Heart Matters: What Really Counts

In “What Really Counts” by Amy Beth Larson, she writes in the “Heart Matters” column from Children’s Ministry Magazine about what really matters.

When measured by a supervisor’s critical eye, Amy wonders what success really looks like. She writes, “It felt like an inquisition. She was attempting to create a report to bring back to a church that had given money to our inner city after-school program. Though well-meaning, her questions were ones I'd heard far too many times. How many kids have committed their lives to Christ? What kind of success stories can you tell me?...But is this what matters? Is the gospel a generator of statistics? Do we have the courage to believe that it's something more?”

To read the entire column, click here: http://www.childrensministry.com/articles/heart-matters-what-really-counts

Heart Matters: Living on Life's Fringes

“Living on Life’s Fringes” by Amy Beth Larson is one of my favorite “Heart Matters” columns because Amy helps us see into the heart of a little boy who faces so many challenges but longs to believe.

Amy writes: Tony became a Christian a year ago, but has struggled living this lifestyle out. His family members have been in and out of jail, and his greatest role model is a cousin who now resides in a residential treatment center. Because his peers naturally follow him, Tony, though only 10, is at high risk for the neighborhood gangs and youth violence. I know he believes in Jesus, but the arms of the world are wrapped so tightly around this boy that heaven seems awfully far away.

To read the entire column, click here.

Heart Matters: His God Is Not

“His God Is Not” by Amy Beth Larson is one of my favorite “Heart Matters” columns. I like it because I think that Amy is an amazing writer who artfully shares things from her heart. I love to read her writing. And the other reason I like Amy’s columns is because I know about the amazing ministry she was involved with when she wrote for us—an inner city mission. Amy lives what she writes about.

Here’s part of what she writes: So it's a few weeks before Christmas, and what does Filimon have? Not much. His situation is desperate, but his God is not. I must admit, though, that sometimes it's hard to believe in an active God when the kids I spend my days with are born and raised in such filth, poverty, hatred, hunger, and abuse that it damages their small bodies and threatens to destroy their souls. It doesn’t add up, but we still believe.” 

To read the entire column, click here.

Merry Christmas, Angel!

As you close the door on the last classroom this weekend….clean up the last piece of tinsel and reset rooms for future programs… and drive away from the church building, take this thought with you.

Your gift of service to “the least of these” matters for eternity! The baby you rock in the nursery. The toddler’s nose you wipe clean. The songs you sing with little ones. The Word of God you open up with all ages.

Your yearlong gift—not just at Christmas—to children is seen by a loving God who cared so much about children that he sent his son AS A CHILD!

God values you. God values your service. Know that God sees all the little and big things you do—and God says, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

And now, just rest. Enjoy the holiday. Read a good book. Eat some cookies (no guilt!) Watch a few movies. And nestle in with your family.

In my next few blogs, I’m going to feature some of my favorite “Heart Matters” columns from Children’s Ministry Magazine. I love the title of this column…it’s got that double message—your heart matters…and these are matters of the heart.

Enjoy! And let God love on you and minister to your spirit!

12 Days of Christmas for Children’s Ministry: Recap

We had so much fun giving away all sorts of children's ministry resources to our friends in ministry! Here's a quick list of who won what.

Day 1 - Nativity: Lights! Camera! Action - Joy Feemster
Day 2 - One Starry Night - Diana Scarberry
Day 3 - bulk subscription to Children's Ministry Magazine - Suzanne Olmsted Thorenson
Day 4 - Christmas Extras: Faith-Filled Ideas for Celebrating Christmas - Tina Marie Bentley
Day 5 - Group's Christmas Songbook - Susan Wilson Holbrook
Day 6 - The ParentLink Children's Ministry Edition - Shandra Ward Hathaway
Day 7 - All-in-One Sunday School Series- Michelle May
Day 8 - 25 Flair buttons and free registration for a preconference training session - Laura Aranda
Day 9 - Play-n-Worship: Play-Along Bible Stories for Babies - Vanessa Jones
Day 10 - Entire case of My First Hands-On Bible - Kimberly HolyGhost Carroll-McLean
Day 11 - Pockets, Whiskers, and Cuddles - Anette Shanks
Day 12 - LIVE Children's Curriculum - Tina Smith

God bless us, everyone, as we minister to children at Christmas and throughout the year!

12 Days of Christmas for Children’s Ministry: Day 12 Giveaway

Update December 18, 2011: Congratulations Tina Smith! 

On the twelfth day of Christmas, we’re giving away a free subscription to our all-new LIVE Children’s Curriculum!

You’ll get three years of digital curriculum that you can customize and calendarize to make it your own. It’s great lessons that get kids into the Bible in fun and creative ways! You also get a great online system for communicating with your teachers and other volunteers.

Not only that, but we’ll send you 12 music CDs and 3 sing-along DVDs you need in one fell swoop with your subscription.

Your teachers can even download a free app to their smartphone or tablet to review lessons and/or teach from their device.

This really is an amazing curriculum delivered in the way our friends in ministry have been asking for—all digital. And you won’t believe the bells and whistles that come with this. Check it out here.

To enter: Tell us why you’d want the new LIVE Children’s Curriculum. Comment on this blog, our Facebook page, or send a tweet (using hashtag #LIVEcc) with your reason and you'll be entered to win! The winner will be announced Sunday, December 17, 2011.

12 Days of Christmas for Children’s Ministry: Day 11 Giveaway

Update December 17, 2011: Congratulations Anette Shanks! 

On the eleventh day of Christmas, we’re giving away our three favorite puppets for children’s ministry: Pockets, Whiskers, and Cuddles! All three are used in our popular curriculum, and kids love them!

You’ll find these characters in Hands-On Bible Curriculum. Cuddles greets toddlers and 2s. Whiskers is the friend of preschoolers. And Pockets brings God’s Word to life for preschoolers and kindergartners.

You can learn more about Hands-On Bible Curriculum at http://group.com/sunday-school/hands-on-bible-curriculum.

And to enter, all you need to do is tell us how you’d use these three puppets in your children’s ministry. Comment on this blog, our Facebook page, or send a tweet (using hashtag #hobcpuppets) with your answer and you'll be entered to win! The winner will be announced Saturday, December 17, 2011.

12 Days of Christmas for Children’s Ministry: Day 10 Giveaway

 Update December 16, 2011: Congratulations Kimberly HolyGhost Carroll-McLean!   

On the tenth day of Christmas, we’re giving away an entire case of My First Hands-On Bible. That’s 18 preschool Bibles!
   And these Bibles are so unique! For one thing, these aren’t Bible “stories,” but they’re the abridged version of the actual Scripture. (That means we took out the hard words and topics for preschoolers.)
   The art rocks! Preschoolers will love looking at the pictures.
   And there are activities and talk-starters for parents and/or teachers to do with preschoolers.
   So here’s another gift that keeps on giving! We’ll send you 18 of these wonderful preschool Bibles…and you can bless 17 other people with God’s Word!

Check out the recent review Kenny Conley wrote about My First Hands-On Bible. Kenny is the Next Generation Pastor at Gateway Community Church in Austin, Texas.

To be entered for this giveaway, tell us your favorite Bible story to share with kids! Comment on this blog, our Facebook page, or send a tweet (using hashtag #myfirstbible) with your answer and you'll be entered to win! The winner will be announced Friday, December 16, 2011.

12 Days of Christmas for Children’s Ministry: Day 9 Giveaway

Update December 15, 2011: Congratulations Vanessa Jones!

On the ninth day of Christmas, we're paying homage to the sweet baby Jesus by giving away Play-n-Worship: Play-Along Bible Stories for Babies. It's Sunday school for babies!

We're banishing from churches the idea that all the nursery does is babysit! Oh contrare! We know you're establishing a lifelong foundation of faith for the "least of these" when you cuddle a baby, sing "Jesus Loves Me," read a Bible story, and love in the name of Jesus.

And Play-n-Worship for Babies helps you do all that—and more! You can check it out online, but let me tell you what I love! You repeat the story Sunday to Sunday—and that's good educational theory that's called interval reinforcement. And then you give the babies Softees that they can hold as you show them the colorful visuals.

Enough of me trying to describe it. Let Brian explain it to you in this fun video:

To be entered for this giveaway, tell us why you know for a fact that children's ministry is WAY more than babysitting! Comment on this blog, our Facebook page, or send a tweet (using hashtag #playworship) with your answer and you'll be entered to win! The winner will be announced Thursday, December 15, 2011.

12 Days of Christmas for Children’s Ministry: Day 8 Giveaway

Update December 14, 2011: Congratulations Laura Aranda! 

On the eighth day of Christmas, we're giving away enough Flair to share with your entire team! I like the ring of that: Flair to Share!! You'll get 25 of the Flair button shown here.

What's Flair, you wonder?

It's just a clever way someone on our team came up with for you to declare who you are, what you value, and why you're in children's ministry! Cute buttons with fun sayings will let your entire team declare that they serve Jesus by serving kids!

And because Flair is a big part of our national KidMin Conference (hang onto your hats!), we're also giving away a free registration for a preconference training session at KidMin 2012 (September 28—October 1, 2012 in Chicago).

You won't want to miss out on all the fun and training and connections and conversations and worship…and, whew! You won't want to miss out on the unconventional conference for children's ministers!

Check out these photos to see what Cynthia Crane's preconference "Idea Lab" was like! So fun! So real! So Cynthia!

To be entered for this giveaway, just tell us why you'd like to win this gift! Comment on this blog, our Facebook page, or send a tweet (using hashtag #kidmin2012) with your answer and you'll be entered to win! The winner will be announced Wednesday, December 14, 2011.