Children's Ministry: Family Devo Guide

For anyone who works in Children's Ministry....

Need a take-home tool to bridge the gap between church and home?  Need a way to communicate with parents about Sunday lessons?  Need a resource to encourage at-home discussion & family devotion time?

I wish I could say I came up with this, but I was given this idea by another ministry worker at the Children's Pastor's Conference this past January.....I simply put my own spin on it!

What we have here is a Placemat Family Guide!   What better time to prompt discussion than during a family meal, so the placemat is perfect!

Special Features:

• A follow-up family guide for each Sunday's lesson within a given unit!

• Scripture for families to look up together!

• Discussion points and questions!

• Follow-up family activities/object lessons!

• Family prayer prompts!

• Kid-friendly activities/puzzles for extra fun!

Yes, this required a bit of preparation, plus I laminate mine for easy food clean-up (and it makes the puzzles reusable with write-on/wipe-off markers), but I have received nothing but positive feedback from parents who have put them to good use!  

Just wanted to pass the idea along for anyone in need of something like this!  Enjoy! 

A Heart of Prayer

I realized a few years ago that as a teacher, I will forever be a student.  And not just in the form of classes, conferences, and workshops.  As a teacher, learning opportunities sneak up on you as you're preparing your lessons, as you're teaching the kids, or shortly there after as you look back on a unit in review.  As a leader and teacher in Children's Ministry, I look forward to these moments when God speaks Truth to me--whether it's meant to form me into a better teacher, or whether it's meant to form me into a better follower of my Lord.

For all you teachers or leaders in Children's Ministry who are reading along, this brief curriculum review is for you (all, however, are welcome to read along).  For the past few weeks, our Jr. Worship Service (1st-5th grade) has been learning about Prayer using Discipleship Junction: Talking with God.  I rearranged the lesson order a bit and came up with my own Prayer Center activities, but overall, it was a great resource to instruct our students on Prayer.  I highly recommend it.  We even had a Prayer Wall up throughout the course of the unit for the students to add their prayer requests and prayer praises.  It was the perfect way for the kids to share with God all that was on their hearts, while putting into practice all that they were learning about their conversations with God.

So, what did I learn from all this?  Other than the obvious reminder that my prayer life needs more attention that I've been giving it?  

In the middle of one of the lessons, as I spoke to the students about Joshua praying to God with great faith, I realized something.  For some of us, prayer is an obvious response to life.  We confidently turn to God, knowing that not only will He respond, but He will respond in the very best way.  

But what if you lack that faith?  Even if just for the moment?  Is your prayer suddenly meaningless?

It was in this moment of teaching that I was reminded that not only can we pray to God with great faith, but we can pray to God to gain great faith.  There is power in prayer that can change the heart and mind of the weak, the lost, the skeptical, and the unsure.  

Maybe this nugget of Truth is obvious to most.  Maybe most of the time, it's obvious to me too.  But on that day in Jr. Worship, I was reminded what it means to 'pray continually' (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  When I'm strong or when I'm weak.  When I'm nervous or when I'm confident.  When I'm prepared to listen or when I'm not prepared to listen.  When I understand or when I'm confused.  When I'm broken or when I'm whole.  

Pray continually.  When I have great faith or when I need great faith.  Pray continually.