Training

God has given us His Word to help us remember who He is and what He has done. And within His Word, we find numerous examples of God providing all kinds of reminders for His people. When the flood waters receded, God gave Noah the rainbow as a reminder of His promise never to flood the whole world again. When God rescued the Israelites from the final plague in Egypt, He told them to remember the One who had saved them by eating the same meal on the same day every year. And when the Israelites crossed the Jordan River,...

Leadership is developed over time. Leadership can be learned by identifying gifts, strengths and abilities and then using that knowledge in practice to grow and develop as a leader. People lead from who they are, including natural abilities, values, personality, life experiences and family foundations, but leadership skills can be learned and put into practice by anyone who accepts the challenge to lead. --(Kouzes & Posner, The Leadership Challenge) Proverbs 22:6 instructs adults to “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (ESV). The church has not...

It is never too early to help children learn how to pray and provide ways for them to make their prayer life strong and meaningful. Here are some ways to engage children in prayer. Prayer Models: When Jesus’s disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, He gave them what we know today as “The Lord’s Prayer.” That prayer is a great model for teaching children how to pray. Don’t hesitate to change the wording to be more meaningful to children according to their age. Our Father who is in Heaven: God in heaven, You are the Creator of...

Over my years in children’s ministry, I have spent countless hours planning for game time. Some weeks this came with great excitement and joy around a new, attention-grabbing activity. Some weeks the last minute planning led to a game-time flop and disappointed kids. As I’ve met leaders around world, I’ve found that leading games can be a great strength and source of enjoyment for some, and a dreaded task for others. Regardless of our personal strengths and preferences, I want to point children’s ministry leaders to the PURPOSE of game time in ministry, and help them avoid what I see...

As you read the account of “The Fall” in Genesis 3, watch for the exchanges that are taking place in the conversation between the Serpent, Eve, Adam, and God. You will notice that there are a lot of questions being asked, a lot of answers being given, and several being held accountable for their actions. As we read this account of the Fall, do we see a lot of “active listening” going on? The Serpent was listening for Eve’s response to his line of questioning, Eve was listening to Serpent. Adam was listening to Eve. Adam and Eve were listening...