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Stories and Stickers: Growing up with Reachout Adventures— Every summer for one week my little church in south Mississippi would be transformed. Some years it became a mountain campsite, others years it was a seaport, still others an Olympic stadium, or even an outpost in the far-flung reaches of Outer Space. As a little girl, this was truly magical. As an adult looking back, I now see something else even more wonderful was taking place—I was growing to love God’s people and His Word in ways that have shaped the rest of my life. Of course, the decorations were [...]

Why VBS?  A Summer Discipleship Opportunity— Lately, as I have been working on some personal health goals, I keep getting asked, “What is your why?” It has been a good question. Slowing down to think about what motivates me to do the hard work on these goals has helped me to identify the most important reasons, and it has helped me stay focused. I’ve been asking myself this same question as I’m starting to plan for VBS. I’ve probably organized 30 summer VBS programs over the years, and each time I still get excited picking out the curriculum and the theme. However, after that many, it can become an exercise in routine without much thought [...]

The 5 P's of Volunteer Recruitment— Do you feel like recruiting volunteers is a never-ending task? Do you dread the “no’s”? Do you feel like people avoid you because they think you’re going to ask them to serve? These are all too familiar to most Children’s Ministry leaders. Volunteers serving out of duty rather than delight is a stark contrast to most Children’s Ministry leaders’ experiences! As Children’s Ministry leaders, we delight in seeing the gospel shared, praises sung, friendships built, and fun happen while serving, and it’s hard to understand why everyone doesn’t see it that way. So, [...]

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 paragraphs I can help calm your fears and point you in the right direction. Special needs ministry is really about excellent hospitality. A simple definition of hospitality is the act of being friendly and welcoming to guest [...]

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 much too old for me (and way out of my league). I’m sure my parents hardly in favor of this heart devotion of mine! As Christian parents and grandparents, we understand that our children, in their foolish [...]

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 reality is a dangerous falsehood planted by the enemy. Instead, believers must recognize feelings for what they are, acknowledge them, analyze them, and work through them! The way we feel doesn’t change the reality of our identity, [...]

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, working with curriculum, planning events, and communicating with parents.   But now you have the added responsibility of writing, updating, or editing child safety policies and procedures. Many find this outside their skill set, and some find [...]

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 Pitzer, Susan Hunt, and Laura Dowling) wanted to include the prayers of the children in their efforts to gather our denomination in prayer next year. We tried to intentionally prepare the anniversary prayer calendar in a way [...]