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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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Ages and Stages: The Tween Years
Ages and Stages: The Tween Years— I was really proud of the Kids Ministry our congregation poured into when I was on staff as the Children’s Ministry Director. We had a robust volunteer list and always found help when we needed it. (Shocking, I know!) However, there was one hole that I was never able to fill, no matter how many people I asked, and that was the 4th and 5th grade class, or the “tweens.” For too long there was nothing at all for this group at our church. This weighed heavily on me, so when I moved [...]
The Elementary Years: Energetic and Enthusiastic!
The Elementary Years: Energetic and Enthusiastic!— You just can’t beat the hand-waving pride and enthusiasm of a 2nd grader who knows the answer and wants to be called on! Or the wide-eyed wonder of a 3rd grader when a new idea dawns on her for the first time. One morning we were reading the Acts 1 passage of Christ’s ascending into heaven, and when I read that the angel told the disciples Jesus would return, eight-year-old Austin was beside himself. “You mean He’s coming back??” If that doesn’t thrill your heart, I don’t know what will! Considering the ages [...]
Ages and Stages: Pre-School Sponges
Ages and Stages: Pre-School Sponges— “. . . but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven’” (Matt. 19:14). To a seasoned teacher or a new volunteer joining your team, preschoolers can be terrifying because of their energy or they can be an exciting opportunity to share about Jesus and watch them soak up the gospel, just like a sponge. Before teaching this age group, it’s really best to find out what to expect. Whichever curriculum you choose should have information specific to the preschool [...]
Nursery: Where It All Begins
Nursery: Where It All Begins! — When you hear the word nursery, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Some of us think, “Oh, I love holding babies!” Some of us think, “I need more help!” And some think, “I want to teach them, but I’m not sure what to do.” Let’s look at the divisions of nursery, the musts for a successful nursery, and the nursery connection to children’s ministry. Divisions of nursery are important to understand as we launch into nursery leadership: Infants – our youngest who simply smile and gurgle (with a little spit-up [...]
Ages and Stages: How To Teach Children Well
Ages and Stages: How to Teach Children Well— If you have been around children at all, it does not take long to see how much they change and develop even from week-to-week. In the nursery we see them go from only laying on their back to crawling in what seems like the blink of an eye. In preschool we see them go from talking in a few words to carrying on seemingly long conversations to counting to 100. How did that happen? When they arrive in elementary school we go through the sometimes painful first steps of reading where [...]
Thank You God for Autism
Thank You God for Autism— The police came again. My husband got to share with them about our son, John, who lives with autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Tourette syndrome. John loves to walk and pace on our neighborhood street these days. This past week I came out into our front yard to search for our John and found my 6-foot son walking down our neighborhood street shirtless, with his head turned upward towards the sky, marching in the middle of the road. He was so free and so focused. John’s freedom at this moment was confusing and perplexing to some of our neighbors [...]
Fear Not Parenting—Fear Not Disability
Fear Not Parenting: Fear Not Disability— I can still remember the question the nurse asked my wife and me in the hospital room not long after our son was born: “Are you familiar with Trisomy 21?” We were not familiar with this term until she explained it was the more technical term for Down Syndrome. This was the first time we heard that our son was going to be different than we had imagined, and the life we had envisioned would be taking a significant detour. Disorientation The disorientation of having a child with a disability can be all-encompassing. [...]
Fear Not Technology
Fear Not Technology— You may have already seen the videos of young people walking down the sidewalk, riding the train, eating at restaurants, or even driving a car with the Apple Vision Pro® plastered across their faces. These images are concerning and scary. This new technology is an amazing tool for connecting the user to the world online but blinds them to their surroundings and isolates them from the people around them. The pattern is true almost any time a new technology is released: we see the blessing of its benefits along with the possible challenges and dangers to [...]
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