RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

It's been a busy summer for most children's ministry leaders.  VBS.  Camps.  Outdoor activities.  Mission trips.   And perhaps even vacation mixed in there somewhere. 

For many of you, you're just coming out of those events and activities.  And it's still like a gazillion degrees outside.  Seems like summer is here to stay.

But it's not.  In just a few short weeks, kids will be returning to school.  Cooler temps will return.  Families will return to their routines.  Many will start attending church more regularly.  And this means you have a great opportunity to grow and expand your children's ministry. 

Let's look at some tips that will help you set up a "Back-to-School" Sunday and enable you to see lots of spiritual fruit this fall.

Promote it heavily.   Start a minimum of a month out.  Start announcing it.  Put it in the bulletin.  Put up posters about it.  Get kids excited about it.

Have every child write down the name of at least one unchurched friend they can bring with them. Take time to pray for the children they will be inviting.

Provide invite cards for the kids to pass out.  Provide invite cards that they can use to invite their friends. You will be amazed at how God uses the invites the kids give out.  I remember one year we had a lady show up at church for the first time.  We asked how she heard about the church.  She told us she was a school crossing guard and one of the kids had handed her an invite. 

Help kids see the power of the ask and how God will use them if they invite people.

Do the event 1 to 2 weeks after school starts.  This gives kids time to get to know the kids they are going to invite.  It also gives families a couple of weeks to get settled back in their routine before you invite them.

Give kids ideas for bringing their friends.   Have a sleepover and bring all the kids with you to church the next day.  Take their guests to a fun place to eat afterwards.  Take the child and their guest to a movie after the service is over.  Invite your sports team.  Invite your class from school. 

Give a free gift to every child who attends.  It doesn't have to be something big that breaks your budget.  Head over www.orientaltrading.com and you can find lots of ideas that will fit any size budget.

Give away a grand prize for the child who brings the most guests.  An idea is to give away a free pizza party at a place like Chuck E. Cheeses.  They can invite their church guests to come with them. This can be a huge win as it provides you the opportunity to spend more time with the new guests and their families outside of the four walls of the church.  I once had a child bring 26 guests for this.

You will have lots of unchurched guests that day.  Share a clear Gospel presentation.  Invite those who raise their hand to come to a class (with their parents) where the Gospel is shared again with parents present.  You can find out more about this approach by checking out the Starting Point class at this link.  This process will empower you to reach parents and their children with the Gospel.

Start an awesome series the week after and invite guests to return.  Show some previews and get them excited about coming.  Here are some ideas.

Let each guest know they will receive a free gift the next time they return.  A t-shirt with your children's ministry logo on it is a great item to give kids on their second visit.  If that won't fit your budget, then find something else that will.  Again, Oriental Trading is a great place to find small, fun gifts for kids.

(bonus idea below)

Make it fun.  Ensure that kids have a blast.  Play lots of crazy, messy games.  Have fun, engaging worship songs.  Make sure each child feels loved, special and important.  Small group leaders are great at this. 

If you haven't started planning a back-to-school Sunday, now is the time to do so.  It is one of the most fruitful things you can do coming out of summer.

Christmas just "wrapped up" (my feeble attempt at humor) and kids are enjoying the items they got from their wish list. 

You would think kids would ask "Santa" for a list of toys, games, electronics, bikes, etc.  And most did.  But a survey this Christmas season revealed that many kids also have more serious wishes.

A study of 2,000 parents with kids ages 3 to 12-yeras-old found that many kids put a new baby brother or sister at the top of their list, followed by a real-life reindeer.

Third on kids' list was a "pet horse" and number four was a "car."  Other items on the list included a dog, chocolate candy, a house, an elephant iPhone and iPad.

Coming in at number 10 was a "dad."

Why was "dad" on the list?  Why would children ask for a dad in the midst of options like toys, video games, phones, etc.?

I think the answer is that children, more than anything, long to have adults in their life that love them, care for them and nurture them. 

No present, no amount of money, no video game, no toy, no phone, can take the place of an adult in a child's life.

I have a friend whose father deserted him when he was a child.  The son had to go and live with his grandmother, who raised him.  The father would basically ignore him all year and not spend any time with him.  Then at Christmas, his father would show up with lots of expensive gifts...
trying to make up for his lack of involvement with his son.

When the boy became a teenager, the father even bought him an expensive motorcycle and sports car.  The boy loved those things, but it still couldn't fill the void that was left from not having a father who nurtured him and spent time with him.

One day, as I was talking with him about it, he said to me with tears in his eyes, "Dale, I would trade all of the gifts my dad bought me over the years just to know that he really loves me and cares for me."

You see, no amount of "stuff' can ever replace the love a child needs from the adults in his or her life.

The same things is true not only with parents, but with a child's experience at church as well. 

A cool video can't take the place of a child seeing a caring volunteer.

An awesome facility can't be a substitute for a loving volunteer.

A dynamic large group teacher can't impact a child like a faithful small group leader can.

An enthusiastic worship team can't influence a child's life like a small group leader who personally prays with the child.

A fun name and logo for your children's ministry can't bring a child back like a volunteer wo personally knows the child's name and takes an interest in him or her.

Brand new, beautiful rockers in the nursery can't be replaced by the loving volunteers who do the rocking.

Children are not desperate for our amazing, on-screen graphics. They see much better graphics all week on TV and social media.  But they are desperate to see someone in their life who believes in them.

Children are not desperate for our games and fun at VBS.  They play in sport's leagues and have tons of other extracurricular options.  But they are desperate for someone who will listen...really listen to them.

Children are not desperate for our take home papers.  They are already overwhelmed by thousands of messages that are sent their way each day.  But they are desperate for someone who knows the challenges they are facing at home and cares about what they are going through.

Children are not desperate for our quiet seat prizes.  They have plenty of trinkets and access to candy already.  But they are desperate for someone who will sit with them and quietly pray for their prayer needs.

Your children's ministry is surrounded by children who are desperately looking for a connection with a caring adult.  What an opportunity you have to help them find what they are looking for.  And what a privilege you have to introduce them to Jesus, a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

You can walk into many children's ministries and it feels like you've stepped back in time.  It's like the ministry is frozen in time.

The songs are the same songs they sang in 1975. 

Flannel-graph is still used as a major teaching tool.

The decor hasn't been updated in decades.

Teachers communicate with lectures that far exceed kids' attention spans.

VHS tapes of Bibleman are playing in the background.

There is no check-in and security system.

Volunteers serve without background checks and some even serve alone in a room with kids.

Bulletin boards can be found in the hallways.

The ancient name "Sunday School" is still used to describe what happens on Sunday mornings.

Kids are told to sit quietly in rows of grey metal folding chairs.

It's as if social media hasn't been invented yet.

One-hour teacher meetings are held every week.

VBS is still called VBS.

Kids' choirs are accompanied by an organ.

Guests are asked to fill out forms by hand that are longer than doctor office forms.

The TV's still have large, heavy backs on them.

Curriculum still involves printed student booklets.

Using Captain Kangaroo as an illustration is considered cutting-edge.

There is little to no diversity.

Streaming is only something water does.

The ministry strategy is - the more programs we have and the more events we put on the church calendar, the more effective we will be.

Pre-teens are put in the same room as 1st graders.
______________________________________________

It's vital that we be willing to change as needed.
  

Our message is timeless...but our methods must be timely. 

This means we should constantly be evaluating what we are doing and how we are doing it.

Is our ministry effective?

Is it connecting with the kids?

Are kids excited about being a part of it?  

Are we still reaching unchurched kids and families?

Are we knowledgeable about today's kid culture?

Are we attracting young, Millennial parents?

Don't be frozen in the past...be focused on the future!

An example of this is the Borders chain of bookstores.  Borders was founded in 1971 by the Border brothers.  The company was highly successful through the 1990's.  But then they got stuck.  They developed their website and online sales too late in the game.  They continued to focus on CD's and DVD's while customers were shifting toward digital delivery of content.  In store sales dropped as people began to buy more hard copy books online and ebooks became popular.  Eventually they had to file bankruptcy and close all their stores.

I believe this is one of the biggest dangers of being frozen in time.  Eventually it causes you to become irrelevant and one day you look up and there is no one left.  Empty church buildings across the country are testimony of this.

Learn from the past.  Honor the past.  But don't get stuck in it.

Your best days of ministry are ahead of you!  God is ready to do a new work in you and through you!  Don't become frozen in time! 

Students can make a huge impact in children's ministry.  Every dynamic children's ministry I know has many students serving in their ministry.

Students can bring excitement & energy to a children's ministry.  The zeal of youth balanced by the wisdom of older adults is a dynamic combination.

Students can bring the "cool" factor to your children's ministry.  Who do kids look up to?  Students.  Who do kids want to be like?  Students.  Who do kids want to be around?  Students.  Turn over to the Disney and Nickelodeon channels and you'll see lots of students as the focal point.

Students usually have more free time to volunteer.   Yes, they are busy, but aren't as bound by work schedules, family responsibilities, etc.

Do you want students serving in your children's ministry?  Do you have a few, but need more?  Here's 7 proven ways to get students serving with you.

Go to them.  Instead of sitting back and waiting for them to come to you, go to them.  Volunteer at a student ministry event.  Ask for a few minutes to share about children's ministry at a student ministry gathering.  Visit student ministry small groups and invite them to serve.

Invite them to a purpose.  Students want to make a difference.  They are looking for ways to make an impact.  Show them the huge impact they can make in children's ministry and invite them to join you. 

Ask students who are currently serving to invite their friends to serve with them.  Students obviously love to hang out together.  This includes serving together as well.  Be intentional about asking students to invite their friends to serve with them. 

Partner with the student pastor.  Usually when a student pastor is hesitant about encouraging students to serve in children's ministry, it's because he or she is afraid it will pull them out of student ministry.  Meet with your student pastor and assure him or her that you will not pull the students away from student ministry.  In fact, make it a requirement that students who serve in children's ministry must commit to stay actively involved in student ministry. 

Free students up to serve.  Studies show that students who serve will stick with their faith into their adult years rather than walking away.  This is a big reason why it's important to give them the margin they need to serve.

Many churches have focused on this by moving all their student ministry services and events off of the weekend, thus freeing up students to serve on weekends.  Other ministries have found great success in having their student small groups meet on Sunday morning before the children's ministry starts and then the groups transition into serving when the service starts.  This is a great way to have entire student ministry groups serving together.

Invite them to serve first at a special event.  A great place to start is inviting students to serve at a special event like VBS, camp, day trip, etc.  After their initial serve, go back and invite them to join the team on a permanent basis.  If you help them have a great first serving experience, there's a good chance they'll say "yes" to your second invite.

Personally ask them.  When I was in high school, I was not serving anywhere in the church.  It just wasn't on my radar.  Basketball was on my radar.  Girls were on my radar.  My car was on my radar.  Serving was not.

Then my youth pastor came and personally asked me to help in children's ministry.  At first, I told him "no."  But he was persistent.  And after a few asks, I said "yes, I'll give it a try."  That was 34 years ago.  I'm still serving in children's ministry today.

There's no substitute for approaching a student, sitting down with him or her, sharing your vision for children's ministry and then asking them to join you.  Just think, if you do this faithfully and just get one "yes" a month, this time next year you will have 12 new student ministry volunteers.  And those 12 can take the ministry to a whole new level!

You can get lots of more great ideas for building up your volunteer team in my book The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams.  It is available at this link.

There's no ministry quite like children's ministry.  The best people serve in children's ministry.  The biggest impact is in children's ministry.  The most fun area to serve in is children's ministry.  The most rewarding place to serve is children's ministry.

At first, children's ministry might appear to be an easy place to serve, but believe me, it is one of the most challenging ministries to serve in.  It's one of the only ministries that involves multiple generations.  You interact with children...students...adults...parents...grandparents...
single adults...every age demographic in the church.

Let's check out the ABC's of serving in children's ministry:

A - Attention spans.  They are short and we must honor them.

B - Baby dedication.  What a great time to bless families.

C - Crafts.  We prepare them and present them to kids as a way to learn more about God.

D - Discipleship.  It's about discipling kids, parents and volunteers.

E - Easter.  Jesus is risen.  Everyone shows up at the same time.  Easter eggs.  Kids wear cute little dresses and outfits.

F - Fun.  Make church fun for kids.

G - Goldfish crackers.  The "manna" of children's ministry.

H - High fives.  Give out lots of them to kids and volunteers.

I - Inspire.  Keep volunteers inspired through your words and actions.

J - Jesus.  The standard answer to a review question when a child doesn't know the correct answer.

K - Keep going.  Never give up.  Go the distance. 

L - Listen.  Ask kids open-ended questions and then listen.

M - Millennials.  They are the young parents of the children in your ministry.  Learn how to connect with them.

N - Nursery.  It's not childcare.  It's planting seeds of faith into a person's life at the most critical time.

O -  Object lessons.  Kids love them.  Use them to teach kids God's Word.

P - Parents.  If you truly want to influence children, then you must influence their parents.

Q - Quality.  Do your very best with what God has given you to make the ministry high quality.

R - Ratios.  They are very important to follow.

S - Students.  What a huge impact they make in children's lives. 

T - Teamwork.  It takes a team to run a children's ministry.

U - Update when needed.  Change is the door to growth and staying relevant.

V - VBS.  While some now call it a different name, it's still the premiere summer outreach / event.

W - Worldview.  It is critical we help children develop a Biblical one.

X - eXcitement.  Create exciting worship experiences and events for kids. 

Y - Yahweh.  We serve for His glory and to advance His kingdom.

Z - Gen Z.  They are the largest generation on the planet and our mission field.

As a children's ministry director, there are some questions you should NOT ask your Pastor or the person you report to.  Here are 20 of them.

1. What's a background check?

2. During your sermon today, can you tell people they're going to hell if they don't volunteer in children's ministry?

3. Can I take off Easter weekend?

4. Do you mind if we use a video clip from Mad Max in children's ministry this weekend?

5. Can I borrow your new car for a Costco run?

6. What do you think about me doing a series on Revelation for the preschoolers?

7. Do you mind if we start using Goldfish crackers for communion bread?

8. Can your wife volunteer in the nursery this Sunday since I can't find anyone else?

9. Can I take all my volunteers to Ruth's Chris steakhouse for an appreciation dinner and charge it to the women's ministry budget?

10. Can we add motions to the worship songs in the adult service?

11. Can you cut the worship ministry budget in half and give it to children's ministry?

12. Can you stop going 5 minutes over on your sermon so the kids don't get restless?

13. Can you please call my volunteers and tell them to be on time?

14. Can next week's offering go to sending me to Hawaii on vacation during VBS?

15. What do you think about you and I switching places next week?  I'll teach the adults and you teach the kids?

16.  Can we start using $50 bills for quiet seat prizes?

17.  Can we have a "bring your pet to church" Sunday?

18.  Did you know I don't like kids?

19.  Can we save some money by not changing the babies' diapers in the nursery?

20.  Do you want us to follow up with guest families?

On a more serious note, you can earn the respect of your pastor by leading up well, asking the right questions and providing solutions to the challenges you face.  In this post, I share 10 big children's ministry questions and how to answer them.

Have a great week and lead well. 

Vacation Bible School has been a staple in children's ministry for decades.

It has been used by God to reach and disciple millions of kids over the years.  While it has been in decline in recent years (you can read the stats here), 68% of churches hosted VBS last year.

While our church does not have VBS, I know many churches that still host it with great success.

Should you have VBS?  That's a question that only you and your team can answer.  But what we can say is this - like any other program, event or ministry, we should regularly be evaluating whether it's the best use of our time and resources.

Here's 10 reasons to continue doing VBS and 10 reasons to cease it.  I would encourage you to work through these with your team and see where it takes you.

It may cause you to amp up your VBS and pour even more into it or it may cause you to make some changes.  Remember...the end goal is to make sure what you are doing is effective.

10 Reasons Why You SHOULD Have VBS

1. It's reaching unchurched kids.
2. It's reaching unchurched parents.  6 months after it's over, you can point to families in your church who were reached through it.
3. You see kids grow spiritually because of it.
4. It is well attended.
5. Volunteers enthusiastically support it and give their time to it.
6. It makes your weekly kids programming stronger.
7. The entire church supports it and gets behind it.
8. The resources are available to do it with excellence.
9. Kids get excited about it.
10. You are seeing teenagers who went through it when they were kids coming back to serve in it.

10 Reasons Why You SHOULDN'T Have VBS

1. The guests are predominately kids from other churches. 
2. You aren't seeing kids come to Christ.
3. It's not helping you reach unchurched families.  You can't point to families in your church who've been reached through it.
4. Declining participation.
5. It's very difficult to get people to volunteer for it.  The people who are volunteering have been doing so for years and are burned out.
6. The church as a whole doesn't see it as a priority and provides very little support or resources.
7. It is such a drain on your ministry that it causes you to limp into the Fall ministry season.
8. Kids are being made to come instead of being excited about coming. 
9. There is another ministry you could put the time, energy and resources into that would produce more fruit. 
10. You are having it because it's what you've always done and not because it's effective.

The floor is yours.  Do you have VBS?  Why or why not?  Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

You will have stress in children's ministry.  The weekend always returns and you have to be ready.  Add on top of that big events like VBS, Fall Festival, Summer Camp, Chirstmas, Easter...the list goes on and on.

If you're going to go the distance, you have to learn to deal with the stress.  Here's some tips...

Identify what your major stress factors are.  Which situations create the most stress for you?  How do you respond to these situations?  

Take steps to adjust or reduce your major stress factors.  Are there some things you can delegate to someone else?  Are there some changes you can make that will relieve some of the stress?  What can you stop doing?

Establish boundaries.  Most of us in ministry are people pleasers.  We are wired to help others.  We are shepherds with a heart to care for the sheep.  But you have to set boundaries or the ministry will take over your whole life and bury you.  Learn to say "no."  Have times you don't answer calls.  Don't let the ministry infringe on your time with your family.

Take time to recharge.  You and I are like rechargeable batteries.  If we don't make time to recharge, we run out of energy.  Spend time with God.  Take your day off.  Use your vacation time.  Be home in the evening with your family.

Learn how to relax.  This is hard for me.  My brain is wired to always be on the move.  I have a hard time just sitting still.  I have to force myself to do this.  But we have to have things that take our mind off the ministry.  It may be watching TV or a movie, a hobby, reading a book, or working out.  Whatever it is that can take your mind off all your responsibilities, do it.

Have someone to talk to.  Have a friend who knows when you are getting stressed out and holds you accountable.  Have someone you can share with.  You weren't meant to do life and ministry alone.

Your turn.  What causes you stress?  How do you deal with stress?  Share with us in the comment section below.                                                                                 

Don't have enough volunteers?  It may be because of one or more of these reasons.

You're not asking.
You're not inviting people to join your team.  Week in, week out, you've got to invite, invite, invite.  You have not because you ask not.  The best way to build a volunteer team is personal 1-on-1 invites. 

You're not praying for volunteers.
What did Jesus say to do when the "laborers are few?"  He told us to, "pray to the Lord of the harvest that He would send laborers into His harvest fields.

Spend time each day asking God to send you volunteers.  Jesus wouldn't ask us to pray for something He didn't intend on giving us.

You're not casting vision.
People are drawn toward vision.  Stop using words like, "need...help...please..." and start using words like, "impact...opportunity...make a difference."

You're not getting out of the kid world.
You have to go where adults are if you want them to join your team.  Get into the adult world.  Show up for new member's class, visit adult Bible study groups, connect with the men's and women's ministry.

You're not partnering with the student ministry leaders.
Student volunteers are the bomb.  You should have lots of student ministry volunteers serving in your children's ministry.  If you don't, then reach out to your student ministry leaders and ask how you can partner with them to get students involved.

You're not keeping the volunteers you already have.
If you're having constant volunteer turnover, then it will be hard to maintain enough volunteers.  How do you keep them?

Two words.  Family and Fun.  Family - people stay where they feel connected and have relationships.  Foster this.  Fun - people stay where they enjoy being.  Work hard to create a culture of fun.

You're not effectively following up with people who have served one time.
There are certain times of the year when people serve in children's ministry one time.

Normally this is during a church-wide push for an event or special services.  Easter services....Christmas events...VBS...camps...fall festivals, etc.

Have a strategy to go after the people who sign up to serve that one time.  You can turn one-time servers into full-time servers if you're intentional about looping back with them.

You're not providing enough entry level positions.
More jobs = more volunteers.  Especially entry level positions.

Not everyone wants to start out teaching, leading worship, or overseeing a program.  Provide lots of easy, entry level positions.  You'll find that people start out in these entry level positions, but down the road gain enough confidence and experience to step into a bigger role.

You're not in a church that has a culture of serving.
Look around.  If all the ministries in your church are lean on volunteers, you may be in a church where serving is not embedded in the DNA. 

You're not encouraging your current volunteers to invite people to join them.
Encourage your current volunteers to invite people to serve with them.  They know people you don't know and have influence you don't have.

Concluding thoughts...
If you don't have enough volunteers, don't beat yourself up.  You're not alone.  I don't know anyone who doesn't need more volunteers.  I have a lot of volunteers, but I need a lot more...and always will.

The key is eliminating road blocks like the ones you've just read about. 

Let's take time to smile today.  Here's 20 signs you might be in Children's Ministry.

1. If you've ever baptized someone who was splashing...you might be in children's ministry.

2. If you've ever had a "lost and found" box with 25 kids' Bibles in it...you might be in children's ministry.

3. If you've ever wished you had bought stock in the Play-Doh company...you might be in children's ministry.

4. If you've ever had an argument with a church janitor...you might be in children's ministry.

5. If you think serving in the nursery should be mandatory for all choir members...you might be in children's ministry.

6. If you've ever had someone say, "I don't want to volunteer...I like my adult Bible study class too much"...you might be in children's ministry.

7. If you've ever learned some very interesting family information from a preschooler's prayer request...you might be in children's ministry.

8. If you've ever taken a huge bag of coins to the bank...you might be in children's ministry.

9. If you've ever went to Disneyworld and left with 10 new ministry ideas...you might be in children's ministry.

10. If you'd rather paint a room green or orange instead of beige or gray...you might be in children's ministry.

11. If you've ever had a parent say, "I wish VBS lasted 2 weeks instead of 1" and wanted to strangle them...you might be in children's ministry.

12. If you've ever had someone pick up their child 45 minutes after service was over because they were "talking" to someone...you might be in children's ministry.

13. If you've ever been out of breath at the end of a worship song because of the motions...you might be in children's ministry.

14. If you've keep your local inflatable company in business...you might be in children's ministry.

15. If you've ever had a pie put in your face because someone won a contest...you might be in children's ministry.

16. If you've ever been jealous of the student ministry budget...you might be in children's ministry.

17. If your Sunday morning attire always includes a bright-colored t-shirt...you might be in children's ministry.

18. If you've ever ridden with a bus full of kids and it wasn't a school day...you might be in children's ministry.

19. If you've ever pushed a Bibleman video into a VHS player...you might be in children's ministry.

20.  If you've ever filled up an entire cooler full with water balloons...you might be in children's ministry.

Add to the fun by putting some more in the comment section below.

Summer used to be my busiest time in children's ministry.

VBS...Camps...Day Trips...Outreach Events...Preschool Events...the list went on and on.

And then Fall would come.  And we would enter Fall...exhausted.  At a time when we should have been hitting on all cylinders, we were running on fumes.  Why?  We had burned most of our tank during the summer.

We've learned that we should put most of our time, energy, resources, and events where we get the most return.  For us, that's the weekend service.  Week in and week out, we keep that our main focus...even during the summer.  When people ask if we do VBS, I say, "Yes...every weekend."

We still do a few things during the summer...but not much.  Why?  Because we want to go into the Fall with a full tank. 

How busy is your summer?  If it's causing you to go into the Fall riding on fumes, you may want to consider cutting some things.

Busyness doesn't always equal effectiveness.

Ready for some fun?

Nursery pager signal sent...where is mom?

Name tag printer jammed...remaining calm...kinda.

Third grade boys...never a dull moment.

Looking for volunteers...everyone is running away.

Four-year-old crying...separation anxiety showing.

Child needs bathroom break...ten friends following.

Last day of VBS...out of energy.

Lesson preparation...stoplights on way to church.

Lesson done...adult service is going over.

Choir...hiding place for AWOL kidmin volunteers.

Kid moving to middle school...parent freaking.

Take home paper...litter on the ground.

50 bags of cotton balls...Wal-Mart shopping.

Copier...not working... at worst possible time.

If you like to talk to tomatoes.

Event over...one hour ago...child remains.

Praying for healing for dogs and cats.

All-night preteen event finished...thank you Jesus.

Deep question asked by kindergartner...left speechless.

Lost and found...30 Bibles stacked up.

Can't remember child's name...he is asking.

Out of breath...worship songs have motions.

Arm is cramping...holding up a puppet.

Driving to hospital visit...tonsils getting removed.

Parents asking...did you have fun today?


On a more serious note...

Child accepting Jesus as Savior...joy overflowing.

New family walking in church door...anticipation.

Listening to child pray...music to ears.

Parents going through divorce...wiping child's tears.

Volunteer going through tough time...praying fervently.

Dedicating parents and babies today...lots of smiles.

Kids are getting it...heart skipping beat.

Listening to kids sing to Jesus...goosebumps.

Family being baptized together...tears in eyes.

Looking at kids...seeing so much potential.

Tired...weary...little appreciation...worth it all.

Add some more seven word stories in the comment section below.  God will use your words to bring a smile to someone today.

Congratulations to Hannah Shand.  She is the winner of the Game On VBS Curriculum.  Hannah is the Children's Pastor at Shirelive Church in New South Wales, Australia.

Thanks to everyone who entered.  Stay tuned for more giveaways coming soon.

Shine is the newest VBS from the team at Go Fish. 

Here are just a few of the new elements they’ve added this year…

• "Tasty Treats & Funky Beats" rotation where kids not only make a tasty treat, but learn some funky new grooves from some incredible drummers and beatboxers! 
• Detailed decoration instructions and videos to help you transform your church into an amazing place to shine! 
• Bible lessons that include a "Digging Deeper" section for older students.  Preschool lessons can be used as a modification for younger elementary students.

Everything you need is in your SHINE Complete Curriculum Kit.  Other than craft supplies and optional decorations, the kit is jam packed with items.

No doubt about it, Go Fish curriculum is different.  However, ask any church that’s tried it and they’ll tell you…once you do VBS the Go Fish way, your children and volunteers will never let you go back!

We're giving away a complete Shine VBS kit ($199 value) to one of our readers .  All you need to do to enter is email us at dalehudsoncm2@gmail.com.  We'll announce the winner right here next Monday.

You can get more information about ordering Shine VBS at this link.

Congratulations to Karen Watkins and Desi Angermeier.  They are the winners of the God-Puzzle resource giveaway.

Thanks to everyone who entered.  Be sure to enter the drawing for the Go Fish VBS Curriculum kit that begins today.

Summer is such a slow time for our ministry.

Our budget is too big.  Can we use some of it to purchase new robes for the choir?

3rd grade boys, I need you start moving and wiggling.  You're way too lethargic.

I am praying the adult service will go 30 minutes over time.  I want to spontaneously invent more activities for this room full of 4-year-olds.

What are goldfish crackers?

I want to hold 3 straight weeks of VBS.

No one has ever asked me if they can go to the bathroom...in the middle of the lesson.

I have never been asked to pray for a dog or cat.

I can't believe all you are standing here waiting for the church doors to open 2 hours before you're scheduled to serve.

I'm so sorry, the video for the adult service didn't get made because the media team was busy making a video for the children's ministry service.

I wish this sleepover for pre-teens would last longer.

I've never heard of a company called Oriental trading.  What do they do?

I love this copier.  It never jams.

Hurry up and wrap up the lesson.  The Pastor is waiting for us to get finished so he can dismiss the adult service.

The church board told me, "go ahead...we don't care how much it costs."

I love changing diapers.  It helps me master the art of gag reflex.

I want you to run, jump, and do a cannonball.  The congregation will love seeing the water splash over the front of the baptistry.

Parents, please be 45 minutes late picking up your children after the event.  I really enjoy waiting.

Don't ask for any more volunteers.  We've got way too many already.

The cashier at Wal-Mart never says to me, "12 boxes of fruit snacks...you're really hunger there, aren't you?" or "12 boxes...you having a party or something?"

Your turn.  Add some more and lighten our day.

This is not a post against VBS.  I am not anti-VBS.  Many churches still host a successful VBS and see great results.

On the flip side, the number of churches hosting VBS is declining.  A recent report from the Barna Group stated that 68% of churches offered VBS last year.  This is down from 81% in 1997.

Our ministry does not do VBS.  Why?  We asked the questions below and the answers led us to say "no."

What is the best use of the budget money God has entrusted us with?  In other words, where will we get the biggest bang for our buck?  For us, our weekend services are our biggest opportunity to reach kids and families.  That is when we will minister to the largest number of kids and connect with the most parents.

So that is where we are going to invest the biggest percentage of our budget. 

What is our best opportunity to reach unchurched kids?  For us, our weekend services are when we have the most unchurched guests.  Week in and week out, we encourage our families to build relationships with their unchurched neighbors, friends, co-workers, and classmates.  Every week there are dozens of guests who come from a personal invite. 

Are we going to be driven by events or steps?  We do some big events...but not a lot.  We have found that creating clear, easy next steps for kids and families helps us connect them more than events do.

Does VBS pass the blank piece of paper test?  A year after VBS, how many names of families can we write down that have accepted Christ and become a part of our church?  If we can't write any names down or can only write down one or two, we have to consider it's effectiveness.

Does it fit the DNA of our church culture?  VBS is not a key part of our church culture.  For some churches, VBS is a key component of their DNA and has a rich history.

But...I would say that just because it has a rich history, doesn't mean you should continue to offer it.  Just because Sister (fill in the blank) started the program in 1955 doesn't mean you should keep it going, if it's not effective.

These are questions you have to answer for your church.  The answers may lead you to "yes...VBS is a key ministry for us."  Or the answers may lead you to make some changes.

Bottom line...we are called to reach and disciple kids and families.  We must make sure we focus our time, energy, and resources into what is effective.  What does that mean for your ministry?

Okay.  The floor is yours.  Do you do VBS?  Why or why not?  Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

"Gotta Move" is a great VBS curriculum from the Go Fish team. 

As usual, Go Fish brings a fresh, innovative approach to children's ministry.  The lessons are designed to give children a Biblical understanding of what it means to follow Christ.  5 lesson themes include...

• HIs Grace, Our Obedience (Genesis 6-7)
• His Word, Our Commitment (Joshua 1& 3)
• His Son, Our Response (John 1)
• His Forgiveness, Our Repentance (Luke 15)
• His Spirit, Our Trust (John 14)

 The kit includes...

• Director's manual
• Materials on CD
• DVD's with opening/closing sessions, Bible study, and music videos
• Music CD
• Posters
• T-shirt sample and more.

You can order this great resource at www.GoFishResources.com.  We will also be giving away one kit.  You can enter the giveaway by emailing me at dalehudsoncm2@gmail.com.  The winner will be announced next Tuesday, March 19, here on this site.