Children's Ministry Ideas

Explore the Beatitudes With Your Kids!

2011-08-15T16:21:00.002-05:00

Faith Case:The Beatitudes, the latest kit in a DVD-driven children's churchcurriculum, introduces your kids to new characters Super Agent Man SAM, andcadets Ayliana and Riley. These investigators-in-training, along with the helpof SAM and the Commissioner, learn what living for God really looks like and discover the incredible truths behind each "blessed are."

9 sessions cover:

Living for God
Asking for Help
Admitting My Sin
Letting God Control Me
Hungering for God
Meeting Other's Needs
Keeping My Heart Clean
Choosing Peace
Doing What's Right

Video clips, object lessons, and games help tie lessons together. This excitingvideo-based children's church curriculum for grades K-6 requires only oneleader, making it ideal for churches of all sizes. Everything you need comes inone cool briefcase. Learn more and check out a free sample.

Believer Bands are Here!

2010-11-11T15:44:00.000-06:00

Take advantage of the latest craze of rubber band bracelets your kids are collecting. Believer Bands have a twist—they help kids share their faith!

"God with Us" Believer Bands are great giveaways, and you can use them to teach the Christmas story too! Simply print off the downloadable nativity scene. Then parcel out the bands to your kids. As you share the Christmas narrative, have the children bring their bands up, one by one, to add to the nativity scene.

Not only are Believer Bands a fun, interactive way to teach the good news of Christmas, they make it easy for kids to share the Gospel of Christ.

We also have the "He Is Risen" series and "Live the Call."

"He Is Risen" is perfect for Easter. Beginning with Jesus riding on a donkey on Palm Sunday, these bands take you through the last supper, betrayal, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection. Use them to help tell the Easter story.

"Live the Call" are perfect evangelism tools. These bands represent essential Christian teachings that will remind believers to live up to the calling of Christ.

See them all here!

Faith Case: Fruit of the Spirit

2010-11-01T15:36:00.000-05:00

Advice to Polish Your Christmas Program

2010-10-20T15:44:00.005-05:00

The year is flying by and Christmas will be here before you know it. As you start your planning for this year's program, we hope you will keep this advice from other children's and drama leaders in mind:

Choose a program that is multi-generational, to aid in teaching and control.
Create characters you believe in, but more importantly that you love.
Always invite the Holy Spirit to move in, because His presence will make up for mistakes
Keep it simple, based on your resources. The only ambition you should have is to please God.
If you have a budget and/or professionals in your congregation, try to get skilled people involved.

- Steven Feldman, Nashville, TN

Don't rely on oral communication for anything - use flyers and emails.
Purpose to inspire and utilize new student talent. It takes more work but yields a broader blessing.
Don't leave any young students on the stage for more than three minutes without a line, movement, or something!

- Danny Middleton, Mesa, AZ

< Try Handbells! Perfect for kids!

Break the rehearsal schedule down so that only those children who are absolutely necessary are at the rehearsal. This will keep you from having a group of kids sitting around getting bored while waitng their turn on stage. Have parents sign up to help supervise the kids.

- Paula Parker, Tullahoma, TN

DO make sure the parents are willing to help.

DO have a tight schedule so kids are kept busy.

DO have a sense of humor and the patience of Job.

DO know your church's, your cast's, and your own limitations.

Find teachable moments. Make sure the kids know proper stage directions and other lingo. Encourage their imaginations. I often have the cast participate in fun improv activities before the rehearsal starts, just to get everyone loosened up and ready to take the stage!

- Sharyn Kopf, Jamestown, OH

Organized activities at every rehearsal! Anytime kids have down time is a potential disaster.

- Sandra Turley, Springfield, MO

BelieverBands are great gifts for the cast!

Parents are a Necessary Part

2010-08-09T15:14:00.002-05:00

Evidence is overwhelming that parent involvement is the most significant factor in all educational questions, but too often Christian educators do no better than schools to get parents involved. When you think of all the children and young people in your Sunday School and other church activities, how many of their parents are involved in the true sense of the word? What energies to we put into getting all parents involved? A key value in people building is: All parents are valued and are the focus of our ministry. Focus requires intentional action.

Focus on Parent’s Needs

Parents need biblical guidance.

Although the Bible gives direct advice and commands about child rearing, until recently the church did little in directed parent education. Now, with decreasing family stability, we know many parents are left without models and guidelines. They need help. Secular parenting classes are not the answer. The major need is for parents to model and teach Christian principles of love and living. Parents need Bible teaching applied to parenting.

Parents need support for their values.

Christian parents need the reinforcement of having their children hear from others what the parents teach at home. Teachers who communicate and honestly involve parents help build healthy families. Parents and teachers who unite in concern for young people give them strength to resist outside forces.

Parents need group influence and interaction.

Sunday School provides an ideal support group for parents. Three powerful elements of group membership contribute to its success. First, there is inspiration and encouragement as parents discover biblical principles that apply in their specific situations. Second, parents exchange experiences and ideas. They learn from each other. Third, they develop emotional and spiritual strength and empathy as they pray together and work toward similar goals.

Envelop Parents In Love

Involve, in modern English, means to include as a relevant or necessary part. In real life no one is more involved than parents. They are necessary to their children. If we care about children, we will understand that parents are an important part of our ministry. We will act on another term related to involvement. WE will envelop them. WE will wrap them up in our love.

Billie Davis

Sunday School Offers What Parents Want Most for their Children

2010-07-21T14:46:00.000-05:00

When we focus on what parents are looking for, we can help them find it.

Most parents want help. I felt newly convinced of this as I viewed the amazing array of materials on parenting themes in a large bookstore. I counted 31 different periodicals and 875 book titles! Such a market exists because parents feel uncertain and are reaching out for advice on how to raise their children.

Looking at the book titles and article topics I noted many repetitions of certain questions and concerns. I found myself making a list of “what parents want for their children.” I realized with growing excitement that if the church would use its full potential we could do more than any other agency to help parents find what they are seeking.

Through Sunday School we could provide every item on my list of what parents want for their children:

1. A spiritual dimension
Even non-Christian parents express a remarkably consistent desire for their children to have exposure to teaching about moral and religious values. They sense that kids need a “spiritual dimension” in life to help them develop character and personality.

2. Positive Influences
Parents want their children to be protected from negative influences of media and social trends that devalue morals, to have healthy friendships and peer groups, and to have strong adult models.

3. Socialization
Learning how to get along with others, resolving conflicts without violence, and respecting legitimate authority are major concerns. Parents want help with relating to teenagers, understanding them, and keeping their respect.
4. Caring, Sharing, and Giving
The popular magazines devote many pages to raising kind, caring kids, encouraging empathy, and discouraging selfishness. Parents ask how to get young children and teenagers to appreciate what they have and be willing to share with others.

5. Responsibility
Responsibility is a major topic in parenting literature. Parents want their children to be responsible for their own actions and learn to take the consequences for their choices. They agonize over questions of how to set limits and teach principles of right and wrong. They recognize that children are confused by too many temptations, that they need structure.

6. Discovery and Development of Talents
Children and young persons need opportunities for self-expression. Parents want them to use their natural talents and gifts in ways that contribute to healthy self esteem and afford pleasure to others.

7. Safe and Uplifting Recreation
Parents want a safe environment where kids, especially teenagers, can have fun without being pulled into temptations involving alcohol, drugs and sex. They ask about how to provide wholesome entertainment and social events.

A good Sunday School provides support and direction in each of these categories, and also offers parents what they need for themselves:

1. Support for Their Values
Parents need the outside reinforcement of having their children hear from others what the parents teach at home. No one can provide better support for parents than a respected Sunday School teacher.

2. Sharing With Other Parents
A major benefit of parenting classes is the exchange of experiences and ideas. Regular Sunday School classes can give parents this opportunity.

3. Parenting Helps in the Curriculum
Every teacher of adults should be aware of parents’ needs and look for opportunities to make lesson applications that are helpful to parents. Every teacher should pray for parents in the class and encourage them to express needs and ideas.

4. Prayer and Support in All Situations
Teachers should keep parents aware of the Sunday School as a partner. Be alert and sensitive to the needs of single parents and those with particular problems.

Sunday School is the Parents’ Best Partner
With God’s help we could make a CONTRACT WITH PARENTS to provide what they want for their children and what they need for themselves.

Billie Davis

Discipline Policy for Children's Ministries

2010-06-21T13:10:00.022-05:00

Classroom management is a crucial skill every teacher needs. These 11 tips can help you cut down on discipline problems before they happen. Check them out and share any we've missed.

1) The use of corporal punishment is expressly forbidden for all children’s workers, including parents who serve in a classroom with their own children.

2) Establish the three-person policy—insist on having three or more people present in every worker-child encounter. Disruptive behavior is to be handled in the classroom, not in isolation with worker and child alone. The children’s pastor should provide two or more workers in every room.

3) When it is evident that you have an extreme case which cannot be handled by classroom workers, contact your ministry coordinator for assistance.

4) Establish simple rules for your classroom. State these positively. General rules for very class are:

Respect those in authority.
Speak and walk softly indoors.
Put materials away before beginning a new project.
Use words to solve problems.
Leave room and equipment better than you found it.

5) Be consistent in enforcing your classroom rules.

6) NEVER threaten a child!

7) Always maintain self-control. Never shout or exhibit angry behavior toward the children. If you feel you are losing control, contact your children’s pastor or ministry coordinator for assistance.

8) Never embarrass a child with words or actions.

9) Here are some things to do when a child becomes disruptive:

Restate the rules to the entire class.
Gain eye contact with the student.
Lightly touch the child on the shoulder, letting him know that you care and are aware of his behavior.
Redirect the child’s actions.
Change your activity. Perhaps the child is bored.
Move the child to a different location in the classroom.

10) Preschool: When a preschooler continues to disrupt class, follow these steps:

Move the child to a time-out chair. The time-out chair should be placed where the child can readily observe the rest of the class. This is not a tool of humiliation.
Tell the child how long he will be in the chair and briefly remind him why he is being disciplined. A good rule of thumb is one minute per year of the child’s age.
At the end of the time-out, the worker will approach the child in a spirit of forgiveness and invite him to reenter the classroom activity.

11) Elementary: Here are a few ideas to remember when ministering in a positive way to
the individual who continues with disruptive behavior:

Encounter him on an individual level. Take him to the side or back of the room for discipline.
Explain the broken rule. Help the child to understand which simple classroom rule was broken and the importance of following all rules.
Encourage repentance. Repent means to turn around. With God’s help, any child can choose repentance and experience a dramatic change in behavior.
Engage in prayer. Pray with the child.
Expect God to work in the child’s life.

by Dick Gruber, former Children’s Ministries Consultant for the Assemblies of God National Sunday School Department

© 2006 Gospel Publishing House. Taken from Childrn's Ministries Help Sheets from the Children's Ministries Agency of the Assemiblies of God. Used by permission. Permissoin to reproduce for local church use only.

Guard Your Heart: Teaching Kids to Be Pure in a Promiscuous World

2010-04-26T11:33:00.009-05:00

Young children are designed to mimic and follow the examples they see: it’s how they develop basic skills such as talking and walking. But in a world that persistently devalues God’s truths and exalts immorality, our children must quickly discover that all influences do not exist for their good. Unfortunately, the age at which children must make that discovery is getting younger with each generation. How can we as ministry leaders address purity with children and help them protect their God-given innocence?

It’s never too early.

If we wait to instruct a child in purity until they begin having questions about sexual activity, he or she may already be losing the battle to remain pure. Teaching young children they are part of God’s creation, plan, and purpose encourages them to recognize the value of personal purity. Our guidance can make them more attentive to the choices they make. As children mature, that truth grows into adolescents and teenagers who more carefully consider the potential consequences that result from individual choices.

Be proactive.

The battle for purity begins with a proactive mindset. God provided us with His perfect Word of instruction so we would learn to live in ways that are pleasing to Him. By our example, we need to teach our children to consult the Bible every day and for every question. When their eyes are shaded with knowledge from the Bible, children at an early age can distinguish what is holy and pure.

In addition to setting their minds on truth, we should teach children to guard their hearts. It can be a challenge to help children really understand the need to guard their hearts since so much of childhood focuses on managing outward behavior. At the earliest age possible, we can share that the Bible tells us our hearts are the source of behavior and attitude, a wellspring of life. Out of our hearts flow everything of value and importance and, therefore, should be carefully guarded (Proverbs 4:23).

Show that God’s love is in His boundaries.

Sometimes we can be so intent on children remembering the guidelines God has set for us that we forget to reveal the reasoning and love behind them. We can teach children that purposeful boundaries are the framework for fulfilling God’s will in their lives. The truth is, boundaries are designed to increase our enjoyment of life, rather than limit it. Through respecting God’s principles we can experience life at its fullest. The child who learns to view God’s boundaries as protective rather than restrictive will grow to appreciate and embrace them.

Prepare children to stand out.

God’s perspective will always oppose a worldly point of view. Children should realize that thoughts, choices, and actions that are pleasing before God will not reflect those of the world. We can consistently encourage children to position themselves on the side of God’s truth and help them understand that a lifestyle reflecting the pursuit of purity will not look the same as peers who live according to the standards of the world. When we teach children how to make that stand with love for their peers, we have not only equipped them for purity, but also for evangelism.

Be an example of God’s grace and forgiveness.

It is a daunting, yet deeply rewarding, challenge to teach children how to live their most spiritually vibrant life—a life of freedom instead of regret. We must reveal to children their soaring potential and at the same time, be quick to show God’s forgiveness when they make a mistake. In love, we can point the way to God’s limitless grace and the abundant blessing along the journey of purity.

Purity, especially sexual purity, can be a difficult topic to address with kids. Consider using HighPoint Purity help you. In Purity, kids discover God’s plan for them is sexual purity. They will explore how to guard their minds and hearts as well as their actions to maintain purity. To learn more about this kit and HighPoint, click here.

© 2010 by Gospel Publishing House. All rights reserved.

What Are They Searching For?

2010-03-17T14:25:00.003-05:00

YouTube. Google. Facebook. Sex. Porn. Club Penguin.

These were the most popular search terms for 8-12 year olds and those 7 and under, according to recently released research from Norton, provider of virus and Internet security protection.

Shocked? Don't miss the full report here.

But what are the implications for children's ministry?

Are you talking to parents about the need for Internet filters on their home computers? About putting the computer in a public place? About social media? No need to cause a panic; just make them aware.
Are you talking to kids about their Internet usage? Using it in analogies and examples?
More importantly, are you teaching kids about the meaning of Purity - not solely sexual purity, though that needs to be included - but what it means to "Above all else, guard your heart"?

For more information on how you can equip kids and parents in your ministry, see these posts on Internet Safety.

For help teaching kids purity, check out HighPoint Purity. In Purity, kids discover God’s plan for them is sexual purity. They will explore how to guard their minds and hearts as well as their actions to maintain purity.

Toddler Learning Styles

2010-03-12T10:48:00.005-06:00

Can one-year-olds learn? Yes,they are learning during every waking moment. The more important question is WHAT will toddlers learn during their group times in God’s house. Toddlers have their own distinct learning style. Teachers who understand toddler learning styles can tailor Bible learning to fit the way toddlers learn.

Toddlers Like the Familiar
Toddlers are happier in God’s house when they know their teachers. If possible, ask teachers to teach at a specified time for a specified period (i.e., during the Sunday School hour for six months). If that isn’t possible, create lesson routines and rituals that will become familiar to the children. Remember, in the toddler years, “familiarity breeds contentment.”

Toddlers Enjoy Ritual
Once toddlers master an activity, they like to repeat it again and again. Their enjoyment of ritual is an expression of their joy in learning.

Toddlers Learn Through Exploration
Plan ways to teach Bible ideas in a box, with a block, with toy animals, with a puzzle, with any safe object a toddler can explore.

Toddlers Learn from Imitation
If a teacher shakes a bell or moves a toy in a way related to a Bible story, toddlers will probably imitate that part of the lesson.

Toddlers Learn Through Repetition
Rather than changing the lesson every time the children come to church, repeat lesson ideas and activities. These young children need repetition to give them time to master new skills. For this reason, consider making lesson activities, complete with instructions, that can be stored in and taught in the toddler room during every service for at least a month.

Toddlers Can Be Passive Participants
From time to time, toddlers will watch the teachers without imitating. During these times, toddlers continue to learn. When they have decided how to imitate(or that it is safe to imitate), they will become active participants.

Toddlers Understand More Than They Can Say
Some educators believe that for every word a toddler can say, he can understand 100 words. Toddlers can follow simple instructions. They can enjoy simple stories. They can also repeat funny sounds and simple words. Their level of understanding lets them learn first ideas about God.

Toddlers Respond Quickly to Music
Teachers can use music to gain (and regain) toddler attention, to gather children for a new activity, or to help children remember Bible ideas. One way to do this is to make up new words to familiar tunes.

Toddlers Need Help to Find Good Ways to Play Alongside Others
Teachers can guide toddlers toward good ways to take turns, to solve problems, to build with blocks, to play instruments, to cooperate, etc. If toddlers come to see grown-ups as people with good ideas, they may continue to seek grown-up help as they grow older. Generally, children who love and trust grown-ups find it easier to love and trust God, too.

Toddlers Learn Through Their Senses
The more senses that teachers can involve in Bible lessons, the more children will enjoy church, remember Bible ideas, and transfer God’s ways into everyday living. So watch for ways to allow toddlers to see, hear, touch, taste, and smell during every Bible session.

“You have known the Holy Scriptures since you were a child. The Scriptures are able to make you wise. And that wisdom leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15, International Children’s Bible)
by Sharon Ellard, Early Childhood consultant

Looking for a curriculum that addresses toddler's learning needs? Check out Sunlight Kids.

How Do I Teach Students Who Seem to Know It All?

2010-01-25T10:30:00.003-06:00

You may sometimes feel you’re teaching students who seem to know all the Bible stories and think you have nothing to teach them. Their eyes and minds are unfocused when you are talking. They play and talk throughout the Sunday school class. Is there any way to teach these students truths from God’s Word? Look at the following suggestions, try them in your classroom, and see how much your students can still learn.

Make the Lesson Fresh for Yourself
Even teachers need a fresh look at well-known lessons. When preparing for each lesson, read the objective and the life application goal. Then ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you about these areas as you read the Scripture passages. When you realize the Word of God is alive and life changing, you should be filled with a desire for your students to discover this awesome power too. Finally, ask yourself these questions:

1. What is here that influences my life?

2. What is here that will have meaning to my students?

With these questions in mind, look over the activities suggested in the lesson. Determine which will hold the attention of your students and help them leave your class with something that has meaning in their lives.

Goals for Teaching

Expand Your Students’ Bible Knowledge
Students who have come to Sunday school for most of their lives have a lot of Bible knowledge. However, they can now understand more than they could when they were younger. Besides having had more experiences, their brains are more developed. Help your students begin to go beyond the mere recall of Bible facts to the realization that these facts have meaning for their lives. In the lesson, help your students understand what they believe and why they believe it.

Teach for Life Application
Your students are beginning to develop their own faith in God. They no longer just accept their parents’ faith. Help your students apply the lessons to their lives. First, apply the lesson to your life. How has this teaching helped you in a particular situation? How does it influence your thinking? How have you made it or how can you make it part
of your life? After that, you can help your students apply it to theirs.

Model a Growing Relationship with God
Let your students know you are growing and learning more as you prepare for each lesson. Let them see in your words and actions that you love God and want them to love Him too. Modeling a growing relationship with God can spark an interest in your students to continue to grow and learn in Sunday school.

Enjoy Teaching
Your students will pick up on your enthusiasm. They will want to come to a Sunday school class that is exciting and interesting to them.

Involve the Students in a Lesson-Related Activity
Give early arrivers something to do. A student with nothing to do will find something to do—and it’s usually not anything acceptable to the teacher. It is difficult after a start like that to regain control and effectively teach a lesson. Let early students help you set up the classroom, take attendance as the other students arrive, or prepare for an activity. Use an activity from the lesson that they can work on individually or in small groups. If you use a teacher guide, involve them in one of the ideas for introducing the lesson to build interest in what they will be learning.

Build Relationships with Your Students
Students are often open to the teaching of someone they admire and of someone they know likes them. Use the time before and during class to build good relationships with your students. Let them get to know you. When students arrive, greet them individually and talk to them about their week or their plans for later in the day. This may be a time when students reveal things about themselves that allow you to apply the lesson in specific ways that will help a student in his or her situation. (Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to be sensitive to the students’ needs.) A warm relationship with the students is as important as what you tell them in the lesson. You are God’s representative of His love and care for them.

©2004 The General Council of the Assemblies of God. Taken from Children’s Ministries Help Sheets 2004.
Used by permission. Permission to reproduce for local church only.

Stuck In a VBS Rut?

2010-01-12T15:04:00.002-06:00

Try MEGA Sports Camp, the outreach that’s shaking up communities with God’s truth and do-it-yourself sports fun.

In The Great Comeback, kids are encouraged to trust God no matter what because He has the ability to create great comebacks out of even the most desperate moments of their lives. Here's the five session overview:

But hurry! This is your last chance to get MEGA Sports Camp® The Great Comeback Starter Kit at the introductory price of just $99.99. After January 31, 2010, the price will increase to $124.99. Click here to order now.

For more information, visit www.megasportscamp.com

“MSC is the most amazing outreach to children ever! We use this instead of a traditional VBS. We are able to get more volunteers, and the men love to come out and help! We have reached many unchurched families in the four years that we’ve had MSC. It’s awesome! We love MSC!”
~ Treva, Cedarville, AR

See more testimonies from users at www.facebook.com/megasportscamp.

An effective (and fun) new way to teach biblical doctrines

2009-11-24T14:20:00.026-06:00

GPH teamed up with 20 children’s pastors to develop an exciting new curriculum that teaches core biblical truths. Introducing Faith Case: Investigating the Truth.

Faith Case: Investigating the Truth is a

video-based curriculum that lets your kids investigate core biblical truths. Kids join the bumbling Mr. Trench and the patient, but no-nonsense, Commissioner, as they discover what they believe and why.

But don’t take our word for it – visit Facebook.com/FaithCaseResources to read what others think about it, ask questions, and share your testimonies, ideas, and comments.

12 Faith Cases include:

The Bible

One True God

Salvation

Sanctification

…and more!

Visit FaithCase.com and preview Session One.

Click here to download a sample lesson.

*While most core biblical truths transcend denomination, we recognize that some do not. In Faith Case, each lesson stands alone, allowing you to choose the lessons and order that are best for your church.

How to Pack God's Word Into Kids' Hearts

2009-10-26T14:51:00.006-05:00

The Bible Fact-Pak makes it easy. This incredible collection includes 576 colorful trivia cards about the Bible and Bible doctrine. It’s been proven to engage elementary kids and keep them learning.

Pull out the cards in Sunday school or anytime. The Fact-Pak features questions about people, places, events, dates, and doctrines, as well as questions requiring Scripture memorization. Answers include Bible references.

With both easy and challenging questions, the Bible Fact-Pak even stumps adults! Test your own knowledge with the questions at right.

For more fun tools that let you effectively train your kids in Scripture, click here. What are you waiting for? Get packin'!

Note: all the items in this email can be used as part of the Junior Bible Quiz program. To learn more about this great program, visit http://nationaljbq.org.

Question Answers:

1) Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel

2) Matthew

3) Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17)

Use the Holidays to Build Christlike Character in Your Kids

2009-10-08T13:58:00.007-05:00

The holidays are coming quickly, and with them come crazy schedules. Consider trying something different (and a little more flexible) this year. With these three holiday-themed HighPoint kits, your kids will learn the character of Jesus and some great application during the holidays.

Use Good vs. Evil to address Halloween.

What's the Point?
I will stay away from evil and choose what’s good!

Life Verse
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans12:21, NIV)

Bible Focus
Adam and Eve, Saul and the Witch of Endor, and others

Use Gratefulness to celebrate Thanksgiving.

What's the Point?
I will be grateful because God has done so much for me!

Life Verse
Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV)

Bible Character
Naaman, Hannah & Samuel, and others

Use Worship to celebrate Christmas.

What's the Point?
I will worship God in all I say and do!

Life Verse
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14, NIV)

Bible Focus
Mary, Joseph, and others in the Christmas story

Check out the full line at http://www.gph.org/highpoint or find us on Facebook.

HighPoint®

Tweeny Bloggers

2009-09-23T10:27:00.002-05:00

Internet Safety has been a hot topic here at Children's Ministry Ideas and here is yet another good article from a weekly publication, Pentecostal Evangel. Check it out.

What is the parental role as young kids access technology?

Like countless others in the blogosphere, Abby O’Connell enjoys having an outlet to journal about her interests and life experiences.

For the past 18 months, she has maintained a personal blog called Imagination Princess. She conducts reader polls and writes about the latest books she’s read. She discusses news and fashion, entertainment and politics. Yet Abby is only 10 years old.

The world of digital communication is no longer on hold until the teen years. O’Connell is part of a new generation of tech-savvy tweens — elementary and junior high kids who are as comfortable in cyberspace as they are in their own backyards.

“Technology is intimidating to a lot of adults,” says Anne Collier, founder of Net Family News, a Utah-based organization that promotes youth safety online. “But kids have grown up with it. To them, it’s a normal part of everyday life.”

Abby developed an interest in blogging after watching her mother, Ashli, maintain a Web log for several years.

“When she asked if she could have a blog, I was a bit nervous about the idea at first,” says Ashli O’Connell, a Web content developer and editor for Evangel University in Springfield, Mo. “I wanted to limit access that other people would have to it.”

Ashli installed safety features that allow only a handful of friends and family members to enter Abby’s blog. Readers can log on only with a password and an invitation from Ashli.

Ashli says the blog has helped Abby develop her writing skills while allowing relatives who live out of state to keep up with her life.

“Abby loves the Internet; she’s very computer savvy,” Ashli says. “But we have strict rules about when and how it’s used. The computer is in a high-traffic area in the home where we can keep an eye on the screen and closely monitor what’s going on.”

Not all parents are as cautious. In a recent Disney survey, while 80 percent of parents polled said they worry about online safety, more than a quarter admitted allowing their elementary-age children to access the Internet without supervision.

Marketing researchers at The NPD Group reported last year that two-thirds of kids ages 9-14 who use the Internet navigate it alone. Seventy percent download music in an average month, and most obtain the files without an adult’s help.

Sixteen percent of the youths surveyed were registered with MySpace, a popular social networking site that prohibits anyone younger than 14 from opening an account. Children sometimes get around the age restrictions by lying about their birth dates.

Collier says parents shouldn’t assume that just because their children are familiar with technology they are ready to make mature choices about how to use it.

“The executive part of the brain that understands cause and effect is not fully developed until the mid-20s,” Collier says. “Adults need to be in the mix. We still like to be in the same room when our 12-year-old is online.”

In a 2008 survey by Internet Solutions for Kids and the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire, 15 percent of children ages 10-15 said they had received an unwanted sexual solicitation electronically. Of those, 43 percent said the solicitation came via instant messaging, while 32 percent said it happened in a chat room. Four percent reported such incidents on social networking sites.

Computers aren’t the only devices that can pose a danger. A growing number of tweens now carry cell phones, and many send and receive text messages.

Nearly half of U.S. kids between the ages of 8 and 12 use a cell phone, according to a recent Nielsen survey. About 55 percent of tweens who own a phone send text messages.

A report released in April by AK Tweens claimed 30 percent of 10- to 15-year-old girls the marketing consultancy and research group polled had sent or received text messages with sexual content.

Meredith Knapp, an elementary music teacher at a public school in Emporia, Kan., says cell phones are status symbols for tweens.

“It’s a big deal to have a cell phone,” says Knapp, an Evangel University graduate who attends Life Church, an Assemblies of God congregation in Emporia. “They’re always waving them around in their friends’ faces and saying, ‘That’s a cool cell phone.’”

Knapp says a fourth-grade girl’s phone was confiscated last year at an after-school activity when it was discovered someone had sent her sexually explicit text messages.

“I’ve seen kids that come from stable homes who carried cell phones because their parents wanted them to be safe as they walked a few blocks to school,” Knapp says. “I’ve seen other kids who are just handed technology with no parental oversight.”

After expressing concern to a fourth-grade boy’s mother about his antisocial behavior at school, Knapp learned he was spending three hours a day playing a zombie game online.

Another young student was banned from using the school’s computers after he repeatedly tried to access pornographic Web sites online.

“For the most part, it’s not the families that take their kids to church that I see having these problems,” Knapp says. “People who are committed to raising kids God’s way have a better grip on technology so that it’s not taking over their children’s lives.”

That doesn’t mean the church can afford to ignore these issues, cautions Lori Van Veen, senior editor and Web coordinator for Assemblies of God National Girls Ministries.

“I see things happening with my 9-year-old that I never expected until junior high school,” Van Veen says. “A lot of her friends are already carrying cell phones and iPods. The window is narrower than ever before. Now we’ve got to teach them, in a way they can understand, how to make God-honoring decisions about technology when they’re 7, 8 or 9 years old. If parents and children’s workers don’t take that initiative, we’re going to lose a crucial opportunity.”

National Children’s Ministries Agency Director Jason Noble agrees.

“It’s vital that we as parents, and people who work with children, keep up with technology and really understand how it works and how it impacts children,” Noble says. “We can’t just bury our heads in the sand and hope technology goes away. We as leaders and parents need to embrace it, and help our kids learn how to use technology in a way that pleases God.”

BY CHRISTINA QUICK, freelance writer. She lives in Springfield, Mo., and attends Central Assembly of God.

Leading Children's Worship

2009-08-14T09:47:00.001-05:00

Singing has been a part of worship since Old Testament times. God has given music to the church to help us participate, to let us have some activity, and to learn. Also music gives us the sense of joy that is part of all praise and worship.

To be suitable for children’s worship services, songs should:
1. have a singable tune,
2. have a specific purpose,
3. be thematic, and
4. be varied.

Dos and Don’ts of Children’s Worship

Don’t use music as a time killer (it cheapens the worship experience).

Do use visuals, such as PowerPoint® slides. If you don’t have PowerPoint® but do have a DVD player, use action DVDs that coordinate with your music. This is a great way to teach kids the motions to songs. Check out these action DVDs to get you started.

Do use songs with words and concepts that children will easily understand. If you do not have talented musicians to assist, you can make a band out of no band. You will need:
• a CD player
• music CDs
• visuals (PowerPoint® or DVDs)

The CDs are cued and ready for each service. This allows you to flow without dead spots, as if you had actual musicians in your service. You should know your music very well so you can lead with the CD as accompaniment rather than letting the CD lead you.

The Flow
Generally the flow of children’s worship should be fast, lively, action songs first. Follow with medium-paced songs and conclude with slow worship songs.

The Focus
To emphasize the focus or theme for the day, your selection of music needs to be thematic and inspirational. Ask God to guide you to the songs that will minister to the kids in your service and also make the point you are trying to get across.

The Function
Children sing action and medium-paced songs standing up. However, it has been my experience that children worship better sitting down. We usually ask them to close their eyes while worshipping. A worshipful atmosphere can be destroyed by someone losing his or her balance. If possible, dim the lights a little. This gives a quieter feeling. Enlist several children as worship backup singers, and they can encourage others to be expressive in worship.

Questions to consider—
1. How does your children’s ministry team use music—as a source of entertainment or as a learning/worship tool?
2. How would you rate your children’s ministry music library? What improvements can be made?
3. What can you do to assist your children’s ministry team in using music more effectively?

By Chris Daniel
Children’s Pastor, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

©2009 by Gospel Publishing House. Used by permission. Permission to reproduce for local church use.

Help! My Curriculum Isn't Working!

2009-08-06T08:59:00.012-05:00

Ever had a class that didn’t seem to get much out of your lessons?

Then you’ll be able to understand Jack Fortner’s dilemma. Jack had taught Sunday School for many years, but was finding it difficult to keep the attention of his current class. He and his class of about 16 boys were trying to study the Book of Revelation, but many of his students didn’t know even the basics of Christianity.

Desperate to energize his class, Jack found what he considered a somewhat unlikely solution: Welcome to Holsom, a Christian comic books series.

By his own admission, Jack wasn’t sure that a comic could be “quite holy enough” for Sunday School. But he quickly discovered that Welcome to Holsom not only captivated his kids’ attention—it also presented solid biblical principals with characters his students could relate to.

Combining the extensive online lessons with his own teaching instincts, Jack found Holsom to be the perfect curriculum for his group of preteen boys!

Here’s more from Jack:

How do you prepare the Welcome to Holsom lessons?
First I lay out a lesson plan. I choose how much of the comic to cover each week. I practice reading it with animation. Sometimes I add characters that I know will connect with the kids. I make note of questions to ask to see if they are paying attention. I connect the story with things that are going on in my students’ lives.

How do you personalize the lessons for your students?
We spend the first ten minutes of class time just talking. I listen while they’re talking to each other. I ask them if they have things they want to talk to me about or talk to God about. Kids at this age won’t tell you exactly what’s bothering them when it’s personal stuff. The comic lets the characters reflect the feelings for the students without it being personal. Through Welcome to Holsom, I am able to address real issues in kids’ lives. I ask the Holy Spirit to show me how to adapt the lesson to include things the boys are facing.

Every kid in my class gets their own comic book. I write their name on it, but I keep them from week to week. Nobody turns the pages until Jack turns the pages. That way we can discover the story together. Then when we’re done, I send the comic home with them. I’ve got one boy who won’t let his be opened because it’s a “collector’s edition.” He reads along with someone else.

You're retired. Why are you still teaching?
I wasn’t always the pleasant person you see now. I was like some of the characters in Welcome to Holsom and definitely like some of the boys that are presently in my class. But I had this junior boys teacher, Elmer Walden. I’d throw spit wads, tear up the papers, and even jumped out the window once. I was a stinker, but Elmer just kept on. Of course I never told him, but I loved that man. I admired him. He never gave me anything, but I knew he loved me and wanted me to do better.

There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of boys that I’ve been able to minister to because of Elmer Walden. He touched my heart so much. I’m too old on the outside, but I know what an impact Sunday School teachers can have if they have something to teach that the kids can relate to. That’s why I’ve taught this age group so long. I love my students just like Elmer loved me.

To learn more about Welcome to Holsom, visit www.welcometoholsom.com.

To order Welcome to Holsom, click here.

Raising Up Fearless Kids

2009-06-18T15:47:00.000-05:00

Help children trust God and overcome fear in a frightening world

A large commercial jet flew low over an intersection where I waited for a light. The person in the car next to me rolled down his window and strained to watch the plane fly out of sight. I knew what he was thinking. As I looked in the rearview mirror and saw my children sitting quietly in the back seat, I wondered what kind of world they'd inherit. Our schools, streets, airports, and post offices have become battlefields. Personal safety has become a national preoccupation. How do we equip children for such a frightening world? How can we help them walk boldly with faith and not fear?

Teaching our children to properly manage anxiety, stress, and fear requires us to do two things. First, we must cultivate kids' healthy capacity to trust so they can access resources greater than their own. These resources will hopefully include our guidance and emotional support as well as God's power and provision. Second, we must help them gain strategies for overcoming fear -- strategies that are honed from learning to manage fears on a daily basis.

Children who learn to face their fears of ridicule, math exams, and gym teachers are well on their way to handling adult-size anxieties in the future. As children's ministers and parents, we must equip children to overcome fear with faith, starting with these six steps.

1. Cultivate a Healthy Capacity to Trust

It's impossible for children to draw upon your strength, receive comfort, or take your advice if they're not convinced that you have their best interests in mind. Trust is like a spiritual umbilical cord. It allows emotional nourishment to pass back and forth between two souls. When trust is damaged, it leaves a child to fend for himself. Children who are continually disappointed or hurt by a parent or another adult develop self-protective and self-reliant methods of managing their needs -- patterns of behavior that are characterized by pride, anger, rebellion, and inappropriate responses to fear.

Children who grow up in stable, loving environments where it's safe to be honest about their feelings -- and where trust is reinforced -- learn to place trust in others to help meet their needs. Vulnerability and honesty are seen as acceptable risks. A healthy capacity to trust is, in fact, the emotional groundwork of faith.

How can we cultivate children's ability to trust? Showing respect for and understanding of children's feelings is probably the most effective way we can build trust and earn children's confidence. When a child is feeling afraid, honor her feelings rather than try to change them. Say, "A lot of people feel afraid when they face a bully," rather than "Listen, girl, you gotta be tough in this world!" When math anxiety strikes, instead of saying, "Come on, it's not that hard. You just need to concentrate more!" say, "That's a tough problem for you, but I've seen you master hard problems before. What can I do to help?"

Sometimes in an effort to encourage children, we unintentionally minimize their feelings with well-meaning platitudes. "Don't be afraid...just trust God." Banishing feelings (even for the cause of greater faith) won't make them vanish -- it only drives them underground.

Cultivating children's capacity to trust others is critical, but cultivating our children's ability to trust God specifically is the greatest thing we can do to help them combat fear in their lives. A resolute faith in God is the ultimate weapon against anxiety, fear, and stress. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Fear breeds fear when there's an absence of trust in God's availability, goodness, and power. Fear is always based on lies that seek to make God out to be less than who he really is. By reinforcing children's capacity to trust and providing them with an accurate image of God, we prepare our kids to live fearlessly in a frightening world.

Increasing children's capacity to trust God requires us to reflect the heart and character of God. More than our words, our model is our message. If we portray a grumpy, frustrated, and impatient God -- or a preoccupied, busy, and neglectful God -- it's unlikely that children will grow to trust God. On the other hand, if we depict an understanding, kind, and compassionate God through our example, we can hope that children will learn to depend on God. Paul challenges us to be examples: "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1).

2. Help Children Identify Their Feelings

Helping children acknowledge their fears is the first step to overcoming them. Sometimes just naming the emotion brings relief. When a child is able to admit, "I feel afraid,"she feels less helpless and out of control.

Ask open-ended questions to help a child understand her feelings. "What's going on? What are you feeling?" Be careful not to ask questions that accuse. Questions such as "Why did you say that?" or "Why are you acting this way?" cause children to hide their feelings. Second, speculate about children's feelings to help them open up. Ask, "Are you afraid? A lot of children feel afraid when they see scary pictures and hear such scary things on TV."

3. Identify Underlying Reasons for Fear

To overcome fear, we must identify and disarm the beliefs that sustain the fear. Ridicule, for instance, is most painful for children who have underlying doubts about themselves. If a child believes he's ugly or stupid, he's more likely to take the teasing of his friends personally. The 10-year-old boy who's afraid of being called "dumb" by his peers at school, for instance, may believe that what his friends say is true. By helping kids realize the truth about themselves or the facts about a particular event, we remove fear's teeth.

My 6-year-old was watching the evening news on September 11 and saw footage of the destruction of the World Trade Center. Suddenly, she began to cry, "Oh no! Another plane crashed into a building!" My poor daughter! Each time she saw the replay of the horrific event, she believed it was another plane crash. When I accurately interpreted the frightening information for her, she was less fearful and anxious.

"The truth will set them free!" Help your children get the facts about who they are, who God is, and how real the threat of loss really is.

The Bible indicates that to overcome fear we must destroy "arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God" and "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). Note that Scripture says we're to take every thought captive -- not every emotion. Fear cannot be converted, renewed, or transformed. The beliefs that underlie and fuel the emotion, and the thoughts that contradict the knowledge of God, however, can be taken captive and replaced with the truth. We might ask the 10-year-old who fears the ridicule of his peers, "Does God think you're dumb? What does Psalm 139:14 say? How do I feel about you? Do you believe me?"

In our zeal to correct children's thinking, we must not neglect their profound need to be understood. Kids feel violated if advice is given before their feelings are acknowledged and understood. If an 8-year-old girl whose parents are getting a divorce worries about who'll care for her, avoid saying, "Don't worry. God says all things work together for good." Instead, bring comfort by confirming her feelings: "A lot of girls your age feel alone and wonder if anyone will take care of them when their parents divorce." Understanding brings healing to hurting emotions.

4. Guide Children's Plan to Handle Fear

Kids rebel against our ideas -- not their own! When children, especially older kids, feel like adults are limiting their opportunities to gain independence and to think for themselves, they're likely to resist us. That's why wise parents and teachers encourage children to come up with solutions to fearful situations.

In our eagerness to provide comfort and reassurance, we can actually do more harm than good. Moms and dads whose parental instincts run amuck try to solve all their children's problems and handle all their fears. "I can't believe those rotten kids called you 'dumb.' I'm going to call your teacher right now! No one gets away with calling my child names!" Unintentionally, an "overprotective" parent robs her child of opportunities to sharpen problem-solving skills, to learn strategies for overcoming fear, and to grow in confidence. Children whose parents "take care" of their fears not only grow up ill-prepared for the real world but grow up not knowing how to take care of themselves.

To foster confidence and problem-solving in her child, the above mother might say this: "Being called a name hurts. What can you do to stop it?" And rather than offering unsolicited advice, she might ask, "Would you like to know what I do when someone says something mean about me?" By asking permission rather than dictating what children should do, parents can help children feel that their decision-making counts.

A great way to help preschoolers handle fear is to play with them. One mother frantically shared with me the week after September 11, "I think there's something wrong with my son. He keeps building LEGO towers and crashing his toy plane into them." She was relieved to discover that this behavior was totally normal. Children often act out their fears through play. Instead of reacting negatively to behavior that seems violent or horrific, play with children. "Let's get the fire trucks and save those people in the building. We need to pray for them." Playing is God's therapy for kids during times of stress. Encourage children to write a story, draw a picture, or act out the fear-provoking event to help them resolve their anxiety.

5. Model Trust in God

This is a hard one -- especially if you're struggling with fear yourself. As long as you're not so emotionally overwhelmed that you lose your objectivity, it's a good idea to discuss your battle against fear with children. By doing so, you can offer an example of how to manage anxiety. "I'm scared too, but I know that God is with us and can help us. That makes me feel better. What do you say we pray about it?" If you're overtaken by fear and unable to help children cope, give them the opportunity to talk with someone who can offer support and help them solve problems with God's guidance.

6. Control the Flow of Fear-Provoking Information

Many Baby Boomers recall the looming fear of nuclear war when they were children. I remember as a child, for instance, lying awake in bed thinking that it would be better to die from the initial blast than to die slowly from radiation poisoning. Disturbing, I know, but I bet I have friends out there who thought the same thing!

Information can be a heavy burden for children. So it's extremely important to keep exposure to frightening news coverage, movies, and video games to a minimum -- especially when kids are young. By controlling the flow of media into our homes and accurately interpreting the data that children see and hear, we can reduce the level of anxiety in children.

On September 11, my 12-year-old daughter came home from school like many other children in need of answers, comfort, and reassurance. "Dad," she said in an unusually serious tone, "Is this the Tribulation?" I've taught kids the Bible for 20 years and I've never had to field a tougher question! Rachael was looking for more than Bible facts; she wanted to hear something that would soothe her fears.

After I regained my composure, I put my arm around her and whispered, "Rach, some pretty scary things have happened today, haven't they? I'm not sure what it all means. But I do know that God is right here with us and that we'll be okay." With that, she went carefree up to her room. I exhaled a quiet prayer, "Thanks, God."

The challenge of parenting and ministering to children has never been greater in light of recent events, yet the opportunity to prepare kids to face their future with overcoming faith has never been better. Though we may not always be able to prevent fearful events from entering into children's lives, we can help them develop lifelong strategies for coping with fear -- methods that spark faith and deepen their dependency on God.

by Wesley Fleming
________________________________________
Reprinted by permission, Children’s Ministry
Magazine, © 2009,
Group Publishing Inc.
Box 481
Loveland, CO 80539

Sex and Cell Phones: Protect Your Children

2009-06-03T13:27:00.007-05:00

I've discussed the dangers of the Internet on this blog before (see those posts here), but never in the context of cell phones. However, as smart phones become ubiquitous and even "regular" phones can connect to the Internet, it is time to address the issue. The methods of protecting kids on the computer at home (keep it in a public place, use filters, watch them, etc.) aren't enough if your child has a cell phone because you're not with them all the time, but their cell phone (probably) is.

Thankfully iCare stepped in and has compiled information from five major cell phone carriers explaining how parents can monitor their child's phone usage and in most cases restrict the content allowed on the phone. Not all of the services are free, but the savings gained from restricting purchases (think ringtones, background images), texts per day, etc. on the phone will easily pay for the service. And what is the price of a child's innocence?

Childrens leaders, visit the iCare website and download the Sex and Cell Phones: Protect Your Children pdf and give it to all of the parents in your ministry. (I'd give you a direct link, but I don't want to steal their thunder - go check out their site!)

**Side note - Consider using these tools to protect not only your children, but yourself and your spouse, too. We can never be too careful. Because I have not yet tried my carriers blocking software, I cannot testify if I am able to do everything I currently do on my phone with the block in place - if anyone else uses these tools, please comment!

Build Kids Patriotism With Prayer

2009-05-28T09:17:00.009-05:00

Let's face it: the political climate today from a Christ-followers' standpoint is at worst, terrifying and at best, challenging. Many want to isolate themselves (and their families) in a Christian bubble, hoping to "ride out the storm," while others hope to start a rebellion.

Don't get me wrong; we should stand for Truth, but cannot forget to stand on Truth as well.

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Romans 13:1 (NIV)

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. John 17:15-19 (NIV, emphasis added)

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:2-4 (NIV)

You can teach kids that one way they can "wage war" is through prayer. Guide them in praying fervently for our country, for our President, and for other leaders. Show them that Jesus is the only place they should place their hope and that He is the only one who represents hope. No leader can replace Him, no matter what the campaign signs and tshirts say. There is no need to fear or panic when the Creator of the world is our source of power.

Need some help with this lesson? Check out the Praying for our Government Leaders Prayer Card.

Babies and Toddlers Can Learn Too!

2009-04-24T13:54:00.003-05:00

Surprisingly, the fastest growing area at New Vision Ministries in Springfield, Missouri is the nursery. By talking with visiting parents, Pastor Nathan Whidden found out that choosing a curriculum is just one of many things needed to make a great first impression in the nursery. Here’s how to get started…

1. Welcome parents and baby

Friendly volunteers. A warm smile is the best way to welcome both baby and parents. By arriving early to get everything ready for the day, volunteers can make a great first impression on new families.

Information packets. Preparing information about the nursery and what babies and toddlers will be learning makes it easy to emphasize how well children will be cared for. Include things like a welcome letter, check-in and safety procedures, an information page for the parent to fill out, helpful phone numbers, and an overview of what the child will be learning.

Check-in and safety procedures. Next, the nursery coordinator needs to organize the check-in process and train volunteers to carry it out each week. This important routine is comforting to little ones as they transition from parent to nursery. Plus it helps mom and dad relax and enjoy the service.

2. Show you care with decorated spaces and clean toys

Fun atmosphere. Bright paint and decorations on the walls extend the warm welcome into the babies’ and toddlers’ rooms. But the real fun comes from the volunteers who sign up each week to care for the kids. Singing and snack times are just a few of the ways they can make the nursery fun for little ones.

Age-appropriate toys. Check every toy to make sure it meets the safety requirements for young children. Hosting a nursery shower or taking a special offering are great ways to get everyone in the church involved in nursery ministry. Kids will enjoy variety, so separating the toys into different sets and alternating them will give kids the impression that there are new things to play with. Then it’s up to the volunteers to get down on the floor and play too!

Note: The best toys are ones that can be easily sanitized after each service.

3. Recruit your nursery team

Finding volunteers. Nursery often requires many people to staff, so recruit as many as you can. Establish safe ratios of adults to babies. Then look beyond mothers to seniors and teens with supervision. Some churches even choose to hire one person to oversee the nursery. It can make a great part-time job for someone.

Background check. Don’t overlook this important step to verify you have safe, responsible adults caring for your kids.

4. Do more than babysit

Choose a curriculum. Even little babies can learn, so find an easy-to-use curriculum, such as Sunlight Kids. Whether the nursery coordinator or other dedicated volunteers lead the lessons each week, everyone in the nursery should be able to reinforce what’s being taught. For example, the Cards on the Sunlight Kids Coordinator CD-ROM offer a simple way to reinforce the lesson at various stations around the nursery (changing table, snack table, etc.).

Repetition, repetition, repetition. The right nursery curriculum will repeat the same Bible story for multiple weeks to help little ones learn. Even if volunteers get bored, encourage them to focus on how much more the children are retaining from week to week.

BONUS! Everyone who serves in the nursery gets to be a part of the most important first in these little ones’ lives … their first steps toward understanding how much God loves them.

Article taken from Discipleship Ideas, Fall 2008. Copyright 2009 by Gospel Publishing House. All rights reserved. Permission to duplicate for local church use only.

Appreciating Volunteers

2009-04-13T14:00:00.005-05:00

Saying thanks to volunteers is a vital part of ministry. But not everyone feels appreciated in the same way. Gary Chapman has proposed five ways people feel loved by those close to them. Consider these “love languages” for new ways to say thanks to those who serve in your church.

Words of Affirmation
Saying thanks is simple and appreciated by volunteers with this love language. Find ways to compliment and encourage these helpers. Some may like public recognition, while others may prefer quiet, personal conversations of sincere affirmation.

Acts of Service
Finding simple ways to assist these volunteers shows them you care. Ask them for ways they need help, then do them without being asked. You might be able to recruit others (parents, students, etc.) to help too.
Ideas!

A “gift certificate” to clean up the room after class, make copies, or shop for supplies.
Spring cleaning” their classroom closet, classroom, or even their home kitchen (with permission, of course.)

Quality Time
Nothing means more to volunteers with this love language than spending time with them. Whether it’s a few moments of sincere interaction before ministry starts or a bigger commitment to meet for coffee or a meal, these volunteers will be recharged through shared time with you.
Ideas!

Give a pocket calendar with a personal meeting time penciled in.
Stop by after class with two cups of coffee and take a few moments to catch up.

Receiving Gifts
These volunteers are easy to please with a meaningful gift. Beautiful wrapping is an added bonus. Consider greeting them with a small gift before class begins or choosing a higher priced gift once or twice a year to make these volunteers feel appreciated.

Physical Touch
From the slightest touch with a simple greeting in passing to a meaningful hug or holding hands as you pray for ministry needs, these volunteers will know you care through contact.

How Can I Figure Out How My Volunteers Will Feel Appreciated?
Start by asking questions like:

Have you felt truly appreciated as a volunteer? If so, describe your ideal way(s) to be appreciated. Then watch as they interact with you and others.
Do they send cards or encourage others with kind words? (words of affirmation)
Do they hug or touch others when talking? (physical touch)
Are they looking for ways to help you? (acts of service)
Do they invite you to get together with them or spend time
outside of class with their students? (quality time)
Do they remember special occasions with a gift? (receiving gifts)

"Every year my church hosted a picnic just for volunteers. I designed T-shirts that the church presented to everyone who volunteered, and they wore them at church throughout the year." – Dale

Getting Started
Because people often show appreciation in their own preferred love language, consider asking people you know with each love language for ideas. Better yet, recruit them to assist you. Give them a budget and let them choose ways to bless other volunteers. They’ll benefit as they reach out and say thanks, and you’ll be able to focus in on the areas that are most natural for you.

+ More On Love Languages
Ideas in this article are adopted from this best-selling book about how spouses can understand and show appreciation to each other.

The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Includes suggested activities and study guide questions. Paper. 204 pages.
Click here to order.

Adapted from The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman

Ideas for Mother's Day

2009-04-06T12:56:00.006-05:00

Churches often donate to pregnancy care centers for Mother’s Day. This year, give your kids a chance to minister to new moms with these easy ideas:

Fill A Basket For A Mom In Need
Have kids bring items for a “new mom” basket your church can take to a local center. Baby clothes, diapers, wipes, blankets, and bibs are big blessings. What a great way to let kids to reach out to your community while laying a foundation of godly respect for life in their hearts.

Suggested items: baby clothes, diapers, wipes, small toys/stuffed animals, lotion gifts for mom, books, notebook/journal, picture frame, blankets, bibs, gift cards

Make Your Basket More Personal
Let each child make a card to go in the basket, congratulating the new mother. Be sure to include your church information. Click here to download FREE “Congratulations” card. You can also give extras to the pregnancy care center to slip in future baskets as an invitation to your church.

Book Drive
Need a more economic choice for your kids? Ask each child to bring in a book or two of their own, used books (in good condition, of course). Centers often use these as incentives or rewards for program participation, or they can also be included in the baskets for new moms.

Diaper Drive
Last but not least, there's always the tried-and-true diaper drive! Ask kids to donate diapers and wipes. Be creative - challenge them to build a pyramid of wipes five feet high or five diaper wreaths.

To find a pregnancy care center in your area, go to http://heartbeatinternational.org/

Bonus Freebie!
Looking for an easy Mother’s Day gift kids can give their moms? We’ve got the perfect, no-cost solution! Click here to download FREE “Thank You for Being My Mother” card.

Survey says...

2009-04-01T16:02:00.003-05:00

The results from last week's poll are in! It appears that puppet ministry is alive and well. Thanks for the great comments - if you didn't get a chance to read them, be sure to check them out!

Results as of 4/1/09

What Do You Think?

2009-03-23T11:43:00.003-05:00

Get This - Survey Results - GlowDay.com

What do you think? We'd love to hear your comments.

UPDATE: Keep the great comments coming! And while you're at it, tell us what puppet materials are you looking for - scripts? music? puppets themselves?

Outreach Resources of the Year

2009-03-16T14:31:00.006-05:00

GPH has recently been given a huge honor! MEGA Sports Camp: Game Plan and Welcome to Holsom: Adventures in Faith were selected as two out of the three Children's Outreach winners in Outreach Magazines 6th annual “Resources of the Year” issue.

If you have already tried MSC or Adventures in Faith, this is probably no surprise to you, but if you haven’t, what are you waiting for?!

Evaluator Angie Meus stated that, MEGA Sports Camp creates "an awesome opportunity for churches." She noted the camp features the right combination of competition, skill-development, biblical teachings and life skills to keep kids engaged.

To put Adventures in Faith to the test, Meus says she gave it to the boys. "They wanted to read the action- and suspense-filled comic until the end, not stopping at the section breaks," she shares. Meus says she also came away impressed by the godly examples and lessons woven into this adventure.

"Our greatest desire is to develop products that 'work' in today's culture," explains GPH National Director JT Wray. "The Outreach awards are an indication that we're headed in the right direction. I believe the recognition will encourage churches to try these great outreach tools.”

Welcome to Holsom: Adventures in Faith is on sale now! Click here to take advantage of it before it’s too late! Sale ends March 31, 2009.

Credit: Outreach Magazine March/April 2009 issue, page 64

Let Kids Be the Church

2009-01-26T09:17:00.009-06:00

A few weeks ago, I experienced a rite of passage with my oldest son. He and a buddy were heading for England and Scotland—just the two of them. As we were driving to the airport, my son asked for any last-minute advice. After joking around, I thought about all the things we had done as parents to help prepare him for this independent endeavor. At 19 he had everything he needed to launch out on this adventure. It was still tough to let go, though.

Letting go of our own children reminds me of our responsibility to the children in our churches. We must prepare to release them into ministry in the same way that we release our own children into life. Yet like letting my son step onto that plane, the releasing part seems to be the hardest.

What can we do to make sure we’re releasing kids to be the church? How can we experience how God uses the entire body of Christ—adults, youth, and children? Take these four steps.

1) Model A Servant’s Heart
You’ve heard it before: “The only Bible some people will ever read is your life.” Consider that truth as you serve in children’s ministry. Children have an uncanny ability to recognize the difference between obligation and servanthood.

Serve With Joy At All Times
Do you reflect the same kind of servant’s heart when you’re teaching, leading worship, greeting, helping a newcomer, or showing someone where the restroom is located? A servant’s heart knows no levels—no ministry or job is more important than another.

Offer Many Opportunities
Allow kids to experience a variety of opportunities to serve. Even in adult church there are opportunities to serve beyond preaching or leading worship. The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:12 (NIV), “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.” A healthy church is one where all the members work together to reach their community for Christ. This means more than just certain gifts and abilities in operation, and it definitely means different ages serving throughout the church.

2) Identify Gifts and Abilities
A question I frequently ask those who minister to children is, “How many eyes did you look into today?” It seems we often get so caught up in our ministry that we forget about who we’re ministering to. Our programs, plans, and procedures may go well, but what about the lives of our children? Are we spending enough time looking into their eyes and listening to their hearts? When we listen, we’ll know our children, we’ll see their strengths and weaknesses, and we’ll understand how we can help them grow.

Observe Children
Thinking back to my own children, what if my wife and I had only told them about how important it is to keep a checkbook, use their finances wisely, and learn how to save without having them experience these things firsthand? Before our son left for his trip, we observed him and how he handled his finances. We were able to help him in his areas of weakness to ensure that he wouldn’t end up calling us and saying, “Help! I’m out of cash.”

As we teach our children in Sunday school, children’s church, and midweek programs, we need to watch them and identify the varying gifts God has given each of them. As you worship, note those who seem to easily enter into praise. Notice which ones rise to the occasion as leaders. Observe children with mercy and grace toward others. Identify kids with artistic abilities. Keep a notepad handy to record the strengths and abilities you recognize in each child. You’ll be able to use this knowledge as you provide ministry opportunities for children.

Think Outside of the Usual Church “Box.”
There are plenty of ministries in the church, but there are also opportunities throughout your community. Match children’s gifts and abilities with the opportunities you discover. Breaking out of the normal church ministries can help kids see that the Christian faith goes far beyond the four walls of the church.

3) Train Children
Do you really believe that a child can do anything you do in ministry? If not, why not? The same Holy Spirit who lives in an adult lives in a child. It isn’t a person’s age that determines abilities; it’s training. If you’ve modeled a heart for ministry and identified children’s gifts and abilities, the next step is to give children proper training.

Offer Varied Training Options
What kind of training opportunities do you have? Consider offering training for children during your weekend or midweek services. Lead children with musical talents in a worship-team practice, choir rehearsal, or band rehearsal. Invite children with teaching gifts to come to your teacher-training classes. Offer Sunday school classes on drama, puppetry, and other creative arts.

Randy Turner, associate pastor at Trinity Church in Lubbock, Texas, gives an example of how his children’s ministry staff has trained children to pray. “How do we train? First we lead by example. Next we walk beside them, helping them to know how to pray. Then we release them to do the ministry. In a prayer time recently, we prayed for children struggling in school. We called for the oldest group to come forward—in our case, the sixth-graders. The leaders prayed for them and then we asked them to pray for the fifth-graders. The fifth-graders prayed for the fourth-graders, and so on. That very week we began to hear how God had touched some of the kids and how they had felt the Lord help them in school.”

Create Mentoring Relationships
Pair up your kids with “big church” ushers, greeters, check-in people, parking lot attendants, and other service people. This gives the kids and the adults a chance to serve in an intergenerational setting. Worship teams, choirs, bands, greeters, ushers, prayer teams, and other areas of ministry will benefit when children, youth, and adults serve side by side.

Share Your Duties
What are you doing that would make your job easier if someone else were doing it? I remember a boy named Brian who was a little more than active in our church. Instead of teachers straining to keep him calm before and after class, he became my “crayon checker.” Each week he’d go through the crayon boxes in the classrooms and determine if they needed more crayons. If so, he went to the supply room, filled the boxes, and returned them to the classroom.
Perhaps you have a Brian who needs to put his energy to work. He’ll long remember filling those crayon boxes as a positive thing, which is a much better memory than teachers getting on his case.

4) Release Them Into Ministry
Start somewhere. Perhaps it’s as simple as letting kids check other kids into classrooms during Sunday school. If you have children’s church, start with greeters and move kids toward leading your worship time or being part of the worship band if you have one. Find kids who can come early to help with setup or collecting supplies. Whatever you choose, start now.
Once you get comfortable with kids in these first-phase ministries, venture out beyond these areas. Let kids with teaching gifts help in younger kids’ classrooms. Develop a kids’ prayer team for your children’s ministry. They can either pray before or during your Sunday school or children’s church.

What’s next? Tell your senior pastor what you’ve been doing with your kids. Ask for permission to have kids participate in adult church services. Randy Turner says, “Gone are the days when only adults led children. God is using kids to lead others in worship. Not only are our kids being leaders in children’s church but in the adult services as well.”

Many pastors say our kids are the church of tomorrow. God says they’re the church of today. It’s time for us to move beyond just preparing them for ministry tomorrow; we must prepare them for ministry today. Fortunately most churches have moved beyond the child-care-only level. Yet it’s time for us to move from creating spectator Christians to releasing participating Christians.

Several years ago my son, who took the trip to England, made a profound comment about my children’s ministry that he’d experienced as a child. He commented that we had a great children’s church, interesting Sunday school, and great summer activities. “Even though we came from a big church with lots of cool stuff, and you were a great children’s pastor,” he said, “you rarely let us participate in ministry. We weren’t sure how to get involved as we got older.”

From that point on, his statement challenged me to change my ministry style. I realize that kids who serve while they’re young will most likely become adults who serve when they’re older.

The church of tomorrow starts with our kids today. Take the time to identify the gifts and abilities within your kids as you lead them. Give them proper training that’ll release them into ministry. Then the Apostle Paul’s statement to Timothy will also ring true in their lives: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity”— 1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV).

Now what?

How are you going to let kids be the church? An easy entry point is MEGA Ministry Camp.

With MMC, Kids See What Ministry Is All About…
Five exciting session show kids what the Bible says about ministry. Ultimately, MMC helps kids grow into adult Christians who know how to minister.

Kids Get Involved…
Through hands-on Life and Ministry Skills, kids try out creative ways to serve others: things like cooking, drama, and cardmaking. More importantly, your kids discover God can use any talent they have to serve others now!

MMC Is Great For…
• VBS alternative
• After school

Plus, get a special deal through February 28, 2009! Click here to learn more.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Train Kids Early!

2009-01-07T16:15:00.003-06:00

Read a report on MarketingVOX today that said 1 in 5 teens sends sexually explicit pics over the 'Net and even more send explicit emails and texts. I realize this is dealing with teens, but those 13 year olds just left childrens ministry. What are you doing to address these current issues? Please see our other posts on training kids and parents on how to use the Internet appropriately! Start them young!

See the full post here. It's sad.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-09T11:13:00.001-06:00

Need a fun little break from your hectic holiday whirlwind? Here's some kids from Central Assembly playing Angels We Have Heard On High for your listening pleasure. The coolest part about this is the kids have never played handbells before today! I realize that you could claim I'm not being truthful or that we have done fifty takes, but I promise you that the leader will need more practice flipping the cards at the right time than the kids will need to play the songs! You can see from the concentration on their faces that this is new to them and they are trying to get it right. How cute! If you'd like to learn more about Handbells, visit www.gph.org/handbells. You'll find another demonstration video, song lists for each kit (there's lots more than just Christmas music), and ordering information.

If you need a last minute idea for involving kids in your Christmas program, this is it!!

89% of Kids are Computer Savvy

2008-11-19T15:16:00.003-06:00

In terms of Internet use, 89% of all kids age 6-11 use online computer services. Among this group of kids, the top activities are:
Playing games
Doing research for homework
Listening to or downloading music
Visiting the websites of favorite cable networks including Disney, Nikelodeon and Cartoon Network. This is particularly true for older kids.
Kids age 10-11 are also more likely than younger kids to be socializing
online through email, instant messaging or blogs. Members of this demographic
are also starting to visit myspace.com and use search engines at much higher
rates than younger kids.

89%! Wow! Need some tips on training kids and parents on how to use the
Internet wisely and safely? Check out my older posts.

Click here to read the full article.

As reported on MarketingCharts.com 11/19/08

MEGA Sports Camp Themes!

2008-11-07T15:04:00.006-06:00

Never heard of MEGA Sports Camp? It's an easy, do-it-yourself outreach for your community that has been a huge success in churches and communities everywhere. To learn more, visit http://www.megasportscamp.com/.

Check out what other users have said and post your own testimony if you've used MSC before!

Don from Boise, Idaho

I am not really athletic and I was a bit apprehensive about that, but I was able to recruit passionate sports nuts who took the reigns in their areas of expertise and that left me the opportunity to teach during the half-time assembly.

Get into your community and invite families that are not connected to any church. This is probably the best opportunity for large scale evangelism that I have seen with kids.

Melody from Sun City, Arizona

Seeing these children returning every day, excited about the sports and happy to receive the love of Christ through us was my favorite memory. For these little ones, it is a rough world, and the consistent care of Jesus was a promising message for them.

Unforgettable Christmas Programs—Just Add Families!

2008-09-16T00:00:00.002-05:00

By Julie Horner

1. Keep it simple
Because the holidays are so busy, parents really appreciate programs that don’t take a lot of extra time. That’s why programs like Double Take! by Dennis Hartin are a great choice. Written in three acts with only a few actors appearing in more than one scene means the three sections can practice separately or simultaneously.

Choosing to focus on sharing the message more than producing a perfect performance can ease the stress too. Even the most practiced young (and old!) actors can freeze during the show, so I often hide lines in scrolls and other props. Letting kids sing along to recorded songs rather than background tracks takes the stress out of remembering all the words when staring at an audience-filled room. Plus I always remind the audience that kids are trying out new talents and ministry, not presenting apolished performance.

Probably the easiest WOW is Handbells. A guaranteed crowd pleaser, these simple instruments require just a little practice for the note card-flipping conductor and only a run through or two for the kids. I’ve had success with two year olds (paired with an older partner) as well as letting the kids choose a partner straight out of the audience, which is a great and unexpected way to get families involved. To learn more about Handbells, click here.

2. Involve “kids” of all ages
Stretching the cast to include more than kids makes the program great for families. This year with Double Take!, I’ll invite two talented teens and their families to lead the Matthew and Luke perspectives. As they reach out and include their parents and grandparents as well as their friends, the Christmas program will make a fun holiday memoryfor everyone.

Last year I divided the Christmas program into three scenes (Mary and Joseph, the Shepherds, and the Wisemen). Two scenes were led by kids and their families, and they had a great time interpreting the story in creative ways. The shepherd scene was coordinated by the youth pastor and presented by the youth group. I’m still not sure how Michael the archangel morphed into a moon walking rock star, but it definitely made the program unforgettable for everyone!

3. Add an unforgettable element
The moon-walking angel might be hard to top, but I enjoy the challenge of keeping the audience guessing. Jeopardy-playing wisemen and telling the story backwards are a few ways Hartin has spiced up the story in previous programs. Singing YMCA rewritten as Worship the K-I-N-G surprised the audience another year. An unexpected benefit of mixing in modern elements is how it pleasantly surprises the non-churched family members who attend the performance. And that leads to the most important unforgettable part of all—the salvation message. Because the actors often invite friends and family members, I always weave in the purpose of Jesus’ birth somewhere. Closing with hints of the Easter story or adding a simple invitation for salvation are the best ways of all to retell the most life-changing story in an unforgettable way.

©2008 by Gospel Publishing House. All rights reserved. Permission to duplicate for local church use only.

Guitar Praise: Guitar Hero for Christian Music

2008-08-29T11:03:00.005-05:00

Following on the heels of the Christian Dance Dance Revolution knock-off Dance Praise comes Guitar Praise: Solid Rock, also from the company Digital Praise, whose motto is "glorifying god through interactive media."

The game comes with a wireless guitar controller and a CD-ROM to let Christian shredders rock along to 50 religious tracks including dc Talk's "Jesus Freak," Bride's "Same Ol' Sinner" and Spur 58's "Sleepwalkers."
According to the game's description, "onscreen lyrics reflect Christian values (so that)
vocalists can sing their hearts out as their friends play the guitar." As with Guitar Hero, players unlock new guitars and sounds as they progress through the game.

Guitar Praise ($100), slated for a mid-September release, will be playable on Macs or PCs, and two guitars (additional one costs $70) can be connected simultaneously for tandem jams on guitar and bass.

Article courtsey Wired.com Written by Eliot Van Buskirk August 29, 2008 9:11:38 AM

We are working on getting Guitar Praise at GPH, but we do have Dance Praise! Buy it here.

Have you tried either? Did you buy Guitar Hero for your kids, or do you not allow it at your church/home? I want to hear from you!

WSJ Reports on Dangers for Kids in Cyberspace

2008-08-22T09:53:00.007-05:00

Do we know what our kids are doing online? New research from the Rochester Institute of Technology suggests that we don’t—not really. The study, which looked at the habits of 40,000 kids in K-12th grade, outlines a number of surprising trends.

One of the biggest misconceptions, according to lead researcher Sam McQuade, of the RIT’s Center for Multidisciplinary Studies in Rochester, N.Y., is that the main risk to kids is adult sexual predators lurking in chat rooms. In reality, he says, the majority of “cyber offenses” are perpetrated by the kids’ peers. “Today’s paradigm is kids exploiting kids online,” said Dr. McQuade at a panel discussion this week in New York.
The study found that 48% of K-1st grade children interact with people online, and that so-called “cyberbullying” (where kids are mean to one another via instant messaging, email and such) starts as early as the 2nd grade. It might be hard to imagine how kids that young get exposed to that kind of interaction, but if they are playing Webkinz or other games on a parent’s or older sibling’s computer, the possibility exists.
Dr. McQuade says the research—which was funded in part by Symantec Corp., maker of Norton computer-security products—shows that parents cannot just “rely on echnological fixes,” such as porn-blocking software, to police kids’ online activities. The growth of mobile technology such as Web-enabled cellphones means that children can get online anywhere (with a friend’s device, if they don’t have one of their own).
Vanessa Van Petten, a young woman on the panel who authored a book and writes a blog about teen-parent relationships, says that simply banning computers isn’t practical, and advises parents to teach kids skills to handle the online world. It’s “just as important as the sex talk,” she said.

Do parents in your ministry realize how easily it is for kids to access the web? Do they realize the line is blurring between online and offline worlds? If you haven't already, check out some earlier posts on Internet Safety for tips on training parents.

Article courtsey of Wall Street Journal 8.22.08

Facebook: BusinessWeek Says You Should "Get On It!"

2008-08-15T13:02:00.005-05:00

We resisted for as long as we could. We, of course, being those late adopters to social networking who wondered why there was so much fuss over Facebook. How could those kids spend so many hours on the social network? Why don't they just call or send an e-mail?

In the beginning, we logged on to make sure our children's profiles were not riddled with facts and photos that would prevent them from ever holding an elected office. Click here to keep reading...

While Facebook may not be the best way to communicate with kids in your ministry, it's a great way to network with other children's leaders, volunteers, and other members of your church.

What are your thoughts about Facebook? Leave comments below, plus vote in the poll to the right!

Reaching Charlotte with MEGA Sports Camp

2008-08-07T10:41:00.004-05:00

Thousands of students from the Assemblies of God are in Charlotte, N.C., this week for a major youth convention, hoping to be "led by fire" and to go back to their homes without extinguishing that flame...

...As for reaching out to Charlotte, Ambassadors in Mission is partnering with MEGA Sports Camp to use sports as an evangelism and discipleship tool to reach out to the city.

"Traditional church outreaches are not always the most effective in today’s youth culture," said Jim Wellborn, national AIM liaison. "The training and curriculum provided by Mega Sports will greatly benefit the city of Charlotte while also giving our students the experience and confidence to bring similar, relevant outreaches back home to their local communities."

Want to use MEGA Sports Camp in your community? Check it out now.

Click here to read the full article.

Where's the Respect?

2008-07-15T11:01:00.001-05:00

As I passed by a Sunday morning kindergarten classroom a few weeks ago, I overheard a frustrated volunteer negotiating with a 5-year-old boy to join the rest of the class for the Bible story. As the boy ran in circles around the other children, the volunteer kindly asked him again to please join the group. I stopped to watch his response as he walked over to his classroom leader, stared her directly in the face, and shouted, “You can’t make me! You’re not the boss of me!”

“R-E-S-P-E-C-T,” the song made famous by Aretha Franklin, has become a favorite tune for many—and a battle cry for many adults who work with today’s children. From the school classroom to the local athletic field to the weekend children’s ministry program—today’s kids have gained the unpleasant reputation of being disrespectful. And adults aren’t the only targets of disrespect—kids lack respect for property, each other, even themselves. Why is a lack of respect one of the biggest problems among kids today?

What They See Is What You Get
Flip the channels of your television and you’ll get a glimpse of how respect is modeled via the media. Whether it’s prime-time sitcoms, cartoons, or a movie on the big screen—kids are viewing programming that encourages them to be less respectful of others. Music and video games can also lay a foundation of disrespect and hostile behavior, especially when there’s a lack of guidance and discussion about appropriate behaviors at home.

Good Intentions Out of Control
In an eagerness to raise independent children—those who think for themselves rather than bow to the demands of others—many adults have stopped disciplining children for being disrespectful.
Resistance to exercise authority for fear of stifling a child’s independent nature has bred children who display a lack of honor to individuals in a position of authority. Today’s kids often believe they’re on the same level as adults and have a right to know the reason behind adult decisions; they argue against every decision made that doesn’t meet their expectations. In a desperate attempt to be liked by their children, many parents compromise their parental role to be their child’s “buddy.”

“Children Learn What They Live”
This poem displayed in many schools and physicians’ offices is all too true when it comes to the virtue of respect. Attend a youth soccer game and watch parents who yell at the referees or chew out the coach when their child doesn’t get enough time on the field. Or listen to the mom who intimidates a teacher in front of others regarding her son’s reading progress or the dad who explodes at his daughter in front of her friends for being late. Despite the outside influences, the bottom line is that many kids today lack a positive model for respect at home. The “Do as I say, not as I do” method may sound good in theory, but the reality is that kids are watching their parents carefully as they model the behavior of the people who have the most influence in their lives.

Cultivating Respect in a Field of Rudeness
Can the church plant seeds of respect in children and expect those seeds to grow when they aren’t being properly tended at home? The question is one of faith. Will God honor the values we teach? Will God instill those values on the hearts of the kids—that one day they may be a positive model of respect for others? Learning respect is an integral part of healthy child development, and it’s never too late to start instilling this virtue in the children who walk through your doors each week. Here’s how.

• Be a role model. Many kids in your ministry may not have a healthy model of respect at home. But if you treat children with respect, you’re teaching them to respect others. Facilitate respect by having kids make cards for others who are sick, saying “thank you” when someone offers help in class, or acknowledging people when they show kindness to another. Talk to kids in a kind tone—even when disciplining a child, your tone can be confident without yelling. Kids will learn more from our behavior than from our lectures.

• Set the ground rules. Kids need boundaries to feel safe and secure in their environments. Boundaries and simple rules lay the foundation for what will and won’t be tolerated. Kids respect adults with rules that are fair, and it often helps to let kids have a say in what rules they’re expected to follow. Kids who have no limits at home will have trouble with limits at church. But limits will inevitably bring comfort to children, especially when the rules are consistent and are followed through with love.

• Create immediate consequences. Kids need to know the consequences for disrespect and that you’ll follow through. If possible, make the consequence logical to the offense. For example, if a child makes a rude comment about another child, have him write an apology and include at least two positive comments about the child he offended. Sometimes a reminder of the Golden Rule followed by discussion is consequence enough—“Sally, would you appreciate it if I made that rude comment to you?” Or have a child who’s been disrespectful to you explain his actions to his parents when they arrive to pick him up. This will not only acknowledge to them that there was a problem, but it can also be a teachable moment in assisting families with communication. When a child displays disrespect for property such as deliberately smashing crackers into the floor, have the child clean and vacuum the room at the end of class.

• Name rude behavior. With the vast array of messages children receive, they may genuinely be unaware that their words or behavior are inappropriate. Respond to inappropriate behavior with comments such as, “Jacob the tone you just used was disrespectful and is not acceptable in this room.” In the same manner, give praise when kids display respect to others: “Ashley, thank you for waiting to talk until I was finished. That was respectful of you!”

• Help kids look in God’s mirror. It’s amazing how many young children display behaviors that are disrespectful to themselves. Even preteens are experimenting with behaviors such as cutting themselves, binge eating or anorexia, and inappropriate Internet chatting. If children can’t show respect to themselves, they’ll definitely have difficulty showing respect to others. Tell kids that they’re created in God’s image and that God loves them unconditionally. Helping kids respect themselves is the first step toward respecting others.

• Help respect bloom at home. Children’s ministers have an hour, sometimes two, to influence a child’s behavior each week. Parents have a greater amount of time to model respect for their children during the week. Remind parents of the important role they play in developing positive behavior traits in children. Help parents learn how to instill values in their children that’ll last a lifetime. Provide materials with activities and devotions that families can do together. Offer parenting classes that teach parents the importance of being a respectful role model for their children. Lead a worship service designed for families that teaches kids and parents together the importance of respect, as well as other positive values that are important to a child’s development.

Respect is a character trait that should be foundational for children as they grow and mature. Letting kids get away with inappropriate behavior will only breed more of the same, but kids will typically demonstrate as much respect as we ask of them. In a world where respect is rarely modeled for kids today, it’s essential that we do all we can to instill this value in the lives of the children we minister to each week.
By: Carmen Kamrath Reprinted with permission, By Children’s Ministry Magazine, Copyright 2008, Group Publishing Inc.,PO Box 481 Loveland, CO 80538

Need help teaching respect to your kids? Try HighPoint's Respect kit. Click here to learn more!

Sports to cure summertime boredom

2008-07-08T15:35:00.001-05:00

A church gets kids involved and active this summer through sports.

By Marqui Mapp
Monday, July 07, 2008 at 3:54 p.m.

ISHPEMING -- Getting active is an understatement at the Good News Assembly of God's third annual Mega Sports Camp in Ishpeming.

At just $5 a week, kids can learn basketball, cheerleading, soccer, volleyball or even football from 9 a.m. to noon this week, but many see it as a two-for-one deal.

"It's a good way to learn about Jesus and get some exercise,” said 11-year-old soccer participant Jesse Laurin.

The camp has now hit a record high of over 200 kindergarten through sixth graders participating this year. The pastor overseeing the camp, Robby Gitzel, says the growth is also due to the lack of summertime activities for children. "It's a way for kids to come out and learn a sport and get them involved in doing something besides sleeping at home."

The children agree wholeheartedly.

"It's really cool because sometimes people just don't know what to do. They just sit around at their house, and that's what I used to do before I started the Mega Sports Camp,” said three-time participant, Lacora Bluebird-Roy, age 10.

Origianl post: http://wluctv6.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=155961

Confessions of HighPoint User

2008-06-26T13:59:00.006-05:00

Here is a picture sent in by Hannah East. Hannah is the Children's Pastor of Westside A/G in Jacksonville, FL. We interviewed Hannah about her use of HP:

1. How easy or difficult was it to use HighPoint material? At first glance, I was overwhelmed by the Highpoint curriculum, but after walking through the first lesson, I was immediately hooked. My volunteers are able to follow along because the set up stays the same regardless of the topic.

2. What have been some of the results of your using HP? The kids are always excited to come back every week because of the travel theme and the characters. I am always being asked which country we are going to on Sunday and which character will be visiting us. Also, I feel like the kids really learning because The Point is continually reinforced throughout the five weeks.

3. How easy was it to set up and prepare Teachers? Helpers?Compared to the other curriculums I have used, HighPoint is very easy to set up. I can prepare for a Sunday morning service in less than 3 hours. HighPoint also makes it very easy to prepare the volunteer staff. They do not have to spend absorbent amounts of time studying and they are able to spend more time focusing on the needs of the kids.

Have I Convinced You Yet?

2008-06-11T10:04:00.005-05:00

Kids, Teens Consume More Online Video than Adults (at Home)

Per person, kids consumed more video streams than those over 18 and spent more time watching online video from home in April, according to (pdf) Nielsen Online: Kids 2-11 viewed 51 streams and 118 minutes per person; teens 12-17 viewed 74 streams and 132 minute.

Those over 18 viewed, on average, 44 streams and 99 minutes of online video, Nielsen Online said.

Below, additional findings issued by Nielsen.

Kids’ Top 10 Online Video Destinations - by Composition
Kids’ online-video interests mirror their offline interests. Younger children gravitate toward sites associated with well-known children’s toys and TV programming, while teens go online to watch music videos, movie trailers and clips of other visitors.

Disney Records led online video destinations among kids 2-11 when ranked by unique viewer composition percentage, with 50% (i.e., half of the site’s unique viewers were age 2-11); EverythingGirl.com and MyePets followed with 48% each:

Stickam was the top online video destination among teens 12-17, with 44%, followed by Buzznet.com and Atlantic Records, with 43% each. “Today’s youth don’t know - or don’t remember - a time when they weren’t going online, so their adoption of online video has been seamless,” said Michael Pond, senior media analyst, Nielsen Online.

“The Web provides another platform for their interest in TV shows, toys, movies and music, and offers an interactive element that children especially enjoy. Among the top sites for the younger demographic we see publishers that are integrating video into games, music and other content to drive engagement with this multi-media generation,” Pond added.

Kids’ Top 10 Online Video Destinations - by Audience Size
YouTube was by far the most-popular video side among kids 2-11 as well as teens-12-17 in April, but there little overlap otherwise among the two age groups’ preferred sites:

The Disney Channel and Google Video sites were the only other ones to make both top 10 lists.

Article courtesy: Marketing Charts and Neilson Online http://www.marketingcharts.com

How You Can Train Parents and Kids

2008-06-10T00:01:00.004-05:00

As a children’s leader, here are 3 great ways YOU can train both parents and kids in your ministry!

Host an FAQ Night for Parents
(That’s Frequently Asked Questions.) Have parents submit questions in advance, and ask your friendly techie (or teenager) to spend an evening answering them. Based on the questions, an informative presentation could be easily compiled, with demonstrations and examples.

Teach Internet Safety in Your Ministry
Reinforce at church what parents are trying to teach their kids at home. We’ve made it easy for you to teach Internet safety during any HighPoint kit with a FREE Hub Time lesson that focuses on making good choices on the Internet. Download it here! Use it with any HighPoint kit--we suggest kits like Everyday Choices, Responsibility, or Truth & Consequences. Don't forget to download the parent letter as well, so parents know what you have been disussing and what they need to discuss at home!

Another great tool to try is NetSmartz®. Age-appropriate, kid-friendly presentations teach about possible dangers while acknowledging the Internet’s usefulness and fun. Visit http://www.netsmartz.org/.

NetConnect: Start a Small Group for Parents About the Internet
It’s a great way to connect parents struggling with similar questions. Use a book such as Internet Protect Your Kids to equip parents.

Do you teach Internet safety in your ministry already? What methods do you use? What works? What doesn't?

What Kids Really Do Online (Despite What Parents Think)

2008-06-04T11:03:00.002-05:00

(courtesy www.marketingvox.com)

Parents and leaders, prepare yourselves now!

US moms and dads estimate their children spend only two hours a month on the Internet, but kids say they actually spend 10 times more time — or 20 hours — according to a recent study, the first Norton Online Living Report by Symantec (via MarketingCharts).
What's more, 41 percent of respondents age 13-17 say their parents have no idea what they do online, and only 33 percent of parents worldwide say they set parental controls and monitor their children's online activities.
Conducted by Harris Interactive, the study sheds light on what kids are really doing when they log on:

Making friends. About a third (35 percent) of US online children age 8-17 have made friends online. That percentage increases as kids get older: 50 percent of US teens age 13-17 report making online friends. Some 33 percent of kids 8-17 report that they prefer to spend at least as much time with their online friends as their offline friends.

Social-networking. More than three fourths (76 percent) of US teens age 13-17 "constantly," "frequently" or "sometimes" visit social-networking sites. Worldwide, about half of boys (51 percent) and girls (48 percent) do so.

Shopping. About one in three US children (35 percent) report being "very confident" or "confident" in shopping online. That number is 69 percent among children in China.
Fielding requests for personal information. About four in 10 (42 percent) US teens age 13-17 say they have received an online request for personal information.

Being approached by strangers. Though US adults estimate that 6 percent of their children have been approached online by a stranger, 16 percent of US children report being approached.

Click here to read more...

The Day My Dad Learned to Text

2008-06-03T12:14:00.001-05:00

I'll never forget the day my dad learned to text. I was sitting in class and felt my phone vibrate. There weren't many people texting those days (circa 2003), so when I saw it was a text message from my dad, I was impressed. He was just trying it out, but when he figured out he could send me little messages any time of day, even when I was in class, he started using it more often, usually just to tell me he loved me or was proud of me. Some day in the future it's likely no one will ever text anymore, but I will always remember my dad learning how to do that for me. Good thing he did--it's the ONLY way to communicate with my brother right now!

I admit, I was in college when that happened, but the same concept still applies to your kids. Sure, sticking a note in their lunch box is great, but what about an email, text, or a funny video on YouTube that they would appreciate? Young kids with cell phones and email addresses is reality. How do you use technology to communicate with kids? Are you willing to learn?

High-Tech Family Bonding -- Part 3: Seven Essentials to Keep Kids Safe Online

2008-06-03T00:01:00.005-05:00

Essential #5: Dialogue About the Issues
Plenty of stories are in the news about people who abused the Internet and got into serious trouble. You might share some of those stories with your kids. Also, children need to understand the dangers, so have conversations about your concerns. Don’t make the whole dialogue negative however. There are plenty of positive ways to take advantage of the Internet. Discuss those with your kids as well.

Leader Tip: Having your own ministry website is a great way to direct kids to fun, safe things to do on the Internet. Get step-by-step instructions for setting one up right here--just scroll down the page!

Essential #6: Use Technology to Build Relationship With Your Kids
Sending email to your children can open dialogue that you might not have otherwise. The same is true for using text messages on a cell phone. Kids today love to communicate using technology. You can join in the communication by understanding how the various tools work and then using them to interact with your kids. Keep in mind though, that technology can’t take the place of personal face-to-face contact with your children. Take your child out for ice cream or sit on the couch and talk. The Internet has a lot of advantages in our society, but nothing takes the place of spending time together.

Leader Tip: Send out a weekly email to the kids in your ministry reminding them of upcoming events, the week’s memory verse—even invite them to respond with questions or ways they are applying the week’s lesson.

Do you have a ministry website? Do you communicate with your kids via email? Would you be willing to give it a try? Leave comments!

Customing the Page Header

2008-05-30T10:55:00.003-05:00

In case you were wondering, here's how to customize the header of your blog. First, you need to create an image for that space that is as close to the exact size that you need as possible. The only tricky part of that is that you need to measure in pixels. Because different templates have different sized headers, I can't say for sure how large your should be, but if it helps, the one here is 770 x 150.

Once you have your image created, you're ready to go. Hit the "customize" link and go to the Edit Layout page. You'll see the boxes that represent the pieces of your site below. Choose "edit" under theh "Page Header" box. The screen will give you the option to upload an image. Choose "browse" and find the image you created. Under "Placement," choose "Instead of title and description."

Hit "save changes."

That is all it takes--but I would guess that it might take some tweaking to get it exactly the size you want it (sure did me!). All you need to do is edit your original image file and then follow the steps again.

Hope that helps! And again, different templates may do things a little bit different, so it might be hard to get it perfect. You might try adding a border to your image that is the same color as the background of the site so if it isn't perfect, it will still blend in. Leave suggestions if you have any!

Part 2: Seven Essentials to Keep Kids Safe Online

2008-05-27T00:01:00.007-05:00

Essential #3: Install a Filter or Some Other Safeguard Program
Filters provide the safeguard of preventing access to offensive sites. Most filters allow you to choose the degree of filtering based on the age of the child. Install the filter and make sure that it is not being violated with some kind of technological work around.

Leader Tip: The National Center for Biblical Parenting offers a unique Internet protection program that functions differently than a filter and is very safe for kids. Click here to check out Noah’s Internet for more info.

Essential #4: Set Up Family Computer Rules
The needs, age, development, character, and maturity of each child should be taken into account as you set up guidelines for computer use. Some children shouldn’t be on the computer at all because they aren’t responsible enough to handle it. This doesn’t just involve visiting forbidden sites but also means wasting time or being consumed by particular games or entertainment. Computer addiction can start very young, so setting firm limits is essential for balance in a child’s life. Set up appropriate boundaries for your children and a system for monitoring them. Some computer safety programs have built-in timers that allow parents to set limits on a child’s computer time. Be ready to adjust the boundaries and guidelines based on a number of factors. If the child is not being responsible in other areas of family life, is getting poor grades, or is developing some attitude issues, computer time may need to be reduced.

Leader Tip: Click here to download the Family Internet Contract to share with parents. This will help parents establish ground rules about what is and isn't acceptable with regards to the Internet.

Do you use filters on computers at church? At home? Do you have kids who are already addicted to the Internet? Leave comments!

Seven Essentials to Keep Kids Safe Online, Part 1

2008-05-20T00:01:00.009-05:00

Essential #1: Put the Computer in a Public Place
Children should not have private access to the Internet. The computer should be kept in a place where Mom or Dad can walk by and see what’s going on. Privacy is a privilege, not a right. Children on the Internet are faced with new and challenging temptations, so close monitoring is essential. Parents should be able to read email and review sites the child has visited. Keep in mind that in this age of wireless Internet access, a child with a computer in a bedroom may have access to the Internet through the neighbor’s system.

Essential #2: Establish Accountability
Kids need to know that what they are doing on the computer is being watched. It’s amazing how easily kids will say things through their fingers that they wouldn’t consider saying in person. Foul language and explicit discussion about sex are prevalent in online dialogue between young people today. Look at the history of the sites your kids have visited. If they’re erasing their history, you can assume something is wrong and take action accordingly. Read the emails they receive and send. You don’t have to do this secretly. Your child should know accountability is required for Internet use. If you’re not savvy with a computer, have a friend check the computer for you.

Leader Tip: While you can’t go around checking the computers of the kids in your ministry, you can keep your ears open for what kids are talking about. Hearing what kids are doing will help you determine where kids and parents need more education.

So what are your kids talking about? Are you already hearing discussions about things they do on the Internet? What websites are they interested in? Do you see the Internet as a danger for kids? Leave comments and questions--we can help each other.

To read part 2, click here.

Getting Started: How to Create Your Own Children's Ministry Website

2008-04-14T14:13:00.004-05:00

Think you can't do this? Hardly! I am going to blog step by step through my creation of this page and show you how to do exactly this for your ministry. Don't worry, you won't break anything. First things first, sign up! Just hit the "Create Blog" button in the top right hand corner of the page. (NOTE: you may want to open this page in another window or tab so you can refer back to it if you have any questions.) Blogger is now owned by Google, so if you already have a Google account, you can go ahead and sign in with that information. If not, hit the orange arrow and create an account. Your account will also allow you to use other Google services like Calendar, which you can then add to your blogger page...but now I'm getting ahead of myself. First things first.

VBS 2008 Preview: MEGA Sports Camp

2008-01-11T13:25:00.001-06:00

This summer we're knocking VBS out of the park! Watch the video for a preview of the fun to come!

This is an example of how you can use video on your website. To add a video, just begin a new post (click "new post" in the upper right-hand corner) and click the video button (see picture). A window will pop up prompting you to choose a file to upload. Click "Browse" and locate the video file on your computer. Then give the video a title and click "ok." That's it. It will take a few minutes to upload, so be patient, but once it does you can move it around in your post--or post only the video--it's up to you!

Want to learn more about MEGA Sports Camp? Visit MEGASportsCamp.com!

What Do You Think?

2008-01-10T15:45:00.000-06:00

What do you think about all of this "Wired" stuff? About using Blogger (or other blog) as a ministry website? If you chose to try it, how did it go? If you chose not to, why?

Hi, my name is Betsy. The use of technology to draw people of any age closer to Christ is a must do IMHO (that's In My Humble Opinion). I hope this project helps you do that in some way. Please leave comments, feedback, and maybe even some questions. I would love to hear what you have done to wire your ministry and I'm sure other readers will benefit as well!

Using Google Calendar

2008-01-09T12:56:00.001-06:00

The calendar you see on the page is powered by Google Calendar. Now that you have a Google account, you can also create a calendar and embed it into your site. How? Let me walk you through it.

1) Create a calendar.
Visit calendar.google.com to create your ministry calendar. Sign in with your blogger username and password and voila, you're in!

2) Share the Calendar
To embed the calendar on another site, you must enable it to be shared. To do this, locate the small arrow next to the calendar name on the lower left corner of the page. Click on the arrow to drop down a menu and choose "Share this Calendar." In the center of the page choose "Share all information on this calendar with everyone." Please note, this will allow the calendar to be searched by Google, so I don't recommend posting personal phone numbers to events--try email addresses if contact information is needed for an event. Lost? Check out the screen shot--just click to enlarge.

3) Add events
Now you can start adding events. Let's say you want to add your Wednesday night program. Just click on a Wednesday, and fill out the information. You can choose to have the information repeat weekly and just go back and delete individual nights off as they come (like Christmas). TIP: In my experimenting I have found that adding an "all day" event adds a nice color bar, while adding a time to the event only adds the event in text (like the Sunday Leadership meetings above). I believe the color bar grabs attention better, so I create a short title, make it an "all day" event and just include the time in the description. As you can see by my example at the top of this page just clicking on the color bar pops up the details. But it's up to you--do what you like!

4) Additional options
Google calendar allows for you to manage multiple calendars in one. Why would you need that? Let's say you have age groups with separate events and schedules, or you'd like to keep your leadership notified of upcoming meetings. To create a second calendar, click on the "Add" button on the left side of the page (see screen shot). Name the calendar, change the shared settings as above, and begin adding events.

Well, that's it for setting up Google calendar. Next post: embedding the calendar in blogger.

Adding Google Calendar to Blogger

2008-01-07T14:42:00.001-06:00

Adding Google calendar to Blogger is not as hard as you might think. I just figured out how to do it today so I could tell you! Follow these steps and you will be in business. I tried to include screen shots every step of the way, so click the picture to see examples!

1) Prepare Blogger
From your main blog page, hit "customize" in the upper right hand corner. That will bring you some options. Make sure the "Template" tab at the top left is selected. You'll see a basic page layout with the option to "add page element" at the bottom of the large column AND at the top of the right column. The calendar, due to its size, works best in the large column; however, we'll be learning how to add elements in the sidebar later, so note the location of the link.

Click on "add page element" at the bottom of the page and it will bring up some options to add. Take a second to look at some of the cool things you can add--pictures, surveys, videos, lists, etc. More on those later. Click the "add to blog" button under "HTML/JavaScript."

A simple window will open. Stop there. We need to open Google in a new tab or window and get the information for the box. On to Step 2!

2) Prepare Google Calendar
Open Google Calendar in a new window or tab. Locate the calendar box in the lower left hand corner (see screen shot). Click on the down arrow of the calendar you wish to add to blogger (if it's more than one, we'll get the other later) and choose "calendar settings."

On the calendar settings, you will see the "Embed This Calendar" option. Click the blue link that reads "customize the color, size..." It will open a new window.

3) Format the Calendar
This may look a little scary at first, but you can do it! All of the settings are on the picture from the example on this blog. Feel free to play around with the settings, though. You won't break anything and you can always close the window and go through step two again. Your actual calendar will not change.

Once you're happy with how it looks, choose the "update html" button. Then select all of the text in the box and choose "copy." Now head back to that blank box in Blogger--that's where we're pasting the code!

4) Adding Calendar to Blogger
Back to Blogger. Remember that empty window waiting for some code? Now you've got it. Paste it into the box, add a title, and hit "Save changes."

5) Moving the Calendar
Your calendar is at the bottom of your page now! Nice job! Told you you could do it! Now you might want the calendar at the top, like the example. It's very easy to do (cake compared to what you've accomplished today)! Go back to the template page (see step 1 if you forgot how to get there). There should now be a box representing the calendar (titled whatever you called your calendar). Click and hold on the box and drag it above the "blog posts" box. It is possible to drag it higher if you want it there, but if you do that by mistake, just drag it back down.

Congratulations! You did it! From here on out it should be easier. Nice job!

PacMan

2008-01-04T16:15:00.001-06:00

Who says you can't have games on your site! Widgetbox has tons of things (aka widgets) that can be added to your blog for fun. And doing so is simple--visit their site and find a widget that you like. Decide which column you want it located in, adjust the size accordingly by changing the height and width, and choose "Get Widget." Choose the site that you want to add the widget to (in our case, Blogger) and it prepares the widget. All that is left now is to hit "install" and confirm with Blogger that you want to add the widget.

Once it is added to Blogger you can choose to move its location on the page by dragging it around on the template page.

**please note that we do not endorse Widgetbox.com nor any of its widgets.

Creating a Slideshow

2008-01-04T13:38:00.001-06:00

Creating a slideshow is a snap using another great (free!) Google tool, Picasa. (But other things like Flickr can be used.) Visit http://picasa.google.com// and download the program. Use the same username and password that you use for Blogger. Keep in mind if you already use Picasa for personal use, you can link to that instead.

Once Picasa is installed (follow the prompts) it will ask if you want it to search your computer for pictures. Go ahead and click yes. This will allow you to easily access any pictures on your computer through Picasa. Don't have any pictures you would want on your blog uploaded to your computer yet? No problem. Anytime you add images to your computer, Picasa will automatically detect them.

Alright, you've got Picasa full of pictures (hopefully ones you can use). You can do quite a bit of editing in Picasa, so be sure to play around with those features. But for now, we'll focus on adding the images to Blogger. To do that, you need to put images in your online web album. Select an image (or entire folder) that you want to use on your blog--just click on the picture. At the bottom of the screen you'll see the web album button (shown at right). Click on the button and you will be asked to log into your account. Once logged in a screen will pop up asking for some information. See my example if you have any questions. Keep in mind your first album will be a new one. Should you want to add images to the slideshow later, choose “Add to an existing web album” and you can select the album name from the “Album Title” box.

Now your pictures are online--we just need to get them into Blogger. Head back to your Blogger page, choose "customize" and on the "template, page elements" page choose "add a new element." Select "slideshow." It will give you some options. Under "Source," choose "Picasa Web Albums;" under "Options" choose "Album," type in your username, and it will provide a list of albums (or the album) to choose from. Select the correct album and click save. Drag the slideshow element to the location you desire on the template page, save, and check it out. Nice job!