RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Kids are growing up in a digital world.  But will they use Facebook when they're old enough?  In this video, they share their thoughts.

Children now spend an average of 7 hours a day using technology.  "Play" has moved onto devices.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says this can lead to obesity, erratic sleep patterns and difficulty concentrating.

As kids connectivity to the internet through screens becomes more pervasive, many parents are grappling with how much technology is too much?

Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, banned his children from using the iPads and iPods his company produced.  Many parents in the Silicon Vally send their children to screen-free schools.

But other parents believe cutting off their kids from technology will limit their ability to cope with modern life and hinder their future careers.  They do have a point.  Exposure to technology increases our ability to scan and sort information, a skill that's increasingly useful in the modern workplace. 

So where can parents find a balance?

One important distinction to make is the difference between active and passive screen time.  Active screen time involves creating, reading, and interacting with content.  Passive screen time is just vegging out in front of a video or game.

Proponents for active screen time say kids are growing up in a technology environment and will be using it for the rest of their lives.  They want to give their children a solid technological foundation to build upon.

The floor is yours.  
What do you think?  
How much technology is too much?  
What is the best balance?  
Share your thoughts with us the comment section below.

Jesus told stories that evoked emotion.  A prodigal son returns home, a Samaritan helps a man who was in desperate need, a widow gives all she had...just to name a few.

Emotional stories can infuse your volunteers with passion, vision, commitment, and encouragement.

How do you know if your story is evoking emotion?  You will see tears.  Some will hide it better than others, but you will see a good percentage of people reaching for a Kleenex.

Here's a couple of ways to bring strong emotional stories to your volunteers.

Share the emotional stories of kids and families whose lives have been impacted by the ministry.  Volunteers want to know that they matter and that what they do matters.  When you show them, you are bringing that affirmation.

Years ago, I had an appreciation dinner for some of our volunteers.  Unbeknownst to them, I had arranged for some of the kids they taught to show up at the dinner and surprise them.  At just the right moment, the kids came walking in and began to thank them for impacting their lives.  There was not a dry eye in the house.  Mission accomplished.

Share videos that evoke emotion.  Here's a couple of examples.





Do you ever see your volunteers cry?  Remember...the point is not the tears, but what the tears represent. 

Here's a powerful video you can use in a training session or devotional time with your volunteers.  Below the video are some discussion questions.

It's a great reminder to look at people through the eyes of Jesus.



Discussion Questions

1. What does it mean to see people through the eyes of Jesus?
2. What are some things that hinder us from seeing people as Jesus sees them?
3. How can we be more intentional about seeing people as Jesus sees them?

There are 6 changes taking place that you should continue to adapt to if you want to remain effective in Children's Ministry.

#1 - Communicating through social media is not an option - it is a must.  If you're going to effectively communicate with parents and volunteers, you must use it.  It will be expected and you will be hindered if you don't use it.

#2 - Mobile continues to grow rapidly - parents and volunteers will expect websites and tools that work mobile as well as desktop.  By 2017, mobile sales are predicted to grow by 87%!

#3 - Google+ is growing.  Yes, continue to use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. but also include Google in your communication strategy if you're not already.

#4 - Images, Images, Images!  Pictures will continue to grow as a key way to teach and communicate.  If a picture was worth a 1,000 words in 2013...it will be worth 2,000 words in 2014!

#5 - Video.  Video will continue to grow as a primary means of getting communication, training, and resourcing into the hands of parents and volunteers.

#6 - Podcasts - Podcasts are continuing to grow.  Training staff and volunteers while they are on the go will be essential.

Are you ready for these changes?

What do you need to change to get ready?

What other changes do you see on the horizon in 2014?

Share your thoughts with us below. 

I love hearing kids laugh.  There's nothing more precious than the laughter of a child...especially at church.  Over the years, I've found ways to get kids laughing.  Here's 20...

1. Tell a joke. (they love knock-knock jokes)

2. Ask their name and then start saying it back to them wrong. (example - if it's Jake, say, "Nice to meet you Justin") The more times they correct you, the more they'll get tickled.

3. Get something dumped on you like water, slime, pudding, etc.

4. Fake a fall, trip, run into something, etc.

5. Sing a funny song.

6. Talk in a funny voice.

7. Whoopee cushion app on your phone. (make sure it's the app...not you)

8. Sing way off key. (that's easy for me)

9. Wear a crazy costume.

10. Make a funny face.

11. Have a burping contest.

12. Guess their age outrageously high. (example - if they're 6, ask them if they're 60, then keep saying it back to them wrong as they correct you - 36? 16?)

13. Show a picture or video of an animal doing something funny.

14. Boogers and snot. (they love to laugh at gross stuff)

15. Say a word or state a fact wrong and let them correct you.  Say it wrong several times before you finally "get" it.  (examples - everyone sit down in your "bears" instead of "chairs",  Noah built a motorcycle to put all the animals in)

16. Have someone pull a prank on you in front of the kids.

17. Impersonate an animal or well-known person.  The worse you do, the better.

18. Tell them something really funny that happened to you.

19. Put a big mark or smudge on your face ahead of time and when they start pointing at it, act like you don't know it's there.

20. Laugh uncontrollably.  It's contagious.

If kids laughed more at church, maybe they wouldn't grow up to say it was boring and they were "made" to go.  You don't have to "make" someone go where they enjoy being.

We tell kids to sit still and be quiet and then wander why they grow up and are sitting still and being quiet...if they even come at all.

Your turn.  How do you make kids laugh at church?  Share with us in the comment section below.

Watch this 2 minute video.

If you're volunteers are not doing this, it's hurting your ministry.  I know by experience, as you will see in the video.

If you want to set new volunteers up for success, then make sure you have a new volunteer orientation.

This should be a key component of your on boarding process.

Here are some important elements to include in an orientation.

• Fun, "get to know you" icebreaker.
• Vision - share the "why" of what you do.
• Core Values - share "what" you are committed to.
• Principles that guide your ministry.
• Expectations.
• Safety and security procedures.
• General policies and procedures.

Here is the opening video we created for orientation.  Our orientations are held during weekend services and last for an hour.

Okay. It's your turn. Share your questions or thoughts about orientations in the comment section below.

Ask them to repeat what you just said.

Show a short video.

Have them get up and move.

Have them make something related to the lesson.

Remove distractions.

Place kids in groups and let them talk about a question.

Let them make up the classroom rules.

Play a game.

Create an incentive or reward for listening.

Take them outside of the classroom to a different location for a change.

Let them help teach the lesson.

Have a motion or signal they repeat after you.

Usually if the kids are bored it's because the teacher is boring.  Engaged students pay attention.

What are some other things you do to help kids pay attention?  Share your ideas with us in the comment section below.

Your digital footprint refers to your total amount of activity in any digital environment.  By next year (2014), humans will generate 5 billion gigabytes of data every 10 minutes.

This infograph explains the different characteristics of the digital footprints left by Boomers, Millennials and Gen X.  Each generation interacts with the digital world in a different way: for Millenials, its the internet, but for Boomers, its video.

Gen X takes the cake though.  They spend the most amount of time online and consume the most online videos, and leave the largest digital footprint of all three groups. 

How is this like what we do for kids spiritually?
How can we do a better job at cheering kids on in their faith?
How can we set kids up for success in their Christian journey?
How can we successfully hand off the faith to kids?

Have you heard the statement, "kids are wet cement?"  It’s so true.  Childhood is the most impressionable time of a person's life.  

Here are 4 key things we must write on the hearts of children during the short time frame they are wet cement.