RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY: #buildingchilrensministry

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Free Giveaway - New Worship Album for Kids

12:00 PM Dale Hudson

Yes, you read the title correctly. We are giving away a full album of our new worship music songs for kids. ($39.00 value).

12 songs total

lyric videos for each song

with and without vocals

song motions.

written with today's kids' music styles

Below are a few songs from the album. If you can't see the songs in your email, you can click here to access them.

All you need to do to enter the drawing is to email me at dale@buildingchildrensministry.com.

I'll randomly pick someone (close eyes and draw a name - ha) and then announce the winner here, next Tuesday.

Or if you don't want to wait - here is the link where you can get all of the songs now. When you buy the entire album, you are getting the video worship songs for only a little over $3.00 each. Compare that to most worship videos for kids that cost anywhere from $10-15 dollars each.

But I've got to warn you. These songs are written to get stuck in your head. After listening to them, I find myself humming the songs all during the day. And that's a good thing. We want the truths of these songs to get stuck in kids' heads so they'll remember them for the rest of their lives.

Introducing an Awesome New Worship Album for Kids

8:37 AM Dale Hudson

I am excited to announce a brand new kids' worship album.

The songs were written and produced by a rising star in the music world - Travis August.

One thing I love about the songs Travis wrote for us is the fact they were written for kids from the get go.

Go to the average kids' worship time and you will see kids mostly just standing there and not singing. One key factor that causes this to happen is when you try to get kids to sing a kid version of an adult song. It just doesn't work well.

I also like the fact that the songs are not too long. Often you will see songs drawn out too long and you can see the kids disengage. All of the songs on this album are 3 minutes are less. This honors kids' attention spans and keeps them engaged until the end of the song.

You'll see several options to choose from. You can purchase individual songs or you can buy the entire album.

Each song comes with a music video for kids' worship. You also get the songs with and without lead vocals which gives you the option to vocally lead the songs with your singers.

Your kids' worship time will never be the same with these amazing songs. But don't just take my word for it - check the songs out at this page - CLICK HERE.

p.s. The songs also line up with our elementary curriculum. There's a year's worth of curriculum and the 12 songs line up with the 12 truths taught in the curriculum (1 truth a month). You can check that out here.

Building Kids Faith in the Bible

9:00 AM Dale Hudson

The B-I-B-L-E...yes that's the book for me. I stand alone on the Word of God...the B-I-B-L-E.

If you grew up in church, you remember that song. It was an attempt to instill the Word of God into the hearts of children.

We are living in a day when the Bible is under attack. Just this past week, protestors in Portland, Oregon made a spectacle out of burning a pile of Bibles. While that was a physical attack, it doesn't end there. All across the country and the world, the Word of God is under attack.

People who say it's just like any other book.

The removal of Bible verses from public monuments.

Professors who stand in their classroom and belittle the Bible.

Television shows and movies where the Bible and those who follow it are portrayed as nutcases.

Go ahead. Say the Bible isn't the Word of God. You have the right to be wrong.

I believe the Bible is the Word of God.

I believe it is true from cover to cover.

I believe it is historically accurate.

I believe it is error free.

Burning a few copies of God's Word won't stop it.

Have you ever read the story of the French philosopher Voltaire (1694-1778)? Voltaire, in his writings against Christianity and the Bible, predicted in 1776, “One hundred years from my day, there will not be a Bible on earth except one that is looked upon by an antiquarian curiosity-seeker.”

But within fifty years after his death, in an ironic twist of fate, the very house in which Voltaire once lived and wrote was used by the Evangelical Society of Geneva as a storehouse for Bibles and Gospel tracts and the printing presses he used to print his irreverent works was used to print Bibles.

You can't stop the Word of God and you can trust it.

It is crucial that we transfer this belief into the hearts of the next generation that is following us. Let's look at a few ways you can do this.

Tell the next generation the Bible is the Word of God over and over and over and over...

I know a well known pastor who took a strong stand on the Bible being God's Word. He traced his strong stand on the Bible all the way back to when he was a child. Every night before going to bed, his mom would come and tuck him in. She prayed with him and read a few Bible verses with him. And then she held up the Bible and had him say this phrase over and over and over...the Bible is the Word of God!

Show the next generation the proof that the Bible is God's Word.

Hundreds of prophecies fulfilled.

Endurance for thousands of years.

The Bible is self-authenticating.

People who gave up their life for saying the Bible is true. People don't give their life for something they know is not true.

Take a look at some of the verses that agnostics say are errors. Have kids work through those verses and come to the conclusion that the Bible is true. We did this with the Pranksters Series. We actually had kids look at verses and passages that atheists say are errors and find out for themselves why the verses are not errors. You can get this teaching series here - Pranksters.

You can also reinforce that the Bible is God's Word with music. When kids hear a song that emphasizes that the Bible is God's Word, then it helps impress this truth. Check out this song that teaches kids that the Bible is true and you can trust it through and through.

Teach kids to memorize key verses/passages that will help them defend their faith. The Bible tells us that we must be ready to give an answer when someone attacks the Word.

Get tools and resources into the hands of parents, so they can disciple their children with the Bible.

Our faith hinges on the fact that the Bible is God's Word and you can trust it. It must be a top priority to teach kids that they can trust it in all areas of life.

The Best Ability to Have in Ministry

12:18 PM Dale Hudson

What is the best ability to have in ministry? Is it the ability to lead people? Is it the ability to make good decisions? Is it the ability to build a solid volunteer team? Is it the ability to communicate well? Is it the ability to coordinate great events?

These are all great abilities to have. But there's one ability that catches God's eye more than anything else. What is it?

It's AVAILABILITY.

The Bible says this in 2 Chronicles 16:9.

The LORD's eyes keep on roaming throughout the earth,

looking for those whose hearts completely belong to Him,

so that He may strongly support them.

Above all else, God looks for people who will make themselves available to be used by Him.

Isaiah is a great example of this. Look what it says in Isaiah 9:6.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying:

"Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?"

And I said: “Here am I. Send me!”

If you want to make an impact, if you want to be used by God, then simply say to God what Isaiah said, "Here am I. Send me!"

God knows you. He knows where you are. He knows your heart. He knows that you want to be used for kingdom work. All you need to do is whisper those four words to Him and He will use you more than you could ever imagine.

When you do this, you will move from just natural abilities to supernatural abilities that will have people watching God do a great work through you.

Many of us have been told that we are not gifted enough to do ministry. That our personality is not good enough. That our leadership qualities are lacking. That we don't have what it takes. And to be honest, often it is coming from ourselves. We've been overlooked so many times that we begin to doubt if we are worthy enough to be used by God.

Turn those negative thoughts off. You have a God who can take your life and change the world.

Most of the people in the Bible were not able to be used by God if you look at their life through a natural lens.

Moses stuttered.

Jeremiah said he couldn't talk well.

Gideon said his family were the nobodys of the tribes.

Peter was a fisherman with a bad temper.

And Paul...look what he said.

"And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling.My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power."

Yes, you can be used of God in a great way. All He is waiting to hear is, "Here am I Lord, send me."

50 Things Today's Kids Don't Know About

7:23 AM Dale Hudson

Today's kids are not yesterday's kids. Yes, you've been a kid, but you've never been a kid today.

Things have changed. Lots of things have changed. Today's kids are growing up in a different world than you and I did. It's important we keep up with the culture and challenges that today's kids are facing.

Here are some reminders that times have changed. Here are 50 things that today's kids don't know about.

1. Inserting a VHS tape into a VCR. Go to any thrift store and you will see lots of old VHS movies for sale.

2. When you could only get 3-4 channels on a television. Maybe 5, if you turned the outside antenna just right and you held the rabbit ears at the right angle.

3. Not having a remote control for the television. In fact, the kids were the remote control.

4. Television went off at midnight. They played the national anthem and then the channels went off until the next morning.

5. There was a time before reality tv.

6. The squeal of a modem connecting.

7. Floppy disks.

8. Blowing the dust out of a video game cartridge with the hopes it will work this time.

9. Having to delete something to make room on your computer's hard drive.

10. Using the encyclopedia to find information.

11. Road atlas.

12. Phone books.

13. Yellow pages.

14. Newspapers and magazines made from trees.

15. Not knowing what your friends are doing and thinking every moment.

16. When spam was just a meat product.

17. Typewriters.

18. 35 mm film for a camera.

19. Sending film away to be developed.

20. CB radios.

21. Rotary dial telephones.

22. Answering machines.

23. Pay phones / phone booth.

24. Fax machines.

25. Remembering phone numbers.

26. Going to Blockbuster to rent a movie.

27. Writing a check.

28. Having to rewind a VHS tape to watch it again.

29. 8-track tapes

30. Cell phones that were the size of a brick.

31. Stretching the cord on the phone for more privacy.

32. TV guide.

33. Hard copy encyclopedias.

34. Super-sizing fries.

35. Having a pager.

36. MySpace.

37. AOL.

38. Taping your favorite movie on a VHS tape and then someone taping over it before you have a chance to watch it.

39. Sears' catalogue.

40. Cereal with a prize at the bottom of the box.

41. Pogs...and slamming Pogs.

42. Cassette tapes.

43. Car windows that had to be rolled up.

44. Overhead projectors.

45. "Hanging" up the phone.

46. Riding in the back of a station wagon with no seat belts on.

47. TV's that had a big back on them and weighted like 500 pounds.

48. Video game joy sticks.

49. Hand-written letters.

50. Sending film away to be processed.

These were things today's kids don't know about. It's nice for us to take a stroll down memory lane occasionally, but that can't be our focus.

Our focus must be on today's kids. We must take the initiative and find out what they like and don't like. What are the key elements of their culture? How can you use current culture to connect with today's kids?

I often say we are missionaries to today's kids. We must do what a missionary does. Learn what they like. Learn what they don't like. Learn what music appeals to them. Find out what movies and entertainment catches their attention?

When we keep up with these things, it gives us talking points with them and shows them we really do care about them as a person.

Your turn. What else do today's kids not know about? Share your thoughts, ideas and insight in the comment section below.

Last Day to Register for Multi-Site Webinar

8:55 AM Dale Hudson

There is still time to register for the multi-site webinar.

It's happening tomorrow, July 22 from 10am to noon. Dead line to register is by 9:00 p.m. tonight.

The Multi-Site Children's Ministry Webinar is for leaders who are currently leading in a multi-site ministry and for those whose church is preparing to go multi-site.

We've gathered some of the best multi-site leaders in the nation to encourage and equip you. These leaders have years of experience in leading successful multi-site ministries.

Kim Botto is the next gen director at Crossroads Christian Church in the Cincinnati metro area. Her church currently has 12 locations and ministers to over 30,000 people each weekend at the locations. She will be talking about how to build volunteer teams for new locations.

Dale Hudson is the founder and director of Building Children's Ministry. BCM helps churches build strong teams, leaders and ministries. Dale has served in multi-site churches for over 19 years. At his last church, he helped the church grow from 3 campuses to 9 campuses that ministered to over 28,000 people each weekend. He also grew the children's ministry volunteer team from 300 to 2,600 in 8 years. Dale will be talking about one of the most important factors in multi-site ministry...unity. He will help you see how to keep all of your campuses serving for a common vision and purpose.

Justin Edge is the Central Team Leader of LifeKids at Life Church. Life Church is the largest multi-site church in the nation with 35 campuses. Justin is a passionate, visionary leader who will inspire you and help you grow in your leadership. He will be sharing the keys to leading a multi-site ministry.

There will be time built into the sessions for live Q & A, so bring your questions.

When you register, you get a free ecopy of Dale's newest book - "Lead Well in Children's Ministry" ($12.99 value). This book has over 300 pages of insight about leading in children's ministry.

Can't attend in person? We've got you covered. The sessions will all be recorded and made available in streaming and downloadable formats for those who registered.

You can register now at this link or by clicking on the picture below. Can't wait to see you there.

10 Things I Wish Churches Understood About Children's Ministry

7:53 AM Dale Hudson

As I travel and speak at churches about reaching the next generation, I come in contact with lots of different kinds of children's ministries.

It is always interesting how churches approach children's ministry. In just one weekend, you can usually tell how important children's ministry is in that church.

As I thought about the different churches and their approach to children's ministry, it nudged me to write this article.

Here are 10 things I pray every church that I minister in understands and embraces.

1. Children's ministry is not babysitting. Rather it is ministry at the most important time in a person's life. So many brain connections are being made. They are learning so many foundational things that will stick with them for the rest of their life.

2. Parental influence makes all the difference in the world. No one has more influence in a person's life than his or her parents. If you want to influence children, then you must first influence their biggest influencers...THEIR PARENTS. Once you being influencing parents, you will see a huge impact in the child's life as well.

3. Kids were made to move. They are wired with lots of energy that is busting at the seams. Rather than telling them to sit still and be quiet, we should use games and activities that get kids moving while teaching them spiritual truths at the same time.

4. Relationships matter. Nothing can take the place of a caring adult investing in the lives of kids at church. No video game can replace this. No app can replace this. No video can replace this. This is why keeping ratios is so important. It gives the group leader an opportunity to personally invest in each child.

5. Kids influence giving. According to a report by NRF, 87% of parents surveyed say their children influence their purchase decisions. If you want to see the adults in your church giving their tithes and offerings, then first get their children on board for giving.

6. Kids can serve now. Look into God's Word and you will see God using lots of kids to accomplish His purpose. David. The little maid. The boy with the lunch. The children who praised God in the temple. Give kids the opportunity to serve and make a difference and they will respond.

7. Children are a major growth engine for churches. Want to reach young families? Show them you care about their child and they will come. The best way to reach a parent's heart is through their children. Growing, thriving churches normally have growing, thriving children's ministries.

8. Today's kids will one day be the top leaders of your church. What do you want them to know, believe and act like? Start now teaching them those things. You have the opportunity to leave a legacy when you do this.

9. Kids are the greatest mission field. The vast majority of people who come to Jesus do so when they are children. Kids can enter a relationship with Jesus just like adults. There is no "Jr. Holy Spirit." If we don't reach them before they turn 19, their chances of ever knowing Jesus are significantly reduced.

10. Children are the church of today and tomorrow. Invest in them now and you will see fruit come from it now and later.

If you are in a church where children's ministry is not high on the list of important ministries, then I would encourage you to share this article with those who oversee your church ministries. Time is short. If we are going to reach the next generation and see them become leaders in God's army, it will start in the nursery.

Kids' Funny Bible Quotes

5:59 AM Dale Hudson

Kids can say some hilarious things about Bible stories they have heard, but haven't fully comprehended yet.

Here are some of the best. Enjoy.

Shadrach, Meshach and a billy goat were thrown into a fire.

Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree.

Joshua led the Hebrews in the battle of Geritol.

Noah's wife was called Joan of Ark.

Noah built an ark, which the animals came on to in pears.

The people who followed the Lord were called the 12 decibels.

A Christian should have only one wife. This is called monotony.

The epistles were the wives of the apostles.

The first commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple.

David fought with the Finklesteins, a race of people who lived in Biblical times.

Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel.

David had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me.

Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards.

Jesus went up to Heaven, but will be back at the end of the aluminum.

Once upon a time, Jesus was walking through the countryside with His disciples. Since this was before Chick-fil-A, they didn’t have easy access to food while they were traveling.

There was tennis in the Bible. It says Joseph served in Pharaoh's court.

Moses was the most wicked man in the Bible. He broke all 10 commandments at the same time.

Jesus drove a car - it was a Chrysler.

The Egyptians were all drowned in the dessert.

Moses went up on Mount Cyanide to get the 10 amendments.

The 5th commandment is to humor thy father and mother.

One of the opossums was St. Matthew, who was, by profession, a taximan.

And forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets.

Are You Consistently Sharing the Gospel?

10:44 AM Dale Hudson

The most important thing we do in children's ministry is sharing the Gospel.

Children are the greatest mission field in the world. Their hearts are open and receptive to the Gospel. We must get the Gospel to them and the Holy Spirit will draw them.

If sharing the Gospel is the most important thing we do, then we should consistently share it with the kids.

Consistently meaning a bare minimum of once a month with every week being the best scenario. You can take any lesson and tie it into the Gospel if you are intentional.

Romans 1:16 says, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes."

This verse makes it very clear that the Gospel is the key in seeing kids and parents come to Christ. If the curriculum you are using or writing doesn't consistently share the Gospel, then it's time to make a change or adjustment.

How many children came to Christ last year in your ministry? I can promise you the number of kids who came to Christ last year is in direct correlation with how often you shared the Gospel.

I see many churches today that spend more time teaching kids to be good over teaching kids to accept the Gospel and become a follower of Jesus. We don't just need "good" kids, we need "Gospel" kids.

We only have a short window of time to share the Gospel with kids. Stats show that the vast majority of people who come to Christ, do so when they are children.

So what is a good strategy for sharing the Gospel with kids? I am going to share with you a few resources that can help you reach kids with the Gospel. And it's not based on just theory, but on proof. We saw 460 kids accept Jesus and follow Him in baptism in one year by using these tools.

These are great resources that you can also use to see more kids and parents enter a relationship with Jesus through your ministry. Check them out below.

Teaching series that focuses on the Gospel for 4 weeks.

Click here for more info.

Teaching series that shows kids how to share the
Gospel using creative tools.

Click here for more info.

Salvation class for kids and their parents.

Click here for more info.

Video that shares the Gospel.

Click here for more info.

You can do this. God is with you. Together we can fulfill the last command of our Savior.

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."

Mark 16:15

Helping Kids Feel Safe and Secure During Crazy Times

9:16 AM Dale Hudson

So far 2020 has been a very stressful year. Pandemic. People out of work. The death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter. Stock market ups and downs. Racism struggles. Police brutality and the murder of George Floyd and others. Unemployment. Riots.

Many would say 2020 has been the most stressful year in their entire life.

When parents are going through tough times, kids pick up on it and can become stressed out as well.

Fear can come from catching a small glimpse of the news, overhearing conversations between teens or adults and seeing what their parents post and read in social media.

It is common for kids to pick up on these things and become fearful during these crazy times.

So how can we help our children feel safe and secure during all of this? Here are some steps.

Monitor how much exposure kids have to the news. While most protests and riots have been peaceful, many have not. Media is showing images of fires, looting and violence.

Children do not have the emotional security to understand what they are seeing and it can lead to fear, insecurity and sadness.

Talk with kids. It's important to talk with children about what they are seeing and hearing in an age appropriate way. Help them understand what is happening. If you don't, they will try to fill in the blanks themselves and may come to scary and frightening conclusions in their mind. They may even think someone is coming to get them.

As parents and leaders, we are called to walk through these times with our children and have the wisdom to help guide them through it. And during these crazy times, we must check our children's emotional temperature and help them adjust it as needed.

Be a safe place where kids can ask questions. Find out what they are thinking and reassure them that you will keep them safe. Let them know there is a great group of people that are working hard to keep everyone safe.

Stay positive. Use positive words. Built up others rather than tearing them down. Empower your child through your actions and displayed emotions.

Model the behavior you want to see in your children. Kids will pick up on how you are responding. Make sure you model what you want their response to be as well.

Encourage kids to be proactive. They can encourage other kids who are experiencing fear by talking with them about it. Equip them to be the leaders who can bring about the change that is so desperately needed in these days.

How to Raise a Child Who is Generous

10:50 AM Dale Hudson

I believe if we can teach children to be generous, then they can experience God's blessings as they obey Him.

I'll never forget...it was right after an earthquake hit Haiti. We found out there was a need for children's shoes for the children in Haiti.

We put out a collection box where people could donate shoes for the kids there.

One Sunday, I watched as a girl walked up and saw the sign. She stood there and pondered for a minute or so. Then I saw her look at her mother. Her mother nodded with approval.

The girl reached down and took off her shoes. They were expensive "Sunday church shoes." She placed her shoes in the container and left barefooted.

I remember another time when I saw an example of a child being generous. We were in the middle of raising money to build a new children's building. One of the 3rd grade boys in our ministry saw the need and decided he wanted to be generous. He and his family had been saving up money for months for a birthday trip for him to Orlando.

He asked his parents if they, instead of going on the trip, could donate the money ($1,500) to the new children's building. He gave the money and God used it to inspire the entire church to be generous. The money was raised and the building became a reality.

Explain to kids that generosity can be a way of life. Help kids understand that generosity is not always about money. You can be generous with your time. You can be generous with your talents. And sometimes generosity is shown in the little things like opening the door for a senior adult. Helping your brother finish up his chores. Helping mom put the dishes away when you could be playing video games.

Set the example. The best way to show kids what generosity means is leading by example. Be a tither. Give to special offerings. Support missionaries. Help others who are in need with food. Take time to invest in other people. Your kids will never forget seeing you being generous.

Teach lessons about generosity. Teach a series about giving. Give kids a Biblical basis for generosity. Here are a couple of series that I developed that teach kids to be generous.

Money Talks is a 4-week series that gives kids a foundation for a lifetime of generosity. This series is also great if your church is doing an adult series on stewardship such as Financial Peace University. Kids learn...

Week 1 - Money Talks About Owning
Week 2 - Money Talks About Tithing
Week 3 - Money Talks About Sharing
Week 4 - Money Talks About Planning

The Money Talks lesson can be purchased at this link.

Here is a video sample.

The other series is called "Kid Bank President." In this 4 week series, the Kid Bank President teaches kids how to manage their money with God's wisdom and plans. This is a great series to use when your church is doing a giving series. Lessons include...

Week 1 - Tithing Account

Week 2 - Saving Account

Week 3 - Spending Account

Week 4 - Investing Account

The lessons can be purchased at this link .

Here is a video sample.

What to Do When Your Volunteers Don't Want to Come Back Because of the Pandemic

10:33 AM Dale Hudson

As we continue to search for a vaccine and cure for the Corona Virus, many people are still hesitant to go out and mingle with others. And rightfully so.

The virus is reshaping the daily routines of millions of Americans.

It is also causing many churches and other non-profits to struggle with a lack of volunteers. This could impact crucial service for the most vulnerable people.

I have been listening to what church leaders are saying as they work through opening their physical campuses back up.

They are asking some great questions. One of the questions is "What will we do when older volunteers are hesitant to come back to serve - because of the virus?" Many of the older volunteers are saying they will not be back to serve until there is a vaccine available to cure the fast spreading virus.

This can really have an impact on children's ministries because in many ministries we depend on Boomers to serve and fill key roles.

Here are some key points that can help you navigate what to do when your older volunteers are hesitant to serve during this time.

People come first. Older adults are more likely to have serious health issues when they catch the virus. With the virus reshaping the daily routines of millions of Americans, many nonprofits are struggling with those age 65 or older,” says Dr. Natasha Bhuyan, a family physician in Phoenix, Arizona.

“The reason why is because our immune system is less effective at fighting infections as we get older. Also, having multiple other chronic diseases can complicate this virus.”

This means we should put our senior adults first. Especially those who already have an underlying

condition. Don't place your senior adults in serving situations where they are likely to catch the virus or spread the virus.

"Use the ministry to build people, not the people to build the ministry,"

The quote above should be often considered. Don't bring risk to senior adults just because you have some vacant volunteer roles open. There may be other roles they can fill for the time being that don't require contact with people.

Enlist new volunteers. This is a great opportunity to share the vision of your ministry and how people can make a difference in the lives of other people. People are tuned in to helping other people in this season. Remember to emphasize the "why" of the ministry. You can get many more great ideas for building a volunteer team in my book "The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams." It's available at this link.

Realize some volunteers were looking for a way out. The virus is the exit door they have been looking for. Thank them for their service and lovingly let them walk away. You want people on your team that want to be on your team.

Consider doing children's ministry differently until you can ramp back up to full speed. You may need to adjust some classrooms. Drop some activities you were going to do. Move to doing a lot more things online. Think about some games you can play online with the kids (make sure you have parents' permission). You can share a devotion each week online. Perhaps it means sending the lesson plans and activities to parents and having them do the lesson with their child.

Make sure your volunteers know all the steps you are taking to keep them safe from the virus. Share with them that people are wearing masks, everything is being sanitized, no one is allowed to come into a the classroom if they have a fever, etc. These steps may be the difference between someone who chooses to serve and someone who doesn't.

Some of the best volunteers I have had the privilege to serve with were senior adults. While I want to see them be able to serve, I first and foremost want to protect their health. That's why it's so important to have a serving plan that will protect them.

Your turn. The floor is yours. What are you doing to encourage volunteers to continue serving? What safety measures are you putting in place?

Share your ideas and insight in the comment section below.

Our Words Matter...Talking with Kids Who Curse

8:10 AM Dale Hudson

One thing I have noticed about Millennials and Gen Zer's is their use of curse words.

They will pop out a curse word when talking with someone like it is nothing. They will also write curse words in various social media platforms.

One of the most common words is the word "F_ck." Pre-teens and middle/high school students use it without a second thought.

But we know the Bible tells us to watch what we say and use kind words. Here are a few examples.

"But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander and obscene talk from your mouth."

Colossians 3:8

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." Ephesians 4:29

"From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so."

James 3:10

"If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless." James 1:26

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. "Psalm 19:14

It is obvious that God is against speaking words of corruption, cursing and deceit. It is a sin to curse.

Instead, God wants us to speak words that build up people, that are acceptable before Him and are a blessing to those around them.

Simply put - there is no room in the life of a believer to use words that tear people down, words that deceive people and words that curse people.

Goes does care about which words we are using.

I want to encourage you to take some time at church to teach kids what words are and aren't pleasing to God. Then challenge them to use words that build up those around them.

There is no room for cursing in the life of a child of God. Our words are a big part of how we show people we love Jesus.

Talking with Kids About Racism

11:12 AM Dale Hudson

It is heartbreaking to see that racism still exists in our country. The recent murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police is a stark reminder of this.

Did you know that 10% of black men are behind bars on any given day? This is twice as high as Hispanic men and five times higher than white men. Roughly 20% of black men have spent time in jail compared to 3% of white men.

This has to stop. We cannot allow this injustice to continue. One way we can help change the racist culture we live in is to help the next generation avoid this sin. Here are some tips as you talk about racism with kids.

If you have children, then racism, civil disobedience and police brutality are areas that you need to talk with them about. It's important to address the killings and protests honestly and in an age appropriate way. Many parents struggle with how to protect their children from seeing the worst of the protests and violence while trying to explain the sin of racism at the same time.

Here are some tips that can help.

It's important to start early. According to Dr. Jacqueline Doug'e , a pediatrician and child health advocate, children can internalize racial bias between the ages of 2 and 4. Doctors say while children younger than 3 aren't going to understand what is happening on television, they will be able to pick up on the "fear, urgency or anger in people's voices and behavior. Stress will show up in fussy or unregulated behavior." To keep this from happening, parents should watch the news when the child is not present.

And according to Dr. Marietta Collins, a clinical psychologist at Morehouse School of Medicine, if you have preschoolers, you should start discussing racial differences in a positive way. A parent can explain what melanin is and talk about how wonderful it is that the world has so many different kinds of people.

Older children will be more in tune with what's going on. Parents should assume that their children know what is going on. They will pick up news from social media, talking with friends or seeing the emotions of those close to them. Once you access what they know, you can talk with them about what is happening without being too explicit.

Dr. Collins said that with older children, you should focus on how unfairly black people have been treated throughout American history to the present day, because fairness is something all children can understand.

Dr. Dougé suggested starting with something like: “There are things happening in the news that are upsetting us. Unfortunately there were police officers that made bad choices for the wrong reasons because of the color of someone's skin.”

Children may also become afraid when they see or hear about all the violence that has been taking place. Assure them that you will keep them safe. Let your child know that there are people working really hard to make sure racism doesn't continue. And let them know what you are doing to help with this.

What about pre-teens and teens? Pre-teens and teens will most likely be seeing all the news coverage on their personal smartphones. Parents can ask them whether they have seen anything like about the riots and protests, what they think and what about it was upsetting or inspiring.

Many pre-teens and teens communicate with their friends through social media. Reposting. Retweeting. Instagram post. Facebook post. Messenger.

Social media gives them an avenue to be part of online activism with their friends and family.

"It is not enough to talk about racism, you must strive to be anti-racist and fight against racist policies and practices. If you have the privilege, make space, speak up or amplify issues of inequity and injustice. Children see everything." Dr. Heart Garris

You can also provide your child with books and movies that have racially diverse characters. Parents can make good use of movies and documentaries that can educate older teens on the history of discrimination. These can be used to jump start conversations about racism and how they can help fight it.

To me, one of the best things about heaven will be the diversity of those that will be there. We get a great description of this in Revelation 7:9.

"After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands."

Let's continue to stand against racism. Proactively stand. The more we work toward seeing racism defeated, the more we will have a little bit of heaven on earth.

7 Reasons Why Online Church Can't Replace In Person Church

9:54 AM Dale Hudson

On March 11, 2020 the Coronavirus Disease, COVID-19, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. On March 13, 2020 a national emergency was declared in the United States concerning the COVID-19 Outbreak.

With this has come many changes that have effected the church.

In my opinion, the biggest change has been not being able to meet together in person.

The vast majority of churches have went online and it has forced so many of us to rethink how we do church services. Before the pandemic arrived, I could count on one hand the number of churches who offered online children's ministry services. Now every church I know of has online services and experiences for kids. It has been amazing watching churches respond with online engaging, relevant content for kids and parents.

And most of the churches I talk with are going to continue offering both adult and children's services online. I believe we will look back one day and see that this pandemic caused a majority of churches to go online and stay online.

Online offers so many ways to connect with today's families and it makes sense. We are living in an increasingly digital world where doing and attending online is a viable option. And offering the services "on demand" fits right into our culture of instant gratification. Will "church" become a "Netflix" church where people can choose from week to week what they want to watch?

Yes. The Gospel can be spread online.

Yes. People can grow spiritually using online materials.

Yes. You can pray together with other believers online.

But, with that being said, here are 7 reasons why church online will never completely be able to replace meeting together in person.

Reason One - personal discipleship happens most effectively when you are with other believers.

We are called to...

"Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28: 19-20

These are all things that need to happen in person. Baptism happens publicly. Obeying and living out the commandments of Jesus happens publicly.

Reason Two - Corporate Worship. We need to worship in person with other believers. Worship online is a good thing, but it can't compare to being surrounded by a group of other believers who are worshiping. Jesus inhabits the praise of His people. We were meant to worship together.

Solo no.

Choir yes.

This is a warm up activity to prepare us for the day when we will all meet together to worship Jesus.

One area that does concern me is parents won't feel the "good pressure" to attend church in person. One father said before the children's online services started happening, he would often go to church because it was the only way he saw his child learn about the Bible. But with the addition of online services for kids, the pressure to attend in person has lightened. Now when he doesn't feel like attending in person, he can hand his child a tablet to watch the online children's services.

Don't get me wrong, I am so thankful for all the churches that have dedicated the time and money it takes to create online services for kids. Any most of the churches I consult with say they will continue to provide online services for kids after the pandemic has been controlled.

It will be interested in seeing how this plays out. Will some families switch over to all online services? Maybe. Will online services be enough to keep kids' attention? Will churches have the fiances, people and bandwidth to continue offering online services?

Reason Three - Relationships. It is through relationships that discipleship happens. It is through relationships that spiritual growth happens. It is through relationships that people are able to grasp the unending love of Jesus.

Every child needs someone who will look them in the eyes and say their name. Someone who can pray with them. Someone who can challenge them. Someone they feel comfortable enough with to share what 's going on in their life.

Reason Four - Accountability. We were not meant to walk alone. We need other believers who can look us in the eyes and hold us accountable. We need other believers that will ask us the hard questions and help us stay on course.

Reason Five - Serving together. The biggest impact happens when believers serve with other believers. Serving Jesus wasn't meant to be done solo. When you lock arms with other believers, you become so much stronger.

Reason Six - Giving together. Great things happen when believers gather their funds together. A single tithe can make an impact. But when you gather your tithes together toward a project it can make a huge impact.

Here's an example of this - Many churches are doing a $1 challenge. Everyone is challenged to give $1 dollar toward making an impact in someone's life. When you put all of the dollars together, it gives you the finances you need to help change someone's life.

Reason Seven - The presence of Jesus. Look what He says about worshiping and serving together.

"For where 2 or 3 are gathered together in My name, I am in the midst of them."

Hebrews 10:25

Notice that it says you should gather with a minimum of 2 people. And I believe when He's referring to gathering, He is talking about gathering in person.

"There's something special that happens when you gather

with other believers. Jesus shows up."

Maybe that's why the author of Hebrews said this.

"And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another,

especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."

Hebrews 10:25

And when Jesus shows up, it changes everything.

Your turn. Do you think online church can or can't replace in person church? I realize that most of the points I mentioned above could also happen online. But the bigger question is "Can it be as effective as in person church? What can and cannot be transferred to online? Share your thoughts and insight in the comment section below.