RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

The Gospel Truth About Children's Ministry is a brand new, groundbreaking book from our friends at Awana.

They talked with more than 1,000 decision makers in children’s ministry around the U.S. about the joys and challenges of reaching kids for Christ in a rapidly changing culture.  This compelling book covers 10 of the most important research findings.

As a student of the culture and the most crucial aspects of Children's Ministry, this book opened my eyes to some new realizations and really got me thinking about these and other questions.

• What are the keys to seeing kids become lifelong disciples? 
• How do we engage parents more effectively?
• How do we meet digital natives where they are?
• What key elements make a curriculum effective?  What should we be looking for in a curriculum?

If you're tired of reading empty stats that take you nowhere...then this book is for you.  It takes you below the surface and reveals the "why's" beneath the stats. 

You can order the book at this link.  But don't just order one copy.  Order a copy for everyone on your staff / key volunteer team.  Read it together and dive into the questions each chapter will generate.  As you grapple with these questions and work through the solutions, your ministry will be changed.

I am also giving away 2 copies of the book to our readers.  You can enter the drawing by emailing me at dalehudsoncm2@gmail.com.  I will announce the winner right here next Monday, June 29th.

If you grew up in church, you can probably relate to some of these.  Welcome to memory lane. 

1. One of your heroes was Bibleman.
2. You know who Larry and Bob are.
3. You didn't get to watch The Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday night because you were at church.
4. You were taught Bible lessons with flannel-graph.
5. You flipped through the pages of the song book or looked at all the pictures in your Bible multiple times to survive a boring sermon.
6. You had a cover on your Bible...and it was stylish.
7. You have competed in a contest called "Sword Drill."
8. You have owned a WWJD bracelet.
9. You've had to keep yourself from laughing at someone who thinks they can sing a "special" but are way off tune.
10. You're familiar with the poem "Footprints."
11. The song "Father Abraham" was your weekly workout.
12. You've been in a singing contest where the winner sang, "Hallelujah,  Hallelujah,  Hallelujah" or "Praise ye the Lord" the loudest.
13. Potluck. 
14. You ate out on Sundays after church.
15. You went to summer camp.
16. You know the song, "Deep and Wide."
17. You have attended Vacation Bible School.
18. You've sang, "The B-I-B-L-E...yes that's the book for me."
19. You spent Halloween at a church fall festival instead of collecting candy in your neighborhood.
20. You've heard the words, "Slow down and walk in church."
21. You've had the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in your heart, down in your heart to stay.
22. You saw Thief in the Night and had nightmares afterwards.
23. You've collected quarters in a little bank.
24. You memorized the books of the Bible.
25. You've asked to go to the bathroom to get out of a boring lesson.
26. You played games around an Awana circle.
27. You participated in an offering contest.
28. You've sang a hymn while looking down at a songbook.                                                              
29. "Just as I am" was sang over and over until someone came forward at the end of service.
30. You've attended a church "lock-in."
31. You sang in a children's choir.
32. You attended a "school" that meet on Sunday.
33. You've watched a slide show presentation by a missionary.
34. You've listened to puppets communicate God's Word.
35. You sat through a sermon that felt like it would last for an eternity.
36. You've used a church bulletin as a coloring page during a service.
37. You've watched a song leader wave his arms in sync with the music.
38. You know the words to "Deep and Wide."
39. You know Zacchaues was a wee little man and a wee little man was he.
40. You know the B-I-B-L-E, yes that's the book for me.
41. You've sang, "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world..."
42. You've sat through a "business meeting" and you weren't inside an office building.
43. You know what the word "rapture" means.
44. The radio station in your car was always set to a Christian station.
45. You gathered around a school pole once a year.
46. You played hide and seek at church after the service...until you got caught.
47. You sang about being in the army...the Lord's Army.
48. Your dad went to Promise Keepers.
49. You listened to the music of Carman or Steve Green or Petra
50. You know, "you can't get to heaven on roller skates 'cause you might roll right past those pearly gates."

What are some other signs you grew up in church?  Share your memories with us in the comment section below.

Congratulations to Chris Young.  He is the winner of the new Awana kit giveaway.  Chris is the Pastor to Children and Families at First Baptist Church of Dublin, Georgia.  Thanks to everyone who entered the drawing. Watch for another giveaway coming next week.

Awana has been helping churches and parents raise children and youth to know, love and serve Christ for more than 50 years.  Each week, nearly 2 million kids take part in Awana worldwide through more than 26,000 churches.

Whether it's through Bible verse memorization drills or crafts, Awana helps children build their faith in Christ on a solid biblical foundation, enabling them to face the tween and teen years through a strong Christian walk.

92.7 percent of Awana alumni continue to regularly attend church as adults, and only 1.8 percent said they had dropped out of church since high school, according to an Awana alumni survey conducted in 2007.

Awana recently announced a partnership with Crossway to release a newly updated ESV (English Standard Version) curriculum.  I recently reviewed the Cubbies (preschooler) kit you see pictured above.  Here are some highlights that stood out to me.

• Appleseed Teaching Cards - beautifully illustrated these teach vital topics such as God is our Creator, God's Word is Truth, God Keeps His Promises, and more.  It also comes with PDFs that you can use to project the images for large format viewing.

• The student books do an excellent job in partnering with parents to extend the lessons and memory verses into the home.  Each lesson equips parents to lead their children spiritually through hands on activities, discussion starters, and a CD.

• The leader shirts are comfortable and will be appealing to your volunteers.  The kids' shirts have the "fun" factor that your preschoolers will love.

• There are great tools that leaders can use to connect with kids and parents including birthday cards, postcards, and more.

• Kids love puppets and there are 3 puppets included to capture kid's attention.

• I love gadgets and this kit has one of the coolest I've seen in awhile.  It's a fan that lights up and shares the gospel when you turn it on.  

My friends at Awana will be giving away a kit to one of our readers.  This is a $300 value.  You can enter by emailing me (dalehudsoncm2@gmail.com.  I will announce the winner next Friday, August 16, here on this site.

Here's a promo video with more information about this great new resource.