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 |

Looking for something you didn't find here? Let us know!

Submit an Idea

‹ Back to Zones
Membership Levels:
Guest Starter Members
Level Title Topic
Plus Draw the Bible - Turn Off the DVD Player

Karl presents a creative teaching style and encourages us to stop using the DVD player while teaching.

Teaching Methods, DVD, Drawing
Plus Draw the Church

Can you draw the church?

Creative Idea, Object Lesson
Free Dysfunctional Families of the Bible

Does your family feel dysfunctional? Turns out you're in good company. You could even be Biblical ... 

Humor, Families
Plus Easiest Large Group Game Ever

This is probably the easiest large group game ever invented. If you can think of an easier one, please let me know in the comments.

Games, Large Group
Plus Easter Sunday

What is the purpose of Easter Sunday? Use this skit to explain it to children.

Skit, Puppet Skit
Plus Easy Patriotic Craft

Use these patterns to create several easy crafts for July 4th or Memorial Day.

Patriotic Craft
Plus Educational Objectives with Children in Your Church

What should your kids know as they reach the end of each grade level? Here's a handy list to help you out!

Learning Goals
Plus Effectively Starting A New Ministry Position Will Keep You Out of Trouble

Advice on how to jump start your new ministry position.

Success in a New Job
Plus Effects of Teens of Divorce and How Mobile Devices Complicate Healing

Teenagers of divorcing parents need their parents to work on the relationship, but teens today are replacing these relationships with hyper-connectivity. Here are some important points that parents and ministry leaders need to know.

Mobile Devices, Teens
Plus Emotional Concussions

Emotional concussions can be just as lethal, and sometimes even more so, than a physical concussion

Divorce, Emotions
Plus Encouraging Words for Broken Leaders from Craig Jutila

A nursery rhyme can teach you a lesson on brokenness.

Brokenness
Plus Engaging Your Audience

Whether you're preaching to kids or adults, @kidsconsultant Melissa MacDonald has these powerful tips to help you engage your audience. 

Preaching, Teaching, Planning
Plus Enhancing Your Cross-Cultural Connections in Ministry

In our diverse modern culture, virtually all ministry is “cross-cultural” and effective connections and relationship building will depend up your cross-cultural understanding and communication skills.

Cross Culture
Plus Expectations

Taking control of our expectations and responses, by not putting expectations on God.

Expectations, Taking Control
Plus Expecting Much From Jesus

What are you expecting of Jesus today?

Free Explaining the Trinity to Kids

How do you explain the Trinity to your kids?

Trinity
Free Family Ministry: Single Parents

There are many single parents in our world today. How do we, the church, help those parents to raise their kids? We can do these two things.

Ministry to Children with Single Parents
Free Famous Last Words of Former Children's Pastors

Ever had one of those moments where you wished you could take back what you just said? Children's pastors, beware ...

Children's Ministry, Humor
Plus Fasting 4 Kidz Journal

Here is a great resource for helping kids learn how to fast.

Fasting for Kids
Plus Father's Day Fun Facts Activity Sheet!

This fun children's activity sheet will give children the chance to tell Dad what they really think of him!

Father's Day
Plus Father's Day Fun Sticks

A great way to honor dads this Father's Day.

Father's Day, craft
Plus Fear in Children of Divorce Can Cause Behavior Issues

Did you know that fear in the child of divorce can cause behavior issues?

Divorce, Fear, and Behavior Issues
Plus Feather Duster Toss

A Super Bible Memory Verse Activity for Elementary Kids

Forgiveness, Sins
Plus Finest Hour

Realizing the significance of the ministry that you do

Encouragement, well done, significance
Plus Finest Hour

When will your finest hour occur? You may not even notice it yourself!

Your Best Moment
Plus First Walmart and Sam Walton

Learn about Sam Walton and the importance of creating an image for your ministry.

Creating an Image
Plus Five Back to School Safety Fundamentals

Read these tips on how to protect you and your kids as they go back to school. 

Back to School
Free Five Easter Games for the Classroom

Celebrating Easter is an essential part of Christian ministry and when you do it “kids’ style” you will need Easter games for the classroom. Holiday Easter games maintain the flow of the theme and add excitement to your sessions. Since I have kids ages 6 to 11 usually, I like to keep things as uncomplicated as possible. Take a crack at these Easter-themed games and let the fun begin!

Easter Games
Plus Five Family Values that will Change the Future of Your Children

What family values are you instilling into your children?

Values
Free Five Habits of On Time Leaders

Time is precious. Sadly, too many leaders waste MUCH of the time they are given. When you waste time, it can have a negative impact on your leadership and your relationships. I challenge you to adopt the five habits of the On-Time Leader.

Time Management
Plus Five Myths About Children's Ministry Coaching

In this article I have shared my opinion about five common myths concerning coaching. Don't be fooled by these commons mistakes!

CM Coaching
Plus Five Questions Every Communicator Must Ask Before They Teach

Everytime someone teaches, there are questions they must answer as they prepare their lesson. To those who teach children, these questions are even more crucial, because children will readily believe what you teach them.

Teaching
Free Five Tips to Instantly Improve Creative Output

Creativity is an elusive thing. For most people, it doesn’t just happen. Although every one of us has enormous creative potential, there are definitely times when creativity just doesn’t seem to flow. Here are some helpful tips.

Improving Creativity
Plus Five Ways To Create a Fun Kidmin Environment

Ideas on how to make your kidmin space fun for kids!

Fun, Kid Environments
Plus Five Ways to Save Money When Improving Child Safety

Five Ways to Save Money When Improving Child Safety

Child Safety, Saving Money
Plus Flying Around the World

Here is a preschool Bible lesson and game for explaining how the Gospel is available to everyone!

Preschool Lesson
Plus Follow My Directions

A fun preschool game, that helps kids learn to not just listen to God, but also do what he says.

Listen, Action, Game, Preschool,
Free Follow the Voice!

Here is a game you can use to help teach the story of Samson.

Children's Game, Lesson on Samson
Plus For the Least of These

Are you ministering to those in your community who are struggling?

Serving Others
Starter Formational Children's Ministry

A review of Ivy Beckwith's book, Formational Children's Ministry. My review is generally favorable, although I do challenge some of the assumptions set forth by the author.

Book Review
Free Four Creative Water Day Games

Water day for your children’s summer camp is coming up. What do you do? Here are some creative water games that you can play!

Water Games
Starter Four Steps to Form a New Habit

Form healthy habits with your family now so you can enjoy long term results. 

Healthy Habits
Free Free and Inexpensive Ideas For Volunteer Appreciation Gifts

If you’re like me, you know how important volunteers are to Children’s Ministry. It is a true partnership: we cannot accomplish the work of our ministry without our dedicated volunteers; they cannot effectively accomplish the work of our ministry without a leader at the helm. How can we show them we truly appreciate them?

Appreciation Gifts
Plus Free Summer Activity Ideas for Summer Fun!

Keep your kids engaged this summer with free summer activities! Here are a few ideas.

Summer Activities
Plus Freedom and Hot Dogs

What does the 4th of July have to do with God?

Fourth of July, Skit
Plus From Foolishness to Final Forgiveness

A parable about the Prodigal Son that was orignally an email forward

prodigal son
Plus Fruit Basket Upset Game

Use this game to explain the fruits of the spirit!

Fruit of the Spirit, Game
Free Fun Ways to Use Balloons in Ministry

I’m a firm believer that we should never let a tool go to waste, so I’ve found some fun ways to use balloons during children’s church. Keep kids focused on your lesson and keep them excited about attending by using balloons regularly!

Creative Ideas, Object Lessons
Plus Gaming Addiction and Kids of Divorce

Excessive use of video games can become a trap (an addiction) kids get caught in as they try to escape their emotional turmoil.

Divorce, Addiction
Plus Getting Back in the Tube

This article addresses getting "back in the saddle" when you have been thrown from the horse. Only in this case, the illustration used was getting back in the inner tube after body surfing through the rapids.

leadership, dealing with failure
PLUS Membership 2025 Kidology Theorem Book - Right KidCheck Toddler 2025 FUNtastic Bible Activity Book 88 Games with 8 Objects Book Andy and the Ants My Awesome Adventure DiscipleTown Unit 20 - Love God The Kids Church Cooking Show - Episode 5: Stories Kidology Online Training
Need Curriculum?

Check out Bible Basics
Kidology's 3-Year Curriculum

Kidology on Twitter