RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

The annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards show was held just a few days ago.  The show honors the year's biggest television, movie, YouTube and music acts.  Winners are chosen by kids who watch the Nickelodeon networks.

Since the winners are chosen by kids, the show gives great insight into current kid culture.

Let's take a look at the 2018 winners and what we can learn from them.

Favorite Movie: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

• Kids love adventure.
• Kids love the excitement of the unknown.
• Kids love challenges.

Favorite Movie Actor: Dwayne Johnson (Dr. Smolder Bravestone, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle)

• Kids admire people who lead them on an adventure.
• Kids admire people that have a strong purpose and are determined.
• Kids admire people that will push them outside their comfort zone.

Favorite Movie Actress: Zendaya (Anne Wheeler, The Greatest Showman & Michelle “MJ” Jones, Spider-Man: Homecoming)
Favorite TV Actress: Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven, Stranger Things)

• Just like Henry Hart, she has superpowers.  Kids want to be powerful and are drawn to superheroes.

Favorite Funny YouTube Creator: Liza Koshy

• Kids love humor and Liza delivers with ridiculous jokes, facial expressions and comments.

Favorite Musical YouTube Creator: JoJo Siwa

• JoJo appeals to pre-teen girls. She documents routine, age-appropriate behaviors and activities such as being nice and doing chores. 
• Kids are drawn to her willingness to be unique. 
• Kids are drawn to her creativity as she makes dresses out of garbage bags and creates her own line of accessories including hair-bows.
• She also speaks out against bullying.

Favorite Instagram Pet: Jiffpom

• Kids love animals. 
• Kids love pets.

Favorite Dance Trend: Backpack Kid

• Backpack Kid is Russell Horning.  He does funny dance moves that kids like. 
• He doesn't claim to be a great dancer and looks like an "average kid."  This gives kids hope that the average kid can achieve great things if they go for it.

Favorite Video Game: Just Dance 2018
Here are some tips for translating this insight into your ministry and using it to connect with and engage kids in your lessons, events, programs, etc.

Take your kids on the "adventures" found in the Bible.

Bring mystery and the expectation of the unknown into your lessons.

Turn your teachers into fun characters who take kids on Bible Adventures.

Show kids people in the Bible who overcame great difficulties and obstacles.

Bring the entire family together for events and programs.

Use crazy experiments in your lessons.

Show kids the supernatural forces in the Bible that battle each day.

Show kids how they can be superheroes for God and do great things through His power.

Give kids the opportunity to make a difference and show them the impact they can make.

Keep kids interested by mixing things up and consistently bringing in new elements.

Use fun, crazy over-the-top characters in skits, videos, etc.

Give kids opportunities to be creative with crafts, art projects, etc. 

Use humor...lots of humor in your services.
  
Use animals in your lessons.  Here is an "Amazing Animals" series that we created that kids love.  Filmed with legendary animal expert, Jack Hanna, it uses animal examples to teach kids key Bible truths.  Below is a video sample from the series.  Click here for more info.  The series is available as an instant download.

Give kids opportunities to be creative with crafts, art projects, etc.

Let kids move, move, move when they worship.

Use music genres that today's kids connect with. 

Here's one last tip - Kids obviously love awards shows.  That's why we created a lesson series called "The iCan Awards." 

The series takes kids to a Nickelodeon style awards show where they meet four kids in the Bible who made a major impact for God.  From these kids in the Bible, they discover that God can use them to impact eternity as well.  Clear steps are given so kids can know how to be used by God now and when they grow up.

• Lesson 1 - The Courageous Kid Award (David)
• Lesson 2 - All Ears Award (Samuel)
• Lesson 3 - Helping Hand Award (Little Maid of Israel)
• Lesson 4 - Big Giver Award (Boy with Lunch)

Below is a sample video from the series.  You can get more info. at this link.  The series is available as an instant download.
Bring these elements into your ministry and you'll have kids cheering!

The 30th annual Kids' Choice Awards was held on March 11 in Los Angeles.  It is an annual awards show that airs on the kid-focused Nickelodeon channel.  It honors the year's biggest television, movie and music acts.  The winners are determined by the kids who are Nickelodeon viewers.

The Kids' Choice Awards provide great insight into kid culture and how to connect with today's kids.  Here are 15 takeaways that children's ministry can benefit from.

#1 - If you want to find out what kids like, then ask them.  The kids' choice awards lets kids vote for their favorite things.  The best way to find out what kids like is to ask them.   This can be done by surveys, focus groups, online voting, etc.

I have also let kids vote online for which worship songs they wanted to sing that coming weekend.  It was very popular among the kids in the ministry.  

#2 - Stay current with technology.  Voting started out by telephone and mailing in votes by snail mail.  But as technology advanced, voting moved to being exclusively online.  When texting arrived on the scene, that option to vote was added.  And in 2010, an app as added that gave kids the ability to vote with a smartphone.

While children's ministries can't always financially afford to be on the cutting edge of technology, they can stay as current as possible.  An example is moving to technology that allows parents to check-in their children with their smartphones.

#3 - Kids love slapstick comedy.  Kids have always loved seeing other kids and adults trip, wipe out or be involved in funny accidents or mishaps.  This is evident in the long list of celebrities who have been "slimed" on the show.  Think about how you can leverage slapstick humor in your skits, videos, games and teaching.

#4 - Kids care about social causes.  The Big Help Award was added in 2009 with the first recipient being Leonardo DiCaprio for his work in helping the environment.  Kids want to make a difference in the world and will partner with others to do so.  Show kids how God can use them to make a difference in the world now and as they grow up.  Give them opportunities to make a difference and they will readily respond.

Here, here, and here are a few examples of how you can do this.

#5 - Kids like sports.  In 2014, Nickelodeon presented the Kids' Choice Sports awards, honoring kids' favorite athletes, teams and sports moments from the year.  Michael Strahan produced and hosted the ceremony.  Think about how your ministry can leverage sports to minister to kids.  Many churches use Upward Sports to connect with new kids and families.  Another way churches use sports is through summer sports camps. 

#6 - Put talented people in front of kids.  Obviously Nickelodeon puts very talented people on stage as the hosts and faces of the award show.  When it comes to large group communicators, worship leaders and hosts, make sure you put your most energetic and talented people in front of the kids.

#7 - Kids are looking for role models.  Kids vote for actors, singers and sports heroes that they admire and look up to.  Show your volunteers what a great opportunity they have to be a godly role model and influence the kids they serve with.

#8 - Kids love to see their leaders pranked.  A huge part of the show is when the leaders get "slimed."  Incorporate your volunteers into messy games, skits and activities where they get pranked.  FYI - give them a heads up and provide them with the proper attire ahead of time.  

#9 - Music styles kids like.  You can learn a lot about kids' current tastes in music from the groups and artists they pick to receive an award.  Look for worship songs, game songs, background music, etc. that reflect these styles.  Here is a list of songs, artists and groups that won this year. 

• The Chainsmokers 
• Fifth Harmony
• Maroon 5
• OneRepublic
• Pentatonix
• Twenty One Pilots
• Drake
• Justn Bieber
• Bruno Mars 
• Shawn Mendes
• Justin Timberlake
• The Weeknd
• Adele
• Beyoncé
• Ariana Grande 
• Selena Gomez
• Rihanna
• Meghan Trainor 
• "Can't Stop the Feeling!" — Justin Timberlake
• "Heathens" — Twenty One Pilots
• "Send My Love (To Your New Lover) — Adele
• "Side to Side" — Ariana Grande feat. Nicki Minaj 
• Kelsea Ballerini
• Daya
• Lukas Graham
• Solange
• Rae Sremmurd
• Hailee Steinfeld
• "Formation" — Beyoncé 
• "Juju on That Beat" — Zay Hilfigerrr and Zayion McCall
• "Me Too" — Meghan Trainor "Stressed Out" — Twenty One Pilots
• Martin Garrix
• Calvin Harris
• Major Lazer
• Skrillex
• DJ Snake
• Zedd
• Hamilton
• Me Before You
• Moana
• Sing
• Tiffany Alvord
• Matty B
• Carson Lueders
• Johnny Orlando
• Jacob Sartorius

#10 - Kids love heroes.  Super hero movies often get chosen as kids' favorites.  Examples this year are winners Captain America, X-Men and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  The Bible contains the stories of the greatest, real-life heroes ever.  As we tell their stories and share the part they played in God's big plan, kids will respond. 

#11 - Kids love animals.  Another category in the awards is "Most Wanted Pet."  Here were the winners this year.

• Baloo from The Jungle Book
• Dory from Finding Dory
• Po from Kung Fu Panda 3
• Red from The Angry Birds Movie
• Rosita from Sing
• Snowball from The Secret Life of Pets

Think about how you can incorporate animals into your lessons.  The Bible is full of stories of animals. 

#12 - Friendship is important to kids.  Another category is BFF's (Best Friends Forever).  It highlights the kids' favorite friendships they saw in film and television.  Here were this year's winners.

• Ruby Barnhill & Mark Rylance (Sophie/BFG, The BFG)
• Kevin Hart & Dwayne Johnson (Bob/Calvin, Central Intelligence)
• Kevin Hart & Ice Cube (Ben/James, Ride Along 2)
• Chris Pine & Zachary Quinto (Captain Kirk/Spock, Star Trek Beyond)
• Neel Sethi & Bill Murray (Mowgli/ Baloo, Jungle Book)
• Ben Stiller & Owen Wilson (Derek/Hansel, Zoolander 2)

Friendships is what keeps kids coming to church.  Give kids the opportunity to establish friendships by providing small groups, icebreakers during lessons, etc.

#13 - Kids love to play games.  This is evident as kids voted for their favorite video games.  The winners this year were...

• Just Dance 2017
• Lego Marvel's Avengers
• Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens
• Minecraft: Story Mode
• Paper Mario: Color Splash
• Pokémon Moon 

Use games before service as a connection point for kids and volunteers.  Use lots of games (and it doesn't have to be video games - they play those all week and are looking for something different) in your lessons to help kids learn Bible truths.  Give kids game ideas they can play at home with their parents to re-emphasize the lesson they learned at church. 

#14 - Use colors kids like.  The colors that are used in the graphics, stage design, trophy, videos and the other parts of the show are colors that kids love.  When choosing colors for graphics, theming and designing, look through the eyes of a child.

#15 - Kids are intrigued with the struggle of good vs. evil.  This is reflected in the villains that kids chose as their favorites. 

• Helena Bonham Carter (The Red Queen, Alice Through the Looking Glass)
• Idris Elba (Krall, Star Trek Beyond)
• Will Ferrell (Mugatu, Zoolander 2)
• WINNER: Kevin Hart (Snowball, The Secret Life of Pets) 
• Charlize Theron (Ravenna, The Huntsman: Winter's War)
• Spencer Wilding (Darth Vader, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)

The Bible records the ultimate struggle of good vs. evil.  Show kids how the struggle has played out over the years and how it will eventually end.  Show them how they can be on the winning side when they give their lives to Christ and follow Him.

When Walt Disney was designing Disneyland, he had the engineers get down on their knees to ensure they built Main Street on the eye level of a child.  He wanted to make sure Disneyland was built with kids in mind.

One of the keys to growing a children's ministry is the ability to think like a child.  But how do you think like a child when you're an adult?  Here's five ways to think like a child and grow your children's ministry.

Think like a child when you decorate.  Think about what colors kids like.  Consider what themes are popular with kids.  Take cues from companies like Disney and Nickelodeon who are leaders in decorating for kids.  Ask kids for their input when you are planning your children's ministry areas.

Think like a child when you plan lessons.  What are their learning styles?  How long is their attention span?  What do they find engaging? 

Think like a child when you pick music.  What style of music they like?  What's coming through their ear buds during the week? 

Think like a child when you talk.  Keep your words simple.  Justification, regeneration, atonement and other words are not in a child's vocabulary.  When you use illustrations, use illustrations that kids can relate to.  And when you are talking to kids individually, think about their interests.  Talk to them about video games, movies, sports, school, etc.

Think like a child when you advertise.  This goes along with the first point.  Use kid-friendly colors, images and wording on your flyers, posters, invite cards, etc. 

One final tip.  Want to know if you're thinking like a child?  Ask them.  A kids' focus group is a great way to evaluate how well you're connecting and get new ideas for thinking like a child.  You can read more about how to host a kids' focus group here. 

Do you want to effectively talk with kids?  Here's 5 keys that can make you a pro.

Use their name.
The sweetest sound to anyone's ears is their name.  Make sure you use kids' names when you are talking with them.  That can be a challenge if you have a class of 20 kids.  If you have a hard time remembering names, then make sure the kids wear name tags.

But that should be a short term fix.  The goal is to know their names.  I have a friend who can hear someone's name one time and then remember it months later.  I asked him how he did it.  He said when he hears the person's name for the first time, he says it in his head 10 times over.  Once he does that, he's got it.

Another idea for remembering names is to repeat their name back to them several times when you first meet them.  An example would be a new kid named Jaques.  When you are introduced to him, respond by saying something like, "Hey Jaques, we're so glad you're here.  Jaques how old are you?  Jaques what grade are you in?" etc.

One other idea for remembering names is word association.  Perhaps the child's name is Rosalyn and you notice that she has on a red shirt.  Associate her with R's.  Red and Rosalyn.  You get the idea.

Look through their eyes and enter their world.
Children haven't changed, but childhood has changed.  We were doing a video shoot last weekend.  There was a 4th grader in the shoot.  I noticed between filming scenes, he was over using his cell phone to text people.  When I was a kid, there were no cell phones.  Childhood has changed. 

If you have kids, it's easier to stay in their world because it's naturally part of your world.  But if you don't, you have to be intentional about looking through their eyes and entering their world.  What are some ways you can do this?

• Ask them what they like.
• Flip over and watch the Disney channel and Nickelodeon channel occasionally.
• Walk through the toy aisle when you are shopping and notice which toys are popular.

Did you know when Walt Disney was building Disney Land that he made the designers get down on their knees when they were creating main street?  He wanted to make sure they designed it at a kid's eye level.  What was he doing?  He was entering the world of kids.  Which leads to the next point.

Talk about their interests.
If you want to effectively talk with kids, you have to find common ground.  Once you know their world, you can talk with them about their interests.

I remember there was a boy sitting in the back of the classroom.  He didn't want to listen and was sitting back there with his arms crossed and a scowl on this face.  I went back and sat down beside him.  Instead of correcting him, I simply asked if he had a PlayStation, Xbox or Wii.  Bam.  He immediately snapped out of the scowl and began talking with me about video games.  His attitude changed and he was able to engage with the class.  What happened?  Instead of jumping on his case, I entered his world.

Talk with kids about their video games, favorite movies, family, school, toys and pets.  Do this and you will have their attention.

Don't look down at them. 
We forget what it's like to be a kid and have to stare up at the giant adult that is looking down at you.  When you talk to a child, get down on and get on direct eye level with them.  This simple step makes a huge difference.

Don't talk down to them.
We have a tendency to talk down to kids.  This manifests itself in our voice changing to a "baby talk" tone or a "pampering" tone.  I have found that kids often respond better if you simply talk to them like you would a normal person.  Because guess what?  They are normal people.  They deserve our honor and respect like everyone else.  Instead of talking down to them, talk to them just like you would anyone else. 

One weekend, I was brought a 4-year-old who "didn't want to stay in class."  I sat down with him and asked him point blank, "Are you a big kid?" 

He quickly answered "yes."  I then said, "You're not a baby.  You're a big kid.  Why don't you act your age and go into your class with the other big kids."

It clicked and he went into the room.  If I had babied him, I think the opposite would have happened. 

Of course, I am not talking about using big words or being harsh or unkind.  Our words should always be spoken with love and care. 

Here's the bottom line...
Kids don't care what you have to say until they know you care about them.  And the way you show you care about them?  All of the above.  When you do these things, they will open their heart to receive what you have to say.

The floor is yours.  What are some other tips for effectively talking with kids?  Share with us in the comment section below.

Who's leading the way in a new generation of kids who use touchscreen more often than a keyboard?

The kids in your early childhood rooms!  The use of touchscreen apps for kids under five is accelerating.  

A recent study shows that 38% of kids two and younger have used mobile devices, up from 10% two years ago.  47% of three to five-year-olds are able to navigate a smartphone and 57% can operate at least one app.

Ownership of tablets among families with preschoolers has increased from 8% to 40% in two years.  The amount of time preschoolers spend with touchscreen tablets has tripled during this same time frame.  The average infant or preschooler spends 15 minutes a day with a touchscreen device.  Infants and toddlers spend twice as much time with tablets as with books.

As the prevalence of tablets and smartphones increases with kids under five, more kids entertainment companies – including Nickelodeon and Disney - are expanding in the mobile preschool space.  Here are the top 5 apps that are connecting with Generation touchscreen.

1. Disney Story Central – Disney
2. PlayKids – Movile
3. Endless Numbers – Originator
4. Little People Player – Fisher-Price
5. Disney Junior Appisodes – Disney

The preschoolers you are ministering to truly are digital natives.  Are you prepared to connect with them? 

If you're a children's ministry leader, someone has probably told you, "You're just a big kid at heart." 

That's a good thing!

There are 2 skills I believe effective children's ministry leaders have.

First, the ability to lead adult volunteers.

Secondly, the ability to connect with kids...aka...be a big kid-at-heart. 

Here's 25 signs you're still a big kid-at-heart.

1. You get just as excited as your kids when you're at Disney World.
2. You play with the toys your kids got for Christmas.
3. You still spend a lot of time playing video games.
4. At church, you'd rather be in children's service than adult service.
5. You don't just chew gum...you blow bubbles.
6. You build sand castles at the beach.
7. You still go down the slide at the playground when you get a chance.
8. You like to eat the same cereal as your kids.
9. Sometimes you order a kid's meal.
10. You still get really excited about your birthday party.
11. You know the names of at least 4 shows on the Nickelodeon channel.
12. You eat Lunchables.
13. You still get cotton candy whenever it's available.
14. You have an urge to jump on the bed when you stay at a hotel.
15. You look for the shapes of animals or characters in the clouds.
16. You go in the toy store when you are at the mall...even when kids are not with you.
17. You play practical jokes on your friends and co-workers.
18. You hate brushing your teeth...and sometimes don't.
19. Sometimes you watch cartoons with your kids.
20. You eat the same candy as your kids.
21. You watch Wizard of Oz every time it comes on TV.
22. You watch Charlie's Brown's Christmas every Christmas season.
23. When you're washing the car with someone...you spray them.
24. You get really excited when you see water balloons.
25. You love serving in children's ministry!

Remember...growing old is mandatory...growing up is optional.

Share some other signs you're still a kid-at-heart in the comment section below.