How to Build a VBS Kids Worship Team
One of my favorite parts of VBS is the music. I may say goodbye to the decorations and theme when the week is over, but the songs stay with me and the ministry for months, sometimes years, afterward.
4 Ways to Partner with Other Churches for VBS
We're not in competition with the churches around us. We're all working toward the same goal: reaching people in our communities for Jesus. Making your VBS stand out can seem antithetical to that ethos.
But I don't see it that way. We want to run excellent events, and excellence is what makes them stand out. That doesn't mean we can't also cheer on what other churches are doing and work alongside them.
How to Handle VBS Registration
One of the biggest administrative tasks of VBS is registration. You have to collect each child's name, birthday, grade, gender, contact information, emergency contacts, allergies, and medical notes. Then you have to make all of that information easily accessible to the right people at the right time.
And that's just the beginning.
A Practical Guide to Determining A Kidmin's Salary
One of the biggest questions in kidmin is how much you should be compensated for your work. After all, Paul wrote to Timothy:
"Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain, and the worker deserves his wages." — 1 Timothy 5:18
The problem is that many of us love this work so much we'd do it for free. But we also have families to support, ministry costs to cover, and real time invested week in and week out caring for our kids and families.
How to Send your Kids To Camp: Part 3
Going to camp may be one of the best trips you can take in your ministry. I love Mark Batterson's quote: a change of place plus a change of pace equals a change in perspective.
Taking your kids to camp, away from screens, distractions, and the indoors, changes how they see their lives and, hopefully, their relationship with God.
How to Send Your Kids to Camp: Part 2 — Volunteers
My first summer as a full-time kids' pastor, my pastor told me I needed to take my kids to camp. I'd never been as a leader and had only attended once as a kid. I had no idea what I was getting into.
I did manage to get 12 kids signed up, paid in full, and transportation arranged. Then on a rainy Sunday morning I climbed onto the bus, and one of the parents called out, "Wait, is no one going with him?"
How to Send Your Kids to Camp: Part 1
There is one summer event that helps kids grow spiritually and make memories that last a lifetime. That event is Kids Camp.
Spiritual Disciplines to Maintain Your Ministry
Years ago, one of my mentors, Jim Wideman, asked me an all important question.
“Are you closer to Jesus right now than you’ve been? If you’re answer is no, who’s fault is that?”
It was a wake-up call for me. And has become a driver of everything I do in my spiritual life. It is too easy to do the work of the ministry, serving God week in and week out, and forget about our own relationship with Him.
A Strategy for Kidmin Gift Bags
With Easter right around the corner, a lot of kids’ pastors are asking the same question: what do we give to kids who visit? How do you give them something meaningful, something they'll love, and something that makes them want to come back?
When your Kidmin Budget is Zero
It was the great recession of 2008. My church had overextended itself financially and with the pop of the housing bubble, giving plummeted. Me, a new kids pastor, was left floundering. I went from having enough money to do pretty much anything to $75 petty cash replenished by what the kids gave.
The Top 5 Posts of 2025
I have many traditions I do this time of the year. One of my favorites is sharing my top read posts for the year.
4 Steps to Create a Parent Survey
In the new year, there are new initiatives, ministries, and programs we want to do. It’s all part of setting ministry goals for the next year.
But before we set off on those adventures, it’s important to look back and evaluate what we’ve done in the past. One of the things we must consider when looking back is the opinions of the people we’re serving.
Kids Bible Buying Guide for 2025
I frequently see questions about what kind of Bible to get kids. While there may not be perfect Bible out there for your kids, some are certainly better than others. It can be confusing with so many different translations and Bible types. I want to help you make the best decision possible.
4 Steps to Launching a Kidmin Check-In System
One of the biggest questions parents ask when they drop off their little one is “will my kids be safe?” We don’t like to talk about all the bad things that can happen to our kids. But spending just a few minutes watching the news or scrolling through social media can make you scared of your own shadow.
As a result, we in kidmin, have to keep our kids safe and project that safety to our current parents and guests. One of the best ways to do this is to provide check-in for your kids.
4 Ways to Call Parents During Service and Which is Best
You’re in the nursery. You’re doing the best you can with a bunch of kids. But one kid is not having it. They’re inconsolable. The only thing you can do is get the parents. But the problem is they are in the service, and you’re in the nursery.
How do you let them know their kid needs them? You don’t want to disrupt the rest of the service or embarrass the parent. What’s the best way?
4 Steps to Strategic Volunteer Recruiting
One of the problems any ministry faces, especially kidmin, is recruiting. There always seems to be a lack of volunteers. What’s worse, if you don’t actively recruit regularly, you’ll find yourself doing ministry all alone.
So how do you recruit? How do you get people to join your team regularly? How do you find these people?
Fall Festival Planning: 3 Steps to Success (Part 2)
Fall Festivals are an incredible opportunity to reach out to your families in your community. Many families are looking for a safe place for their kids to trick or treat. You can provide that with your church.
But if you want your guests to come back to your church, you need to have a well-organized event, a solid contact information collection plan, and great follow-up.
Fall Festival Planning: 4 Essential Steps Before the Big Day (Part 1)
One of the big three events almost every kidmin leader leads is a Fall Festival. While this event can be a lot of work, it’s never been as difficult as putting together a VBS. Planning a one night 3-hour event is far easier than a 5, three hour events in sequence.
How to Handle Parents Who Want to Stay in Kidmin
There’s a common problem we all run into in kidmin. The parent wants to stay with their child. What do we do? Do we let the parent stay the whole time? 15 minutes? Say no? Do they need to fill out a background check? What about other parents? What about the kids?
5 Steps to Transition Your Kidmin to Small Groups
What does your Sunday morning service look like? Do you have Sunday School and a Kids Service (Large Group)? Large group with a small group component? Just Large group?
Many churches fall into one of those three buckets. Since any successful children’s ministry needs to have some kind of discipleship element, we need to seriously consider how we do that.
