Tags: Summer

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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5 Reasons Overnight Summer Camp is Important For Your Kids Ministry

You may have a love/hate relationship with overnight summer camp. On the one hand, it's a great week to invest deeper in kids' faith, build relationships, and just have fun together. On the other hand, camp food is not always the greatest, and your back may not appreciate sleeping on a bunk bed for a week. But going to overnight summer camp, whether you attend one that runs the show for you or you create and run your own, is a critical event in a child's faith development, especially as they move into their preteen years and eventually up into the youth group. Here's why: Summer camp creates memories. The fun and shared memories created at camp help bond a group of kids and leaders like not much else can. My husband (a youth pastor) says that camps and retreats are like relationship-building on steroids. This is especially important for...
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Make a Splash with these Summer Resources for your KidMin!

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]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. Make a splash in kids' faith this summer with these awesome resources! If you'd like a more visual version of this page, find that here.[/vc_column_text][vc_toggle title="New for 2022" custom_font_container="tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%233ac1e1" custom_use_theme_fonts="yes" use_custom_heading="true"]Summer Splash: Summer Event - Host a wet-n-wild summer event that helps your families stay cool and have fun! This event is designed as a relationship-building event, giving kids and...
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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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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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3 Ways to Make Families Hate Coming To Your Family Worship Service

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Family worship services offer a great opportunity for intergenerational worship and to teach kids what it means to be part of the body of Christ. But family services are often new experiences for families and leaders alike, and they can be intimidating for everyone involved. If you really want to make your families hate attending your service, just do these 3 things... Don't communicate with parents. Parents probably have a lot of questions about what a family service may entail. How long will it last? What if their kids are noisy? What if the kids can't sit still? Don't address any of these questions ahead of time; families will figure it out when they arrive. Work to keep kids quiet. Rather than engaging kids and inviting them into the service, do what you can to provide activities and busy bags that...
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Identity Truths Kids Need to Know

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In a world that is constantly telling kids who they are and who they should be, we have a vital responsibility as children's ministry leaders to teach kids about who they are in Christ. Unless kids hear and embrace the truths God declares about them, they will not come to a full understanding of who they are in Christ and will never reach their full God-given potential. Here are just a few important truths kids need to internalize... I am who God says I am. (“So God created human beings in his own likeness..." Genesis 1:27 (NIrV)) In Christ, I am REDEEMED. (“'For I have redeemed you,’ God says.” Isaiah 43:1 (NKJV)) In Christ, I am a NEW CREATION. ("When anyone lives in Christ, the new creation has come. The old is gone! The new is here!" 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIrV)) In Christ, I am a CHILD...
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Color-Themed Preschool Playdate

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Host a preschool playdate that invites little ones and their parents to fellowship with one another and learn about God's beautiful colors through storytime and play! Read the suggested book (or another book about colors), then set up the play stations and allow kids to enjoy time together while their parents fellowship too![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download a Printable Copy Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F06%2FDKM-Color-themed-Preschool-Playdate.pdf|target:_blank"][vc_column_text] Supplies: Storytime book, items of various colors & matching color bowls (i.e. buttons, feathers, paper shapes, plastic blocks, pom poms, and pipe cleaners for sensory table), bubbles, wands, paper plates, colored streamers (cut into 4-inch pieces), glue sticks,...
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Scripture Stars: 4th of July Family Faith Activity

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Share this fun summer activity with the families in your ministry to help them decorate their house for the 4th of July and remind them of the freedom we have in Jesus! It's a great way to help them form tiny habits that incorporate scripture into their lives![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download Printable Copy Here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F06%2FDKM-Scripture-Stars-Freebie.pdf|target:_blank"][vc_column_text] Supplies: red, white, and blue cardstock, star templates from online, gluestick, markers, Bible Instructions: Search the internet for star templates. Print and cut out stars of different sizes on red, white, and blue cardstock. Layer the stars by gluing a smaller star on top of a larger star. Then write one of the Bible verses...
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Simple Scripture Habits For Families

Sometimes parents feel overwhelmed by the thought of family devotions or reading the Bible with their kids. But you can remind them that even the simplest habits can help them incorporate Scripture into their daily lives! Here are a few ideas to share with the families in your church: Decorate with scripture - Many families have more scripture in their homes than they realize, but it's also easy to make it an art project or part of a holiday celebration! With an activity like Scripture Stars or even encouraging kids to make their own Bible verse poster, families can hang up scripture around their homes where they'll see it every day. If they're decorating for a certain holiday or season, they can find Bible verses that relate to that celebration, add them to some decorations, and hang those up too! Then each time they pass the scripture...
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Father’s Day Tie Goody Bags Craft

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Kids can make these cute bags in class and fill them with snacks to share or activities to do with their dads or father figures for Father's Day! (And find more Father's Day resources here!)[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the instructions here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F06%2FFathers-Day-Tie-Goody-Bags-Freebie.pdf|target:_blank"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="59115" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/product/fathers-day-holiday-history-series/"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text]This craft is one of the activities in the Father's Day Holiday History lesson, The full lesson teaches kids about the history of...
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Family Summer Bucket List Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Print and share this week's download with the families in your ministry to give them ideas for how to connect with God, their community, and each other this summer![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Download the Family Summer Bucket List here!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F09%2FDKM-Summer-Family-Challenge-Bucket-List-Freebie.pdf||target:%20_blank|"][vc_single_image image="13476" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="https://deeperkidmin.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/DKM-Summer-Family-Challenge-Bucket-List-Freebie.pdf"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text] All of the activities in this Summer Bucket List come from the Summer Family Challenge, so if you really want to equip...
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5 Ways to Stay Connected with Families This Summer

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]With church attendance spotty throughout the year anyway, summertime usually brings an even bigger drop in church attendance as families enjoy vacations, family trips, and lazy mornings after late nights. Here are 5 ways you can stay connected with the families in your ministry throughout these busy, sunny months (and 4 resources to help you do it!). Online - Use your church's website and ministry social media accounts to post highlights about what you're learning each Sunday. These posts can include family discussion questions, the Bible story, or even just engagement posts that ask families what they're up to. The beauty of technology is that you can stay connected with your families digitally even if you can't stay connected with them physically. And if you really want to connect with your families...
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Beat the Summer Boredom Bucket List

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By July, parents are often ready for school to start again, just so their kids have something to do. Well fear not! Use this template for a July Bucket List to Beat the Boredom and help families finish off the summer with a bang![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Customize the List For Your Community" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F06%2FDKM-Beat-the-Summer-Boredom-July-Bucket-List.docx||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text]This bucket list works for my home town, but you can customize it for your own area, highlighting cheap or free activities already going on in your community. Pick a few of these free events, then encourage families to attend and meet you there. This gives you a month off from planning and organizing events but lets you still enjoy special...
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Meet Me at the Movies Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Want to host an easy family event that takes little preparation and planning on your part? Head to the movies! Just pick a movie, date, time, and theater, then communicate those details with your families. (Psst - check out a review of the movie on one of these sites to make sure it's appropriate for your families!) Because it's a family event, parents attend with their children, and you don't have to worry about chaperones, drivers, or anything but getting yourself to the theater. Incredibles 2 is coming out June 15, so it's the perfect opportunity to try this out![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Let's go to the movies!" align="center" link="url:https%3A%2F%2Fdeeperkidmin.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F05%2FDKM-Meet-Me-at-the-Movies.pdf||target:%20_blank|"][vc_column_text]It's a win-win for everyone!...
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VBS Prayer Countdown Printable

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]VBS season is in full swing, and for us, Monday, May 21 marks the 2-week final countdown before VBS begins on June 4 (cue excited yet terrified feeling)! One of the most important parts of preparing for VBS that I willingly admit I am bad at staying on top of is prayer. Reading Priscilla Shirer's Fervent completely revolutionized my prayer life. Fervent taught me that using Scripture and writing down my prayers can help my times of prayer be more purposeful, so I'm applying those strategies to VBS this year. This week's free download is a Countdown to VBS Prayer printable. I'll be printing it this weekend, then putting it with my Bible. Starting Monday, I'll have written, specific prayers for every day until VBS (and through the week of VBS too). I invite you to join me in prayer and use this printable to...
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Thirsty for God Object Lesson (Psalm 42:1-2)

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Earlier in the week, I shared a great resource for Old Testament Object Lessons from Future Flying Saucers, so today I thought I’d share one of my favorite object lessons! More than just knowing the Bible, I want kids to WANT to know the Bible. To long for time spent in the Word and to foster a desire to spend time with God. But if this is something we want to develop, we have to teach it! [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title="Download the Printable Version" align="center" link="url:/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/DKM-Thirsty-for-God-Object-Lesson.pdf"][/vc_column][/vc_row] Every kid has been thirsty, and every kid drinks water throughout their week. I like to use water, straws, and Psalm 42:1-2 (NIrV) to teach kids about being thirsty for God’s Word. The best...
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