Categories: Leadership

Preparing for Lent: What Would Your Schedule Look Like If God Were in Charge Of It?

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I'm a schedule-and-routine person through and through. I like my calendar and my daily task lists, and the predictability of a schedule brings my head comfort and my heart joy. But as we head into the Lenten season, I've been pondering this question: What would my schedule look like if God were in charge of it? I'd probably spend less time scrolling social media. I bet I'd spend more time resting and even sleeping. I'd probably spend more time investing in intentional relationships with others. I'd definitely spend more time in prayer and the Word. When I shift my view of my schedule from something all mine to control to an offering to sacrifice to God, how I spend my time shifts dramatically. Interruptions in my day become divine appointments that God just didn't put on my calendar. Quiet times and studying...
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30 Must-Know Bible Verses for Young Kids

Kids, even young kids, can memorize Scripture to help them learn God's word and apply it to real-life situations. If you're looking for a place to start, here's a list of 30 Bible verses (NIV) perfect for young kids... "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness," - 2 Timothy 3:16 "Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”" - Mark 10:27 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." - 1 Peter 5:7 "But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”" - 1 Samuel 16:7 "Be still before the Lord and...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents, Leadership

Valentine Resources Your KidMin Will LOVE

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Valentine's Day is a great opportunity to not only teach kids about God's love but to create space for kids to experience God's love too! These Valentine Resources can help...[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Shop All Valentine Resources Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fproduct-category%2Fseasonal%2Fseasonalvalentinesday%2F|target:_blank"][vc_separator color="custom" border_width="5" accent_color="#3ac1e1"][vc_custom_heading text="Help Kids & Families Experience God's Love Through Prayer..." font_container="tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%233ac1e1" use_theme_fonts="yes" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fproduct%2Flove-one-another-valentine-prayer-stations-lesson%2F|target:_blank"][vc_column_text] God’s Conversation Hearts is a Scripture-based prayer prompt...
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Filed Under Blog, For Parents, Leadership, Volunteers

How to Lose a Volunteer in Only 1 Week

Do you have new volunteers joining your team as we hit the mid-point of the school year? Maybe it's time for a mid-year volunteer training, or a refresher for your rookie volunteers as they jump into serving with your ministry. Maybe you're in the midst of a volunteer recruitment process or celebrating your volunteers to help them feel encouraged and inspired in their roles. No matter what your volunteer to-do list looks like right now, check out this guest blog post from David Rausch, creator of Go! Curriculum and a DKM Vendor, all about how to lose a volunteer in only 1 week (so you can make sure they're not running for the exit the first time they serve):  I recently began volunteering for a ministry at my church called "Los Vecinos." Using my high school level of Spanish, I roughly translated that to mean "The Vaccines," but upon further...
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Don’t Just Think Outside the Box; Expand the Box

As we head into a new year, you might be looking for new and creative ways to engage kids with the gospel. Check out this week's blog post from Rosemary Winbush, one of our DKM Vendors, about how to not only think outside the box, but how to EXPAND the box when it comes to creativity in children's ministry:  More than ever before, there is a need in Children’s Ministry for more innovative ways to reach children and enhance the ministry we provide for them. It’s getting harder and harder for children to hear the Word of God, so we must become more resourceful to get the job done. The global call to children’s ministry has not changed, but the ways we do it need change. We have all heard of the saying ‘think outside the box,’ but in the future, let’s not only think outside the box; let’s EXPAND THE BOX. Let’s allow our minds to...
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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! Check out some of our favorite scripture memory games here. 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 provide relevant worship music...
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A Prayer for Unhurried Intimacy

Do you choose a "word for the year"? I used to scoff at the practice, but now, I love finding the ways God works through a particular theme throughout a particular season. I've started documenting my words for each year, and what a testimony they have been to God's faithfulness in my life. In 2020, my word was change (lol). I thought it was just about having my first child, but a month after she was born, a global pandemic hit and changed a lot more than just my family life. But oh the creativity that God has pulled out of that season! In 2021, rest. In 2022, celebrate/celebration. As I've prayed about God's theme for me for 2023, one word continues to show up: intimacy. Intimacy in my family and as a mother as we recently welcomed baby #2. Intimacy in my relationships with others that goes deeper than the superficial. And most...
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What Live Christmas Trees Remind Us About Children’s Ministry

Are you team live Christmas tree or team fake Christmas tree at your house? I'm team real Christmas tree all the way. Always have been. Always will be. I love the smell, the excitement of decorating the tree, and the process of choosing just the right tree to take home from a local Christmas tree farm (I have a whole checklist of Christmas tree requirements). I even tried to plan the birth of my second child around being able to go get our live Christmas tree as usual. :) Our live Christmas tree twinkles in the corner of our living room, and it's got me thinking about our calling to serve kids and families. As we head into Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I hope these reminders bring you encouragement, hope, and energy as you make the final preparations for some of the biggest services of the year. Here's what live Christmas trees can...
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Christmas Shoppe Community Event

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Looking for a way to serve and connect with your community this Christmas season? Ashley, a kidmin leader in LA shared with me about a special Christmas Shoppe event his church puts on every year, where his church provides a Christmas shopping experience to needy families in the area: "We have several low-income families in our campus areas and they would not be able to provide Christmas for their kiddos, so we provide that experience for them. We have different themes each year: last year was Polar Express with trains running around the tops of the lobby walls and this year will be a Christmas farm with red trucks, string lights, and trees." To communicate with families who may want to participate, Ashley's church goes through their school systems, counselors, and those who know the families that need help....
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Christmas Shoppe Community Event Details & Documents

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Looking for a way to serve and connect with your community this Christmas season? Ashley, a kidmin leader in LA shared with me about a special Christmas Shoppe event his church puts on every year, where his church provides a Christmas shopping experience to needy families in the area: “We have several low-income families in our campus areas and they would not be able to provide Christmas for their kiddos, so we provide that experience for them." We shared an overview of the Christmas Shoppe event on the blog here, but Ashley also agreed to share some of the documents, plans, and details for hosting a Christmas Shoppe event as a free download for our subscribers![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Christmas Shoppe Event Details and Documents Here!" align="center"...
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Help Families “Treasure These Things in their Hearts” this Advent Season

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This post is an excerpt from the family devotion included in the Family Advent Calendar Kit from Vanessa Myers of Family Faith Builders.  "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." Luke 2:19 When you think about Christmas, what are some things that come to mind? Your first response might be opening presents! Maybe you also said Christmas lights, candy canes, trees, ornaments, baking cookies, or traveling to visit family. How many of you said the birth of Jesus? As Christians, it's the whole reason we celebrate Christmas! We don't celebrate because we get gifts, but we celebrate because Jesus was born on this earth as a gift from God to save us from our sins so we could live forever with Him in heaven one day. As Christians, we also celebrate the season of Advent. This...
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Keeping Christ in Christmas at Home (Without Overwhelming Families)

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I'm excited to share some thoughts from Christie Thomas, author and one of our DKM Vendors, today! Here's what she has to say about keeping Christ in Christmas at Home (without overwhelming families)... It was the same every November. The same woman in our church would strike up a conversation, which would inevitably lead to the question, “are you going to run a Christmas pageant this year?” I love a great Christmas pageant and was involved in many large-scale pageants and musicals as a child, but it never felt like the right fit for this church. The desire for a pageant seemed to come from a feeling of nostalgia, which, to me, isn’t a good enough reason to burn myself and our families out at Christmas. (Psst - check out a few reasons you should - and shouldn't - host a Christmas pageant here.) I...
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Idea Evaluation Flowchart

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]You probably have and hear a lot of ideas in children's ministry, whether your own or suggestions from someone else. Use this idea evaluation flowchart to help you determine what ideas are valuable for you to pursue and which ones you can let go or table for the future. [/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Idea Evaluation Flowchart here! " align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F09%2FDKM-Idea-Evaluation-Flowchart.pdf|target:_blank"][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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8 Ways to Honor Pregnancy and Infant Loss in Your Ministry

Trigger warning: This post discusses pregnancy and infant loss. If you are struggling with a miscarriage or stillbirth, know that we are praying for you and your family.  October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and it's a great opportunity to honor and remember the children who will never step foot in your ministry but whose absence is felt deeply by their families. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), over a million pregnancies end in miscarriages or stillbirths each year, which means chances are high that a family in your ministry has experienced this terrible loss. Many families choose not to share about miscarriages or stillbirths, and even when leaders are aware of the loss, we don't often know how to respond when tragedies like this happen. Here are a few ways you and your ministry can support...
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Pregnancy and Infant Loss Sympathy Card

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and it's a great opportunity to honor and remember the children who will never step foot in your ministry but whose absence is felt deeply by their families. Use this printable card to encourage and show support to families who have lost a baby. Simply print the following page, cut the page in half, and fold for a quarter-page-size card. Add a note inside and send to any families who have lost a child. Find more ideas for honoring Pregnancy and Infant Loss here. [/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Sympathy Card Here" align="center"...
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10 Questions to Consider When Planning Your Ministry Fall Event

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As we head into the fall season, you probably have some fun fall events planned for your children's ministry (and if not, we can help). As you start the planning process, consider these questions to help your fall event run smoothly! Who else can I bring into the planning and preparation of the event? Who else (staff, volunteers, etc.) need to be involved? Do those who participate/volunteer need to be background checked or complete a medical release form? Do we need to contact the police to request street closures or traffic assistance? How many guests are we expecting? Will we have any additional vendors (bounce houses, petting zoos, etc.)? Are we asking participants to bring anything (donations, supplies, candy, etc.)? What is the flow of the event both physically and schedule-wise? Do...
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Turn Over a New Leaf: Fall Resources For Your KidMin

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As we move into a post-pandemic world, use these resources to turn over a new leaf with the families in your ministry this fall! Kick-start your year, bring everyone back together for fellowship, and help families grow deeper in their faith as the weather turns cooler and the leaves change color.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Find a more visual layout of this page here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fturn-over-a-new-leaf-fall-resources-2022%2F|target:_blank"][vc_toggle title="New for 2022"]Click on each image below to learn more about that resource. [/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title="Fall Events"]Click on each image below to learn more about that resource. [/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title="Family Resources for Fall"]Click on each image...
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8 Tips for Hosting an All-Star Volunteer Training

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Volunteer Training is a vital part of your ministry, but it can be difficult to pull off with excellence. It's hard to get all of your volunteers in the same room at the same time, and even if you do that, how do you make a somewhat tedious conversation more exciting and informative for your entire team? You want your volunteer training to do three things: train your volunteers in the basics, inspire them with the importance of their role, and equip them to be rockstar leaders. To accomplish these three goals and host an all-star volunteer training, use these 8 tips... 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...
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5 Essentials for Kids with Special Needs in Your Ministry

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Does your ministry have kids with special needs? Even if you think the answer is "no," the answer is probably "yes" to some degree. When I say "special needs," leaders often think of the more prominent diagnoses, like autism or physical disabilities. But special needs ministry can also be relevant for kids with ADHD, dyslexia, and speech-language disorders, which can often be more difficult to identify because they're sometimes not as obvious. Special needs ministry is an area of ministry I do not have much experience or knowledge with, so this week, we're bringing in an expert to share their knowledge and ideas with you. Meet Laura Deeken, the creator behind The Adapted Word and printable resources for special needs ministry. Laura is a speech-language pathologist with 28 years of experience, and she has...
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All About Me Ministry Printable For Kids

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]One of three keys to teaching kids not lessons is knowing who your kids are and what they enjoy doing! Print off as many copies of this All About Me activity as you need, ask kids to complete the page, then keep them and share them with your team! Use the completed printables to learn about the kids you teach so you can more effectively engage them. And if you're looking for an All About Me Activity for kids to complete and keep for later, check out this free activity +printable for back-to-school season![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Printable Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F07%2FDKM-All-About-Me-Detailed-Printable.pdf|target:_blank"][vc_single_image image="86821" img_size="large" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link"...
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4 Back-to-School Essentials for Your Children’s Ministry

Back-to-School Season is here, which means you’re planning how to celebrate this important time in a child’s life. As families are thinking about first-day-of-school outfits and school supply shopping, you can help them think intentionally about how their faith can grow this school year too.  Here are 4 back-to-school essentials to incorporate into your children’s ministry:  A back-to-school gift with purpose, like Backpack Blessing Tags or Back-to-School Bible Verse Cards Something to help families celebrate at home, like a Faith Time Capsule Devotional, a Back-to-School Prayer Journal for Kids, or a Back-to-School Survival Kit. Something special for Promotion Sunday, like a full space-themed lesson that LAUNCHES them into the new year, a Promotion Sunday administrative bundle to help you stay organized or a simple...
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6 People to Celebrate With As a New Semester Begins

At the beginning of the year, I shared that my word for the year was celebration, and I confessed that celebration is a spiritual discipline I often skip over in pursuit of the next goal, event, or task. So this year, I've tried to be more intentional about taking time to reflect and celebrate. Want to join me? As we head into back-to-school season, consider celebrating with different groups of people in your ministry: Volunteers - Weave celebration into every interaction or gathering you have with your volunteers (especially your annual volunteer training!). It boosts morale, reminds them of their purpose, and keeps their enthusiasm for serving high! (More on celebrating your volunteers here.) Parents/Grown-ups - Grown-ups love hearing positive stories about the kids in their lives. Share major milestones and even small wins with the...
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Sunday Celebrations Printable Journal

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As a ministry leader, you probably have a lot of plates spinning on a Sunday morning. From check-in to new guests to volunteers to supply bins, there's a lot to think about. It can be hard to slow down and celebrate the ways God shows up week in and week out. Use this 5-year celebrations journal to help you pause, reflect, and celebrate what God does in your ministry each week, no matter how small the celebrations may seem.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Sunday Celebration Journal Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F07%2FDKM-Sunday-Celebrations-Journal.pdf|target:_blank"][vc_column_text] How To Use: Print off this journal and place it in a 3-ring binder or folder. There are typically 52 Sundays a year. Each page in this journal...
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My Favorite Promotion Sunday Tradition in Kids Ministry

Do you have any traditions or special ideas for back-to-school season or Promotion Sunday? Something you do every year that encourages kids to reflect on the past year but also get pumped for the year ahead? A special way to celebrate the start of a school year or moving to new ministry classes/small groups? My favorite back-to-school or Promotion Sunday tradition is much simpler than you might think: showing a picture slideshow or video that recaps the past year. This video or slideshow shares pictures and clips of special events, Sunday mornings, mid-week programs, etc. Set it to an upbeat worship song your kids loved from the year, and you're all set! I like to show this video recap on Promotion Sunday every year and use it as a launching point for small group discussion questions like: What was your favorite thing we did at church...
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6 Ideas for Following Up After Summer Events

Summer is often a busy season in ministry with extra events, special services, and even overnight trips. So much planning and preparation go into these events that we can sometimes forget about the importance of following up AFTER the events are over! But we miss out on crucial opportunities to connect with families when we ignore the follow-up opportunities that summer events provide. So here are 6 ideas for following up after your summer event(s). Plan ahead. Make your follow-up procedure part of the planning process for the entire event. So while you're thinking about VBS decorations, volunteer appreciation, and worship playlists, think about how you can follow up with families after your event is over. When you include the follow-up in the main planning of the event itself, it helps make sure follow-up doesn't slip through the post-event...
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