Starting a Special Needs Ministry— Many of us feel overwhelmed when it comes to the idea of starting up a special needs ministry. We may think, “I don’t have any training in that area!” In the same breath, we realize that we simply can’t leave any children out, and so, however fearfully, we dive in. I hope that in the next few [...]

Hopefully Devoted to Jesus— During much of my early adolescence, I was absolutely infatuated with Olivia Newton-John—for her Aussie accent as well as her music. It all began with the movie Grease, and one of her many hit songs from that musical: “Hopelessly Devoted to You.” In my foolish pre-teen mind, this song perfectly summed up my allegiance to a woman who was [...]

How to Prepare Your Heart for Difficult Conversations with Your Kids— Parenting isn’t easy. Counter-cultural parenting—that’s next level difficult! The world tells us, and our kids, that the way we feel determines our reality. But with this mentality, those struggling with depression would be truly worthless. Those experiencing a breakup would be rejected and unloved. This idea that our feelings dictate our [...]

Where Do You Begin? Policies and Procedures—   If you work in children’s ministry, you have a passion for it. It is hard work, but you have a spiritual motivation to help these little ones discover God’s love. Your job description requires you to do things that make sense to you, and you know how to do, like recruiting and training volunteers, [...]

Engaging our Children in the PCA's 50th Anniversary Celebration— Although I’ve been a part of the PCA for over 20 years, I’ve had the opportunity to learn a great deal of history as I’ve entered into the role of Children’s Ministry Coordinator during the time the PCA is preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary. I’m so thankful that the prayer subcommittee (Sue [...]

Family Traditions— Yikes! It’s that busy, busy time of year—parties, play practices, Christmas concerts, cookie baking, shopping, wrapping, decorating—whew!  You may find yourself wondering, “How on earth can I do it all, make the holidays meaningful, and still survive?” Well, dear parent, let’s start off with taking a deep breath. Recognize that we all tend to feel this pressure. We want those [...]

Illustrating Hymns for Young Hearts— My love of hymns began at a very young age. Both my parents have a great love for hymns and had a large impact on my desire for singing songs of praise that are packed with deep biblical truths. Growing up, I also had the opportunity to attend a classical Christian school for a number of years. As [...]