Articles

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…

Workshop Rotation Model Sunday School

by Joyce Claus, M.Ed. The Workshop Rotation Model is spreading like wild fire across the country. Churches large and small are embracing the model as the most exciting thing that has happened to Sunday school in a long time. What is the Workshop Rotation Model…

Digital Children’s Ministry

by Amy Dolan It’s no surprise that the way our children learn in today’s context has changed. Our children are more digitally connected than ever before and it’s causing us to re-think the way we teach and the methods we use to encourage the spiritual…

Church Based Special Needs “Individualized Education Plans” (IEPs)

by Amy Fenton Lee Many children with special needs have an Individualized Education Plan or “IEP” in their local school systems. The purpose of this tailored plan is to create agreed upon educational goals and outline their means of achievement for a child with any…