Great For Sleepovers

As long as those sleepovers are already a battle, why not arm the troops?
The question is, "Are these for the leaders or the children?"
The answer is, "Yes."

In addition to their regular Children's Ministry courses, CM University Online now has these individual training mods available.  They're a great, inexpensive resource for your personal use or volunteer training in smaller, easier to manage topics.  For more info you can link directly to www.cmuo.com/mods

Click here Children's Ministry University Online, for basic CMUO info from my 3-7-12 post.

Kidology is the study of kids and their world for more effective ministry to them.  www.kidology.org is a website-resource center-training tool-blog-networking-super site for Children's Ministry.  Created by Karl Bastian, a resource sharing maniac, who lives for networking and equipping people in Children's Ministry.    I've met the man and he's an awesome guy who never stops learning and never stops expanding and sharing that knowledge.  You'll never run out of stuff to find on this website.

Teacher Tip #3 "Keep Things Moving"

When it comes to teaching kids in a large group, the key is to use multiple presenters and keep things moving! The more fast-paced variety we have, the more effective we will hold their attention. If you doubt it, watch 30 min of Nickelodeon. It moves fast. There are two keys to making this happen. First, break up your lessons into 5 to 10 minute segments and minimize the transition time between those segments.  This means that everyone needs to know what they're teaching and when.  When one lesson is finishing, the next one should be waiting in the wings. There should be no more than 2 seconds of transition between any two segments. Dead time just gives little minds time to wander.  Just go up as soon as the previous segment is finished. Second, keep your lesson moving. Don’t allow dead time while you are speaking. Know what you are going to do and say, do and say it with energy, then let the next person up.  Keep things moving.

Best Bible App

If you didn't already know, YouVersion is possibly the best non-print Bible in existence.  It carries hundreds of translations, has many reading plans and features.  You can network with a community of friends to share thoughts, stay accountable, and learn from each other.  You have the ability to make notes, bookmarks, highlights, and share your findings on social networking sites.  All this and more is available online, on mobile web, Apple devices, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, Palm, Java, and Windows 8.  It's also free.  I've found it to be a great tool in my spiritual life.  I highly recommend it... as if you don't already have it.  Check it out in your mobile app store or online at www.YouVersion.com.

Puppets Part 1

Puppets are still a very useful and well-recieved tool for children's ministries... if you do them well.  Here's step 1 for the beginning puppeteer, caring for the tools of the trade.  It's hard for kids to take a puppet seriously when it looks like it's been crushed in a storage room since the '70s.

Dos And Don’ts Of Puppet Care

1. Overall, you should respect the puppets.  They are our ministry tools and cost hundreds of dollars to replace.
2. Pick up and carry puppets by the body or the neck.  Avoid grabbing the head.
3. When putting on a puppet always pull it on from the body.  Never push it onto your hand by pushing the face.
4. Don’t touch the face of the puppets.  Oils from your hands stain the face and grasping the head or face may cause damage.
5. Puppets never bite!  It destroys the mouth.
6. When changing clothes, the clothes go on and off over the soft body, never over the head.
7. Never lay puppets face down.
8. Avoid showing kids “dead” puppets.  Keep them hidden from view when not being used.
9. Carefully put puppets away in their designated areas.

Grumpy Geezer On Why We Attend Sunday School

 

Be careful who is promoting your ministries... 

If they're anything like this guy, folks may run the other way.

Children's Ministry University Online!

 

Children's Ministry University Online (CMUO) is accredited, college level, education in children's ministry for anyone who is unable to invest the time, money, and relocation involved in going off to Bible college.  ANYONE can be educated in children's ministry by some of the best experts in the field.

Click on the video for an introduction.

Click on the icon to visit the website www.cmuo.com or www.cmuniversity.org.

ChildrensMinistry.com

http://www.childrensministry.com/ 

This website has games, articles, lessons, resources, and information about subscribing to Children’s Ministry magazine.  I found it to have valuable and versatile tools.  It focuses primarily on the small scale: what happens in the classroom, teacher tips, art projects, event ideas, etc.