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Making Your
Children's Ministry
the Best Hour of
Every Kid's Week
Authors - Sue Miller & David Staal
Publisher - Zondervan |
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Favorite Features -
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walks reader through the story of Promiseland
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challenges churches to develop a mission statement and vision for their
children's ministry
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"consider for a moment" questions and Scripture with application questions
- excellent
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walks through how to be a value driven ministry
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explains how large group/small group works
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shares how to recruit by gifting and how essential it is to appreciate
your volunteers
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challenges reader to make necessary choices to grow in their own walk
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shares stories of five "Sunday Morning Heroes" who make a difference
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includes personal exercises and team experiences for each chapter - excellent
training resources
This is a very practical book on what
you need to know and do to develop a genuinely effective ministry to children
in your church. Every church leader, children's ministry leader and
volunteer should read this book. Tremendously well done Sue, David
and Zondervan!
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Transforming
Children
into
Spiritual
Champions
Author - George Barna
Publisher - Regal |
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Favorite Features -
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outlines where children in America are
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looks at the spiritual health of children
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clearly explains why children matter and what they need
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explains why parents are the primary teachers of children and how the church
can team up with parents
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shows why we need to and how to evaluate children's ministry
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shares his findings as to what the most effective churches in the country
are doing in their children's ministries
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challenges churches to take a close look at where their priorities are,
what ministries get funding and staff and how that looks in regards to
their children's ministry
I have read and reviewed many excellent books
on children's ministry over the years, but this book is clearly the most
needed book that must be read by everyone in children's ministry, every
Senior Pastor, church leaders and parents. For many years I and others
in children's ministry have been saying that children's ministry needs
to be the church's #1 priority, but people not involved in children's ministry
would often tend to dismiss what we said because we were involved with
the children's ministry. Now, with George Barna saying these same
things, hopefully, people will sit up, take notice and pay attention.
If people were only going to read one book about children's ministry this
year, Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions is definitely
the book they need to read! Beyond tremendously well done George
and Regal Books!
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Children's Ministry Leadership
Author - Jim Wideman
Publisher - Group Publishing |
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Favorite Features -
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outlines the seven traits of real leadership
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reproducible resources, worksheets
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includes the 10 leadership fundamentals
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shows how to think like a leader - faulty and correct leading thoughts
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four keys to managing your time
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understanding roles, priorities and goals
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integrity - how to keep it
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how to delegate and solve problems
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how to hire and fire volunteers
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challenges leaders to keep their family at the top of their priorities
This is a well written book with leadership principles
that apply to any area of ministry, but clearly connected to children's
ministry. Very nicely done Jim and Group Publishing!
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The Growing Leader:
healthy essentials
for children's ministry
Author - Craig Jutila
Publisher - Group Publishing |
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Favorite Features -
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easy to read, enjoyable conversation style - like Craig and you are kicked
back, talking about children's ministry together
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each chapter ends with questions to think through and "diving rules and
tools" - point with application
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Scripture throughout
Encouraging book will make anyone think about
how they live their life - whether they are in children's ministry or not.
This book is about life for all of us. Extremely well done Craig
and Group Publishing!
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Special Needs,
Special Ministry
for children's ministry
Authors - Jim Pierson, Louise Tucker Jones,
Pat Verbal and Larry Shallenberger
Publisher - Group Publishing |
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Favorite Features -
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clearly shows need for ministry is real
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provides solid look at how to assess the need and steps to take to provide
ministry to special needs people as well as their families
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excellent information on recruiting and training volunteers
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reproducible resources
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four sermon outlines to challenge your church about special ministry/introduce
them to it
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10 reproducible flyers for your bulletin
This is truly a much needed book - so little
is available to help us know how to develop genuinely effective ministry
with those who have special needs. Tremendously well done Jim, Louise,
Pat, Larry and Group Publishing!
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Hearts, Brains & Growing Pains
Authors - Lois Keffer & Dean Stone
Publisher - Cook |
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Favorite Features -
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Scripture throughout
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looks at why people volunteer in children's ministry
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"Pause Points" throughout to give you time to think about what it looks
like lived out in your life
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encourages teachers to "go for the Godprint - where we see the imprint
of God's character He leaves on our lives as we learn to know Him"
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how to prepare a lesson - encourages preparation early in the week
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walks through the eight learning styles and age level characteristics
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how to motivate kids to learn - nine steps
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how to create a captivating classroom - great decorating tips
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encourages teachers to use all their senses when working with kids
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fun ideas using food to teach
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what to do when the unexpected happens
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how to handle special needs kids
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discipline in the class
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how to connect with parents
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encourages you to trust God for the result
This is one of the most complete resources for
volunteers - it covers nearly every area of children's ministry with practical
and real information to help the reader become more effective. I
like how they encourage volunteers to become a "cheer leader for your kids"
and reminds them their, "goal is to create a moment in time when God can
touch a child's life." Tremendously well done Lois, Dean and Cook!
Main Table of Contents
