Children S Ministry That Works

Create an effective children's ministry with help from the top experts! For over 10 years, Children's Ministry That Works has been helping ministry leaders create dynamic and effective ministry programs in churches across the country. Now, completely revised and updated, this new version will help you be successful for the next 10 years! Overflowing with expert insights from over 25 successful children's ministry leaders, you're guaranteed to find solutions for every area of your ministry! You'll learn the best tips, creative ideas and strategies from leaders like Craig Jutila, Thom and Joani Schultz, Mike Sciarra, Sue Miller, Pat Verbal, Gordon and Becki West, Jim Wideman, Chris Yount, and more! Children's Ministry That Works: Revised and Updated will equip your ministry with these key benefits: Help for key areas of children's ministry, including: Developing your leadership team Safety and liability in children's ministry Partnering with parents Teaching so children can learn Adventurous art and creative crafts Vacation Bible School Successful after-school and mid-week programs and more! 15 brand-new chapters! Plus, substantial revisions to the other chapters to offer you the most current insights and advice of the top children's ministry experts! Easy to read and packed with practical ideas! These ideas have been proven in actual children's ministry and refined and improved over time. Insights for every level of children's ministry! Whether you're a seasoned veteran or a beginner in children's ministry, you'll refer to this resource regularly for the help you need!

Sunday School That Works is a dynamic new resource designed specifically to help you strengthen and enrich your Sunday school ministry while maximizing what you’re already doing on Sundays.Overflowing with expert insights from more than 20 successful ministry leaders, this book guarantees practical solutions for every area of your Sunday school ministry. You’ll learn best tips, creative ideas, and powerful strategies from dynamic leaders including Christine Yount Jones, Dale Hudson, Holly Catterton Allen, Dan Webster, Gina McClain, Linda Ranson Jacobs, Pat Verbal, Amy Dolan, Ricardo Miller, Greg Baird, Patty Smith, Gordon and Becki West, Patrick Snow, and more. Sunday School That Works will equip you in your ministry with these key benefits... • Help for key areas of your Sunday school program including: • developing your Sunday leadership team • keeping kids safe and secure • building a learning philosophy for today's kids • growing your kids spiritually • targeting age-level and special needs ministry • reaching today's families • developing great public relations • meeting the needs of today's kids • and more! • Current insights on today's Sunday school! Experts actively working in the field offer you the most current insights and advice for what's happening in churches--and what's relevant to kids and families today. • Practical ideas that are proven to work! These fresh ideas really work--in actual Sunday school ministries. They've been tested and tweaked to guarantee success in today's churches! • Insights for every level of Sunday school! Whether you're a seasoned veteran or new to Sunday school ministry, you'll refer to this resource regularly for the help you need! Learn how to maximize your Sunday school ministry with Sunday School That Works! From the makers of Children's Ministry That Works which has helped leaders create dynamic and effective ministry programs for over 20 years

Much ministry to children looks more like mere entertainment than authentic spiritual formation. But what if children's ministries were rooted in a mind set whereby we taught children, with our words and actions, how the story of God, the story of church history, the story of the local community, and the story of the child intersect and speak to one another? What if children's ministry was less about downloading information into kids' heads and more about leading them into these powerful, compelling stories? Beckwith aims to help ministers and parents create a ministry that captures children's imaginations not just to keep them occupied, but to live as citizens of the kingdom of God. In addition to providing theological reasons for formational children's ministry, the book offers examples of how Ivy and other practitioners are implementing a formational model.

A step-by-step guide to building a strong children's ministry that is a vital part of the church. People know they are called to children's ministry when they get goose bumps and butterflies from something a kid says or an idea that they know will communicate the gospel to children. Building Children's Ministry provides the practical information to transform those feelings and that calling into a successful children's ministry that is integrated into the life of the congregation. The book is divided into topical chapters, including: Getting the support of the pastor and the congregation Statements of purpose Budgets and fundraising Recruiting and keeping volunteers Safety and security Discipline and appropriate policies Choosing and evaluating curriculum Publicity Building Children's Ministry is a practical guide through the challenging (but exciting) steps between recognizing the need for children's ministry and creating a program that ministers to children and their families.

Many children’s ministries are a flurry of activity, run by dedicated volunteers and staff who put in long hours and work hard for the good of the children and parents they serve. Yet despite good intentions, many children’s ministries today are not effective. They lack purpose and intentionality. A twenty-five year veteran of children’s ministry in the local church, pastor Steve Adams has ministered to families in multiple churches, from tiny church plants to his present position at Saddleback Church. In this book, Steve applies the revolutionary insights of the Purpose Driven Church to children’s ministry and leads readers on a journey of discovery, showing them how to develop an intentional ministry process that moves children toward spiritual health while building a healthy ministry environment for those who work with kids. You will learn how to ask and answer five simple but powerful questions: Why are we on this journey? Where are you and where are you going? Who are we trying to reach? How will we move our children towards spiritual health? What are the essential elements necessary for the journey? There is no single key to a successful children’s ministry, nor is there only one way that works for everyone. But there is a proven process you can follow and Steve shows how children’s ministries all over the world are reaching their God-given potential by discovering their biblical purpose, avoiding the traps of frustration and burnout.

How Do We Measure Success in Our Ministry to Kids? In children's ministry, the essence of what we do is to impact the immeasurable--the heart of a child. While Bible knowledge is highly valuable in this endeavor, knowing Scripture does not automatically translate to changing the heart of a child. Practical application is also desirable, but changing behavior can be done without a heart change. Relating Scripture in such a way that it meets a child where he or she is at is critical, but as an approach, it may fail to build a solid enough foundation to equip children for the challenges that they will face later in life. All three approaches must be synergized to have a greater impact, and all three must be retargeted at the "bull's eye"--the heart of a child. Read this book to discover the seven standards of a rock-solid children's ministry!