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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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Creative Ways to Teach the Apostles Creed
Creative Ways to Teach the Apostles Creed— The Apostles’ Creed is a great tool to teach children about God, what we know to be true about him and the promises he makes to his people. The structure in which the Creed is written–Father, Son and Holy Spirit–also provides a helpful framework for children to understand the Trinity. But teaching the creed sounds challenging, right? The language alone might make the creed feel like too much to tackle with concrete learners like preschoolers and younger elementary students. But I really like the flexibility the Apostles’ Creed offers to bring in [...]
Don’t Neglect the Catechizing of your Covenant Children
Don’t Neglect the Catechizing of Your Covenant Children— Teaching by use of a catechism has fallen on hard times in the church today. I have known conservative evangelical Christians who think learning the catechism is a thing only the Roman Catholic Church does. Even many Presbyterians only contemplate catechism as a series of questions and answers in a little booklet that children memorize. To a whole swath of the Christian community, catechism isn’t even a word that is ever spoken. But catechism is actually an ancient teaching method that has proven to be a very powerful way to teach sound [...]
Honest Grief and Hopeful Joy
Honest Grief and Hopeful Joy— It’s been one week since the tragedy at Covenant School in Nashville. The grief is still fresh, and we all feel deeply for each family impacted. Worship felt a little sweeter yesterday, and Holy Week will have special meaning as we remember the six lives taken too early. We are all praying for Covenant Presbyterian in Nashville as they confidently draw near to the throne of grace that they may receive mercy and find grace to help in their time of need (Hebrews 4:16). This picture of my mom and niece was taken during [...]
The Importance of Summer Ministry
The Importance of Summer Ministry— If you’ve yet to watch my short 3-minute video on the importance of summer ministry, click here to watch it and get a quick overview of what I’d like to share with you here. First, in the midst of our very busy schedules, why in the world should we do summer ministry? Isn’t summer a time to recoup from the past year’s hectic programs? Isn’t summer a time to spend with family and friends, enjoying the relationships He has given us, and getting our “tanks” filled back up by enjoying each other’s company, laughing, [...]
The 4 E’s of Why You Should Train Your Volunteers
The Four E's of Why You Should Train Your Volunteers— When I talk to children’s ministry leaders around the country about volunteer recruitment, I always say one of the best ways to recruit and keep volunteers is to train them! There are many reasons why training volunteers can be challenging: it is hard to gather people together; it’s expensive; the church calendar gets filled up with other events, etc. While these reasons and others may tempt you to not host regular trainings, I want to share four reasons why I think training your children’s ministry volunteers is one of the most [...]
Welcoming New Families to Church
Welcoming New Families to Church— I once visited a church where my husband was speaking. We arrived early, and I sat on a pew on the right side. When people came in, everyone sat on the left side. I was the only person on the right side the whole evening. A student whispered, “Who’s that person sitting on the right side?” My husband responded, “That’s my wife. She didn’t know you only sit on the left side.” Does your church have hidden “codes” that make a person feel unwelcomed? It’s easy for church members to get accustomed to the [...]
Stories and Stickers: Growing up with Reachout Adventures
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
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 [...]
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