RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Want to beat the summer attendance slump?  Amp up your summer weekend services with an "At the Movies" series.

Here's an inside look at our summer series and how it's helping us not miss a beat this summer.

Promotion:

• We created invite cards that look like movie tickets that our families could use to invite people to church. (here is what they look like)

• We promoted it heavily through social media.

Lessons:

• We created lessons that use clips from the movies to illustrate Bible truths.

• Adult service lessons...
• Captain America
• Jurassic Park
• Secret Life of Walter Mitty 
• Despicable Me 
• Star Wars

•  Kid service lessons...
• Captain America (cartoon version) - God is bigger than any fear I face.
• How to Train Your Dragon - God can help me control what I think, see and do.
• Finding Nemo - Your unknown is known to God.
• Despicable Me - Family service - kids attend service with their parents.  They lead worship, pray for the offering and lead other key parts of the service.
• Star Wars - I can depend on God's power. 

Theming:

• Each of our campuses picked one or more of the movie themes to decorate their campus with.  Volunteers came together to create the props and install them.  Below are pictures of some of the decorations.

• We have bags of popcorn for everyone as they enter the service.

• We have photo ops with movie characters set up around the campuses.

It's a great way to turn a time of the year when attendance is usually down into a time of excitement and growth.

Do you want to make a lasting impact on the children God has called you to minister to?

For this to happen, you've got to make a heart connection with them.  Once the heart connection is made, it opens the door for life impact. 

Here's 10 simple, but high-impact ways, you can connect with the kids you minister to.

• Get to know them personally.  Go out of your way to talk with them.

• Listen to them. 

• Find out what music, TV shows, movies, and video games they like.

• Entrust them with a specific responsibility in class.  

•  Let them know who you are.  Tell them stories from your childhood.

• Talk to their parents.  Ask questions.  What are their struggles?  What areas would they like to see their child grow in?  What are their needs?

• Ask them what they are passionate about.

• Affirm them with your words.

• Be kind and loving.

• Let them know you care. Tell them with your words and show them with your actions.

Your turn.  What are some other simple ways you connect with the kids you minister to?  Share your ideas with us in the comment section below.