Articles Zone

Practical and insightful articles about Children's Ministry.

Looking for some expert advice? This Zone is a treasury of Children's Ministry expertise from the Kidologist and other veterans in children's ministry.

Some of the most popular articles are:

Getting into the Home | Mailbox Ministry | Discipline that Disciples | Entering the World of Kids | First Steps for a New Children's Pastor | The Great KID Mission |

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Plus 4 Ways To Think Big But Act Small In Your KidMin

We all want to do big things in our ministry. We want to cast a big vision and see a big God bring big results. That’s the way most of us think, and that’s good! But thinking big often results in missing what’s really important – the little things that are the real fruit of our ministry. The little things that make a big difference and, when added up, bring the big impact.

Vision Casting
Plus 5 Exciting New Ways To Teach The Nativity Story

It’s almost Christmas time, aka one of the two times of the year where what you’ll be teaching in Sunday School is firmly locked in place. Of course, therein lies the problem. How do you make a story that all the little ones know by heart exciting again? Fret not, Kid Mins. I have scoured the big ol’ interwebs and found 5 ridiculously awesome (and inexpensive) ways to liven up your nativity teaching.

Nativity Lesson Plans
Starter 5 Ideas to Stretch Your Creative Muscle

You can get inspiration from anywhere! I hear people say that they are not creative. And I just want to scream at them, “Yes, you are! You just don’t know it yet!”

Creativity
Plus 5 Leadership Don'ts You Should Do

We often hear about the leadership "do's." What about the leadership "don'ts?" Read about 5 that you can apply to your ministry today!

Leadership Don'ts
Plus 5 Lessons Learned From Years of Ministry With My Wife

How do you work in leadership with family in order to avoid unnecessary stress?

Relationships
Plus 5 Must-Have Values for Leading Volunteers

Many leaders face challenges with high rates of turnover and frustrating results. Others seem to enjoy strong teams and ministry effectiveness. So what makes a leader effective in building teams of volunteers?  

Leadership
Free 5 Qualities of Good Kidmin Volunteer Training

As you plan for your next volunteer training, remember these qualities and you will end up with a great volunteer training event!

Volunteer Training
Plus 5 Questions To Ask Before you Change Something

Change effects all of us in different ways. Make sure you SHOULD make the change before plowing ahead.

Change
Plus 5 Questions to Help Teach Your Kids Responsibility

Every child is different, and every family is different, but there are some thing we can explore to help us figure out the right level of responsibility for our kids.

Responsibility
Plus 5 Reasons To Appreciate Your Lead Pastor

A list of reasons why you need to be showing appreciation to your Lead Pastor

Pastor Appreciation
Free 5 Spiritual Lessons to Learn from Riding a Bike

Spiritual lessons from riding a bike? Of course!

Leadership, Growing in Faith
Plus 5 Steps to Build Relationships

Relationships matter. Even though ministry has its ups and downs, ultimately relationships continue holding everything together. Here are some tips to help evaluate and refine your relational existence.

Relationships, Evaluation
Plus 5 Things Children's Ministers Wish Their Senior Pastor Knew

An open letter from those who serve in children's ministry to their senior pastors.

Leadership
Free 5 Things Every Ministry Leader Should Be Doing With Their Family

Is your family involved in children's ministry? If so, are you excited about it, or do you need a reminder as to why you serve? Read these 5 tips for keeping the spirit of serving alive in your family.

Serving in Kids' Ministry
Plus 5 Things I Did to Get a Sabbath

it breaks my heart ot hear so many of my peers wrestling with whether or not they can or even should take a Sabbath.

Sabbath for Pastors
Plus 5 Things Leaders Should Do Every Week

Regardless of what field you are in, leadership is demanding. It’s often messy, especially in ministry. It can take it’s toll on you as an individual, on your family, and on your ministry team. Here are 5 things I try to do everyday to help combat the demands of leadership.

Plus 5 Things to Remember During a KidMin Christmas

Discover ways to stay sane during the holidays and throughout the year. 

Christmas, Events, Family
Plus 5 Things You Can Do Today to Make Sunday Easier

Make Sunday mornings easier with these 5 tips.

Organization, Leadership, Volunteers
Free 5 Things You Should Tell Kids in Your Church

5 things to teach your children that never grow old or stale. 

God's Love, What All Children Should Know
Plus 5 Tips For A Successful Training Meeting

Make your volunteer meetings relevant and succinct. They will appreciate you for it.

Volunteers, Leadership
Starter 5 Tips for Lining Up Summer Volunteers

Try these 5 tips to help you line up volunteers for your Sunday programming this summer.

Summer Volunteers
Plus 5 Tips for Teaching Younger Kids

Learn easy ways to help your younger students get the most out of your lessons. 

Teaching Younger Kids
Plus 5 Ways That Kids Can Serve in Kid's Church

Kids are not the church of the future. They can be the church of today!

Service, Volunteers, Discipleship
Free 5 Ways to Beat Burnout

Summer is unique in that it is usually one of the toughest times of year for those in children’s ministry. In fact, no matter what ministry you serve in, the top threat to your ministry is GUARANTEED to come knocking at your door during the summer. What threat is that? The answer is: BURNOUT.

Burnout in Ministry
Plus 5 Ways to Engage Church Leadership in Children's Ministry

Here are 5 ways that you can engage church leadership in children's ministry.

Church Leadership, Children's Ministry
Plus 5 Ways To Instantly Recruit Volunteers

Use this list as a springboard for your own endeavors in recruiting volunteers.

Recruiting, Volunteers
Plus 5 Ways To Make 2013 Your Best Leadership Year Ever!

I’m not much for New Year “resolutions”, but there’s a time for renewed commitment to the things we’re pursuing. The New Year is always a good time to step back and evaluate, and to look ahead with renewed energy. Here are a few thoughts on how we can “lead better” in 2013.

Leadership
Plus 5 Ways to Make Visiting Families Feel Welcome

Here are a few ways to make sure that new families feel welcome at your church and ministry.

Welcoming New Families
Plus 5 Ways to Raise Support for a Family Missions Trip

Need to raise support for a family missions trip? Here are some great ideas for raising support!

Family Missions Trips
Plus 5 Ways to Serve Your Children with Special Needs

Five ways you can better serve Special Needs children in your ministry.

Special Needs
Free 5 Ways to Show Appreciation to Your Volunteers for a Year of Hard Work

Your volunteers work hard and deserve some appreciation! Here are 5 ways to show appreciation to your volunteers for a year of hard work.

Volunteers, Appreciation
Plus 5 Ways to Stay Connected Over the Summer

Keep your relationships strong this summer by staying connected to the kids you teach. 

Summer
Plus 5 Ways To Teach Kids Thankfulness

Thankfulness goes beyond the words and phrases we use. 

Thankfulness
Free 5 Ways to Use Beach Balls in Kids' Church

Here are some creative ways to use beach balls as object lessons.

Object Lessons
Free 50 Great Ministry Apps

I value any technology that can enhance my ministry skills and/or save me valuable time, so that I have more time to spend with people. Here is a list of 50 of my favorite apps that can help you in ministry.

Ministry Apps
Plus 6 Digital Boundaries to Protect Your Children Online

Want to be a prudent parent? Here are six ways that you can use to protect your children online.

Protecting Children
Free 6 Pitfalls Every New Children's Pastor Should Avoid

Avoid these pitfalls that new pastors make. 

Pastor Pitfalls
Free 6 Places to Find Teaching Inspiration

Get creative ideas on where to look for inspiration as your begin developing your next lesson and planning how to more effectively reach your kids.

Teaching, Inspiration, Ideas
Plus 6 Questions To Ensure Your Ministry Outlasts You

How well prepared are you for when God calls you to move on? Have you prepared others to pick up where you left off?

Leadership, Preparation
Plus 6 Quick Tips for Engaging Preschoolers

Tips to help us keep Preschoolers enagaged and make a bigger impact on their lives.

Engaging Preschoolers
Starter 6 Reasons Why Children's Ministry is Superior to All Other Ministries

Find out why kidmin is better than other ministries (a humorous approach)

Kids Ministry
Free 6 Things I Tell Every Storyteller

Here are six things I tell every storyteller whether they are veterans or new to the storytelling role.

Teaching Tips, Storytelling
Free 6 Ways that Boring Forms Provide Essential Insight into the Pulse of Your Ministry

It's easy to become overwhelmed with forms in your ministry. And it's easy to ignore that stack of papers on your desk. But there is so much value hidden within those lines. 

Administration, Forms in Ministry
Plus 68 Reasons Why Children's Ministry Matters!

Kids matter to God and they should matter to us. Here are 68 reasons why.

Importance of CM
Plus 7 Basic Precautions for Children's Ministry

Important steps you need to take in your ministry to keep you, your volunteers and your kids safe.

Saftey, Security
Plus 7 Characteristics of a Healthy Leader

Are you a wise and spirit-filled leader? Paul gives 7 specific qualities in the book of Ephesians to strive for.

Leadership
Plus 7 Deadly Sins of Kidmin Pastors

Do you want to be in kid's ministry for the long haul? If you do, here is a list of sins to avoid.

Leadership, Administration, Pastoral Advice
Plus 7 Greatest Questions Facing Children's Ministry

Other than take-home papers and a summertime VBS, most people - even church boards - don’t know what children’s ministry should do or be.

Challenges
Plus 7 Habits of Highly Effective Small Group Leaders

Be the best small group leader you can be with these helpful tips. 

Small Groups
Free 7 Questions to Hitting Your Target

Don't just set goals. Make sure to take steps to accomplish your goals. Here are seven questions to get you on the right track.

Planning, Success
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