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CDM’s mission is to strengthen the Church through connections. Through articles, podcasts, and resources we want to help connect you with people and tools that will help you in ministry.
Ministry to children can often feel lonely, but we hope this site will be a place that will encourage you and equip you for a lifetime of investing in the next generation. You are part of God’s covenant community and your investment in the little ones really does matter to God.
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Fortune Cookie Theology For Parents and Ministry Leaders
Fortune Cookie Theology For Parents and Ministry Leaders— I love Chinese Food. Truly I do. White rice or fried rice, hot and sour soup or egg drop, General Tso's chicken or beef with broccoli—it all works for me! But my favorite part of the meal is (by far) at the very end. The fortune cookie. Oh, I know, lots of people think they taste like cardboard and just throw them out. But I can't wait to open one and see what it says inside. Sometimes the sayings are funny not-quite-right translations of famous phrases, or glib statements such [...]
Going Outside the Grounds
Going Outside the Grounds— **This is an interview between Jimmy Brock (Pastor at Resurrection Community Church) and Heather Williams (Nursery Director at Chesapeake Presbyterian Church)** How did you all get started doing backyard Bible clubs? It's something that our previous children's ministry director had done at a church before and brought to us. She said that especially since we didn’t do VBS, this would be a great summer outreach and a good way to keep our children involved through the summer. What does a backyard Bible club actually look like? We have a host family who offers the space—a [...]
The Missional Family
The Missional Family— Chuckling and shaking my head, I recently retold the account of the time my oldest son re-broke his arm the same day he got his cast off. I had signed up through Meal Train to take dinner to not one, but two foster families with new placements and was also watching four of my friend’s children that day. It was Midwest-end-of-August-humid-hot, and I was thirty-four weeks pregnant. I had just finished nestling rolls into the boxes I had prepared to deliver when my son’s best friend came bursting through the front door, shouting, “Miss Becky! Brendan [...]
Making Sundays Welcoming
Making Sundays Welcoming— My mother has served in children’s ministry for most of her life, leading programs at three different churches in the DC area: one as the volunteer Sunday School Superintendent, and two others as the full-time director of children’s ministry. I asked her to share some thoughts on making Sundays welcoming for visitors from a wide variety of backgrounds, particularly from unchurched or lightly-churched backgrounds. Can you give us a brief picture of the basics of Sunday morning children's programs at the churches you served? The three churches all offered two or three morning services with children’s [...]
The Fruit of Certification
The Fruit of Certification— This year we celebrated 5 years of our Children’s Ministry Certification program! 5 years equals 160 men and women who have spent 12 months evaluating and growing children’s ministry in their churches. Children’s Ministry at CDM comes alongside churches by helping them pave the way for intergenerational connections in congregations that will strengthen the entire church. Certification is a valuable part of training and leadership development for those ministering to children. Each certification student gains access to online trainings, wonderful books, monthly meetings with faculty, prayer cohorts, and mentor support. One of my favorite things [...]
Finding Rest in Ministry Rhythms
Finding Rest in Ministry Rhythms— I love an old-fashioned paper calendar. I spend time marking it up with all kinds of colors based on the occasion. Later this month, there is a week outlined bright orange and blue with BEACH written in big letters. Beach Week happens towards the end of every summer and is a family rhythm. We know when we get there, it’s a glorious week of sun, surf, and relaxation; then school will greet us shortly on the other side. I can’t help but think about creation when I think about rhythms. Those were the first [...]
Long Term Planning With the End in Mind
Long Term Planning with the End in Mind— Long-term planning has always excited me. Seeing the big picture, setting goals to get there, and visualizing the end-product is one of my favorite things to do. I sit down with my paper planner, pens in a rainbow of colors, a cup of coffee, and enough optimism to conquer the world. Inevitably though, details are left out, people “get in the way,” I run out of steam, and the curse rears its ugly head. My attempt at the perfect Pinterest Board looks like a toddler’s craft time. Through God’s grace, I [...]
Ready or Not, Let Go! Short-Term Planning in a Church Planting Context
Ready or Not, Let Go! Short-Term Planning in a Church Planting Context - One Thursday evening, my senior pastor texted me the news. Our permit for Sunday worship in the local high school that week had been canceled. Not again! My head immediately began to go through a mental checklist of next steps. Make a new plan for Sunday, check. Notify volunteers, check. Notify parents, check. Purchase a new box of crayons for Sunday, check. Determine what other supplies I need to gather or print, check. Having moved twenty-two times, between eight locations, in fewer than seven years, this [...]
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