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Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Looking for Ideas and Inspiration?
You’ve come to the right spot! This blog is FULL of both. Just scroll down and you’ll see a loooong list of topics on the right side of the screen. Click on one that sounds helpful to you and read on. Then post a comment of your own to add to the conversation!
I’m taking a break from posting new articles for a few months as we make plans to launch a new interactive website that will take the place of this one.
Sign up here to receive the Faith Alive Newsletter and stay up to date. Or follow Faith Alive Curriculum on Facebook and Twitter.
I’m taking a break from posting new articles for a few months as we make plans to launch a new interactive website that will take the place of this one.
Sign up here to receive the Faith Alive Newsletter and stay up to date. Or follow Faith Alive Curriculum on Facebook and Twitter.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Protecting the Kids You Lead
This Valentine’s Day, show the kids and families in your community how much you love them by providing a safe place for them to grow in faith.
For Leaders
It’s a tough world for kids these days. The evening news is full of frightening accounts of domestic violence, gang activity, online predators, and clergy abuse charges. Your Walk With Me group needs to be a safe place where kids can connect with God, with each other, and with caring adults who seek the best for them. Consider these ways to make that happen.
Nip Bullying in the Bud
Help your group come up with clear guidelines for how to treat and talk to one another. Tell your kids that if anyone makes them feel uncomfortable you want to know about it.
Follow Your Church’s Safety Policy
Many churches have rules in place that limit one-to-one contact between kids and adults, or require more than one adult to be present when working with kids. These policies may seem inconvenient at times, but the effort is worthwhile to ensure the safety of kids. Guidelines also help parents and caregivers feel comfortable sending their kids to your program.
Be Prepared to Help
Sign up for church—or community—sponsored training workshops that focus on identifying symptoms of child abuse, developing awareness of abuse, reporting suspected child abuse, and understanding the dynamics of abuse. As an adult who cares, you may be the one who helps protect a kid from a dangerous situation.
Listen and RespondIf a child shares a story of abuse, listen compassionately without expressing fear, disgust, or disbelief. Offer support and let the child know you care. Reassure him that it was good that he told you and remind him that what happened was not his fault. Don’t frighten him by talking about police or medical exams; instead, simply let the kid know that other adults need to hear what happened in order to make things better.
If you hear a story of abuse or are concerned for a child’s safety, speak to the Sunday school director or a church leader immediately. Don’t doubt your instincts or second-guess the story you heard. The coordinator will help you minister to the kid and family, as well as take steps to protect the child by reporting the abuse.
For Coordinators
As the person who recruits, trains, and assigns children’s ministry volunteers, you have a significant role to play in protecting kids. Use the following tips to partner with parents, council members, and volunteers to make safety a priority in your church.
Abuse Prevention
Frequently review and update your church’s abuse prevention policies.
Provide your volunteers, and all adults in your congregation, with annual training in abuse prevention by a qualified individual.
Prayer
Trust the Lord for the protection of the kids in your program. It’s frightening to imagine that abuse could happen in your church or in the homes of kids in your ministry. But as you tweak policies and supervise volunteers, remember that God is the source of all provision and protection. Ask him not only for protection, but also for eyes to see any danger that’s there so that you can intervene to help a child in need.
Recommended Resources
Safekeeping: Session Plans for Developing Abuse Awareness in Kids is designed to equip children and youth with an awareness of abuse and to provide strategies to deal with potentially dangerous situations.
Preventing Child Abuse: Creating a Safe Place will help your church set in place a comprehensive child abuse prevention program. Inside you’ll find general prevention policies, screening procedures for volunteers and staff, signs and symptoms of child abuse, guidelines for responding to a child's report of abuse, and much more.
Responding to Domestic Violence: A Resource for Church Leaders helps pastors and other church leaders respond to and prevent domestic violence. Includes resources for premarital counseling, addressing legal issues, and a variety of other areas.
For Leaders
It’s a tough world for kids these days. The evening news is full of frightening accounts of domestic violence, gang activity, online predators, and clergy abuse charges. Your Walk With Me group needs to be a safe place where kids can connect with God, with each other, and with caring adults who seek the best for them. Consider these ways to make that happen.
Nip Bullying in the Bud
Help your group come up with clear guidelines for how to treat and talk to one another. Tell your kids that if anyone makes them feel uncomfortable you want to know about it.
Follow Your Church’s Safety Policy
Many churches have rules in place that limit one-to-one contact between kids and adults, or require more than one adult to be present when working with kids. These policies may seem inconvenient at times, but the effort is worthwhile to ensure the safety of kids. Guidelines also help parents and caregivers feel comfortable sending their kids to your program.
Be Prepared to Help
Sign up for church—or community—sponsored training workshops that focus on identifying symptoms of child abuse, developing awareness of abuse, reporting suspected child abuse, and understanding the dynamics of abuse. As an adult who cares, you may be the one who helps protect a kid from a dangerous situation.
Listen and RespondIf a child shares a story of abuse, listen compassionately without expressing fear, disgust, or disbelief. Offer support and let the child know you care. Reassure him that it was good that he told you and remind him that what happened was not his fault. Don’t frighten him by talking about police or medical exams; instead, simply let the kid know that other adults need to hear what happened in order to make things better.
If you hear a story of abuse or are concerned for a child’s safety, speak to the Sunday school director or a church leader immediately. Don’t doubt your instincts or second-guess the story you heard. The coordinator will help you minister to the kid and family, as well as take steps to protect the child by reporting the abuse.
For Coordinators
As the person who recruits, trains, and assigns children’s ministry volunteers, you have a significant role to play in protecting kids. Use the following tips to partner with parents, council members, and volunteers to make safety a priority in your church.
Abuse Prevention
Frequently review and update your church’s abuse prevention policies.
- Outline processes for screening staff and volunteers, for reporting abuse, and for reducing the risks of one-to-one contact.
- Look for ways to improve your meeting spaces and make them more visible (by adding new windows, doors etc.).
- Provide teachers with a clear discipline policy that specifies appropriate and inappropriate methods of discipline.
Provide your volunteers, and all adults in your congregation, with annual training in abuse prevention by a qualified individual.
- Contact your denominational office to learn about the training options they provide.
- The Office of Abuse Prevention in the Christian Reformed Church offers on-site training along with resources and conferences.
- The Reformed Church in America recommends many excellent tools for training and prevention.
- Local training may be available through community centers, child protection agencies, counseling centers, the police department and schools.
Prayer
Trust the Lord for the protection of the kids in your program. It’s frightening to imagine that abuse could happen in your church or in the homes of kids in your ministry. But as you tweak policies and supervise volunteers, remember that God is the source of all provision and protection. Ask him not only for protection, but also for eyes to see any danger that’s there so that you can intervene to help a child in need.
Recommended Resources
Safekeeping: Session Plans for Developing Abuse Awareness in Kids is designed to equip children and youth with an awareness of abuse and to provide strategies to deal with potentially dangerous situations.
Preventing Child Abuse: Creating a Safe Place will help your church set in place a comprehensive child abuse prevention program. Inside you’ll find general prevention policies, screening procedures for volunteers and staff, signs and symptoms of child abuse, guidelines for responding to a child's report of abuse, and much more.
Responding to Domestic Violence: A Resource for Church Leaders helps pastors and other church leaders respond to and prevent domestic violence. Includes resources for premarital counseling, addressing legal issues, and a variety of other areas.
Monday, January 3, 2011
New Year’s Reflections
Whether you celebrate New Year’s with a toast and a kiss or snugly tucked into bed with a good book, there is no denying that something changes after December 31. Like God’s mercies that are new every morning, January 1 marks the threshold of a new year—the chance for new beginnings!
For Teachers
When you’re faith-walking with kids you’re bound to encounter joys of the journey and bumps along the road. Give yourself a moment to sit back, sip a cup of Joe, and reflect.
Joys of the Journey
Recall the beaming faces, the happy hugs, and the “aha!” moments of the last year. Offer a prayer of gratitude for the children God has placed in your life. Savor the memories of stories shared, songs sung, and the Spirit’s work in your midst!
Bumps on the Road
Ask the Lord for wisdom in areas of struggle. Perhaps it’s a family crisis in the life of a child, or scheduling overload in your own family. Cast your cares on Jesus, and bring before him the names of children who require extra care or patience. Take comfort in the words of Christ, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).
Visions of the Future
Wonder about the kids in your group. What plans might God have for them? What talents and gifts of the Spirit do you see in them? What experiences are shaping them on their faith journey? Pray that God’s perfect plan will unfold in their lives, and trust that “he is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory!” (Eph. 3:20-21).
For CoordinatorsFor you, New Year’s brings a sigh of relief… ahhhh, you’re halfway there! You’ve survived the fall recruiting crunch, the kick-off chaos, and the Christmas celebration. Like a Sabbath on the first day of the week, you have a little time to catch your breath and regroup. Here are some helpful things to think about and do before diving into 2008 programming.
Purge the PilesYou’ve stacked and stashed for several months—now you can take time to sift and sort.
Walk through the hallways of your church and prayerfully consider your children’s ministry.
For Teachers
When you’re faith-walking with kids you’re bound to encounter joys of the journey and bumps along the road. Give yourself a moment to sit back, sip a cup of Joe, and reflect.
Joys of the Journey
Recall the beaming faces, the happy hugs, and the “aha!” moments of the last year. Offer a prayer of gratitude for the children God has placed in your life. Savor the memories of stories shared, songs sung, and the Spirit’s work in your midst!
Bumps on the Road
Ask the Lord for wisdom in areas of struggle. Perhaps it’s a family crisis in the life of a child, or scheduling overload in your own family. Cast your cares on Jesus, and bring before him the names of children who require extra care or patience. Take comfort in the words of Christ, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).
Visions of the Future
Wonder about the kids in your group. What plans might God have for them? What talents and gifts of the Spirit do you see in them? What experiences are shaping them on their faith journey? Pray that God’s perfect plan will unfold in their lives, and trust that “he is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory!” (Eph. 3:20-21).
For CoordinatorsFor you, New Year’s brings a sigh of relief… ahhhh, you’re halfway there! You’ve survived the fall recruiting crunch, the kick-off chaos, and the Christmas celebration. Like a Sabbath on the first day of the week, you have a little time to catch your breath and regroup. Here are some helpful things to think about and do before diving into 2008 programming.
Purge the PilesYou’ve stacked and stashed for several months—now you can take time to sift and sort.
- Replenish the supply closet with new glue sticks, crayons, scissors, and tape. Dump things that are broken or used up.
- Reorganize shelves or drawers to provide easy access to the most important items.
- If teachers have returned extra take-home papers to you, label them in bundles and store them in a safe location for future use.
- Make room on walls and bulletin boards for a new year of student art.
- As you talk with teachers, listen for signs of burnout and boredom—it’s not too late to recruit extra helpers or rearrange teaching schedules if necessary.
- Compile a list of classroom troubles and triumphs to bring before the Lord and to serve as fuel for 2008 planning and training.
- Look for ways to encourage leaders through the winter blues with affirming words, notes, and tokens of appreciation.
Walk through the hallways of your church and prayerfully consider your children’s ministry.
- Praise God for kids and leaders growing in Christ in 2007!
- Imagine all that could happen in the coming year—what might be in store for 2008? What goals will you strive toward? What changes do you hope to see?
- Bend a knee to the Lord and begin this ministry year with a familiar prayer: “Thy will be done, thy kingdom come.”
Friday, September 17, 2010
Starting the Season--All Aboard!
By Karen De Boer, children's ministry leader and editor for Faith Alive.
Each fall my hometown hosts an Oktoberfest parade. For eighteen years we’ve watched from the same downtown corner and then driven to the same farmer’s field to prop the kids up among the pumpkins and snap their picture. When we began this annual event we had one child smiling among a sea of orange, now we’ve got four and have to tilt the camera to include some of their six-foot frames.
I’d like to say they’ve always been as excited about our annual pilgrimage as I have, but for many years I had to roll some of them out of bed, bribe them with promises of donuts and coffee, or, if all else failed, slip shoes and sweaters on their sleeping bodies and haul them into the van myself. (And that was just my husband.) Getting them on board wasn’t always easy, but now they wouldn’t miss it for the world.
Getting folks on board with your church’s children’s ministry program can be a struggle too. And often it’s the “Two P’s” (Pastors and Parents) that can be the toughest group to catch your passion. Although a little sweet-talking with donuts and coffee can bring some success, I’ve got a few other ideas you might want to try this fall.
Pastors: Children’s ministry leaders often tell me that their pastor “doesn’t have a clue” about what happens each week in the church’s children’s ministry program. One of the best ways for your pastor to catch the vision for kid’s ministry is by seeing it in action. Ask your pastor to stop by your program for a short visit. (Aim for once in the fall and then again in winter and spring.) Make connections during large group with an up close and personal interview—using your curling iron microphone of course! Find out the things your kids really want to know about their pastor by asking questions like:
Parents: Have a simple ten- to fifteen-minute open house at the end of one of the year’s first Sunday school sessions and invite families who are picking up their kids to come in and see what you do each week. Run a shortened version of your lesson by re-telling the Bible story and sing a song. Allow time for parents to meet each of their kid’s leaders and find out what happening at various grade levels. Tip: This would be a great time for leaders to show parents the take home pieces of the curriculum and offer ideas for using them at home.
Getting others on board your ministry wagon takes time but the final destination is always worth the effort!
Adapted from an article posted on the Connect Blog on Sept. 1, 2008. Used with permission.
Each fall my hometown hosts an Oktoberfest parade. For eighteen years we’ve watched from the same downtown corner and then driven to the same farmer’s field to prop the kids up among the pumpkins and snap their picture. When we began this annual event we had one child smiling among a sea of orange, now we’ve got four and have to tilt the camera to include some of their six-foot frames.
I’d like to say they’ve always been as excited about our annual pilgrimage as I have, but for many years I had to roll some of them out of bed, bribe them with promises of donuts and coffee, or, if all else failed, slip shoes and sweaters on their sleeping bodies and haul them into the van myself. (And that was just my husband.) Getting them on board wasn’t always easy, but now they wouldn’t miss it for the world.
Getting folks on board with your church’s children’s ministry program can be a struggle too. And often it’s the “Two P’s” (Pastors and Parents) that can be the toughest group to catch your passion. Although a little sweet-talking with donuts and coffee can bring some success, I’ve got a few other ideas you might want to try this fall.
Pastors: Children’s ministry leaders often tell me that their pastor “doesn’t have a clue” about what happens each week in the church’s children’s ministry program. One of the best ways for your pastor to catch the vision for kid’s ministry is by seeing it in action. Ask your pastor to stop by your program for a short visit. (Aim for once in the fall and then again in winter and spring.) Make connections during large group with an up close and personal interview—using your curling iron microphone of course! Find out the things your kids really want to know about their pastor by asking questions like:
- What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
- Who do you hope will win the World Series?
- What hockey team do you cheer for?
- What did you collect when you were a kid?
- Was there anything you didn’t like about church when you were a kid?
- Who was your favorite teacher in school and why?
- What was your favorite thing to do at recess?
- What’s your favorite Bible story?
- How do you know God loves you?
Parents: Have a simple ten- to fifteen-minute open house at the end of one of the year’s first Sunday school sessions and invite families who are picking up their kids to come in and see what you do each week. Run a shortened version of your lesson by re-telling the Bible story and sing a song. Allow time for parents to meet each of their kid’s leaders and find out what happening at various grade levels. Tip: This would be a great time for leaders to show parents the take home pieces of the curriculum and offer ideas for using them at home.
Getting others on board your ministry wagon takes time but the final destination is always worth the effort!
Adapted from an article posted on the Connect Blog on Sept. 1, 2008. Used with permission.
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