First, let me apologize for not posting a blog last week. I was at a Family Camp and the internet was pretty difficult to use. Hopefully it won't be an issue again any time soon. Now, on to this week's topic.
One of the things that I most often see in curriculum is that it uses the same few stories over and over. Whether it is a Vacation Bible School, Sunday School Lessons, or Sunday Morning Curriculum, we often see the same stories. Daniel and the Lion's Den, Moses and the burning bush or crossing the Red Sea, Abraham and Isaac, Noah and the Ark, Adam and Eve, Cain and Able, etc. Now, there is nothing wrong with using these stories. After all, they are popular for a reason. But, if we are trying to reach our kids in new ways, then perhaps we need to expand our stories as well. After all, if those stories are super familiar to us, there are at least a few kids in your department who feel the same way.
I love looking for the stories that are rarely told in Children's Church. We did an entire series on the Judges and the kids loved it. We turned our Children's Church into a court room and put the Biblical Judges of Othniel, Deborah, Ehud, Gideon, Jephthah, Abimelech, and Samson on trial. We had a "defense attorney" and a "prosecutor" each week and the kids were the jury who, after hearing all the information, had to decide if the Judge of the Week was a good judge who followed God, or a bad judge who did what they wanted...or perhaps a bit of both. It was a great way to get other people in the church involved and the kids had to think critically about the Scripture...not just take what they were hearing at face value. By, the way, I'd be glad to send this program to anyone who'd like it. Just drop me a note. I wrote it, so I can give it away. :-)
As you read through the Scripture, look for stories that you find interesting and then bring those stories to your Children's Services. Have you ever done a lesson from the perspective of Rebekah as she leaves to marry Isaac? What about Lot? We hear lots about Abraham, but Lot has an important lesson to teach us as well. I recently used the story of Lot to convey how the people we surround ourselves with will affect our lives...even if we are not the ones making the poor choices. There are some amazing stories in Scripture that are often not taught to kids, but easily could be. Look for those stories because the kids enjoy hearing them and they have lots to teach us. Don't be afraid to branch out from the "normal" kids' Bible stories. It can really add a lot to your ministry. I'd love to hear your ideas too so please let me know what you use as well.
Until next week...
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Communicating with Families
Communicating with our Families is something that we all struggle with. There are lots of ways that people try to connect. Some are on Facebook, some text, some email, some prefer to have a phone call, and some really like to have something tangible in their hand that they can take home. All of these are great ways to get information out to families and I would suggest using all of them if you can because no one thing will connect with everyone. Here are a few of the things that we do at my church to try to keep our families and the church informed of what is going on in our Children's Department.
Newsletters
Each month we put out a one page (front and back) newsletter that briefly highlights upcoming activities and includes a calendar of events for the next month or two so that our families can easily have all the dates in one place and can put them on their calendars.
Family Files
We have a literal file box at our sign in table with a file for every family. We put any type of paper communication (like our newsletter) that might be necessary for them in it. It is also an easy place to put a Sunday School paper that was left accidentally (or barrette, or toy) or any type form that might have been asked for by the family. Putting these items in the file is much easier than trying to track everyone down in between services. And since the Families know where the files are, it is easy to simply say, "Jenny left her hair bow today. I put it in your family file." It's also a good way for us to keep families from falling through the cracks. If I put a newsletter in a Family File on the first Sunday of the month, and it is still there at the end of the month, if it had not been done already, that is a good reminder to send them a note and let them know they have been missed.
Facebook
We are in a world where nearly everyone is online and most of those people are on Facebook. So an easy place to connect with your parents is there. We have a Facebook page just for our Children's Ministry. This are great because you can remind people about upcoming events, post pictures (with permission), and generally let the families know what it going on in the Children's Department. SIDE NOTE: This is not to communicate or promote events to the children, but with their parents. You have to be 13 to have a Facebook page. I know that some kids have Facebook, but in order to get an account, they or their parents had to lie to set it up. That is not something that I want to encourage so I do not respond to Friend Requests of those that I know are younger than 13.
As I said, there are lots of ways to connect with our families. Written notes, email, text messages, bulletin boards, bulletin announcements, and even tweets can be a great way to keep in touch. Find out what is the best tool for your families and then don't be shy about using those connections.
Newsletters
Each month we put out a one page (front and back) newsletter that briefly highlights upcoming activities and includes a calendar of events for the next month or two so that our families can easily have all the dates in one place and can put them on their calendars.
Family Files
We have a literal file box at our sign in table with a file for every family. We put any type of paper communication (like our newsletter) that might be necessary for them in it. It is also an easy place to put a Sunday School paper that was left accidentally (or barrette, or toy) or any type form that might have been asked for by the family. Putting these items in the file is much easier than trying to track everyone down in between services. And since the Families know where the files are, it is easy to simply say, "Jenny left her hair bow today. I put it in your family file." It's also a good way for us to keep families from falling through the cracks. If I put a newsletter in a Family File on the first Sunday of the month, and it is still there at the end of the month, if it had not been done already, that is a good reminder to send them a note and let them know they have been missed.
We are in a world where nearly everyone is online and most of those people are on Facebook. So an easy place to connect with your parents is there. We have a Facebook page just for our Children's Ministry. This are great because you can remind people about upcoming events, post pictures (with permission), and generally let the families know what it going on in the Children's Department. SIDE NOTE: This is not to communicate or promote events to the children, but with their parents. You have to be 13 to have a Facebook page. I know that some kids have Facebook, but in order to get an account, they or their parents had to lie to set it up. That is not something that I want to encourage so I do not respond to Friend Requests of those that I know are younger than 13.
As I said, there are lots of ways to connect with our families. Written notes, email, text messages, bulletin boards, bulletin announcements, and even tweets can be a great way to keep in touch. Find out what is the best tool for your families and then don't be shy about using those connections.
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Connections
It is easy, when one works in Children's Ministry, to be isolated. In general, the Children's Department is often at the far end, far side or the basement of the church building. Many times this is so that there is not a sound issue (either the kids disrupting the service in sanctuary or vice versa), or so that security is better for the children. But, even if your area is not at the far reaches of the church building, you can easily feel like you are not connected to the rest of the church.
Because you are not in the sanctuary on Sunday mornings, you may not know all the adults. I can't tell you the number of conversations I've had with people over the years where they have tried to help me remember who someone is by telling me where they sit in the sanctuary. This, of course, is at best hit or miss since I am not in the sanctuary most of the time. Or perhaps, you miss an announcement because it isn't in the bulletin, but was verbally announced during a service. And, of course, you generally have no idea what has happened in the main sanctuary on any given Sunday, so you can easily feel out of the loop when someone comes up to you and starts talking to you about the music, testimonies, or sermon that was given. They usually genuinely do not realize that you have no idea what they are talking about since, after all you were at church, but you were leading Children's Church at the same time.
Being isolated is somewhat part of the job, but we need to do our best to keep it at a minimum if we want our ministries to be effective. So, here are some ideas of how to stay "in the loop."
Keep in contact with your Pastor: This is something that it seems should go without saying, but it is super easy to get disconnected from your Pastor and that is a recipe for disaster. You always need to be on the same page as the rest of the leadership in your church and that begins with your Pastor. Talk to him or her and make sure he/she is aware of what is going on in your department and make sure you are staying within the focus he/she is trying to bring to the rest of the church.
Staff Meetings: Most churches have weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly staff meetings. Use these times to keep up to date. Make sure you know what is happening in other ministries of the church and make sure they know what is happening in your ministry. For me, there is nothing much more embarrassing than having a parent ask me a question about something happening at church, and I didn't even know the thing they are talking about existed. So, make sure you take good notes in your
staff meeting so that you can be up to date with all the church happenings.
Have a Support Team: For one of the classes I took recently, I had to set up a congregational support team. Basically it was four people who would help evaluate my effectiveness and training as well as support me in prayer. But they have become so much more than that to me. These four women are my "go to people" when I need prayer, when I need a brutally honest evaluation of a project, they celebrate with me when something exciting happens in ministry, or since three of them are not in my Children's Department, sometimes they fill me in about something that happened in a worship service I did not get to attend. I am always comfortable asking them questions or getting feedback from them. These women are so amazing and they help me more than I can say.
Other Children's Pastors or Directors:
Unless you are in an extremely rural area, it is probably safe to assume that there are other Children's Pastors or Children's Directors around where you minister. Try to get together with them from time to time. You don't all have to be from the same denomination to support one another. In my current area, all the Children's Pastors/Directors are invited to meet at Panera Bread about once a month. We come from various denominations and we don't all always get to go, but it's an awesome time of fellowship for those who can attend. We share about upcoming events or programs, discuss ways to deal with problems that may have come up, and just generally encourage one another. If that type of gathering isn't an option for you, go about making a connection with at least one other Children's Minister in your area...even if it is simply a phone call to check in once in a while. The support of others in your field of ministry is really something you can not do without.
Isolation is a tool the devil can use to try to defeat us in our ministries. I hope these ideas help you to find ways to avoid that pitfall.
Because you are not in the sanctuary on Sunday mornings, you may not know all the adults. I can't tell you the number of conversations I've had with people over the years where they have tried to help me remember who someone is by telling me where they sit in the sanctuary. This, of course, is at best hit or miss since I am not in the sanctuary most of the time. Or perhaps, you miss an announcement because it isn't in the bulletin, but was verbally announced during a service. And, of course, you generally have no idea what has happened in the main sanctuary on any given Sunday, so you can easily feel out of the loop when someone comes up to you and starts talking to you about the music, testimonies, or sermon that was given. They usually genuinely do not realize that you have no idea what they are talking about since, after all you were at church, but you were leading Children's Church at the same time.
Being isolated is somewhat part of the job, but we need to do our best to keep it at a minimum if we want our ministries to be effective. So, here are some ideas of how to stay "in the loop."
Keep in contact with your Pastor: This is something that it seems should go without saying, but it is super easy to get disconnected from your Pastor and that is a recipe for disaster. You always need to be on the same page as the rest of the leadership in your church and that begins with your Pastor. Talk to him or her and make sure he/she is aware of what is going on in your department and make sure you are staying within the focus he/she is trying to bring to the rest of the church.
Staff Meetings: Most churches have weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly staff meetings. Use these times to keep up to date. Make sure you know what is happening in other ministries of the church and make sure they know what is happening in your ministry. For me, there is nothing much more embarrassing than having a parent ask me a question about something happening at church, and I didn't even know the thing they are talking about existed. So, make sure you take good notes in your
staff meeting so that you can be up to date with all the church happenings.
Have a Support Team: For one of the classes I took recently, I had to set up a congregational support team. Basically it was four people who would help evaluate my effectiveness and training as well as support me in prayer. But they have become so much more than that to me. These four women are my "go to people" when I need prayer, when I need a brutally honest evaluation of a project, they celebrate with me when something exciting happens in ministry, or since three of them are not in my Children's Department, sometimes they fill me in about something that happened in a worship service I did not get to attend. I am always comfortable asking them questions or getting feedback from them. These women are so amazing and they help me more than I can say.
Other Children's Pastors or Directors:
Unless you are in an extremely rural area, it is probably safe to assume that there are other Children's Pastors or Children's Directors around where you minister. Try to get together with them from time to time. You don't all have to be from the same denomination to support one another. In my current area, all the Children's Pastors/Directors are invited to meet at Panera Bread about once a month. We come from various denominations and we don't all always get to go, but it's an awesome time of fellowship for those who can attend. We share about upcoming events or programs, discuss ways to deal with problems that may have come up, and just generally encourage one another. If that type of gathering isn't an option for you, go about making a connection with at least one other Children's Minister in your area...even if it is simply a phone call to check in once in a while. The support of others in your field of ministry is really something you can not do without.
Isolation is a tool the devil can use to try to defeat us in our ministries. I hope these ideas help you to find ways to avoid that pitfall.
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Pick-Me-Ups: A Service Idea
One of the things that we want to instill in our children is how to serve. But sometimes learning to serve others can be a bit scary at first. This is a great way to help your children connect with serving without the fear that so often accompanies something new. I call them "Pick-Me-Ups" and they are a fun way for the children in your department to call on those who might be shut-in, ill, or simply in need of a smile and bring them something that will brighten their day.
The way the program works is that for about three Sundays, we set up a table in our foyer at church with three gifts to choose from. Each gift is about $5 in cost to put together. Usually Gift #1 one is a little basket that has a variety of hard candies, Gift #2 is a stack of 2 or 3 puzzle books along with pencils and pens, and Gift #3 varies. This last time, the third contained items for a power outage (Candle, matches, small flashlight, notepad, pens, etc), but a stuffed animal is also a popular gift. Along with the gifts at the table are note cards and envelopes. Then on the designated day (usually the Saturday after the last Sunday of sign ups) the Pick-Me-Ups are delivered by the children.
This is how the process works:
I know that Mrs. Nimoy has been recuperating from a surgery. I take a card and fill it out for Mrs. Nimoy from me. I put Mrs. Nimoy's name on the card and tell the child at the table which gift I want sent to her. The child fills out our Pick-Me-Up Order sheet with the information and writes the gift number on the back of the card in pencil. Then on the specified day, the children will deliver the gift and my card to Mrs. Nimoy..
I have done this in three churches and it is always something both the kids and those that receive the gifts enjoy. We usually split the children into teams of 4 or less (plus preferably two adults per team to go with the children...no deliveries are made by children alone) so that multiple deliveries can be done at the same time. They have a great time delivering the gifts to those on their list and are given the opportunity to visit with people that they may or may not know. It's not a scary way for them to connect with those they deliver to, because they have a reason to be there. Since they are bringing a surprise to the person getting the delivery, the children are excited to give it to them.
Because you are purchasing the gifts and cards, there is a cost involved with this activity, but if you will place a donation jar at the table with the gifts, many people will put a little money in it to cover the cost. Though we do not charge for the Pick-Me-Ups, I have found that people are more willing to send them if they can donate at least part of the cost. We also put a small amount in our budget to offset whatever might not be covered by the donations.
If you are interested in doing this at your church and have questions or would like to see the forms we use for this activity, simply leave a comment with your email and I'll get back with you as quick as I can.
Have a great week everyone!
The way the program works is that for about three Sundays, we set up a table in our foyer at church with three gifts to choose from. Each gift is about $5 in cost to put together. Usually Gift #1 one is a little basket that has a variety of hard candies, Gift #2 is a stack of 2 or 3 puzzle books along with pencils and pens, and Gift #3 varies. This last time, the third contained items for a power outage (Candle, matches, small flashlight, notepad, pens, etc), but a stuffed animal is also a popular gift. Along with the gifts at the table are note cards and envelopes. Then on the designated day (usually the Saturday after the last Sunday of sign ups) the Pick-Me-Ups are delivered by the children.
This is how the process works:
I know that Mrs. Nimoy has been recuperating from a surgery. I take a card and fill it out for Mrs. Nimoy from me. I put Mrs. Nimoy's name on the card and tell the child at the table which gift I want sent to her. The child fills out our Pick-Me-Up Order sheet with the information and writes the gift number on the back of the card in pencil. Then on the specified day, the children will deliver the gift and my card to Mrs. Nimoy..I have done this in three churches and it is always something both the kids and those that receive the gifts enjoy. We usually split the children into teams of 4 or less (plus preferably two adults per team to go with the children...no deliveries are made by children alone) so that multiple deliveries can be done at the same time. They have a great time delivering the gifts to those on their list and are given the opportunity to visit with people that they may or may not know. It's not a scary way for them to connect with those they deliver to, because they have a reason to be there. Since they are bringing a surprise to the person getting the delivery, the children are excited to give it to them.
Because you are purchasing the gifts and cards, there is a cost involved with this activity, but if you will place a donation jar at the table with the gifts, many people will put a little money in it to cover the cost. Though we do not charge for the Pick-Me-Ups, I have found that people are more willing to send them if they can donate at least part of the cost. We also put a small amount in our budget to offset whatever might not be covered by the donations.
If you are interested in doing this at your church and have questions or would like to see the forms we use for this activity, simply leave a comment with your email and I'll get back with you as quick as I can.
Have a great week everyone!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)