Kids Groups

VBS 2020 Directors Training We were only able to have two of our eight scheduled VBS Equip Events so we’ve made a few videos to help you as you plan and prepare for VBS 2020 – Concrete & Cranes. In this video you’ll find some basic ideas for directors as well as tips to know how to navigate VBS since we don’t know for sure what restrictions may still be in place this summer. Please know that we are praying for you as you plan and prepare for VBS 2020.
VBS 2020 Crafts Training Our VBS Crafts Class is always one of the most well attended sessions we have. Since we weren’t able to have all of our training events, here’s a look at the VBS Crafts for VBS 2020 – Concrete and Cranes. In this video you’ll see all three of the crafts for each day as well as how much each craft costs and which ones were the kid’s favorites.
VBS 2020 Prayer Ideas We all know that it’s crucial that everyone prays for VBS. Here’s a video with some ideas that you may be able to use to help your congregation pray for your VBS. You could use the ideas for a Prayer Walk, or you could incorporate these ideas and send out prayer reminders to the members. We can’t wait to hear how God works through your VBS this summer.
How To Be the Worst Sunday School Leader Do you want to be the best preschool or children’s Sunday School leader or the worst Sunday School leader? In this video I discuss twelve points that will assist you if you want to be the worst Sunday School leader. I hope you don’t see yourself in any of these twelve points. Obviously watch the video until the end so that you can find out how to make sure you are doing all the things you can to become the best Sunday School leader for the preschoolers, children , and their families in your church and community.

If you’re a Childhood Ministry Leader, this is a great video to show at one of your training sessions and then have a discussion to see which area the Sunday School leaders feel like they perform well and which areas they need to work on. I hope this is a helpful training tool for the preschool and children’s leaders in your church.
How Do You Show Appreciation To Your Ministry Volunteers? As preschool and children’s ministry leaders, we need MANY volunteers to help implement the various ministries offered to families. Some of the volunteers serve once a week or more, some lead once a month, and others simply help with big events. One of the key factors in retaining these leaders year after year is whether or not they feel appreciated for the time and effort they give to these ministries. So how do you show appreciation to your volunteers?

Watch this video to find several examples of ways to show your volunteers how much you love and appreciate them. Volunteers don’t help because of the appreciation, they help because they love Jesus and they love the children. But showing them appreciation helps them know that someone notices and the chances of them helping again is greatly increased. I would love to hear how you show appreciation to your leaders.
What Every Children's Pastor Needs to Know It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day aspects of Children’s Ministry and to get bogged down in doing things the same way, asking the same leaders to help, forgetting where we receive our strength and inspiration or who the spiritual leaders should be in a child’s life. In this video you’ll view “8 Things Every Children’s Minister Knows” (or maybe we just need to be reminded to do). We hope this assists you as you serve and minister in the lives of children in your church and community. I would love to know what else you would add to this list.

Additional Information from LifeWay

Motivate Your Children's Leaders
It is early on Sunday morning and the halls of your church begin to come alive with activity. There is a contagious feeling of joy and enthusiasm in the air as you eagerly anticipate the day ahead. Your leaders warmly welcome volunteers as they arrive, confirming that everything is in place for the day's Bible lessons. Your volunteers not only feel committed and connected to the preschoolers and children in their class, but also with the other volunteers. There is a sense of community within your ministry that gives your volunteers confidence in knowing that they are truly making a difference.

Seeing the difference these volunteers make may cause other people to ask how they, too, can be a part of such an exciting area. Yes, even with crying babies, curious toddlers, and restless children, teaching the love of Christ to our youngest children can be a fun and rewarding experience. However, creating an environment that reflects this often can be difficult.

A motivated team of paid staff and volunteer leaders is one of the most crucial pieces to a successful Children's Ministry. As the director of volunteers at Fellowship Church in Dallas, I have learned that without a dedicated core of volunteers, it would be impossible for the 3,000 children who attend each weekend to learn and enjoy church in a creative and relevant environment. Without them, all of the responsibilities of ministry would fall solely on the shoulders of paid staff members. With the volunteers, your ministry can flourish in incredible ways, and you will be able to better meet the needs of your church. The following six factors are key to building strong leadership teams:

Identify
When you identify a potential leader, pray for God's guidance and confirmation on that person. 1 Timothy 3:1-7 is an excellent Scripture passage to use as a standard for recognizing leaders. Ask them to serve in leadership only when you have clear direction from God and confirmation from them that they are being led to this role.

Recruit
Recruit leaders based on their gifts and passion for your ministry. Often, your best leaders are those that are quietly and faithfully serving and who might not be obvious at first glance. Think outside the box. Be careful not to limit yourself. Do you only recruit parents? Are you actively recruiting from your college, singles, and married adult ministries? There may be many gifted leaders sitting in your church that you are not aware of because they do not have children. Spend time education other ministries on the opportunities that exist to serve within your area.

Direct
Providing direction or focus should not be a onetime thing, but something that becomes a part of everything you and your leaders say and do. Leaders desire a very clear idea of where your ministry is headed and their role within it. Continually "paint the picture" for your volunteers. Share specifically your ministry goals, discuss how to get there, and emphasize their part. Always focus on opportunities instead of needs. People are not attracted to ministries that are desperate and needy, but to those that are exciting and meaningful.

Train
Equip your leaders with the tools they need to do their job. Provide initial training overviews of the ministry's structure, policies, procedures, and leader expectations. Then, provide continuous support and leadership development through leadership meetings that focus on a particular area of the ministry and the leader's role. React quickly to their needs and create an environment where feedback is welcomed and encouraged. Empower them to do ministry!

Minister
Establish a volunteer structure that ensures the leaders' personal ministry needs are being met. Focus your time and attention to ministering to your key leaders, setting the example of how they are expected to minister to the volunteers on the team. When the example is set, it will trickle down to ministering to each child the same way. Encourage your leaders to contact their volunteers once a month without asking them to do anything. Instead, they should ask for ways they can be praying for them. Also, provide opportunities for leaders to build relationships with paid staff and other leaders. This will bring your team closer together in ministry.

Appreciate
Take the time to say thank you. Consider a hand-written note, a small gift, a compliment, or an appreciation dinner. Ask families to write testimonies of the impact volunteers have made on their own children. Share these stories with your volunteers and encourage and remind them of the difference they are making. Always be aware of ways that you can communicate just how thankful you are for their commitment and faithfulness.

Our most important goal in Children's Ministry is to share the love of Christ with the children in our church. When we prayerfully identify, actively recruit, direct, thoroughly train, lovingly minister, and continuously appreciate our leaders, we are establishing a strong foundation for God to use in impacting the lives of children.
Childrens WalkThru at First Baptist, Cumming GA A children’s building should be welcoming, safe and secure, have soothing colors, great signage to point the way, areas for small groups as well as large groups, and fun! Come join me for a Childrens Walkthru with Brian Weaver and Laura Nixon in their new Children’s Building at First Baptist in Cumming. Their team did a great job of designing and building a wonderful space for kids. I think you’ll find lots of ideas you can incorporate into your space.

Related Article from LifeWay

<a href="http://www.lifeway.com/Article/church-architecture-guidelines-preschool-ministry-space" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Guidelines for Church Preschool Space</a>

Since preschoolers tend to be the most physically active people inside your church, doesn't it make sense that you should pay particular attention to the places where they will learn, play and generally have fun? Of course it does! With that in mind, let's take a look at some specific guidelines for preschool teaching areas and how you can make the most of your space.

Room size
Recommended size for a preschool room is large enough to allow 35 square feet per child. To calculate the recommended square footage for a class/department room, multiply the number of children by 35.

Doors
Solid doors with small rectangular window for safety and security are recommended for preschool rooms. (Half doors are not recommended; they invite teachers to visit with others in the hallway, and children are distracted by movement and noise outside the open half door.) Doors should be 36 inches wide and should open to the outside of the room.

Floors
Floors can be carpet or tile. Whatever choice is made, keep these aspects in mind.
<ul>
<li>Floors should allow preschoolers the freedom to participate in a variety of activities.</li>
<li>Floors should be comfortable for seating and for activities.</li>
<li>Floors should be easy to keep clean and sanitary.</li>
<li>Flooring should be safe for preschoolers.</li>
</ul>
Electrical outlets
If building new space, provide two outlets per wall. In rooms for babies through twos, outlets should be four and one-half feet from the floor (for safety). Install safety outlets or keep outlets covered with safety covers when not in use.

Walls
Walls in a preschool room may be covered with washable, nontoxic paint or with vinyl wallpaper with no pattern. Wall color is an important part of the learning environment. Neutral colors or soft pastels are best.

For rooms that receive much natural light, soft blues and other "cool" colors work well. For rooms receiving little or no natural light, a "warm" color, such as soft yellow, is a good choice. Bold colors, patterns, chair rails, borders and murals may distract from learning, may make rooms look cluttered, or may encourage overactive behavior. If additional color is desired in a preschool room, add a soft color accent wall to the room.

Ceilings
Recommended material for preschool rooms is an acoustical ceiling. These ceilings work to keep the noise level low.

Windows
Windows located 18 inches from the floor will provide preschoolers a better view of God's world. For safety, keep window ledges flush with the wall, and provide windows with shatterproof glass. If necessary, add mini blinds to eliminate glare or to close out distractions.

Lighting
Fluorescent lighting works well in a preschool room. This lighting is brighter and less expensive to maintain. In rooms designed for babies, lights should be on a dimmer switch or designed so that some lights can be turned on while leaving other lights off (for sleeping babies).

Restrooms
For best results, preschool rest rooms should be connected to the department room. Equip the rest rooms with child-sized toilets and sinks with paper towels and soap dispenser on the level of preschoolers. Rest rooms should also have tile floors and doors without locks.

Preschool Sunday School space
Space per child: 35 square feet recommended
Room size: 200 square feet minimum; no wall less than 12 feet
Windowsills: 18 to 24 inches from floor

Preschool room capacities
Ages Babies - 1: 7-10
Age 2: 9-12
Ages 3-5: 12-16

Weekday child care
Space per child: 35 square feet or by local codes
Play yard: 75 square feet per child minimum, or as required by codes
Rooms usually require grade level location, often with direct access to exits. Check codes. (Check state and local codes for detailed requirements.)
Favorite Things: Children’s Ministry “Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with strings—these are a few of my favorite things.”

These are great lyrics to a classic song, but I’m not sure how well they work in Children’s Ministry. As Children’s Ministry Leaders, we do all we can to make sure every time the children are present we have well—staffed and well planned sessions. We enlist leaders and make sure they have all they need to teach. We even enlist substitutes and make sure they are trained as well. However, there are those times when our best plans fall through due to last minute emergencies and we have to walk in a room ready to teach preschoolers or children when we have had little to no time to prepare. Watch this video to find out what I keep in my “Favorite Things Bag” so that I’m ready to teach on a moment’s notice. I would love to hear what you keep in your “Favorite Things Bag.”
Enlisting, Developing & Retaining Volunteers It takes a lot of volunteers to staff all the Preschool and Children’s ministries at church. This video will assist you as you seek to find and recruit volunteers. But it will also give you a few ideas to help as you train and develop these leaders. Building relationships, showing appreciation and helping the volunteers see the big picture in Kids Ministry will help you as you try to retain your leaders. Please let us know if we can help you train your volunteers.
Teaching Biblical Truths with Dollar Store Items Teaching Preschoolers and Children at church can get expensive because we always need teaching supplies. In this video, you’ll see some creative ideas for teaching children using items that only cost $1. Watch the video so that you can learn some great ways to teach Biblical truths using items like a shower curtain, lacing cards, blinking balls, crafts sticks, a scarf, or even a cup and sock. I would love to hear some creative ways that you have used inexpensive items to help teach children.

<h4>More from Dollar Tree, Inc.</h4>
<a href="https://blog.dollartree.com/category/teachers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tips & Ideas for Teachers</a>
Whether you teach in a public or private school, or homeschool your kids, you can set up the classroom you need on the budget you have! Ms. Pennywise shows you creative and cost-saving ideas for classroom décor and bulletin boards, crafts, science experiments, and more. Organize and decorate your room, get your students’ creative juices flowing with arts and crafts, create learning centers to engage your students in new and exciting ways, celebrate and reward your class, and make learning FUN!

<a href="https://blog.dollartree.com/category/diy-crafts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DIY & Crafts</a>
Dollar Tree knows how to get crafty with $1 supplies! You’ll be amazed at what you can create with a little imagination… and just a few dollars! Put your creative and personalized stamp on your wedding day, make homemade gifts for friends and family, create fun craft projects at camp and school — whatever you want to do, we can help you make a BIG splash and save money, too!
Approaches to Learning Visual, Natural, Musical, Physical, Logical, Reflective, Verbal, and Relational – What kind of learner are you? Watch this video to learn some ways to incorporate different learning styles into the Preschool and Children’s Sunday School/Small Groups. We tend to teach using our primary approach to learning, but if the children in your class learn in different ways, you need to utilize other teaching styles.

Using Creative Teaching Methods:
[An <a href="http://www.lifeway.com/Article/using-creative-teaching-methods" rel="noopener" target="_blank">article</a> from LifeWay]

Children who are doing something retain 75 to 90 percent of what they learn as compared to 5 to 10 percent of what they hear or 20 to 30 percent of what they see. Creative teaching methods enhance the benefits of activity learning.

Creative teaching methods:
<ul>
<li>Help children express their feelings in ways in which words do not.</li>
<li>Encourage original and independent thinking.</li>
<li>Encourage a child to invest himself in the learning.</li>
</ul>Some creative teaching methods include drama, music, simulations, and learning games. All require active participation. Simulations is a teaching method you may want to try in your quest to find a better way to teach.

Simulations are pretend situations that enable a child to:
<ul>
<li>Discover a way he might respond.</li>
<li>Probe emotions he might experience.</li>
<li>Evaluate behavior from different points of view.</li>
</ul>Children of any age can pretend to be in a school environment inviting other boys and girls to church. One child can pretend to invite another to church while the second child gives an excuse for why he cannot come. Others in the group can help the first child think of ways to deal with the excuse. Children can trade parts and decide how to deal with different excuses.

Other suggestions might be for children who already are Christians to practice telling others how to become a Christian or for children to practice resisting temptation while in a safe environment.

Simulations can help children understand biblical times. Recently, a first-grader hurried into our Sunday School room asking "Are we going anywhere today?" You might think we regularly take field trips, but the only trips we take are those in our imaginations. We have toured Solomon's temple, and, on a bus trip, scouted out the land where Jesus lived.

Plan simulations based on the ages and abilities of the children you teach. Children of different ages enjoy simulations on different levels. Younger children may be quite willing to simulate a bus trip with rows of chairs, while older boys and girls will want to be more realistic.

Preparing To Teach
As always, start with prayer. Ask God to help you expand your teaching expertise and to guide you in the best use of teaching methods.

Think about the children you teach. What learning styles do they exhibit? Note which children seem to be verbal, visual, logical, physical, musical, natural, relational or reflective learners. Consider the needs of the children as you choose how to teach.

Try at least one new teaching method each quarter. Look at the curriculum for the focus age you teach. Circle an activity that uses a teaching method you have never or rarely used. Read it several times. Ask other teachers who have tried similar activities for their suggestions to help the activity flow smoothly. Set a time when you plan to use this method.

Enjoy teaching the activity and then evaluate the experience. Did children learn as you intended? What would you do differently if you were to do the activity again? Talking about these experiences with a group of children's leaders can help the entire group improve teaching.
What’s Next? VBS Follow-Up What’s your strategy for following up on the connections you made during VBS? And do you follow through with your strategy or does it get lost in the many other details that need to happen after VBS? Watch this video to get a fresh new perspective on continuing the connections with the families who attend your VBS. I hope after you watch this video you’re as excited about VBS follow-up as you are about VBS.
Evangelism in VBS - Jenni Carter Many of us know that VBS is the most evangelistic event that most churches have each year. But how do you make sure your VBS is evangelistic? Well, you have to be intentional. Intentional with your promotion, training, prayer, Gospel presentation and especially Follow-Up.

During this video you’ll learn some ways to be intentional as you promote your VBS in your community and as you enlist and train your leaders. You will also find some ways to encourage your church to pray for the lost. Some churches wait until the last minute to make decisions about the Gospel Presentation, but these need to be done early so that there is adequate time to prepare.

You’ll also hear some tips to help your church follow-up with decisions that were made as well as unchurched families. And finally you’ll discover some Bible verses to share with children as well as some great questions to ask to be sure that they understand. I hope you’ll watch this video so that your VBS is evangelistic.
Lessons from VBS Stories I love hearing stories from churches who are doing VBS and doing it well. I love to hear of people who have a passion for VBS and what it can mean to their communities. Watch this video to hear about a few churches in Georgia that are doing VBS well and how they make it happen. Then let me know your VBS stories and how you’re impacting your community through VBS.

About LifeWay Vacation Bible School
[Content from <a href="http://www.lifeway.com/Article/about-lifeway-vacation-bible-school" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LifeWay</a>]

LifeWay's Commitment to VBS
Vacation Bible School is the premiere outreach event of the year for many churches. Few other events offer the potential to reach out to children and adults in your community the way VBS can. It offers a powerful and unique opportunity for sharing Jesus Christ and positively impacting the kingdom of God.

We take that potential very seriously. LifeWay is committed to offering high-quality, affordable VBS resources that share the Good News of Jesus accurately with all ages. Our philosophy is that VBS must, at the very least, meet these criteria:
<ul>
<li>All resources must be Bible-based and biblically accurate.</li>
<li>The learning and activity features must be appropriate for the age group they are designed to reach.</li>
<li>Vacation Bible School should be fun, yet grounded in reality.</li>
</ul>Our resources come from and are true to the Word of God. We don't represent Bible characters as cartoons or inanimate objects. We want children to understand the reality of the Bible through an entertaining, theme-oriented learning approach. Our beliefs and commitments are outlined in greater detail in the Purpose Statement and Principles we have adopted.

History of VBS
Vacation Bible School was the idea of Mrs. Walter Aylett Hawes, a doctor's wife. Her goal was to get children off the streets of New York. In 1898 and 1899 Mrs. Hawes rented a beer hall in New York's East Side to conduct her Everyday Bible School. In 1900 Mrs. Hawes' pastor, Howard Lee Jones, insisted that the Bible school move to the church building, Epiphany Baptist Church. After two weeks it became clear that children from the East Side would not attend at the church, so Mrs. Hawes moved the school back to a site near the beer hall.

In the early 20th century, Vacation Bible School became a growing trend. While Mrs. Hawes was indeed a Baptist, Vacation Bible School was a non-denominational event in those early years. In 1922 the Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention assigned the work of VBS to the Sunday School Administration Department. In 1924 a Vacation Bible School Department was formed and Homer Grice, a pastor from Georgia, became its first director. At that point VBS was usually a 4-week event!

(New Horizons in Vacation Bible School compiled by Willie R. Beat)

Vacation Bible School Purpose and Principles
VBS is one of the most strategic outreach tools for the church and includes age-appropriate evangelism emphasis.

VBS is a flagship church event, uniquely inviting and exciting for everyone involved. The event belongs to the local church and must be flexible enough for individual church needs.

VBS is centered on a theme that permeates content, methodology, and the learning environment, creating an experience totally distinct from Sunday school. The theme must be appealing to children. A sub-theme may be used to explain content or the meaning of the theme.

VBS provides sound, relevant Bible study that enables people to experience and respond to the gospel message in ways that are appropriate for them. Everything that happens during a day of Vacation Bible School grows out of the biblical content and emphasis of that day. Vacation Bible School leads preschoolers, children, youth, and adults to study the same biblical content, when appropriate.

VBS includes schedules that help older preschoolers and children rotate through varied learning experiences with a variety of Christian leaders. It also offers suggestions for a self-contained classroom option.

VBS enlists teachers of preschoolers and children to lead certain functions based on their abilities, interests, and spiritual gifts. This simplifies worker preparation for many teachers who repeat their teaching assignments with different groups of children.

VBS requires user-friendly, easy-to-prepare, and easy-to-use materials that help teachers lead effective, meaningful learning experiences and establish relationships with learners.

The primary elements of Vacation Bible School are Bible study, worship, crafts, music, missions, recreation, and snacks. Each age group may adapt these elements.

VBS is an entry point to church and Christianity for many people, so it must be comfortable, enjoyable, and appealing. Vacation Bible School gives the church the opportunity to establish long-term relationships with these people.

Vacation Bible School must provide challenging experiences that continue to stimulate spiritual growth for churched people.
Let's Talk Vacation Bible School Come join two of Georgia’s most experienced VBS leaders, Jenni Carter and Kim Harris, along with host Keith Stewart for the video training “Let’s Talk VBS!” The panel discusses important topics, including enlistment, promotion, budgeting, evangelism, follow-up, and more. No matter if you are new to VBS or a long time veteran, you will learn new ideas to help your church have a truly life changing VBS.

About LifeWay Vacation Bible School
[Content from <a href="http://www.lifeway.com/Article/about-lifeway-vacation-bible-school" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LifeWay</a>]

LifeWay's Commitment to VBS
Vacation Bible School is the premiere outreach event of the year for many churches. Few other events offer the potential to reach out to children and adults in your community the way VBS can. It offers a powerful and unique opportunity for sharing Jesus Christ and positively impacting the kingdom of God.

We take that potential very seriously. LifeWay is committed to offering high-quality, affordable VBS resources that share the Good News of Jesus accurately with all ages. Our philosophy is that VBS must, at the very least, meet these criteria:
<ul>
<li>All resources must be Bible-based and biblically accurate.</li>
<li>The learning and activity features must be appropriate for the age group they are designed to reach.</li>
<li>Vacation Bible School should be fun, yet grounded in reality.</li>
</ul>Our resources come from and are true to the Word of God. We don't represent Bible characters as cartoons or inanimate objects. We want children to understand the reality of the Bible through an entertaining, theme-oriented learning approach. Our beliefs and commitments are outlined in greater detail in the Purpose Statement and Principles we have adopted.

History of VBS
Vacation Bible School was the idea of Mrs. Walter Aylett Hawes, a doctor's wife. Her goal was to get children off the streets of New York. In 1898 and 1899 Mrs. Hawes rented a beer hall in New York's East Side to conduct her Everyday Bible School. In 1900 Mrs. Hawes' pastor, Howard Lee Jones, insisted that the Bible school move to the church building, Epiphany Baptist Church. After two weeks it became clear that children from the East Side would not attend at the church, so Mrs. Hawes moved the school back to a site near the beer hall.

In the early 20th century, Vacation Bible School became a growing trend. While Mrs. Hawes was indeed a Baptist, Vacation Bible School was a non-denominational event in those early years. In 1922 the Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention assigned the work of VBS to the Sunday School Administration Department. In 1924 a Vacation Bible School Department was formed and Homer Grice, a pastor from Georgia, became its first director. At that point VBS was usually a 4-week event!

(New Horizons in Vacation Bible School compiled by Willie R. Beat)

Vacation Bible School Purpose and Principles
VBS is one of the most strategic outreach tools for the church and includes age-appropriate evangelism emphasis.

VBS is a flagship church event, uniquely inviting and exciting for everyone involved. The event belongs to the local church and must be flexible enough for individual church needs.

VBS is centered on a theme that permeates content, methodology, and the learning environment, creating an experience totally distinct from Sunday school. The theme must be appealing to children. A sub-theme may be used to explain content or the meaning of the theme.

VBS provides sound, relevant Bible study that enables people to experience and respond to the gospel message in ways that are appropriate for them. Everything that happens during a day of Vacation Bible School grows out of the biblical content and emphasis of that day. Vacation Bible School leads preschoolers, children, youth, and adults to study the same biblical content, when appropriate.

VBS includes schedules that help older preschoolers and children rotate through varied learning experiences with a variety of Christian leaders. It also offers suggestions for a self-contained classroom option.

VBS enlists teachers of preschoolers and children to lead certain functions based on their abilities, interests, and spiritual gifts. This simplifies worker preparation for many teachers who repeat their teaching assignments with different groups of children.

VBS requires user-friendly, easy-to-prepare, and easy-to-use materials that help teachers lead effective, meaningful learning experiences and establish relationships with learners.

The primary elements of Vacation Bible School are Bible study, worship, crafts, music, missions, recreation, and snacks. Each age group may adapt these elements.

VBS is an entry point to church and Christianity for many people, so it must be comfortable, enjoyable, and appealing. Vacation Bible School gives the church the opportunity to establish long-term relationships with these people.

Vacation Bible School must provide challenging experiences that continue to stimulate spiritual growth for churched people.