RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

2026 is just around the corner. I am sure you have started preparing your calendar for a new ministry year. 

Here are some tips that I use to plan my ministry calendar. 

Buy a big desk calendar. 

Spread out the months of the calendar on a table or other flat surface. This will enable you to see a physical copy of the whole year that is coming. 

Go through and start writing in ministry dates on the calendar. 

What do you need to write on the calendar for January?  February?  March?  

Write in recurring program dates like mid-week programming, Sunday morning Bible studies, etc. 

Next write in the dates for your milestone events such as salvation classes, baptism classes, parent and child dedication, etc. 

Then write in your big events like camp, vbs, trunk or treat, etc. 

More tips:

Make sure you are collaborating with the other ministries in your church. Show them your calendar and make sure there are no events on the same day. You don't want to have two big, competing events on the same day. An example would be avoiding a VBS volunteer training on the same date as a women's ministry event.  Plan together with other ministries to avoid silos when it comes to calendar planning.

Remember that less is more. Don't over plan your calendar.  You can do a few things with excellence or you can do a lot of things mediocre. Sometimes the best thing you can put on your calendar is eraser marks.  

Stay open to change.  The calendar shouldn't drive your ministry.  The ministry should drive your calendar.

Just because you did something in the past doesn't mean you should be doing it now. Take a hard look at everything you are doing.  Is it effective?  Are kids and families attending this (people vote with their feet)? Is it helping you reach and disciple kids and families?

Don't get stuck in the past. Be willing to change things that are not working. 

Plan out your entire year. You should always strive to be a year ahead on your calendar. Of course, there are occasionally a few exceptions to this that are out of your control, but the goal should be to stay a year ahead.

Start with the end in mind.  Where do you want to see the kids at spiritually when the year ends?  Your calendar should provide steps to seeing this accomplished. What do you want the kids to know about God and His Word at the end of the year?  Your teaching calendar should take them to that.

These simple steps can make your ministry calendar planning a lot less complicated and less stressful. It will also help your ministry be more effective. 

Your turn. How do you do your ministry calendar planning?  Share your thoughts and insight with us in the comment section below.

You've probably heard this before.  

"Everything rises and falls on leadership."

It is so true. 

Do you want to have more leadership influence with the team you lead?

Do you want to see the ministry you lead grow and flourish?

Are you looking for someone who can help you get to the next level as a children's ministry leader?

​Do you want someone who will personally invest in you and your ministry?

​Are you looking for someone who can help you navigate the challenges and struggles you are facing?

​Dale Hudson, one of the leading voices and leaders in children's ministry, can help you grow as a children's ministry leader. Whether it's your first year or fifteenth year in ministry, he can help you and your ministry get to the next level.

​Much, if not, most of ministry wisdom and knowledge cannot be learned in a college classroom. Dale's coaching is grounded not in theory alone, but in proven, hands-on leadership experience. For the past 36 years, he has personally built and led some of the fastest-growing, largest children's ministries in the country.

​ADVANCE Children's Ministry Coaching includes:

• 6 months of coaching. Next available session runs January to June of 2026.

• Monthly group coaching call. Live, one-hour sessions on the important topics listed below. Each session includes teaching and group discussions. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the topics with Dale and the other leaders in the group. Sessions are also recorded so you have access to them later.

Teaching includes...

• Self Leadership

• Leading Staff and Volunteers

• Leading through Changes and Challenges

• Keys to Growing a Ministry

• Creating a Dynamic Children's Ministry Culture in Your Church & Partnering with Parents

• Staying Relevant in Children's Ministry

Personalized growth plan: Personal one-hour phone session with Dale to help you identify areas of growth and development. From this, Dale will help you create a one-year growth plan in those areas. Includes identifying your personality traits, strengths, weaknesses and blind spots. Plan includes developing a personal mission statement, key books to read, guided growth conversations to have with key people in your life, action steps, setting goals and helping measure progress. There is also a one-hour follow-up phone session at the end of the year to access and celebrate your growth.

Copy of 8 of Dale's books: ($114 value)

• If Disney Ran Your Children's Ministry

• Leading Well in Children's Ministry

• The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams

• Fertile Soil...see kids' faith grow and flourish for a lifetime

• 52 Devotions for Children's Ministry Leaders

• Be Our Church Guest

• Legacy...Leave Your Mark On This World  

​How can you be selected to be a part of Advance? Complete the application at this link.

Upon acceptance, Dale will contact you with the next steps.

Spots fill up fast. Apply today. Deadline to register is January 15, 2026.

More questions? Email me at dale@buildingchildrensministry.com.

Hi.  I am Dale Hudson and I'd like to ask you some questions. 

How do you want to be remembered after you are gone?

Do you want the impact you had to continue helping and blessing others in the years and decades to come? 

We all want to leave a legacy of some kind. We want to know that we have made a difference in the short time we have here on earth.  We want to know that our time and efforts helped those who crossed paths with us. I'm sure we share this in common.  We want to be able to put a stamp on the future.  We want to know that our serving investment made a difference in the lives of others.

The older we get, the more we begin to think about this. We begin analyzing our life and seeing if our priorities are reflecting this.

I want to leave a legacy.  I want to invest in and help those who are coming behind me and those who are currently surrounding me to be successful.  We only get to live our life once, so we must be intentional if we want to leave a legacy. There are those who live their life casually and then there are those who strive to leave a legacy. 

Do you want people to talk about you and your work long after you have finished your course?

Do you want the impact you had to continue helping and blessing others in the years and decades to come?

Do you want God to use you to help other people grow and flourish?

Do you want your legacy to resonate for generations to come?

        If that’s you…then I wrote this book for you. Step by step we will discover how to leave a legacy.  You don’t have to be rich or famous to leave a legacy.  In fact, most people who leave a legacy are just ordinary people who make the decision to live their life with purpose.

Yes…you matter.  Yes…who you are matters.  Yes…what you do matters.  Yes…you have the potential to leave a legacy. Are you ready to leave your mark on this world?  Then let’s get started. I want to set you up to be a difference maker.  God is ready to use your life to do something incredible.  Get your copy today and watch what God does in your life. You can order your copy at this link.

The greatest thing you can do for kids this Christmas is to share the Gospel with them. This is the heartbeat of Christmas. 

Here are 3 ways you can effectively share the Gospel with kids this Christmas.

Christmas Lesson

How will you share the Gospel through your lesson?  

I created a special Christmas lesson that shares the Gospel with kids. It's called the The Christmas Gift. It follows the story of a boy named Andrew who discovers the true meaning of Christmas and is given the greatest Christmas gift ever...Jesus. You can get more info. and order the lesson as an instant download at this link.

The Candy Cane Illustration 

Give each child a candy cane and use it to share the Gospel. 

The candy cane was created by a Christian candy maker many years ago.  He made it to help share the Gospel with kids.

White Candy – A symbol of our sinless Savior (2 Corinthians 5:31, 1 John 1:7). His sacrifice for our sins washes them away and makes us clean.

Red Stripes – A reminder that by the shedding of Christ’s blood and His death on the cross we are rescued from our sins and given eternal life. (Ephesians 1:7 & 2:8)

Shepherd’s Staff – The candy cane is in the shape of a shepherd's staff. Jesus is the Good Shepherd and His sheep will hear His voice and follow Him (Psalm 23:1, John 10:11).

Letter J – When the candy cane is turned upside down, it looks like a “J” representing Jesus our Savior (Matthew 1:21, John 3:17).

Happy Birthday Jesus Party

Invite the kids to a "Happy Birthday Jesus Party."  Make the party all about Him as the kids celebrate the birth of Jesus. 

Have a happy birthday cake for the kids to eat and take up a special offering for Jesus. Use the money the kids give to help people who are in need or for a special missions project. 

You can get the lesson for this at this link.