Articles

Tweens, Teens and Transitions for the Student with Disabilities

by Jackie Mills Fernald Meet my friend Jimmy. Jimmy is sixteen years old and has Autism. Jimmy paces at times, is socially awkward, becomes fixated with things and is incredibly inflexible when schedules or routines are changed; but Jimmy is on fire for the Lord….

Teaching Kids Generosity

by Lisa Mitchell Hodo “Paying it forward” has become a common theme in the United States today. From Disney’s volunteer program to the movies, TV shows and even cartoons, we are being challenged to make a difference in the lives of others. In a congregational…

Family Ministry-Building a Firm Foundation

by Diana Jones “Family ministry” seems to be the new buzzword for what the church once called, simply, children’s ministry. What is the difference? A big portion of a children’s minister’s job is to make known to the leadership of a church that children have…

Keys to an Effective Hospital Visit

by Jesse Joyner As children’s pastors, one way we can minister to kids is through hospital visits. Being at the hospital is usually a very frightening experience for both a child and the child’s family. Showing up in person to offer prayer and some listening…

Networking is Serious Business

by Chris O’Malley Networking is such a business term. So how can something so businesslike make a difference in the local church? I have been in the networking “business” for more than fifteen years; long before social networking was vogue. Network was just becoming a…

The First Year of Ministry

by Charlotte Harris I can’t say it was more than I expected. I knew going into this that this “project” was going to consume my life for at least a year. I had worked in ministry before doing special events, then just the 5th and…

Training Without the Meeting

by Michelle Romain Volunteers are Busy Anyone who has spent time in the Children’s Ministry knows the difficulty of having a well-attended training meeting. My experience is that twenty-five percent of your volunteers show up – the ones that are already doing it right. The…

No Room? Make Room!

by Ooilin Chu It all begins with one episode, one that never goes away. A concern that will play in the back of your mind till you can place a finger on it. There were many beginnings to my starting Touch `n Grow Community Support…

Preschool Redesign on a Dime

by Johanna Townsend The Early Childhood Center at our church had never been appropriately decorated for preschoolers since it was built 25 years ago. The original white lack luster walls and a resource room (more correctly defined as a junk room) filled with shelves of…