Categories: Volunteers

Receiving Feedback Well in KidMin

The beginning of a new school year means new volunteers, new policies, and new procedures. And sometimes that comes with opinions and feedback on how the new changes are going. So for the next couple of weeks, we'll talk about receiving feedback well and asking the right questions. That may seem backward. Shouldn’t asking the right questions happen before we talk about receiving feedback well? From my experiences, no. Receiving feedback well is more about our heart than our questions. We have to be mentally, emotionally, and prayerfully ready to hear feedback and accept it gracefully before we even start asking the questions. Otherwise, the responses to our questions get tangled up in our own emotions and blind spots. As a young leader, I worked so hard to prove myself and gain the trust of parents and families that I often closed...
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Lectio Divina Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Lectio Divina is a spiritual discipline that combines prayers with the study of Scripture. As children's ministry leaders who are in God's Word for professional purposes (we have to know it if we're going to teach it, right?), the practice of Lectio Divina is an excellent way to make sure we're in God's Word for personal reasons too. Too often in ministry, I confused my teaching prep time with my personal quiet time, but when we approach the Bible only for the purpose of teaching it to others, we miss out on what it can teach us. Using Lectio Divina helped me shut off the part of my brain that focused on "how can I turn this into an object lesson for the 2nd graders" and sparked the side that quietly waits for that gentle whisper from a Heavenly King. I pray that this resource helps you connect with God's...
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14 Ways to Pray for the Kids You Serve Printable

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

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

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We already know that kids are wired for relationships. One of the best ways to help kids connect with their leaders outside of Sunday mornings is through Crew Cards. (Not sure what I'm talking about? Learn more about Crew Cards here.) As you prepare for the fall, it's time to update the postcards you use for Crew Cards! Update the look of your Crew Card postcards using one (or all) of the 4 images below, then use a site like VistaPrint to print your postcards for the year![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="I want the designs! " align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F06%2FDKM-New-Designs-for-Crew-Cards.zip||target:%20_blank|"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="5104" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link"...
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Wired for Relationships

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

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We learned earlier in the week how kids are wired uniquely and what we can do to engage them. Today is all about how kids are developmentally wired for learning. The speed at which their little brains absorb and process new information is unlike any other stage of life. This is great news for us! Their minds are already ready for the truths we want to teach them. But that doesn’t mean every child is developmentally ready for every truth. While children may progress through stages of learning at different rates, they tend to follow the same patterns of development from birth to the preteen years, and when we engage kids based on their developmental stage, we can take better aim at the dartboard. Use this week's download to gain a general overview of a child’s characteristics in each stage and what...
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Volunteer Handbook

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

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

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

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

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]You and I both know VBS couldn't happen without an amazing team of volunteers. So use these simple VBS-themed printables to say thank you to the team you couldn't live without.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="I want to appreciate my VBS Volunteers!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F05%2FDKM-VBS-2018-Volunteer-Appreciation.pdf||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text]How to Use: Choose your theme and design (LifeWay's Game On VBS and Group's Shipwrecked Theme available). Purchase the recommended candy or use the simple designs (page 2 or 5) as tags for a larger gift or with a gift card. Use individually wrapped Lifesavers for pages 3-4 or individually wrapped Starburst for pages 6-7. Print, cut, and attach your candy (use tape or, even better, Glue Dots). ...
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VBS 2018 Printables

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]VBS Season is in full force! As you prepare for the big week, I hope these resources and printables make your life easier and your week better.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="4781" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/vbs-prayer-countdown-printable/"][vc_btn title="Pray for Your VBS" align="center" button_block="true" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fvbs-prayer-countdown-printable%2F||target:%20_blank|"][vc_empty_space height="64px"][vc_single_image image="4835" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/vbs-volunteer-appreciation-printables/"][vc_btn title="Appreciate your VBS Volunteers"...
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KidMin Job Descriptions (For You and Your Team)

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

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In the past I've shared my 5 Tips for Behavior Management at Church, which discusses the importance of sharing behavior expectations with kids. To help the kids in my ministry understand my expectations for them, I created 5 Rules called the "5 I Can's", that eventually became known by the kids as SLLRP (pronounced "slurp"). They were adaptable for any situation too, so I could remind kids to "SLLRP it up" at VBS, a preschool playdate, or on a Sunday morning, and they'd know exactly what I was talking about. These “I Can” Statements help kids remember how we should behave at church so we can get the best out of our time each Sunday morning and learn all about what God wants to teach us. They allow kids to take ownership of their time at church each week and to empower them to CHOOSE to do the right thing....
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Easter Volunteer Appreciation Printable – Thanks for Being One of My Peeps!

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I don't have to tell you how big Easter is in the kidmin world. Egg hunts, family events, Holy Week services, and more, and that doesn't even include preparation for Easter Sunday! You and I both know you can't pull off this busy season without your awesome team of volunteers, so use this quick and easy printable to remind them you're glad they're one of your peeps.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download your Peeps Printable here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fproduct%2Fpeeps-easter-volunteer-appreciation-printable-graphics%2F||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text]1) Buy Peeps during the Easter season (buy them after Easter for major discounts). 2) Print the following pages on either colored paper or Avery 5164 Shipping Labels (be sure to follow the printing instructions on the...
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Volunteer Dove Chocolate Valentine Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Give your volunteers some love this Valentine's Day with a simple gift. It's always a good time to let your volunteers know how much you appreciate them, and with this week's free printable, it'll only take you a few minutes of prep work to thank them for being the heart of your ministry. I heard about this idea at a breakout session with Kathie Phillips, the brilliant KidMin leader and author behind KidMinspiration. What you need: Dove chocolates Glue Dots DKM Volunteer Valentine Printable Just print, cut, stick on the chocolates, and you're ready to go![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title="Help me love on my volunteers this Valentine's Day!" color="sky" 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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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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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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Candy Appreciation Labels (Free Printables!)

[vc_row][vc_column 0=""][vc_btn title="Click Here to Get Your Candy Appreciation Labels!" color="sky" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F10%2FCandy-Appreciation-Labels.pdf|target:_blank"][vc_column_text]Any candy that doesn't get passed out on Halloween or at the Fall Fest comes home to live with me (and it doesn't last very long). So this year, I decided to find a new home for all that leftover candy, and my waistline will thank me for it. You can get all that sugary goodness out of your house too AND let your volunteers know how much you appreciate them at the same time. Talk about a win-win! Use these free printable labels for 12 different candy bars to remind your volunteers how awesome they are using fun size or mini-size candy. Even if you don't have much candy left over...
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