Grow Blog
CDM’s Children’s Ministry with Purpose Grow Blog connects you with people and resources to disciple the children in your church. Read as we write about children’s ministry opportunities and challenges, connecting with leadership, how to cast vision, and many more important topics.
Family Worship: A Guide to Help Our Families Create a Rhythm of Worship at Home
Family Worship: A Guide to Help Our Families Create a Rhythm of Worship at Home- When you hear the words “family worship,” what feelings arise? A parent with young children may smile, remembering a sweet prayer their child offered just yesterday. Another may feel guilty because family worship hasn’t happened at home in a long time. Still another may feel frustrated because, despite their efforts to [...]
Faithful or Flashy? Discerning Curriculum for Your Children’s Ministry-
Faithful or Flashy? Discerning Curriculum for Your Children’s Ministry- Any time I feel and think I am unequipped to do this job as children’s ministry director, the Lord is unbelievably kind to show me how He has prepared me for this job over the last twenty years. Unbeknownst to me, I’ve been discerning curriculum for a very small ministry my whole adult life. Our family is [...]
Beyond the Family: Why Covenant Parenting Requires the Whole Church
Beyond the Family: Why Covenant Parenting Requires the Whole Church— My sons are not being discipled by my husband and me alone. Their spiritual inheritance is being shaped by a whole community of believers. They are loved by “Aunties” and “Uncles,” our friends who love our boys as their own. While we are rooted first and foremost in the gospel, our family also draws from a [...]
Making the Most of Summer
Making the Most of Summer— Popsicles and less programming are what summer is made of around here! A few years ago, our church purchased two lots adjacent to our campus which gave us a lawn for summer suppers. Bare-footed, sun-kissed toddlers make their way to the outdoor popsicle freezer. Mamas enjoy deep conversation on picnic blankets. Bigger kids become expert helpers and feel promoted status. The [...]
Helping Children See God’s Gracious Mission
Helping Children See God's Gracious Mission- If you have ever baked with a small child, you know how messy that process can be. So messy in fact, that you might vow to never bake with small children again! But how rewarding is it when you take time to sit in the mess with small children, to model for them how to bake those cookies? Serving in [...]
How the Covenant Shapes Children’s Participation in Worship
How the Covenant Shapes Children's Participation in Worship- Studies have revealed a lot about how children understand the world around them. Children learn much more through experience than just through instruction that is only tailored to their age. They learn by imitation rather than by simply being told what to do. They learn as embodied beings—because that is how God created them. And as God’s image bearers, we are embodied people who [...]
Reachout Adventures VBS: An Unforgettable Experience With Lasting Impact-
Reachout Adventures VBS: An Unforgettable Experience With Lasting Impact Vacation Bible School is one of the most rewarding and hectic weeks of the year! Add in the months of planning, hours of meetings, and the moment-by-moment prayer to the God we long to introduce to these precious children, and it’s a full-time endeavor. Our church is preparing for VBS this very minute, and it’s my third [...]
Leading Children’s Ministry Through the Lens of Mission and Vision
Leading Children’s Ministry Through the Lens of Mission and Vision — Sometimes a renewed perspective on the mission and vision of the church comes from unexpected changes that remind us we are all a part of God’s family. The sanctuary had such a homey feel. A smaller space with pew doors that closed but evidence of open hearts as we recited creeds and spent time in [...]