Effective Children's Ministry

Archive for March, 2010

There is no better way to help kids memorize Scripture than to set it to music. Someone who has this ministry is Scripture Lady, Kathy Vincent.

Not only does she get children excited about the stories and adventures in the Bible, but with singing and actions she helps them fix the truths in their minds and hearts. You can see Kathy in action in a demo video on her site. If you are like us, you will find yourself singing the songs all week! After one viewing of this video Catherine and I were singing: “He came to SEEK!  He came to SAVE!  He came to seek and to save that which was lost!” And it lived with us for days after.

But Kathy isn’t keeping all the tricks-of-the-trade to herself!  She wants   to get us all singing the Bible with our children!

If you would like to learn how you can set Scripture to music visit her blog post. And while you are there, sign up for  Scripture Lady’s free email newsletter. It’s packed full of great ideas to help you get creative in your teaching and reviewing of the Bible.

If you think that making music is not for you, check our our post for the unmusical among us!

Catherine and I both love our allotment garden. We grow veggies, fruit and flowers  there, but the crop can be ruined by weeds and pests.
So we sat up and took note when we spotted  one article highlighted  in the Childrens Ministry magazine newsletter.

ChildrensMinistry.com is a great site, stuffed with useful resources and tips from experienced kid’s workers.

Walter Norvell, a children’s minister in Tennessee, writes  about 10 “weeds” that threaten the growth of your children’s ministry. It’s a great check list to run through from time to time.

10 Things That’ll Ruin Your Children’s Ministry

Is there something that a small church can offer that is much harder to achieve in the megachurch?
Pastor Jared at the Smalltownkidmin Blog thinks so. In one thoughtful and honest post he focuses on the value of building relationships.

If you check it out this post, you’ll also see an ace craft idea for pre-schoolers!

Smalltownkidmin Blog is relatively new, but in a dozen or so posts, the author has established a niche of writing from the perspective of a small church. Pastor Jared’s church has an average attendance of around 50, of which about a third are cared for in the nursery and children’s ministry. In the wider scope of children’s ministry sites and blogs it is refreshing to see the challenges and blessings of the small scale set up written about.

Thanks to Iconshock.com for the free images used in this game. 

Fast food for kids? Yes, and not one calory or ounce of saturated fat!

In the game, correct answers to  your Bible review questions earn the team a chance to choose a lettered rectangle on a PowerPoint grid.

Once clicked, it reveals one of five items the team needs to collect in order to win the game: a burger, a drink, ketchup, fries and an ice cream sundae.

If the team has already collected the item, then it is covered again, ready for the next team – if they need it, are alert and have remembered where it is! There are three of each item so collecting is not difficult – except when a team is waiting for that one final item to clinch the game!  Many an underdog has come from behind to with this exciting review!

Full instructions are included in the Powerpoint presentation, but for your convenience they are also available in a Word document.

It is essential to download BOTH PowerPoint files and save them to the same folder on your computer. This is because the game “hops” from one presentation to the other and back again, using hyperlinked buttons. It sounds complex but it isn’t really.  Don’t let that put you off trying out this exciting game that we have found to be among the kids’ great favourites .

The first presentation contains the “game board”. This is the one containing the items to be collected.
The second “board” is for scoring. Each of the two teams have pictures of the items and can check them off on the score boards as they collect them, before you click on the button to return to the game board.

If you are not used to downloading files over the internet the following steps may be helpful:

1) Make a new folder somewhere on your computer where you will be able to easily find it again. Name it “Burger Bar”.

2) RIGHT-click on one of the links below and when prompted, SAVE it to the folder you have just made.

3) Do the same with the other PowerPoint (.ppt)  file. Remember: You MUST have these files in the same folder for the game to work properly.

4) To view the game, open up first the file (burger_bar1.ppt). Full instructions are on slides 3 and 4. OR, you could open the Word document and read the instructions there.

As always, if you have any problems, feel free to contact us -
contact[at]effectivechildrensministry[dot]org

Download Main Game board PowerPoint

Download Score chart PowerPoint

Download Instructions (Word document)

Do you need a brief children’s Easter talk with a memorable visual aid? Then you might enjoy Don Stott’s post over at Childrensministerblog.com.

Using a sheet of newspaper and niftily tearing some simple shapes, he reveals the heart of the Easter gospel message.

Don has used this in primary (elementary) schools with great success, but people of all ages will be captivated.

Check out Don’s post, where he has full instructions with photos.

What are the needs of single-parent families?

How does the situation affect the children?

What can we do to minister to these needs?

How can we in children’s ministry avoid problems?

If you would like to know the answers to these and other questions about this type of family, then the article in the link will give you more understanding, ideas and advice.

Go to A House Divided, by Lori Haynes Niles

ChildrensMinistry.com is a great source of ideas and materials. In this article there are heaps of ideas for fun activities of an easter theme, including “Donkey Relays” , papier-mâché piñatas, using ice cubes  and making yummy Easter snacks.

It’s a varied bunch of ideas where there is sure to be something to suit your facilities and your children. Check it out here.

What do running shoes and a warning bell have in common? They both feature in this free visual presentation.

The download is a PDF containing full instructions and images to print out and laminate. It is what we call an Adaptable Application, because although it was first intended to illustrate practical teaching from the life of Moses, it is adaptable for any Bible lesson where temptation features.

The simple outline gives children and others a four-step strategy, so that they can cope better when they are tempted. Piece by piece, as you open out the teaching and apply it to real life, the visuals help the kids to retain the teaching.

Here is an outline for How to Cope with Temptation.

REMEMBER what you have been told.
Our teachers and the folk who look after us at home tell us right and wrong.

REALIZE the danger.
Every action has a result. We need to think things through; think ahead to what might happen to us, or to others, as a result of our actions.

RUN AWAY from the situation.
It is not cowardly, when you are tempted, to go off do something else. It takes courage to run away from doing wrong!

RELY on God.
Christians believe he has the power to help us do right, and follow God’s plan for life.

…………………………………………………………

Would you prefer this Adaptable Application as a PowerPoint presentation? let us know, by clicking the contact tab and emailing us at the address given. We’ll be happy to try to help you with that.

To download the printable version, Right-Click the link below and save the file to your computer.

Download  the Adaptable Application – How to Cope with Temptation (PDF)

Touch, smell and taste combine to help children think about the Easter story in this easy-to-make, mouth-watering recipe. Start the evening before Easter Sunday.  

PHOTO courtesy of Hartini.com

You need:
1 cup whole pecans (or other nuts)
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
1 pinch salt
6 oz caster sugar
Strong plastic bag
Wooden spoon, mallet or rolling pin
Masking Tape
A Bible 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees (Important — don’t wait until you’re half way through the recipe!)
Place the nuts in the plastic bag and let the children beat them with the wooden mallet or rolling pin to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, he was beaten by the Roman soldiers.
Read John 19:1-3. 

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, he was given vinegar to drink.
Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Because living chicks come from eggs, eggs remind us of life. Explain that Jesus gave up his life to give us a wonderful new life.
Read John 10:10-11. 

Sprinkle a little salt into each child’s hand and let them taste it. Add a pinch to the bowl. Explain that this reminds us of the salty tears cried by Jesus’ friends.
Read Luke 23:27.

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing.
  

Now add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that although Jesus died, he did it because he loves us. He wants us to know him and belong to him.
Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed until stiff peaks are formed (7-10 minutes). Explain that the colour white reminds of something very clean. God will take away all our sin and make us clean inside if we are truly sorry and ask him to forgive us.
Read Isa. 1:18 and John 3:1-3. 

Fold in broken nuts. Then drop teaspoonsful of the mixture onto baking parchment on a cookie tray. Explain that each mound reminds us of the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid.
Read Matt. 27:57-60.
 

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a small piece of tape and “seal” the oven door. Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed.
Read Matt. 27:65-66. 

GO TO BED!   Explain that they may feel sad to leave the meringues in the oven overnight and that Jesus’ friends were in despair when the tomb was sealed.
Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a meringue. Encourage them to look at the cracked surface and then take a bite. The meringues are hollow! On the first Easter, Jesus’ friends were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.
Read Matt. 28:1-9 

He Is Risen! Hallelujah! Happy Easter!

-Author unknown

Though music is not critical to the effectiveness of your children’s ministry, songs are a great vehicle for conveying doctrine and memorizing Scripture and the books of the Bible, for example. So you can be forgiven for thinking that being non-musical might be a hindrance to kid’s ministry. 

It is often hardest for those who are on there own, or with just one or two other helpers. In larger churches, where there are volunteers with many talents, you are more likely to find someone who can play musical instruments for the children’s worship.
But what do you do if neither you nor your helpers can play? Well, there are ways round this.

1. Teach yourself the guitar

Many children’s songs can be accompanied with only a few simple guitar chords. It is possible to teach yourself. There are some helpful websites with tips and resources. A Google search will lead you to some. There are even Christian teachers, for example Jean Welles at www.worshipguitarclass.com who offers guitar and piano lessons on DVD and tips online.

2. Pre-record a musical friend

You could ask a musical friend if you could record them playing some tunes that you plan to use in coming weeks . Then you can tape off the “master” each week the particular tunes you need.

3. Buy Christian children’s music CDs

You could buy CDs of Christian children’s music. More are available these days. You will find your own favourites, but here are some suggestions to start you off.

Scripture Lady

Child Evangelism Fellowship

WorshipMusic.com

4. Download free audio music tracks

Some websites offer low-cost or even free downloads of audio files and words and music to print out. There are some that make available tracks with children singing the words. This is ideal when your kids are learning a song. But they also provide files of the backing tracks, which you can use when your children are more confident.
Check out www.familyworship.org.uk   for a range of song styles.
Also www.songsofpraise.org

5. Pray for a musician

Pray for someone musical to join you. We know a children’s group who had no musician, until the leader asked an elderly lady to help out. She didn’t feel she could teach the children, or lead any activities, but she was able to use her keyboard playing skills to help the singing go with a swing. She was delighted to be able to serve the Lord like this .

At first it may seems that your lack of musical ability is a hindrance, but it need not be.

If you know of other helpful music resources, do chime in using the comment section below. We’d love to hear from you.