Equipping
the Children's Pastor
- Children's Pastor Job Description – Jenny Funderburke shares a sample list of expectation you can share when looking to hire a new children's pastor.
- 10 Teaching Tips for Establishing a New Children's Ministry - Mimi Bullock breaks down the 10 most important things to teach children when you're first starting with a children's ministry.
- 5 Lies That Sabotage Children's Pastors - This article from Mimi Bullock poses 5 myths that children's pastors can believe about themselves, and shatters them with the truth.
- 7 Children's Ministry Websites to Bookmark Now - If you ever need more ideas for your Sunday School lessons or children's ministry, check out one of these 7 sites compiled by David Jennings.
- Train Your Volunteers with Online Videos - This interview between David Jennings and Amy Nappa can help you figure out how to best train your volunteers.
- How to Wear 100 Hats at Once - If you're struggling to juggle too many roles at once, this article by M. Kurt Jarvis might help illuminate a better solution.
- Big Church Hurts - Debbie Vallejo and Jennifer Hooks discuss some reasons why you need to incorporate Big Church into your Children's Ministry.
- 10 Things That'll Ruin Your Children's Ministry - Be sure to take care of your Children's Ministry! This article by Walter Norvell outlines some of the most common issues he sees.
- On-Track Children's Church - Diagnose your children's ministry and use Rick Chromey's ideas to help put your ministry where God wants it.
- Seven Attributes of Effective Leaders - Keep on the lookout for these 7 qualities by Craig Jutila as you search for new leaders, and develop yourself.
- Jesus-Style Volunteer Management - Discipleship is like a flowchart. If you don't start at the top, nobody below your leader will be growing or discipling. Use this article by Gordon and Becki West to help make sure your church is healthy in its discipling.
- 11 Must-Read KidMin Statistics and Quotes - David Jennings shares the top 11 stats and quotes to inspire and inform.
- Building a First-Rate Facility - Use the 12 tools outlined in this article by Dwight Mix to figure out how to best build a church that accommodates growth among all of its members.
- How Socially Connected Should a Children's Pastor Be? - This article by Mimi Bullock outlines 7 tips to stay healthy in our connected world.
- 6 Things a New Children's Pastor Should Do - Use these 6 tips from Mimi Bullock to start your new position off right.
- 7 Surprise Requirements to Become a Children's Pastor - These 7 prerequisites are things Mimi Bullock has found to be crucial as a children's pastor.
- Leaving Your Children's Ministry Job With Grace - Following these 5 tips by Mimi Bullock is sure to help make your transition out of children's ministry a healthy one.
- Beating the Winter Blues... maintaining motivation in your children's ministry - Kristin Schmidt shares 6 ideas to help you and everyone involved in your children's ministry stay motivated when the going gets tough.
- ... When You Just Want to Quit - This article by Felicia Mollohan outlines 4 ways to persevere through Sunday school when the going becomes overwhelming.
- Retaining Visitors Who Attend Your Children's Ministry Christmas Event - Mimi Bullock proposes three ideas to help keep the people who enter into your ministry from leaving.
- Never Stop Learning... The Importance of Staying Fresh in Children's Ministry - Kristin Schmidt shares three keys to taking care of yourself as you do children's ministry.
- 10 Reasons Why Children's Ministry is Better!!! - Mimi Bullock encourages children's ministers with 10 things mostly unique to children's ministry.
- How to Handle Burn Out: Can You Come Back? - Mimi Bullock offers 4 suggestions to help you figure out whether or not your burn out is final or just temporary.
- Simple Ways to Encourage Your Preacher - Use these tips from Felicia Mollohan to show your pastor respect and gratitude.
- 9 Things a Kids Ministry Leader Needs to Hear - Read these 9 things, because you deserve to hear them, according to Mimi Bullock.
- 11 Tips for Serving a Small Country Church – Kristin Charles shares 11 tips from her experience serving in a rural church community.
- 5 Ways to Turn Your Children's Ministry Around - These 5 ideas from Mimi Bullock can help you get off the struggle bus and back onto the path that God has for your ministry.
- 10 Things that Drive a Children's Pastor Crazy - Maybe you haven't experienced these 10 things yet, but this article by Mimi Bullock can help you prepare for them.
- 6 More Things that Drive a Children's Pastor Crazy - These 6 more things from Mimi Bullock can serve as a learning tool to help children's workers know what to expect when they get involved.
- Capturing and Keeping Kids Attention - Use these 5 tips from Mimi Bullock to get and maintain kids' attention on what you want to teach them.
- Ministering to the Fatherless: Practical Tips for Kids' Leaders - With the statistics on single mothers going around, it's more than likely that you'll be working with fatherless children - use these tips by Mimi Bullock to help teach them well.
- 25 Things a Children's Pastor Must Do This Summer - Connect with your children and your own inner child with these 25 suggestions from Mimi Bullock.
- 4 Mistakes that Undermine Your Ministry - These 4 things outlined by Mimi Bullock should be avoided at all costs, lest you drag your ministry down.
- Secrets to a Dynamic Kids Church – Mimi Bullock shares 8 different secrets she has found contribute to a dynamic lesson in kids church.
- 5 Ways Puppets Could Help Your Ministry - If you're not convinced to use puppets after reading these 5 reasons from Mimi Bullock, then you may never need the things ever.
- The Kid of the Week Program - Mimi Bullock shares a continuous program that she has used from week to week that her kids have really enjoyed. Try it in your church to see if it works for you!
- Offering Ideas for Kids Church - If you want to incorporate tithes and offerings into your children's church or Sunday school plan, you might try one or all of these 3 ideas from Mimi Bullock.
- Good Ways to Use Bible Bucks - Bible Bucks are a positive incentive program that you can use with your kids ministry, and Mimi Bullock outlines 9 great things to reward kids for.
- Tips for Running a Children's Church Store – Mimi Bullock explains further how she uses her Bible bucks program and how to run a profitless store for kids.
- Are You a Lone Ranger or a Team Player? - Mimi Bullock helps troubleshoot who a lone ranger is and why they shouldn't remain so.
- Secret Hour of Ministry - Tony Kummer emphasizes your need to feed your own spirit before you ever consider helping someone else.
- Children's Ministry: The Second Time Around - These 6 tips from Mimi Bullock's personal experience can help you remain energized and avoid burnout in children's ministry.
- 5 Ways to Manage Full-Time Ministry on a Part-Time Schedule - Ashley Stevenson accurately points out the lack of time available in contrast with the amount of time needed to do ministry well, and provides 5 solutions to help manage time well.
- 4 Things a Children's Pastor Needs – If you have these 4 things compiled by Mimi Bullock as a children's pastor, you are set to accomplish much in your ministry.
- Are You Playing Favorites? - Use these 4 criteria by Mimi Bullock to help determine if you're playing favorites or not with the children in Sunday school.
- Church Mentoring Kids: A Certificate Program – Mimi Bullock shares one of her church programs that she uses to engage kids.
- 6 Powerful New Year's Resolutions for the Children's Pastor – Consider making one or all six of Mimi Bullock's suggested resolutions for your Sunday school ministry this year!
- How to Experience Personal Revival – Mimi Bullock shares a snippet from her life and how she got out of the slumps through Christ.
- How to Stay Inspired in Children's Ministry – When a Groove Becomes a Rut – Use this article by Kristin Schmidt to help you evaluate whether your traditions are beneficial or not, and what to do about them if they're “not”.
- Leading Your Children's Church Through Tough Times – Tragedy doesn't just affect mature people – children undergo rough patches as well, and as Mimi Bullock points out, you need to lead them through it. Use her suggestions to help guide children through tough times.
- Choosing a Name for Your Kids' Ministry – Use these 5 tips from Mimi Bullock to help choose a great name for your ministry, if you feel so led.
- Should You Start a Christian Kids Club? - Mimi Bullock walks through the steps of starting an alternative to Sunday school or Kid's Church: a Christian Kids Club.
- Is Multi-Tasking Killing Your Ministry? - Follow these 4 steps from Mimi Bullock to ensure that you are being productive and responsible with your ministry.
- Smart Ways to Grow Your Kids Church – Use these 7 tips from Mimi Bullock to help grow your kids church in a healthy way.
- 5 Things Children's Ministers Should Not Do – Check your heart with these 5 no-nos from Mimi Bullock, and make sure that you're being the best children's minister you can be.
- How Does a Children's Minister Prepare for Maternity Leave? - Jenny Funderburke gives you 5 steps to follow to ensure that children's ministry runs smoothly as you take time to be a mother.
- What Do Kids Really Think About Your Ministry? - Mimi Bullock challenges you to think about your ministry from the perspective of a child, and make changes accordingly.
- Quick Guide for a New Sunday School Superintendent – Follow these 7 steps from Mimi Bullock to promote growth and unity as a new superintendent.
- How to Start Right as the New Children's Minister – Use these suggestions from Jenny Funderburke to help you get off on the right foot in your new job.
- Summertime Shift: Managing Your Ministry During Summer – These tips from Mimi Bullock should help you figure out how to do ministry when kids are out of school.
- Should You Write Your Own Kids' Ministry Curriculum? - Mimi Bullock outlines the pros and cons of writing your own curriculum for children's church.
- How to Plan Major Events – Go through this video workshop from Jenny Funderburke to learn how to prepare for big events.
- Rekindle Your Passion for Kids Ministry – Follow these 5 steps from Mimi Bullock to figure out how to recover from burnout.
- Why We Need Sunday School Ministry – Mimi Bullock discusses the need for Sunday school, especially for children.
- Have You Tried These Student Ministries Ideas? - This compilation of 7 creative ideas from Mimi Bullock should challenge the way you think about doing ministry.
- McLessons for Children's Ministry – Glenys Nellist brings us lessons children's ministries can learn from McDonald's.
- 3 Things Experts Know that Kidmin Leaders Do Best – Bob Singleton has a lot of experience with targeting kids from a research perspective, and shares how kid's ministers best address that knowledge practically.
- How to Encourage Sunday School Attendance – Jenny Funderburke shares 6 tips for getting kids to come to Sunday school.
- How to Win Your Pastor's Support for the Kids Ministry – If your pastor isn't already on your side, seeking to grow and empower kids ministry, these tips from Jenny Funderburke might help.
- How to Organize a Sunday School Closet – Line up your ducks ahead of time by following these 7 steps from Mimi Bullock.
- 10 Fundraising Ideas for Kids Church – Mimi Bullock shares 10 ways of gaining funds for your escapades that she's used in the past with success.
- Pinterest: A New Internet Tool for Children's Ministry – If you're not already using Pinterest to come up with epic ideas for kid's ministry, Nicole VanderMeulen should convince you otherwise.
- What Can Tree Roots Teach About Ministry? - Kristin Charles discusses the importance of the roots of your ministry.
- How to Decorate a Sunday School Classroom – Use these tips from Mimi Bullock to make sure your classroom is decorated like a champ.
- How Will You Make Today Matter? - Tony Kummer challenges you to focus on small things and not get bogged down by life.
- How to Win Over the Stubborn People at Your Church – Follow these 10 steps from Tony Kummer to help promote unity in the church and get people who usually don't work very well with you to see your vision.
- 9 Ways to Grow Your Preschool Ministry – Use these 9 suggestions from Jenny Funderburke to strengthen and grow your preschool ministry.
- 10 Ways to Overcome Ministry Discouragement – Get on some of these 10 tips from Jenny Funderburke to get past blocks of discouragement.
- 5 Tips for Getting the Church to Support the Kids Ministry – Use these 5 tips from Mimi Bullock to get your congregation behind God's work with children.
- 10 Non-Kidmin Books that Every Kidmin Should Have – Wayne Stocks shares 10 must-have books that he feels benefit and grow kid's ministers.
- 6 Ways Teaching School Prepared Me for Kids Ministry – Jenny Funderburke shares 6 of the most crucial lessons that teaching in a public school prepared her for teaching in a kids ministry.
- 5 Ways Teaching School DID NOT Prepare Me for Kids Ministry – Don't be fooled – kid's ministry is not identical to school, and as Jenny Funderburke shares from her experience, there are significant ways that kids ministry is different.
- 20 Non-Negotiable Principles for Evangelizing Kids – Wayne Stocks discusses 20 of the things he finds crucial to evangelizing children.
- Getting Focused and Fighting Stress When Your Ministry Feels Frantic – Use these 8 tips from Kristin Charles to help get your ministry and personal life back on track when you've been derailed.
- We Do Provide Childcare! – Wayne Stocks discusses why Sunday school is a form of childcare, why that's biblical, and why there's no shame in it.
- Lessons of Leadership from an Upset Parent – This story and reflection from Wayne Stocks shares several leadership principles from his experience.
- Effective Kids Ministry Depends on Your Time With Jesus – Notes from a sermon by Kempton Turner show why your ministry is rendered ineffective if you don't spend time with Jesus first.
- Kids Need the Good News About Jesus' Authority – Notes on a sermon by Russel Moore discuss why we don't need to water down the gospel for children.
- 3 Questions About Passing on God's Truth – Notes on a sermon by John Piper discuss how we can share God's truths with children.
- Thinking Big When Your Ministry Feels Small – This post by Sam Luce outlines ways to continue to dream big – to trust God – even when it seems impossible.
- When Should Kids Be Baptized? - Tony Kummer discusses how old or mature children might need to be before they get baptized.
- Seven Habits of Highly Insecure Children's Pastors – Glen Woods shares 7 different tendencies that insecure children's pastors have. Evaluate and move forward in the truths of Christ.
- 3 Tips for Taking Your Children's Ministry to the Next Level – Watch this video shared by Tony Kummer to help guide you as you follow God to new levels in your ministry.
- Children's Ministry Versus Family Ministry? - Lynda Freeman discusses why the kidmin vs fammin debate requires a both/and solution, not an either/or.
- Learn the Secret Art of Verbal Judo in Children's Ministry – Glen Woods shares the technique of using other's verbal momentum to your advantage with an amusing story.
- Learn this One Skill and You'll Become a Better Ministry Leader – Lauren Foster shares one of the biggest secrets to being an effective leader.
- 7 Free Online Tools to Deepen Your Biblical Understanding – Tony Kummer shares 7 resources to help train yourself in knowledge of the Bible.
- 8 Ways to Rediscover Your Passion for Ministry – Use these 8 ideas from Tony Kummer to help recover from burnout and allow God to keep your passion burning.
- 5 Reasons Why Hiring a Kids Pastor is Harder than You Think – Michael Chanley shares 5 reasons why hiring a children's pastor isn't all roses and happiness.
- Are You a Missional Children's Minister? - This article by Glen Woods should challenge you to rethink your perspective on how you run your ministry.
- Warning: Your Life Speaks Louder Than Your Words – Use this article by Kristin Charles to help remind you that your credibility is not the same as your authority.
- Do You Celebrate the Holy Interruptions in Your Ministry? - Wayne Stocks challenges you to notice and allow God to move through the interruptions in your ministry.
- 5 Ways Churches Can Serve Public Schools – Without Breaking the Law – Keith Tusing proposes 5 ways you can be engaged with your greater community in a way that doesn't violate the law.
- Who Else Needs Encouragement After a Bad Day? - Use this article by Wayne Stocks to regain your spirit after “one of those days.”
- Ministry Frustrations: Is it Worth Leaving the Church? - Ministry-to-Children challenges you to reconsider leaving your ministry if the church at large is giving you a hard time.
- Does Scripture Memory Still Matter for Kids? - Wayne Stocks asks the question, and then answers it definitively.
- Creating a Welcoming Environment for Children's Ministry – Kristin Charles shares 10 steps you can follow to make your learning space welcoming.
- The Secret Advantage of Small Churches – Lindsey Whitney shares the 5 advantages of a small church over a mega church.
- 7 Funny Church Jokes: Christian Humor That's Safe for Church – Read these 7 jokes from Tony Kummer and give yourself a well-deserved laugh.
- 16 Tactics for Getting More Kids in Sunday School – Use these 16 ideas from Tony Kummer to get kids interested and committed to coming to Sunday school.
- Why I Don't Want to be Too Good at Kidmin – This article by Wayne Stocks discusses the need to remain open and trusting towards God in kid's ministry.
- What's the Proper Role of Children's Ministry? - Wayne Stocks asks you to ask the hard questions and seek what God has to say about the role of kid's ministry in your church.
- Too Much Church! 5 Dangers Facing Over-Churched Kids – You're probably great at reaching out to unchurched kids, but what about over-churched kids? Tony Kummer points out 5 of the dangers facing children growing up in church.
- 9 Strategies for Reaching Over-Churched Kids – Tony Kummer discusses 9 ways to help churched children find the truth of Jesus.
- 7 Things Kids Wish Their Leaders Knew – Wayne Stocks conducted an interview with his children and found 7 things kids are looking for from leaders.
- Surviving Ministry in a Shrinking Church – This think-tank post from Tony Kummer discusses how to survive ministry when the church is just getting sicker and sicker.
- Church Decline: Ministry in a Shrinking Church – Tony Kummer shares his personal experience of ministry in a church that grows smaller.
- How Do You Build Momentum in Your Children's Ministry? - Wayne Stocks asks and answers the question of forward motion in ministry.
- Ten Internet Tools for Children's Ministry – Use these 10 sites compiled by Wayne Stocks to inspire and guide your lesson planning.
- 5 Ways to Balance Family and Church Ministry – Kristin Charles shares 5 ways to keep ministry and your family in their rightful places.
- What Can a 2-Year Old Teach You About Prayer? - Wayne Stocks shares 6 things he learned just by listening to his son's prayer to God.
- Life is Not Fair (and Neither is God) – Wayne Stocks discusses how to deal with fairness and the simple fact that God is (thankfully!) not fair.
- Why Not Have Fun with Your Kids Church Offering? - This idea from Wayne Stocks is bound to help generate buzz and excitement for offering time!
- How to Start a Children's Ministry – Follow these 9 steps from Tony Kummer to launch a new children's program at your church.
- 4 Qualities Every Kids Minister Ought to Have – Wayne Stocks shares the 4 qualities he believes every single children's minister needs to have (or at least cultivate).
- Tips for Planning a Kids Ministry Block Party – Follow these steps from Mimi Bullock to plan and host a block party to meet children and love on communities.
- Does God Call People to Children's Ministry? - Tony Kummer asks kid's ministers how to understand the call of God on people's lives.
- M is for Manuscript (Apologetics in Children's Ministry) – Use this article by Terry Delaney to learn how to defend the validity of the Bible through manuscript evidence.
- Ministries Live or Die on This – Kristin Charles challenges you to evaluate whether you're working on your own strength, or in God's strength.
- Santa Claus and Children's Ministry: How do You Respond? - Tony Kummer asks other kid's ministers how they respond to the truth or fiction of Santa Claus at Christmastime.
- Make Time for Spiritual Refreshment – Kristin Charles shares 5 ways you can protect your soul from burnout.
- The Age of Accountability: Rethinking Children and Salvation – Tony Kummer asks children's ministers from around the country how old children are before they can be held accountable for their faith.
- 110 Reasons to Love Children's Ministry – Tony Kummer shares 110 reasons from comments to love and serve children.
- Children's Ministry Budget: 8 Tips for Doing More With Less – Use these 8 suggestions from Kristin Charles to make the most out of your ministry budget.
- Why I Respect and Pray for Public School Teachers – Tony Kummer shares a humorous story and encourages you to pray for the people that are having such an enormous impact on your children.
- How to Follow Up After the Children's Ministry Outreach – Follow these 3 steps from Mimi Bullock to engage children after you've done a successful outreach.
- Avoid Ministry Burnout & Do More Through Delegation – Charlie Wallace divulges 3 steps you can take to be more effective at what you do and help you avoid burnout.
- Dealing With Ministry Conflict through Email – Should We? - Follow these 5 tips from Charlie Wallace to help diffuse conflict in the most open, healthy way.
- Teaching Children about Sin vs Protecting Their Self Esteem – Tony Kummer asks children's ministers how they can teach children about their depravity while maintaining an understanding of their inherent value.
- Glorifying God as a Ministry Team – Kristin Charles reminds you that you're not alone in your ministry, and that God has given you a team for a reason.
- Extrinsic Motivation: Using Rewards in Children's Ministry – Tony Kummer shares the pros, cons, and guidelines for using reward systems in children's ministry.
- Charles Spurgeon's Encouragement for Children's Workers – Jeri Tanner frames a passage from one of Spurgeon's sermons to encourage and enlighten children's workers.
- How Do You Answer Kids' Hard Questions at Church? - Use these 3 tips from Mimi Bullock to guide you as you tackle the difficult questions that children pose.
- Answering Children's Theological Questions – Jeri Tanner shares 4 steps you can take to answer the hard questions kids ask about God.
- Is Your Kids Ministry Becoming Spiritually Toxic? - Tony Kummer shares 3 toxic habits in ministry that can be dangerous for children and adults alike.
- 7 Tips for Better Communication in Children's Ministry – Follow these 7 tips from Tony Kummer to improve your communication with your church.
- What About Promotion Sunday? - Charlie Wallace discusses the benefits of having a Sunday dedicated to promoting your kid's ministry.
- Evangelizing Children Without Manipulation – Tony Kummer asks other children's ministers how they share Christ with children without emotionally manipulating them.
- Church Summer Reading Programs for Children – Kristin Charles shares how you can start a church reading program for kids.
- Men vs. Women – Terry Delaney expresses why you need both men and women in your ministry.
- Funny Job Requirements for Children's Ministry – Tony Kummer shares some hilarious requirements that you will need to possess as a kid's minister.
- 12 Practical Ways to Help Families in Crisis – Use these 12 suggestions from Kristin Charles to help families who are going through hard times to make it through.
- Thank You For Your Sacrifice – Kristin Charles reminds us about the sacrifice Christ made to give us life, and thanks you for serving sacrificially.
- 1/168: Children's Ministry Hours Per Week – This article by Terry Delaney should challenge you to pray that God works in the 167 hours that parents have with their children.
- What is Your Church's Policy About Baptizing Children? – Tony Kummer asks several children's ministers how they handle children and baptism.
- How Do You Teach Kids to Be Saved? - Tony Kummer asks different children's ministers how to teach children about salvation and being saved.
- Ministry Spotlight: Jelly Telly – Use this ministry from the creators of Veggie Tales to give children access to fun, safe ways to surf the Internet for videos and games.
- Do You Get Discouraged in Children's Ministry? - Tony Kummer shares encouragement for those who may be struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
- Hermeneutics and Children's Curriculum – This article by John Walton discusses the need to evaluate every single curriculum lesson for consistency with the truth.
- Ask Anything: Elementary Style – Tim Brister shares some of the hardcore questions that his children have asked him.
- Advice for a New Children's Minister – Tony Kummer shares 8 tips for new children's ministers to help them avoid some of the pitfalls he hit.
- Kids' Activities from Wycliffe – Wycliffe translators offer this resource page full of fun activities and lesson plans to help children learn about God, the Bible, and so on.
- Effective Teaching Depends on Prayer – Tony Kummer reminds you to pray as though everything depended on God, and to work as though it all depended on you.
- ChristianVolunteering.org – Connect volunteers with areas of need. This website allows you to find locations in your nearby area that are looking for volunteers. Take your children, take your families, and go be the hands and feet of Christ!
- How Do You Expel a Child From Church? - Tony Kummer shares a story of the tough call – asking a child not to come back to church for some time.
- 4 Ways I Keep Close to Christ When I'm Busy – Use one or all 4 of these strategies from Tony Kummer to stay focused on God in times of busy-ness.
- Upward Sports – This company is founded on Christian values, and seeks to combine sports with Christ.