Where's God? Picture Book is now available!

 

Hey, I just released my first picture book! It’s called Where’s God? A Psalm 139 Story.

It’s all about a kid named Jake, a little guy with a big imagination, who journeys all around the world (and universe) asking if God is really with him everywhere he goes.

Throughout his adventures Jake discovers that God made him, loves him and will be with him no matter what (even in his dark and spooky room at night when he’s having a hard time falling asleep!)

Where’s God? is available now on Amazon. Check out a few sneak peaks below!

Navigating the Coronavirus Crisis In Children's Ministry

The global Coronavirus crisis has not only claimed thousands of lives, but has created massive disruptions in everyday life for our families and churches. What does it look like to minister to kids, parents and leaders during this challenging time?

Check out the latest episode of the Simple Kidmin Podcast in the media player below or in iTunes for a few ideas of how we can serve families in this season.

 

If you'd like to see some of the things our Children's Ministry is doing to stay connected with families, you can check out our Southland Kids Facebook Page.

Along with weekend teaching content we also put together this Bible Story Review Game video, a simpler version of a game we've been playing live all month long in our elementary environments.

Here is the link to our Parent Guide for talking to kids about the Coronavirus.

Episode 25: Is Children's Ministry Real Ministry?

Is Children's Ministry real ministry or is it just babysitting?

The answer to that question is a no brainer, and in this episode we'll talk about how God uses the awesome world of Children's Ministry to change the lives of kids, leaders and parents. 

If you're discouraged or wondering if your ministry to kids really matters, this is the episode you do not want to miss. 

Listen to Episode 25 in the media player on the blog or over on iTunes. 

In this episode I refer to the book Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby that teaches the principle to look for where God is working in the world and join Him in whatever He is up to today.  This has been a big part of why I've stuck with Children's Ministry for twenty-five years.  I love getting to watch God work in the lives of kids, leaders and parents and wouldn't want to miss out on watching Him in action.  You can check out Experiencing God on Amazon or in the preview below. 

How to Build Healthy Teams

Teams are the lifeblood of Children's Ministry. The health of our ministry stands or falls on the health of our teams.  

However, building healthy teams is easier said than done. To be honest, teamwork is, well, a lot of work.  

That's why I took the last two episodes of the Simple Kidmin Podcast to do a deep dive on how to build healthy teams in Children's Ministry. Along the way, I share some of the painful lessons I've learned from the last 25 years of leading teams as well as some helpful tips I've picked up watching teamwork in action.  

Check out the episodes below and let me know what you think. 

How to Build Healthy Teams Part 1

In Episode 23, we talk about why teams matter, what to look for when recruiting awesome team players and how to make sure your teammates are sitting in the right seat on the bus. 

Listen to Episode 23 here on the blog or over on iTunes. 

How to Build Healthy Teams Part 2

In Episode 24 we get into the nitty gritty work of helping people to learn to think like a team and not just as individuals.  From there we jump into the tough business of fighting for the health of your team and how to overcome dysfunction.  It's not for the faint of heart, but the results are totally worth the effort that it takes to keep your team on track with God.  

Listen to Episode 24 here on the blog or over on iTunes.  

Episode 21: Making Move Up Sunday Awesome for Families

Whenever you transition the kids in your Children's Ministry to a new room or grade, it's a great opportunity to make a special touch with parents. In today's episode we will look some simple ways you can be more intentional when it comes to Move Up Sunday, Promotion Sunday or whatever you may call it in your church.

You can listen in iTunes or on the media player below.

Episode 19: 8 Ways to Prepare Your Children's Ministry for Easter

Easter Sunday is the biggest Sunday of the year in the life of the church. In this episode we will talk about 8 things you can do to get ready to celebrate and welcome guests in your Children's Ministry on Easter.

You can listen in the player below or check it out on iTunes.

Help your families get ready for Easter with Best Surprise Ever, a free downloadable ebook with seven devotions written to bring the resurrection story to life.

Monday Motivation: What You're Doing Matters

Still feeling wiped out from "springing forward" last Sunday? Check out this mini episode of Simple Kidmin where I share an encouraging story to remind Children's Ministry leaders what we do really matters.

Remember what Galatians 6:9 says, "So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up" (NLT).

Don't give up!

You can listen in iTunes or right here on the blog.

Easter Devotional for Families

We all love fun surprises, don’t we? About 2,000 years ago, God gave us the biggest and best surprise of all time. After three days in the tomb, Jesus was alive again!

This Easter, help your family rediscover the wonder of the resurrection story through the Best Surprise Ever devotional book.  In this seven-part series, your kids will get a close-up look at Jesus’ surprising power and grace.

When you sign up for the Family Jetpack email list, you will receive the Best Surprise Ever ebook delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign up for your Best Surprise Ever Easter ebook and get ready bring the Easter story to life for your kids.

The Simple Kidmin Podcast Is Back!

Wow, hard to believe it's been three months since the last episode of the Simple Kidmin podcast.  

Just writing to let you know that the podcast is coming back this month with some new episodes to help encourage, inspire and challenge you to take your Children's Ministry to the next level.

Check out this quick update on iTunes or in the player below to find out what I've been up to and what you can expect from the podcast in the next couple of months.  

Episode 17: Helping Leaders Grow

In this episode we'll talk about how we can adjust our leadership to help our leaders grow through each stage of their development.

We'll be looking at a tool called the Leadership Square from the book Building a Discipling Culture and explore how we can replace ourselves in Children's Ministry.

Listen here on the blog or in iTunes.

In this episode I also mention my new family devotional site called FamilyJetpack.com, where you can find free weekly devotions for the families in your church.  

Here's a link you can use to share Family Jetpack with parents.  Enjoy!

Episode 16: How to Share Vision with Parents

Do the parents in your church know what your Children’s Ministry is all about?  How do you communicate vision? If you want some ideas on how to get better at it, then check out this episode of the Simple Kidmin podcast.




Listen right here on the blog or in iTunes.

In this episode I talk about five reasons you need to share the vision of your Children's Ministry with parents.  Then, I go into seven different vehicles you can use to share vision.

One of the vehicles I mention is strategic events such as Parent Dedication, 5th Grade Celebration and KidSplash.  You can learn more about each of those in previous episodes of the podcast.

Another vehicle I talk about in this episode is starting a parent email newsletter.  You can check my church's parent newsletter here.

How to Set Up a Parent Email Newsletter

If you're interested in starting your parent email newsletter, which I highly recommend in this episode, you can use a service like Mailchimp.  There are others out there, but Mailchimp is the one I'm most familiar with.  Best of all, Mailchimp has a free option that allows you to have up to 2,000 subscribers and send up 12,000 emails a month (as of the time of this post).

If you want to set up your own parent newsletter on Mailchimp, here are four easy steps:

1. Set up your account.  Start here.
2. Create an email list.  Basically this just means creating a group of people (like Children's Ministry parents) you want to send an email to.
3. Ask parents to sign up.  I would do a big push at first and then make it a part of the process for enrolling a child into your ministry.  Here's how to create a signup form.
4. Send your first email!  Mailchimp calls each email you send a "campaign."  Here's how to send one.

For more tips on how to use this awesome tool, check out Episode 16 of the podcast.

Speaking of newsletters, you can sign up for the Simple Kidmin newsletter so you don't miss a post or episode of the podcast.


How to Set Up a Parent Blog

It's a good idea to post your newsletter content to a blog as well so you can refer parents to previously published posts.  You can just put part of your content in your newsletter and link to the blog to read more so your email is relatively short or you can publish all of your content on both.

There are several free blogging platforms.  Wordpress.com is an easy one to start with.  Here's a great tutorial to walk you through setting up a blog from scratch.

How to Create Vision-Packed Recruiting Videos

Also in this episode I make a reference to our annual recruiting video/announcement and how these are a great tool for casting vision, not just for potential leaders but for everyone in the church.  Here's a post  I wrote talking about how we create those videos (along with a few examples).

Episode 15: How to Create a Compelling Leader Training Experience

How do you create a compelling training experience for Children’s Ministry leaders?  It may be easier than you think. That’s what we’re going to be talking about today on this episode of the Simple Kidmin podcast.

Listen here on the blog or in iTunes.

Episode 14: How to Help Parents Have an Awesome First Day in Children's Ministry

Listen on the media player on the blog or over on iTunes.

What do parents experience the first time they walk into your Children's Ministry?  Does it make a great first impression?  Or does it leave parents wondering if they can really trust you with their kids?

Today we will be talking about how to win with new moms and dads in your church.  We will hit the three questions parents use to evaluate your ministry and how you can make sure the answer to each of those question is positive.

Finally, we will also talk about the vital role leaders play in a parent's first day and look at the five people you do not want greeting your guests.  Trust me.  You do not want these folks in charge of your first impressions.

Episode 13: How to Help Kids Have an Awesome First Day in Children's Ministry

What's it like to be a new kid in your Children's Ministry? Is it awesome or just okay? If you want to make sure kids have an amazing first experience with your church, then check out episode 13 of the Simple Kidmin podcast.

In this episode I talk about 8 things you can do to help guests kids have an awesome first day in your Children's Ministry. The first one is to create an inviting atmosphere for your kids. Here are four inexpensive ways to do it and here are a few tips about decluttering your space so it looks like you're expecting company.

Join the conversation by listening on iTunes or on the podcast player above.

Best Surprise Ever 7: Surprising Life

This is Part Seven in a seven-part series of family devotions leading up to Easter.  Here is Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five and Part Six if you need to catch up.  

Verse to Remember: God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life. – John 3:16 (NIrV)

Big Idea:  Jesus died to set me free.  

Have you ever tried to sell something you owned?  Maybe a baseball card or a comic book or even an old toy at a garage sale?  Or maybe you set up a lemonade stand on a hot, summer day and tried to sell drinks to your neighbors?  

If you’ve ever sold something, how did you decide what the price would be?  Did you ask your parents to look online to see how much your comic book was worth or ask a friend what they would charge for lemonade?

At the end of the day, though, it doesn’t really matter what you charged.  What mattered was how much someone was willing to pay. You could have said your baseball card was worth a million dollars, but if no one was willing to pay that price, it wouldn’t really be worth it.  

2,000 years ago, Jesus showed us how much we are worth to God.  He paid the ultimate price for you and me. He didn’t pay for us with money.  He paid for us with his life.

After Jesus was arrested and taken to Pilate, he was sentenced to die.  He hadn’t done anything wrong, but his enemies were jealous of him. They didn’t want the people to follow Jesus.  They wanted people to follow them.

So Pilate turned Jesus over to the soldiers who beat him and took him to a hill outside of the city.  They nailed Jesus to a wooden cross. Then, the one man who had never done anything wrong, the perfect Son of God, took the punishment for the sin of the world.  

But this was all part of God’s plan.  Jesus had come to earth for this very reason.  He came to earth to pay the price for the bad things you and I have done, so we don’t have to.  He died on the cross so we could be forgiven and free.

Now we can be friends with a perfect God even though we’re not perfect.  Now God’s power can change us to be more like Jesus each day. Now we can be a part of God’s family because Jesus paid the price for us.  

Want to know how much you’re worth to God?  Just look at the cross. Look at Jesus. Remember the price he paid for you and remember you are loved.  

Prayer:

Jesus, you are my Savior.  Thank you for paying the price for the wrong things I’ve done so that I can be a part of your family forever.  I love you, Jesus. Amen.

Talk About It:

1. What’s the coolest gift you’ve ever received?  Who gave it to you? How did that make you feel?
2. What gift did Jesus buy for you on the cross?
3. How can we show Jesus we’re grateful for his gift this week?

 Don’t miss the next devotion in the Best Surprise Ever series.  Subscribe here.

Best Surprise Ever 6: Surprising Price

This is Part Five in a seven-part series of family devotions leading up to Easter.  Here is Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four and Part Five if you need to catch up.  

Verse to Remember: God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life. – John 3:16 (NIrV)

Big Idea:  Jesus died to set me free.  

Have you ever tried to sell something you owned?  Maybe a baseball card or a comic book or even an old toy at a garage sale?  Or maybe you set up a lemonade stand on a hot, summer day and tried to sell drinks to your neighbors?  

If you’ve ever sold something, how did you decide what the price would be?  Did you ask your parents to look online to see how much your comic book was worth or ask a friend what they would charge for lemonade?

At the end of the day, though, it doesn’t really matter what you charged.  What mattered was how much someone was willing to pay. You could have said your baseball card was worth a million dollars, but if no one was willing to pay that price, it wouldn’t really be worth it.  

2,000 years ago, Jesus showed us how much we are worth to God.  He paid the ultimate price for you and me. He didn’t pay for us with money.  He paid for us with his life.

After Jesus was arrested and taken to Pilate, he was sentenced to die.  He hadn’t done anything wrong, but his enemies were jealous of him. They didn’t want the people to follow Jesus.  They wanted people to follow them.

So Pilate turned Jesus over to the soldiers who beat him and took him to a hill outside of the city.  They nailed Jesus to a wooden cross. Then, the one man who had never done anything wrong, the perfect Son of God, took the punishment for the sin of the world.  

But this was all part of God’s plan.  Jesus had come to earth for this very reason.  He came to earth to pay the price for the bad things you and I have done, so we don’t have to.  He died on the cross so we could be forgiven and free.

Now we can be friends with a perfect God even though we’re not perfect.  Now God’s power can change us to be more like Jesus each day. Now we can be a part of God’s family because Jesus paid the price for us.  

Want to know how much you’re worth to God?  Just look at the cross. Look at Jesus. Remember the price he paid for you and remember you are loved.  

Prayer:

Jesus, you are my Savior.  Thank you for paying the price for the wrong things I’ve done so that I can be a part of your family forever.  I love you, Jesus. Amen.

Talk About It:

1. What’s the coolest gift you’ve ever received?  Who gave it to you? How did that make you feel?
2. What gift did Jesus buy for you on the cross?
3. How can we show Jesus we’re grateful for his gift this week?

 Don’t miss the next devotion in the Best Surprise Ever series.  Subscribe here.

Kidmin Coffee Break 2: Lattes and Leading Up

The Kidmin Coffee Break is a mini-episode of the Simple Kidmin Podcast, where we sit down over our favorite beverage, catch our breath and get re-energized to lead well in Children's Ministry.



What is your relationship like with your leader, supervisor or boss? This person can either be your greatest ally in Children's Ministry or one of your biggest sources of frustration. In this Kidmin coffee break we will take a look at what the Bible has to say about having the healthiest relationship possible with your leader.

Best Surprise Ever 5: Surprising Kingdom

This is Part Five in a seven-part series of family devotions leading up to Easter.  Here is Part One, Part Two, Part Three and Part Four if you need to catch up.  

  

Verse to Remember: May your kingdom come.  May what you want to happen be done on earth as it is done in heaven. – Matthew 6:10 (NIrV)

Big Idea:  Jesus is the King of Kings, and I can help bring his kingdom to earth.

Have you ever built a sand castle?  It’s a blast to sit on the beach and sculpt your own little kingdom, isn’t it?   You can shape the walls and towers and turrets any way you want. At the end of the day, though, what happens to your kingdom?

It all gets washed away.

Jesus knew that the same thing happens with all the kingdoms of earth.  Countries change names, and get taken over by other countries. Rulers come and go.  But there is one kingdom that never ends. God’s kingdom!

That’s what Jesus was talking about when he was taken to a man named Pontius Pilate.  Pilate was a ruler for the Roman government. After Jesus was arrested, his enemies took him to Pilate because they wanted Pilate to put him to death.  

Pilate asked Jesus is he was king of the Jewish people.  Jesus said he was, but his kingdom wasn’t a kingdom on earth.  It was better. It was a kingdom in heaven. Pilate didn’t understand what he was talking about.  He was too busy trying to keep his job and make all the people happy.

Eventually Pilate gave the people what they wanted.  He knew Jesus hadn’t done anything wrong, but he sentenced him to die on the cross anyway.  But here’s the amazing part. By dying on the cross, Jesus made it possible for us to be a part of his kingdom, a kingdom that never ends!

Pilate and his kingdom are gone now, washed away like a sandcastle on the beach, but 2,000 years later Jesus’ kingdom is still going strong.  Someday Jesus will bring his kingdom to earth and will make everything new.

In the meantime, we get to help people see what God’s kingdom is like when we treat them the way Jesus would.  Every time you love people, serve people and are generous to people, you are bringing heaven to earth a little bit every day.

Prayer:

God, thank you for inviting me to be a part of your kingdom.  Please help me to show people what your kingdom is like by the way I treat them.  Amen.

 Talk About It:

1. What’s the difference between human kingdoms and God’s kingdom?
2. What do you think it will be like when Jesus brings heaven to earth?
3. How can you bring a little bit of heaven to earth for someone this week?