“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” – Proverbs 22:6 To be transparent, I’ve preached it from the pulpit; chances are you have, too. The problem is that this doesn’t work. Many children of good Christian parents choose to leave the […]
The answer is no for most churches, but we can change starting today. Judges 2:7 says, “The people served the Lord all the days of Joshua and the elders who outlived Joshua and had seen all the great works of God.” A few verses later, it says, “Another generation did not know the Lord or his […]
This is my story about how I started writing Sunday School curriculum. It was 1979. I was 20 and recently accepted a Kids’ Pastor position at a new church in Port Huron and like many new kids’ pastors, I did not know what I was doing. I did not set out to write a new […]
Joel 2:28-29 (NIV) “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.“ Our Heavenly Father said that He would pour out His Spirit on […]
The best way to partner with parents is to get parents involved with the children’s ministry program. Let me tell you how I figured this out. I meet with my small group leaders once a month. Sometimes, I go around the room and ask each leader this question… What are you getting out of your […]
We hear a lot about “church hurt” today. It’s an oxymoron. It feels like those two words shouldn’t be connected. Isn’t the church supposed to be a place of healing? Why does it seem like so many people are hurt by the church? The truth is that people hurt people, and the church is full […]
“Write the vision, and make a plan upon tables that he may run that readeth it…” – Habakkuk 2:2 When I first began to teach children, I had a difficult time finding material and curriculums. The materials that were available at that time were outdated and did not cover Pentecostal or Charismatic principles. Most curriculum companies […]
“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” – Acts 2:17 This scripture makes it clear that it is God’s will that our children prophesy. This begs the question: Why […]
Recently, I was frustrated with our worship services for several months because the kids in my class were not worshipping in a way I knew they could. Some kids entered into worship, but many sat down and did not sing. I have found that teaching on that subject is one of the most fruitful ways […]
In the summer of 1996, I was the guest speaker at a Kids Camp in Fergus Falls, MN. During worship, I sat behind the puppet stage with my ice-breaker puppet, waiting for the local Kids Pastor to introduce me. I couldn’t see anything except the curtains of the puppet stage, but I suddenly sensed the […]