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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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Little Hearts Prepare Him Room with Holly Mackle
Little Hearts Prepare Him Room with Holly Mackle— In the midst of the hurry and scurry of the Advent season, how do you best prepare your heart to meet Christ? Join Holly Mackle and Karen Hodge as they discuss both theologically rich and tremendously fun ways to celebrate Advent with your family. The Little Hearts Prepare Him Room podcast was originally posted on December 1st, 2020 Visit the CDM Women's Ministry Encourage Site to listen to this podcast, as well as other podcasts. Holly Mackle is the curator of the mom humor collaboration Same Here, Sisterfriend, [...]
The Long View of Discipleship
The Long View of Discipleship— The annual Leadership Training Retreat has easily become one of the things I most look forward to each year. Three days spent in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, delicious food shared with new and old friends, worshipping with other believers, and learning alongside others in similar roles who are also ministering to children make LTR special to me. LTR is a unique conference geared for those who are in leadership positions in the church and specifically in children's ministry. Time together is rich and sweet. I've attended this retreat the last six years, and [...]
Engaging Pastoral Leadership in Child Protection
Engaging Pastoral Leadership in Child Protection— Sadly, I have seen it happen far too many times. The children’s ministry director attends a conference, signs up for a seminar on child protection, brings home some good resources, and starts to write child protection documents. They invest a lot of time in making church a safe place for children and the adults who work with them. But they can never get church leadership’s support for the effort. They don’t feel the leaders will back them if they need to enforce the policies and procedures. We know most pastors and leaders want [...]
Reflecting on Summer Ministry
Reflecting on Summer Ministry— The transition time between the summer season and an academic season of ministry is often an overlooked opportunity. Sustaining summer ministry requires a good amount of effort, as does being ready for the fresh new season of ministry that comes with the beginning of the school year. These seasons seem to mesh up together with very little time for evaluation (but hopefully a little vacation/reprieve in there somewhere). As the rhythms in your ministry to children are getting under way, I encourage you to set aside a little bit of time to evaluate the fruitfulness [...]
Discipline Policy
Discipline Policy All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2Timothy 3:16 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11 As teachers, we must be PROACTIVE. We must set a tone, an atmosphere that helps each child to enjoy and benefit from our lessons and activities. We want to maintain a reasonably orderly environment and yet not be [...]
Teaching Children to Bring Their Cares to God
Teaching Children to Bring their Cares to God— The children who enter the children’s ministry classroom each week do not leave their baggage at the door. They arrive with all the feels accumulated throughout the week. They carry with them worries, sorrows, and cares from life lived in a fallen world. One child might be worried about a test at school the next day. Another might bear anger toward a sibling for breaking a beloved toy earlier that morning. Still another might feel the weight of failure over a lost soccer game the day before. Such emotions often feel [...]
There is Still Time to Plan for Summer
There is Still Time to Plan for Summer— Are you in the middle of planning your summer for children's ministry? Are you still thinking through a VBS option for the summer? CDM offers a curriculum that provides in-depth Bible lessons, emphasizes Scripture memory, is Gospel centered and is FUN for children and adults alike. If you are not familiar with Reachout Adventures, take a look at the benefits of Space Probe. Although the Space Probe curriculum is intended for a week-long Vacation Bible School, there are various ways you can adapt this curriculum to fit your church! Check out [...]
There is Still Time to Plan for Summer
There is Still Time to Plan for Summer Are you in the middle of planning your summer for children's ministry? Are you still thinking through a VBS option for the summer? CDM offers a curriculum that provides in-depth Bible lessons, emphasizes Scripture memory, is Gospel centered and is FUN for children and adults alike. If you are not familiar with Reachout Adventures, take a look at the benefits of Space Probe. Although the Space Probe curriculum is intended for a week-long Vacation Bible School, there are various ways you can adapt this curriculum to fit your church! Check out [...]
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