracker to identify, track, and solidify the habits you want to commit to each day, week, or month. When you complete the task or habit, color in the box. Choose 1 consistent time each day to update your habit tracker (when you get in bed, when you brush your teeth, right after dinner, etc.). Consider the questions and resources below to help jumpstart your habit evaluation and goals. Download the Habit Tracker Guide + Printable Here! Consider these questions: What habits do you want to form this year? What habits do you want to break this year? What habits do you want to see formed in the families you serve? What habits do you want to develop or encourage in your volunteers? What spiritual disciplines (holy habits) do you want to emphasize this year? Books I'm reading...
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Building Altars: Marking the Moments of God’s Presence

During naptime the other day, I heard a loud, crashing THUMP come from my 3.5-year-old's room. She's at the age where naptimes when she actually naps are few and far between, but she still takes time each afternoon to spend an hour or two in her room for quiet time. This day's "quiet time" had been anything but quiet. There was singing, playing her toy xylophone, shaking and banging on her tambourine, knocking on her window to wave at the people passing by on the sidewalk below, and general merriment. Sitting downstairs, I tried to focus on my work while (unsuccessfully) balancing tuning out the noise and keeping an ear out for her safety. When I heard the loud THUMP I decided it was time to investigate. I walked upstairs, opened her door, and saw the 75+ books in her room scattered all over the floor. There wasn't even a place to step...
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Altar Moments List Guide

What is an Altar Moment? An altar is a place of sacrifice, worship, or prayer, and several people in the Bible built an altar to mark a celebration of God’s presence and work in their lives (Abraham, Jacob, Moses, etc.). An altar moment is a moment when you see, experience, and feel God’s presence at work in your life or your ministry. Altar moments may be big, or they may be small, but either way, they are stacked together as powerful reminders of God’s love and presence. They’re an overlap of God’s kingdom in your everyday life. When we experience an altar moment, we are filled with a sense of hope, joy, and renewed faith. Download the Guide Here! Why Create an Altar Moments List? Leading a ministry is hard, lonely, and sometimes discouraging. Creating an altar moments list allows you to document and remember God’s...
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3 Things Every Child Needs To Know About Christmas

There are a lot of things kids may know about Christmas and the Christmas story, but if you had to choose just 3 things, what would you choose? I'm excited to share this week's blog post from Dave Ray from Doorpost Songs that emphasizes three things every child needs to know about Christmas: Christmas isn’t a monolithic monument, standing alone on a pinnacle. It is a junction on the journey of God’s love for His people. A road runs into it. A road runs out of it. And each of us must walk this road in its fullness to understand God’s extraordinary love for ordinary people. In light of Christmas as more than just a season, here are three things we want every child to know about Christmas: Christmas Means God Keeps His Promises - The story of Christmas doesn’t begin with the words, “In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a...
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Hope Has a Name

As we begin this season of Advent, I'm excited to share this guest post from Christie Penner Worden at Raise Up Faith:  Hope has a name. I’ve seen this phrase a lot lately. Not nearly as often as I have seen evidence of hopelessness in this season, I’m afraid. But in our clamoring for what’s next, for change, even for what’s required to get through the day, hope can seem dim, faint, even fading. Hope has a name, and as followers of Jesus, we know it to be His. But in a recent deep dive into the book of Hebrews, I found that Hope is not only rightly named, it is so clearly defined that to miss it would be, well, hopeless. “Because God wanted to show his unchangeable purpose even more clearly to the heirs of the promise, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to...
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