Join Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia as they share tips, ideas, and encouragement for Children’s Ministry!
Author: Dr. Virginia Brennan
Virginia loves equipping Preschool and Children's Ministry leaders for greater effectiveness in the Kingdom. She serves on staff in local church ministry, as well as podcasting with Dr. Val. You can find her, along with her husband and preschool twins, at the zoo or on a nature trail. Self-avowed foodie, she will try just about any food once and loves exploring new cuisine!
There are more options than ever for children’s ministry curriculum! There are digital options, old-school hard copy options, topical, chronological, and of every theological tradition! Join us as we share a handful of considerations to keep in mind when evaluating and choosing curriculum:
What is your goal for the curriculum?
How does it fit into the broader vision/goals/plans for your ministry?
Where does this curriculum provider fall on the theological spectrum?
What is the scope and sequence?
It’s important to understand how the curriculum cycles through scripture or topics.
What is the teaching style of the curriculum and what supplemental materials are included?
Some curriculum will be technology heavy, others will be more craft or activity based, and some will focus on a lecture teaching style. It’s important to get a feel for the style and resources that are included in the materials.
Listen here for a great discussion of these considerations and others for choosing curriculum!
Ideas and considerations for choosing materials for your children’s ministry!
We have already looked in Exodus 17 about the grumbling of the people against Moses. We too will face grumbling, and must respond in prayer. Continuing in Exodus 17, we see how prayer, active obedience, and leadership come together to bring about victory in the Lord.
While out in the wilderness, Amalek came to fight against the people of Israel. We see Moses turning to Joshua to select men to fight, while Moses would intercede for the Israelites. It is noteworthy that long before we see Joshua succeeding Moses and leading the Israelites into the Promised Land, we first see a track record of faithfulness and obedience leading up to his calling to shepherd all of Israel.
As Joshua was faithful to fight Amalek, Moses went to the top of the hill to lift his hands to the Lord. As long as Moses’ hands remained aloft, the Israelites prevailed in battle, but when Moses lowered his hands, Amalek prevailed. Aaron and Hur faithfully came alongside Moses. They gave him a stone to rest on, and as his hands grew heavy, they each took one side and physically supported Moses’ hands to remain steadily raised.
Moses, with the help of Aaron and Hur, raised his hands up to the Lord until the sun went down. After what was no doubt a long day, Amalek was defeated and Israel prevailed. Moses’ hands held true because of the support of faithful leaders around him.
Leadership is not a solo act – as Moses needed the support of Aaron and Hur and the leadership of Joshua on the battlefield – so do we need the support and leadership of faithful servants of the Lord. We see front-line obedience from Joshua to physically fight the war, while we see behind the scenes obedience of Moses to raise his hands to the Lord, as well as the key support of Aaron and Hur.
In this passage we see both faithfulness in prayer and active obedience working in conjunction to experience victory from the Lord. Every believer has a role to play in the body of Christ – some are on front-lines like Joshua, some are leaders like Moses contending in prayer while holding enormous responsibility, and some are like Aaron and Hur playing key roles of support and encouragement.
For our ministries today to experience victory, we cannot try to do it alone. We must intentionally and prayerfully seek out the people the Lord calls to come alongside us to lend strength and leadership for the ministry. Do you have a Joshua who you are inviting into strategic leadership roles? A key leader who is growing in ministry experience and responsibility? Do you have an Aaron or Hur with whom you are honest about your struggles and weaknesses? Someone to encourage you and hold you accountable?
Join our wonderful conversation about identifying, recruiting, and empowering key leaders. There are practical steps you can take to find the Joshua’s, Aaron’s, and Hur’s for your ministry!
Motherhood & Ministry is a weekly post on Monday mornings to encourage moms who serve in vocational ministry while also serving their families.
At the opening of Exodus 17, we see the Israelites in the wilderness. God has already completed the 10 plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and the destruction of the Egyptian army. He has given them fresh water wherever they camp, and has provided manna and quail to eat. God has given them specific instructions on gathering and keeping manna (which the Israelites don’t obey, by the way; Exodus 16:19-20, 27-28).
In spite of every miracle, sign, and provision from the Lord, the Israelties still grumbled, disobeyed God, and questioned both God and Moses. They could not rest in the goodness and provision of God.
“The people grumbled to Moses, ‘What are we going to drink?’” – Exodus 15:24
“The entire Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, ‘If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat and ate all the bread we wanted. Instead, you brought us into this wilderness to make this whole assembly die of hunger!’”’ – Exodus 16:2-3
Dear sisters, if Moses himself dealt with ongoing grumbling from the people, do not be surprised when you too face grumbling, even under the most positive of circumstances. Your church can be growing, the ministry flourishing, and there will still be some people who find something to grumble about.
“So the people complained to Moses, ‘Give us water to drink.‘
‘Why are you complaining to me?’ Moses replied to them. ‘Why are you testing the Lord?’
But the people thirsted there for water and grumbled against Moses.They said, ‘Why did you ever bring us up from Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?’
Then Moses cried out to the Lord, ‘What should I do with these people? In a little while they will stone me!’” – Exodus 17:2-4
Reading this passage, I am struck with feelings of desperation and exasperation that are all too familiar. I don’t know if Moses wanted to tear his hair out in frustration, but I have certainly felt that way!
As we face grumbling, let us be quick to examine our own hearts and ensure that we have not also become the grumblers. Grumbling about the grumblers may feel cathartic in the moment, but it is not constructive, and does not sanctify our hearts or edify the church. Let us watch our own hearts and mouths foremost.
Then we must turn to God, even if it is in desperation and exasperation, and give God the complaints and fussing of the grumblers. Only the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit can change the grumbler’s heart. No amount of discussion, chastising, or convincing from us can change a person’s heart. That is an internal work of the Holy Spirit and our best weapon is prayer.
Moreover, when we give to God the situation and the grumbler in prayer, He begins to change our hearts. When we intentionally and thoughtfully pray for another person, God begins to open our eyes, shape our hearts, and pour His love through our lives. It is truly a supernatural work, because our hearts are not inclined to love people who oppose and discourage us.
Pray, pray, pray. Our most powerful solution for grumbling is to pray and continue trusting the Lord’s provision ourselves. In the coming two weeks, we will revisit the life of Moses for more practical ideas to bear up under the weight of leading a ministry and shepherding God’s people.
Motherhood & Ministry is a weekly post on Monday mornings to encourage moms who serve in vocational ministry while also serving their families.
Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia share about navigating friendships and leadership in ministry.
Today is April Fools Day, which leads me to reflect on the foolishness of man and the wisdom of the Lord. I’m a fan of silly jokes, but I never want to be a fool in the biblical sense. I want to be attuned to the Holy Spirit and steeped in the wisdom of the Lord, and the Lord gives us plenty of guidance and direction in His Word for seeking wisdom!
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.– Proverbs 1:7
Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered. – Proverbs 28:26
Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. – Proverbs 13:20
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. – James 1:5
These verses, and many others, challenge me to consider tough questions:
Do I welcome wisdom and instruction? Even if the wisdom and instruction wounds my pride?
Do I go to the Lord first in a challenging situation, or do I first rely on my own mind?
Do I seek out biblically wise friendships and counsel, and then welcome them into my tough situations to speak truth into my life?
When have I sought out biblical wisdom and how did those situations turn out?
When I trusted in my own mind or relied on my own wisdom how did that turn out?
The wisdom of the Lord gives life. He will never lead us astray – even when things don’t make sense or are incredibly difficult. God promises to give wisdom generously to all who ask, without reproach. God doesn’t expect us to “know better,” He will give us the wisdom we need, but we must be faithful and obedient to seek Him and ask.
Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia share practical tips for navigating relationships with wisdom and discernment.
For many churches, VBS is their largest and most effective outreach event all year, but we want to make sure we are maximizing our opportunities to reach new families with the Gospel. Studies have shown that unchurched families are more likely to attend VBS if they are invited by someone they know (It’s Worth It, LifeWay).
Encouraging our congregation to invite friends and neighbors to VBS is a key first step to reaching out community, but there are many more steps we can take to effectively reach families through VBS and beyond. Join our conversation about reaching families effectively through VBS!
Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia talk about ministering to families through VBS.
We return to Mark 6 this week for one last look at this passage. In week one, we considered the disciples’ time in the boat. In week two, we looked at how God orchestrates every detail, down to empty baskets being in the right place, at the right time. This week we conclude by looking at how Jesus concluded this enormous miracle – He sent everyone away and went to the wilderness to be with His Father.
To remember the events leading up to Jesus’ time in the wilderness – He commissioned the 12 to go do ministry in pairs, Mark 6:7-13. They cast out demons, preached repentance, and healed the sick. When they returned to Jesus, they were still so busy they did not have time to eat, Mark 6:30-31. When they tried to get away to the wilderness to rest, they were met with crowds of needy people who Jesus fed miraculously, Mark 6:32-44.
Hot on the heels of performing miracles themselves, and then witnessing one of Jesus’ largest miracles, Jesus sends the disciples ahead of him in a boat while he heads up the mountain to pray, Mark 6:45-46.
I cannot truly imagine how Jesus and the disciples felt on that evening – I only know how I feel at the end of VBS Sunday. After months of preparations, a 50-60 hour work week of VBS, hundreds of children reached, dozens of children making professions of faith, whole families hearing the Gospel on Sunday morning – I am completely spent, incredibly grateful for all that God has done, and profoundly in need of rest and rejuvenation! And yet all that, I’m sure, does not hold a candle to what Jesus and the disciples felt after their whirlwind of ministry!
If Jesus pulled away from everything – even the good thing of teaching and ministering to his closest 12 disciples – to spend focused time in prayer with his Father, how much more do we need intentional time alone with the Father?
Moms in ministry are pulled in every imaginable direction – from the endless needs of our own kids and families, to the endless needs of ministry to the kids and families at our church. Prioritizing time with Father – even if it means foregoing other good things – is not a luxury, it is a necessity. The perfect, holy Son got away to be one-on-one with the Father. We are not stronger, better equipped, or less in need of prayer than Jesus himself!
Motherhood & Ministry is a weekly post on Monday mornings to encourage moms who serve in vocational ministry while also serving their families.
Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia discuss unexpected circumstances and biblical encouragement.
Discipline and discipleship are nearby branches springing from the same linguistic tree. They both trace roots back to the Latin word discipulus, meaning pupil. Effective discipline, then, instructs and gives our students greater understanding of norms, expectations, and appropriate behavior.
Behavior issues among children attending church seem to be at fever-pitch. The upheaval and isolation of the COVID pandemic interrupted more than just the academic learning of millions of children, it profoundly affected social and emotional learning as well. We have seen increases in child abuse and childhood diagnosis of depression as a result of the pandemic circumstances. The kids are not alright, and we see the evidence in their behavior.
How then, are we to respond to difficult behaviors of children in our churches in a way that is instructive and loving?
No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. – Hebrews 12:11
Our discipline in church must not be punitive; it must foremost be instructive. Jesus took all our punishment on the cross, and now the discipline that the Father enacts in our lives is for our training and the development of righteousness. Our goal in church is not to punish but to teach. We seek to foremost disciple children in the Gospel, even through our correction.
In our two-part podcast episodes on classroom management, we lay out foundational principles of classroom management to set kids up for success. We also address more difficult behaviors, including resources for constructively ministering to big behaviors, as well as tackling more controversial topics like reward systems.
Last week in Motherhood & Ministry we considered our time in the wilderness and our time in the boat with Jesus. In Mark 6, Jesus was on his way to spend time alone with the disciples to rest and reconnect in the wilderness. Instead we see one of Jesus’ greatest miracles, and his only miracle (outside of His resurrection) that is included in all 4 Gospels – the feeding of the 5,000.
The whole point of this passage is that Jesus does things that only God can do. He is the Son of God and He is the Savior. The disciples, of course, could never solve the problem of thousands of hungry people because the disciples are mere humans. Jesus, I think, wanted to highlight their limitations and in contrast with His holy solution.
When they were full, he told his disciples, “Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.” So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces from the five barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten. – John 6:12-13
Here’s a question that I had never thought about before – where did those 12 empty baskets come from?
Did the disciples have them in the boat? Some of the people who rushed off on foot to meet Jesus – did they not even turn around to put their basket away before leaving? Who carries around empty baskets?
Have you ever gone somewhere and you bring an umbrella because it might rain, and then you end up carrying it around all day, and you’re like, “Ugh, why did I bring this?” I wonder if an owner of an empty basket spent most of her day in the wilderness wondering why they didn’t just go home and put the basket down?
But God orchestrated not only one boy with 5 loaves and 2 fish, but also 12 empty baskets to all be present that day to take part in a miracle that pointed to the truth about Jesus.
God does the same thing today. In our lives, and in our churches, He pulls together seemingly separate people, life experiences, and circumstances to all work together in unity to point a lost and dying world to Jesus. God works out His will on earth through things like empty baskets being in the right place, at the right time.
We just have to trust in that, even in seasons when we’re carrying around an empty basket “for no reason,” God has a purpose and a plan to fill it for His Kingdom and His glory.
Motherhood & Ministry is a weekly post on Monday mornings to encourage moms who serve in vocational ministry while also serving their families.
Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia discuss personal circumstances and challenges, as well as scriptural encouragement.
It is common knowledge that having a mentor is valuable, and in turn being a mentor to others is a responsibility of leadership, but the perennial question remains – HOW to find a mentor or begin a mentoring relationship? Ministry can be difficult, and building relationships with other leaders to share experiences and encouragement can be the difference between longevity in ministry or burnout.
Conferences and events can be great places to make new professional connections and begin new relationships. However, networking and relationship building isn’t limited to physical, in-person gatherings. Networking can also take place online through social media groups, discussion boards, online cohorts, and other online areas where people gather to share and ask questions about a particular topic.
When you come across someone new, interesting, or with whom you would like to build a relationship, you can start by striking up a conversation at an in person event, or contacting them online. The fear of rejection is real though! Striking up a conversation about the topic at hand can be a great way to start.
When in-person networking, it’s important to be mindful of people’s time, the schedule of the event, and be observant of normal social cues. We don’t want to monopolize anyone’s time, but a quick introductory conversation is typically appropriate and welcomed. You can always offer to exchange contact information to continue the conversation later.
The most important key is to not be afraid to reach out, and begin the conversation! In our podcast episode I share an example from my own life when a conversation at a conference led to a great friendship and years of encouragement!
Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia discuss networking, mentors, and building new relationships in ministry.
We all want to host great volunteer training. We want our volunteers feeling valued, coming away with useful tips and ideas, and most of all, we want them to want to come to training! We want training events to be the highlight of their semester, quarter, or year!
Here are three non-negotiables for great volunteer training:
1) Honor Volunteers’ Time
We honor volunteers’ time by starting on time, ending on time, and filling our time with useful and encouraging content. We don’t want volunteers leaving thinking “this could have been an email.” We want to encourage them, give them practical, applicable strategies to try, and communicate new information in an engaging way.
If volunteers feel that training is a good and beneficial use of their time, they are more likely to return for future training events and encourage others to attend as well!
2) Honor Diverse Learning Styles
We know that our students have a variety of learning styles and preferences. When we teach our volunteers, we not only want to keep them engaged in our content, but we also have the priceless opportunity to model teaching to diverse learning styles. Using active learning techniques and keeping in mind the three basic learning styles (auditory, visual, and kinesthetic), we can build elements of interaction and diverse activities into our training time.
3) Honor Wisdom, Experience, and Contributions of Volunteers
Most churches have volunteers with a variety of experience levels. You can likely think of some seasoned, rock star volunteers. Give your volunteers opportunities to discuss and problem solve with one another. Allow your experienced leaders the time to encourage and share their wisdom with newer volunteers. I often find that many of the best ideas that come out of training sessions don’t come from me, they come from seasoned volunteers with a passion for ministry.
Allowing seasoned volunteers to share and encourage others helps them feel valued, appreciated, and seen.
There are lots of great ideas for volunteer training, but these three essentials can set you on the right course for training events that leaders love!
Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia share some fundamental elements of children’s ministry volunteer training.
KidMin with Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia 