resources for effective children's ministry

    Summer and Fall are great times to plan opportunities for families and kids to participate in service projects.  Summer usually brings nice weather and more time in our schedules to get out and serve and Fall, while our schedules fill up again, we all think about serving with Thanksgiving and Christmas.  The following resources will provide tremendous ideas to involve your families and kids in service projects!  Once you have had an opportunity to look through these books, select one of the projects and plan to involve the families in serving together!

    Countdown to Service!

1. decide on the project you will do
2. select a date and get it on your church calendar
3. begin to promote the event with flyers and notices in the bulletin
4. recruit two families to help promote and plan event

1. have the families helping with the event go into the Sunday school classes to promote event
2. provide flyers families may RSVP with so you know how to plan
3. make announcements from the pulpit
4. make and hang posters and balloons to generate enthusiasm

1. gather any needed supplies and refreshments
2. have the families who are helping divide RSVP's to call and remind families planning to come

1. set all your supplies out
2. greet families as they arrive
3. have a terrific time!

• send "thank-you's" to families who helped with the event
• begin to plan your next event!

Family Friendly Ideas Your Church Can Do Publisher - Group Publishing Price - $12.99

    This is a terrific resource that provides 50 ways you can involve your families with themselves and others in the church, community and world.  There are four types of activities in this book - family service projects, learning and worship activities, enrichment activities and family fun activities.  Each activity in this book is a truly terrific idea with instructions for the activity as well as questions to help families really learn together in addition to having fun!

    Favorite Features

• helpful suggestions for beginning to help you truly succeed
• each lesson has a family focus to let you understand the goal of the activity
• each lesson clearly lists needed supplies
• family friendly advise provides great, useful information
• taking it home service projects provide additional ideas for families to use to continue working and learning together

    Hands-on Service Ideas for Children's Ministry
    Publisher - Group Publishing
    Price - $14.99

    Effective children's ministry involves four important components.  First we need to help children learn what it means to put their trust in christ and provide opportunities for them to do so.  Secondly we need to help them learn what the Bible is all about .  Thirdly we must help kids learn how the Bible applies to their lives, now and fourth we need to help our kids learn to put God's Word in action by living it - by serving.  In far too many of our churches we stop after step two, but effective ministry requires all of the components.  This book is a terrific resource to help churches teach kids to serve as it provides step by step directions for 31 different service activities.

    Favorite Features

• reproducible
• teaches five areas of service
• scripture verses tie into projects
• supply lists provided for each project
• goals listed for each project
• hands on help - provides great helpful information
• each activity has guided conversation
• project prayer involves kids in praying for project and results
• extra service step gives additional opportunities for kids to serve

    POSSIBLE WAYS TO UTILIZE;

• sunday school
• children's church
• mid-week club program
• at home
• christian school
• homeschool

    Growing Little Helpers - Service Projects Preschoolers Can Do
    Publisher - Group Publishing
    Price - $14.99

    How often have you heard a preschooler say, "Let me do it!  I can do it!"  They love to help at this age and this book provides you with 44 service projects that build on this desire to help and teaches little ones to learn to serve their families, church, community and world.

    Favorite Features

• reproducible
• 44 great activities that teach scripture truth
• supply list provided for each activity
• preparation directions
• guided conversation
• helpful hints - great, helpful information
• complete directions - step by step

    POSSIBLE WAYS TO UTILIZE:

• sunday school
• children's church
• pre-school
• at home
• mid-week children's program

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