Articles

A Four Step Plan for Involving Children with Special Needs

by Pat Verbal As a children’s pastor, I always enjoyed visiting classrooms. Our teachers often surprised me with a new, creative display or learning activity. Sometimes I would slip into a chair in the back of the classroom to watch the children’s reactions. On one…

Gender Wars: The Ultimate Preteen Sleepover!

by Kurt Goble The chaos is organized. The spontaneity is planned. The lesson is prepped. But your preteens will not notice. They will be too busy having a blast during this experimental lesson in resolving conflict. Preteens love the spontaneity and excitement of this event….

Talk To Kids about Disaster (Part 2)

by Dale Hudson Last month I shared insight about ministering to children who are fearful or anxious because of a disaster that happened somewhere else. This month I want to talk about ministering to children and families who have been directly effected by a disaster….

Talking With Kids About Disaster (Part One)

by Dale Hudson I grew up in an area of the country that has been called “Tornado Alley.” My great grandmother was once blown through the air by a tornado and thankfully survived. A tornado recently devastated the small town where my father is a…

Eye Contact and Churches Including Children with Disabilities

by Barbara J Newman, CLC Network Eye Contact. The interpretation of direct and sustained eye contact can have quite a varied meaning from one country or culture to another. While some communities may consider sustained eye contact to be rude or disrespectful, other communities may…

How to Move From Behavior Modification to a Heart-Based Approach in Your Children’s Ministry

by Dr. Scott Turansky We are Christians. We know that the heart of a person is the most important thing. We know that Jesus criticized the Pharisees for their over-emphasis on behavior while neglecting the heart (Matthew 15:8-20). But what does that mean to us…

Create an Exciting Children’s Ministry Environment

by Gigi Schweikert Think about all the places designed for children in today’s world, places where children go – playgrounds, amusement parks and stores. There are lots of eye-catching, exciting things for the children to do and see; probably a bit too much. Now, we…

Tips to Design a Family and Baby Dedication Event

by Kal Otis From the minute a couple discovers that they are about to become new parents, their already busy life spins out of control. The next nine months fly by in a blur with work, doctor appointments, painting, shopping, showers, intense reading, birthing classes…

Choosing the Perfect Curriculum for Preschool Ministry

by Gloria Lee First of all, there is no perfect curriculum! Trust me; I have tried looking for one! In fact, I have gone down to my old seminary, parked myself on the floor for hours looking through the entire curriculum that was on display…