Articles Zone

The greatest key to success in children’s ministry is knowing which programs to do and which ones not to do. Every situation varies. You have to decide which programs are worth the time, money, people and energy and which are not. Energize the ones that are; slay the ones that aren’t.

We have a responsibility to invest in those who desire to go into children's ministry. A well thought out internship is a great place to start. Here are some pointers to help you have a wonderful experience.

The call comes in a variety of ways or combination of ways, but eventually the called person must be able to say, “God has called me for sure.”

Good leaders do strive to grow professionally and spiritually. Good leaders also fall prey to a performance mentality. The latest paradigms, the volunteer shortfall, the pursuit of excellence can tense up the best leader.

This is a short overview on how to lead a child to faith in Christ. It is the outline used by the Kidologist in his workshop by the same name. Includes the classic 'star fish story.'

A comic story and a teaching tool for the children about adapting popular stories as puppet plays.

Somebody's always suggesting new ideas around the church, like adding on to the building, or switching Sunday school to after worship, or changing the times of services. No sooner than such ideas surface, objections swarm up like spring mosquitoes.

Children aren't robots; they're people, and have a will of their own. You can influence but not control them.

10 persuasive arguments for photocopying copyrighted books, songs, and sheet music, and copying tapes

Counting down the Top 10 children's Bibles on the basis of theme, quality of features and how quickly the Bible grabbed the author's interest

I don't know what you do to tame the telephone, but I hope you do something. Especially if you have kids.

It is a lot easier to criticize than to be criticized. Most of us think it is bad for people under us to criticize, but we think the people over us deserve a bit of it.

The following poem depicts the thoughts a child went through after the loss of a parent. It expresses feelings of pain, confusions and frustration with God, but comes to a beautiful conclusion of courage and gratitude. The poem may be used to bring comfort to families who have gone through similar pain and loss.

An article used to talk to kids about compromise and sin and how 'just a little' can still be very bad.

If we're really going to make a lasting impact on children, we need to do more than just create programs for them. We need to make a connection with them that transcends the things that we teach them.

Some more thoughts on being a courageous leader that I have been tossing around lately...

We all seem to want to grow our churches, ministries, businesses and the such but more often than not we don't see that growth. Everything rises and falls on leadership.

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it’s the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise or maybe it’s the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable..... (prepare your heart for a powerful lesson)  

Defining the marketplace of games, comics, and mass media... and how to respond to interested kids.

Overall, a fun film to watch. Packed with fanciful inventions, multiple cultures, and traditional good guys and bad guys. If you are seeking a modern update on the Jules Verne book, you'll be disappointed. This isn't a "don't see" film, however I'd hesitate to recommend it to families in my church.

This is a movie review about a recently released video by Legos based on their very popular Bionicle toys.

Fun, Light-Hearted, Entertaining Movie with Questionable Antics...

Cody Banks 2 proves to be a fun movie that improves on its predecessor.

Finding Nemo features several points of application that make for great discussion in your children’s ministry. Take advantage of this film to teach important lessons your kids will never forget. Here are a few I left the movie tonight thinking about:

The much-anticipated movie adaptation of the thrid volume of the Harry Potter series has hit theaters. Prisoner of Azkaban is definitely darker than its predecessors and it strays from the kind of adherence to the book that we have come to expect from the Harry Potter movies. It was still enjoyable and leaves you hoping for better when the next Harry Potter movie comes around.

Home on the Range, though entertaining, lacks the quality that is expected from Disney. Nonetheless, children who do see it will enjoy it, and there is enough humor injected into it to catch the attention of attending adults.

An archive of the OrangeWatch beta, which featured a live feed of Kidology member-participating blogs and Twitter updates from the Orange Conference in Atlanta, GA (April 28-30, 2008).

Oscar has aspirations of living big and his schemes usually fall short. However, since claiming to be a "Shark Slayer," Oscar has been living it up! But it's only a matter of time before this scheme comes crashing down!

The adventures of mercenary hero Sky Captain and on-again-off-again girlfriend/reporter Polly as they attempt to discover the person behind mysterious robot attacks.

Dodger Flebert and Alfie Kloeper discuss the latest Pixar film, The Incredibles... hear them for yourself!

Pastor Karl was privileged to get to see a pre-release screening of Mel Gibson's new movie The Passion of the Christ on Jan. 20th, and responds here to its impact on him, and answers questions about it's appropriateness for children.

The Polar Express promises to be a true family movie and a Christmastime classic.

This much-anticipated movie starring the world's most favorite yellow sponge was a great disappointment to this SpongeBob fan and proves inappropriate for younger viewers.

Mickey, Donald, and Goofy star in an animated version of The Three Musketeers. Not a cartoon masterpiece, but a film that possesses good teaching points about teamwork and the body of Christ.

Ten things to avoid in your children's ministry.

Here is a trivia game for your children's ministry on Mother's Day!

This article is designed to answer a common question among kids - How do we know the Bible is True?

Used in moderation, supervised play time is a beneficial tool to help pastor children and their families. It provides a safe environment for their needs to surface.

How far up on the priority list is your church nursery/preschool? Use it to reshape your entire church!  

Roger Fields outlines what, in his opinion, are the seven biggest question facing KidMin, and those who are called to this ministry.

We live in a "ZAP" society where everything we want can happen "now". Building a relationship with God does not work this way. As families, we need to work together to instill in our children, by example, the importance of family time with God.

View your ministry with a fresh perspective!

Commentary on how Christians should approach Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass.

Children’s ministry is more than presenting values that cut between right and wrong. It is about offering, explaining, and illustrating the life that comes from faith in what Jesus did for them through the cross and resurrection.  

So what is the deal with these "Webkinz"? We've got an evaluation from one of our own Children's Pastors here on Kidology.org.

An article that uses a personal experience to look at the necessity for both spiritual and physical safety in ministry.

Let us never forget that David danced for the Lord! That he danced with all his might! Let us never forget that we have been called to minister to the children of the Lord.

Is there a Biblical basis for using magic tricks in evangelism? Yes! If we understand that magic tricks are a kind of visual aid. More conventional visual aids in evangelism tends to include story telling, drama, pictures and objects. Alongside these latter visual aids I would include magic tricks as being a legitimate means of illustration.