Administration Zone

Articles and Resources for Leaders and Administrators

So, you're in charge of the Children's Ministry?! HELP IS HERE!

Whether you are a Children's Pastor, Director, Coordinator, or Hold-it-all-together-er, the fact is you need ideas, and you need them fast!! If you're looking for a sample policy manual, or permission slip, or other administrative help, this is the place!

If you have a question or issue you would like to see addressed here, please contact us. We have a team of veteran children's ministry administrators ready to help.

ALSO: We would be interested in any contributions you may have for this section.

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Level Title Topic
All Access Am I In a Toxic Church Environment?

What does a toxic church environment look like, and when should you leave?

Leadership
All Access Communicating When No One Reads

Ideas for communication with leaders and volunteers

Communication
All Access Getting Past the Resume: Getting Noticed with Cover Letters

If you want your application to stand out from the rest of the pack, the key may be found in writing a great cover letter. This article examines what people are looking for and how to best write a letter that reflects the real you.

Jobs and Employment
All Access How to Get Your Message to Parents Every Time

6 great communication tatics that will help get your message to every parent

Communication, Email, Parents,
All Access Impress Your Boss by Planning

Don't wait until you're asked to show your pastor your ministry plan!

Planning, Administration
All Access Interviewing 101

The interview is often the key event that determines whether a candidate moves on in the ministry calling process. This article will present several suggestions that can improve how you present yourself in an interview.

Suggestions to give your best interview.
All Access Reflections on our Children's Ministry

A tool for allowing parents and leaders to evaluate your children's ministry.

CM Evaluation
Starter Sample Ministry Brochure

This is a sample of a kids ministry brochure from Karl's church. Please dont copy in full - but you are welcome to use it for ideas and inspiration.

Marketing
All Access Developing a K.C. Krew Workshop Notes

These are the Kidologist's workshop notes for his workshop on developing a team of 5-6th Graders to help run children's church.

5-6th Grade Ministry / Tweener
Starter Major Kidmin Curriculum Providers

Here is a list of major children's ministry curricululm providers.  

Curriculum
All Access Putting the Pastor Back into Your Job Description

You went into children’s ministry because you love working with kids, but the ‘higher up’ you get in leadership, the less it seems you get to minister directly to children. Learn how to continue to make a personal impact on many children so that you are as much a shepherd of children as you are an administrator of children.

Administration
Starter Take Your Life Back from the Church

Don't let the church suck you dry - that isn't God's Will for those in ministry. When the church is killing your joy, you are doing more than God is asking of you and it is time for drastic action. Now. Stop making excuses.

Leadership & Life & Priorities
All Access The Kidologist's Top Ten in CM

What the Kidologist, Karl Bastian, suggests as the "Top Ten" books, websites, and events for children's ministry leaders.

Top Books, Websites and Events in CM
All Access Your Salvation Story

This is a guide on how to prepare a written salvation testimony with the Kidologist's as a sample. Written for kids, but good for all ages. See the PDF for printing and the sample.

How To Write a Testimony
All Access 10 Standards for Excellence

Written by Karl Bastian for his children's ministry, here are ten scripturally based standards you can ask your volunteers to live up to in order to serve in the kids ministry.

Volunteer Standards
Free 3 Qualities of Great Leaders

What are the qualities that make a great leader?

Leadership Volunteers
All Access 50 Ways to Discover New Workers

Need some new workers in your children's minsitry? (Who doesn't?!?) Here are a variety of recruiting ideas compiled by the Kidologist.

Recruiting, Volunteers
All Access A Kidmin House of Cards?

Do you ever feel like your whole ministry is about to come crashing down? This may encourage you...  

Leadership Perseverance
Free A Ministry Lesson from Darth Vader

In the busyness of life and ministry, don't forget your Primary Objectives, because one thing is for sure: your Enemy won't.

Priorities
All Access A Philosophy of Children's Ministry

Karl presents his Biblical Philosophy of Children's Ministry, why you should have one, and a Word doc version so you can modify it for your own ministry use.

Philosophy of Ministry
All Access A Sermon for Challenging the Congregation

This is a sermon Karl Bastian preaches when he has an opportunity to address an entire church congregation.

Building Kids Lives on the Rock
All Access Backyard Bible Splash!

This is a fun event your church can host in the summer.

Water Sports, Summer
All Access Being a HELPful Volunteer!

How can a volunteer truly H.E.L.P. their leader?

Training Volunteers
All Access Beyond the Classroom

If you minister to kids you have a powerful opportunity to impact lives in dramatic ways, and the small amount of effort it takes may surprise you.

Relational Ministry
All Access Child Security in the Local Church

Looking for church policies to ensure "Child Safety" in the church? The Kidologist has done extensive research on this and offers his findings and his manual for his church.

Child Security
All Access Cloud Technology - What is it?

This is Karl Bastian and Michael Chanley's workshop at CPC 2011.

Cloud Technology
All Access Coaching Blessings and Curses

Every children's ministry needs a gifted leader who is able lead by coaching. He or she is able to call the plays that mobilize a team or class full of children to meet a goal.

Leadership
All Access Confessions of a Driven Pastor

Great articles on slowing down and taking time to focus on your own soul.

Image Management, Quiet Time, Leadership
All Access Da Bible Feet - Noah

A Kids Church Video featuring “Da Feet.” An introduction for a lesson on Noah.

Noah
All Access Dealing with Parent Conflict

Karl Bastian provides tips on how to keep your cool and deal with parents when they get upset with you!

Parent Conflict
All Access Dealing with Personal Criticism

Originally published in Children's Ministry Magazine Professional Edition, Karl Bastian shares insights on how to deal with criticism in leadership.  

Critism in Leadership
All Access Disney Models Making the Most of a Bad Situation

Learn to turn something boring into something creative, the way disney does.

Creative, Disney, CPC
All Access Family Ministry: Trading One Extreme for Another

Are "FIC" (Family Integrated Churches) really better? Or are we merely trading one ineffective extreme for another?

Family Ministry
Starter Finding Your Ministry Calling

Would you like to KNOW why God put you here on this earth? Wouldn’t it be great at the end of your life to be able to say, “I have finished the race?” But how will you know if you have finished the race unless you know what race you are running? This article, which reveals the personal story of the Kidologist's calling, will give you some insight on how YOU can discover YOUR calling.

Leadership
All Access Follow Up Letters for Kids

A bunch of kids accept Christ on Sunday - how do you follow up with them? In this post Karl shares the letters he sends out to both kids and parents. You are welcome to edit and adapt.

Follow Up
All Access Getting Started in Kidmin

A look at great resources to help you get started in kidmin

Kidology, training
All Access Grocery Store Encouragement

A BUNCH of ideas for encouraging your volunteers from the aisles of the grocery store!

Volunteer Encouragement
All Access Help! I'm Planning An All Nighter!

Some advice on planning an all-nighter!

Planning Night Events
Starter How a Palm Pilot Can Enhance Your Ministry!

CLASSIC POST: These are the workshop notes and additional details from the workshop that the Kidologist taught at the Children's Pastor's Conference in Nashville and San Diego in 2001.

Technology
All Access How I Got an Admin

Karl gives some insight on how he lobbied for administrative support from a senior pastor who was trying to be "fair" to all his staff.

Getting Admin Help
All Access How to Fire a Volunteer

How do you fire a volunteer? That's a tough question, but here are some guidelines you will find helpful as you approach this delicate duty!

Volunteers, Guidelines
Starter Ingredients for a GREAT Volunteer Meeting

Create volunteer meetings your people will WANT to come to!

Volunteer Training
Starter Karl's YES! Recruiting Flyer

As shared on Kidmin Talk #99, this is the recruiting flyer I made for my church. And, YES! You can use it too!

Recruiting Flyer
All Access Keepin' It Simple

Karl talks about ways to Keep It S.I.M.P.L.E. in your ministry when you are starting to feel overwhelmed (Post includes an MP3)

Leadership Volunteers
All Access LOST and FOUND Sign

Tired of loose items cluttering up your kidmin space? Here is a fun Lost and Found sign that also warns that items will be disposed of soon.

Kidmin Signage
All Access Memo From CP: No More Child Care

How to Release the CM from providing Child Care to other ministries.

Child Care Policy
All Access Proactive Leadership

If you want to be a more proactive leader – don't start your day by checking your e-mail, voice mail, or mail slot at the office. Here is what you do...

Leadership
All Access Recruiting Tool: Is Your Kid a WINNER? Recruiting Tool

A fun recruiting flyer that invites parents to see if their child is a winner!

Recruiting
All Access Safe and Secure Training Video

A Child Security Training Video for use in Your Ministry.

Child Security
Free Safe and Secure Training Video Promo

A Child Security Training Video for use in Your Ministry.

Child Security Training Video
it Bible Curriculum Protect My Ministry 2023 KidCheck Curls Kid Conversation Cards PastorKarl.com Learn about DiscipleTown My Awesome Adventure DiscipleTown Unit 17 - Global U-Turn Cards Kidology Store
Kidology Curriculum

Kids Church Lessons
written by the Kidologist!

Kidology on Facebook