Misty Anne Winzenried
Use this quick devotion to remind volunteers that God can do miracles with what they offer kids each week--even when it doesn't feel like a lot. You'll n eed a piece of bread and a...
Gateway Community Church in Austin, Texas, hosted a Volunteer Expo to recruit volunteers for various church ministries, including children's ministry. Ministries set up displays to...
Point: Understanding children's learning styles Scripture: Psalm 49:3 Preparation: You'll need one clear bowl, four clear cups with a different color of water in each (red, yellow,...
Share a light-hearted moment of joy and discovery with your volunteers this Christmas. You'll need a small matchbox stuffed completely with tiny items such as a staple, paper clip,...
Many churches struggle with finding volunteers for children's ministry during Christmas Eve services. Use these ideas when you're in a pinch for volunteers at one of the busiest...
Matt Gergeni
Practical, innovative ways to BEEF UP the male presence on your kidmin team... From the earliest days of his ministry, Jesus recognized the importance of enlisting the assistance of...
Something borrowed, but nothing blue! Check out these 20 volunteer leadership tips from us to keep from being "blue" in your ministry! During the first 20 years of Children's...
Carmen Kamrath
You're winding down after the busy holiday season and enjoying a bit of a lull in your ministry when the phone rings. It's one of your preschool volunteers. Casual chitchat about...
Jennifer Buell
In a recruiting rut? Join our conversation with veteran recruiters to discover their secrets for effective recruiting that stands the test of time! It's crunch time, folks. Will...
Ali Thompson
When you're in search of volunteers for your ministry, it's easy to feel alone in your plight. The needs are often many; the solutions seemingly few. But the fact is, there are...
Adam Walsh
Don't do ministry alone! Tap the creative genius of a diverse (and possibly unlikely) mix of people, and your ministry will reap the rewards. The head of maintenance from a local...
Becky Olmstead
Have you ever felt like you were trapped in a revolving door when it comes to recruiting? Just when you begin to feel you finally have enough volunteers, someone quits, and you're...
The economy's tight and you need to say "thank you" to your amazing team of volunteers. Here are 14 ways to do it with style--and without busting your budget! Budgets may be tight,...
Ali Thompson and Karl Leuthauser
Your team won't want to miss your meetings with these fun and creative plans! Ahhh...training meetings. You plan. You show up early. You wait. You watch the clock. Eventually a...
Carmen Kamrath
My husband, Dan, is a humble guy. He's never been one to toot his horn about his accomplishments or abilities. One afternoon I received an official-looking letter from Dan's...
Larry Shallenberger
Confession time: Fantasy football is one of my guilty and more nerdy pleasures. I'm a 37-year-old, mortgage-paying father of three who loves nothing better at the end of a long day...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Create Horn of Plenty invitations. Sketch a horn on the cover and fill it with the names of the people you'll appreciate. Decorate placemats. Have each child illustrate something...
Children's Ministry Magazine
October features National Sunday School Teacher Appreciation Day and it's a great time to say thank you to your kids' teachers... To show your children's Sunday school teachers how...
Tim Miller
Volunteer Leadership Tips: Using winning sports strategies to build a championship volunteer team. Some ministries work like a track and field team -- lots of specialists doing...
Sharyn Spradlin
Find out what captures and keeps volunteers with these exclusive survey results from Children's Ministry Magazine. Learn from real experts on volunteering -- volunteers themselves!...
Wouldn't it be great if everyone just got along? It's not a perfect world and sometimes you need to say hard things to people-even in ministry. Here are tips for having difficult...
Jim Wideman
Volunteers are looking for a leader with vision... Here's what I know about people: Give them a cause and a hero -- and they'll rally around them both. As a children's ministry...
Mikal Keefer
Getting volunteers to attend meetings can be a challenge, but one you can overcome. Here are training events that volunteers will love attending! When volunteers sign up to teach...
Keith Johnson
Maybe training doesn't always need to be an event. Here are ways to sneak in training when your volunteers least expect it... You've just finished one of the greatest summers in...
Ali Thompson
Veteran children's ministers share what really works when it comes to recruiting a great volunteer team... What if recruiting enough capable, eager volunteers for your children's...
Find volunteers in places you may've never looked before! Some volunteer position matches seem to be obvious. We so easily gravitate to schoolteachers to fill roles in our...
Jennifer Root Wilger
Beyond their ability to double as playground equipment, a familiar teenage face can ease separation anxiety for young children... When you think of teenagers in your church, what...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Volunteer Appreciation Ideas: The best ways you can affirm your volunteers -- according to actual volunteers... Tickets to a Christian concert Gift cards for dinner and a movie --...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Have your team recruited, trained, organized, and excited about all that God is going to do in the lives of children this year... Before you know it, school will be kicking back...
Stephanie Martin
Ten eye-opening things actual volunteers gripe about -- and how their complaints can make your ministry better than ever... Do you know how your volunteers really feel about your...
As you lead volunteers -- and especially in meeting times -- use these types of questions from Meetings: Do's, Don'ts and Donuts by Sharon Lippincott... Jesus was the master at...
Carol Cartmill
How to elevate your volunteers from "just helping out" to leadership roles in your ministry. Just uttering the words "we need leaders" in the church is likely to send people running...
Carmen Kamrath
How to "speak the truth in love" when you'd rather run the other way. Wouldn't it be great if everyone just got along, no one ever got mad, and children and adults did exactly what...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Summer is a great time to send home these wonderful "Treat and Training" bags... Personalize a gift bag for each person in your ministry. Then in each bag, add a resource to read,...
Bob D'Ambrosio
A Guide to Conducting Background Checks on Your Volunteers... Jack Anderson (not his name) thought it could never happen -- at least not at his church. The color drained from his...
Sophia Winter
You've scouted the best prospects for your volunteer positions, you've made lists and organizational charts, you've created an amazing recruiting campaign, and now you're ready to...
Gordon West
Spend time with children's ministry leaders these days and one of the topics of conversation is sure to be ministry to sixth-graders. What works with this unique age group? THE...
Bill Anderson
What Will It Take To Fix Your Ministry? Considering that we live in a day of instant information and rapidly changing technology, life can get complicated. Leaders' minds are often...
Bill Love
Do-it-yourself strategies on building value for your volunteer teams -- straight from the Carpenter. Have you ever wondered what ministry would be like with a dedicated and faithful...
Bob D'Ambrosio
On my desk I keep a paper heart with a handwritten note from a third-grader thanking me for being a center helper. Every time I see it, my heart warms as I recall the experience. Do...
Lidonna Beer
Children's ministry volunteers are loving, caring people who are...leaving? As much as we strive to recruit and keep them, volunteers all too often make the decision to leave their...
Scott Meeks
Empowering your volunteers to step out and take risks can mean great rewards for your ministry. As the young white-tailed doe timidly steps from the protection of the dense forest...
Scott Kinner
Your guide to alternative service opportunities for volunteers who don't fit the mold... Samantha is a young, single mom who began attending your church two years ago. Her children...
Children's Ministry Magazine
On the Spot Say: "Did you know that according to Barna Research Group, most people who believe in Christ as their Savior, do so before age 12?" Give each person a 3x5 card with a...
Sharyn Spradlin
Have you noticed the increased number of sandwich boards directing you to the newest church in your community? Does it seem that the collection of door hangers inviting you to a new...
Sue Lennartson
Maintaining the fabric of your volunteers' spiritual lives... A beautiful tapestry is so well-made that rather than looking at the fabric, one sees only the woven images and...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Supplies: You'll need three Bibles, rubber bands, paper, and pens. Use this active devotion with your team as part of the team building process Opening Activity To begin this...
Kate Holburn
Team teaching is half the work, double the fun. It's giving students a fuller picture because you literally have two painters. Where one leaves an empty canvas, the other can fill...
Children's Ministry Magazine
We had a Valentine breakfast to honor our volunteers in February with the theme "Touching Children's Hearts." We decorated the tables with red and pink tablecloths, lace doily place...
Eugene C. Roehlkepartain
The nationwide study Grading Grown-Ups shows that adults care about kids, but they aren't doing what they know is important. You can help them. Why is volunteer recruitment the #1...
Thomas McKee
The "bookend" generations can be your very best volunteers -- if you know how to manage them. We're sitting on an untapped gold mine of volunteers: those just entering the workforce...
Jim Wideman
Protect your children and your church from wolves in sheep's clothing It's the universal cry of the children's ministry leader: "We need volunteers, we need volunteers, we need...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Combine teacher appreciation with quick training, using these ideas. Set the Mood Decorate the tables with wrapping paper, bows, and curling ribbon. Make a special place for each...
Larry Shallenberger
Picture the perfect leader. Got that person in mind? What does he or she look like? Does your perfect leader have the charisma of a Kennedy, good looks worthy of People Magazine,...
Stephanie Martin
Here's a quick quiz for you as a children's ministry leader: Think of the top 10 important tasks or responsibilities that are part of your children's ministry. Volunteer recruitment...
Dwight Mix
Let's face it, the most dreaded part of vacation Bible school and almost every other children's program is recruiting volunteers! Whether your program is large or small, we all face...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Every leader who communicates with volunteers knows how frustrating it is to create a wonderful schedule, print it, and mail it…only to find out later that some volunteers lost...
Dave Stone
Key teamwork principles to help your ministry ride the waves of change When the waters are rough and a change of direction is required, you quickly realize the need for a team...
Thomas W. McKee
In defense of the church, it must be said that many ministries have hurdles that other volunteer organizations don't have. Circumstances in our church world can make it tougher to...
Larry Shallenberger
Your teaching partner is late. Again. Three times in five weeks. She acknowledges her tardiness with a dismissive joke. You resent having to set up the classroom and welcome all of...
Courtney Wilson
Time or no time, budget or no budget -- we've got great ways to give heartfelt thanks to your volunteers this Christmas. This time of year, everyone is long on holiday spirit but...
Jay Hostetler
After you've done all you can to equip an ineffective volunteer, have you got what it takes to move -- or remove -- the person if necessary? Fire a volunteer? You've got to be...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Instead of having one big year-end appreciation luncheon for our volunteers, we have several Mugs 'n' Muffins appreciation open houses during the school year. We schedule each Mugs...
Al Newell
Take a deep breath and slay those boogeyman issues in your recruiting closet I cracked an egg to create an omelette. As if the yolk were trying to escape, it fled the shell much...
Marlene Wilson
No ministry is immune to challenges. And when working with volunteers, challenges can multiply if not dealt with. When I reviewed these three volunteer ministry dilemmas, the first...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Whenever we think of such growth, it seems the most likely place for such things to happen is during an extended retreat, camp, or wilderness trip, but who has time with a packed...
Becky Ussery
Your teacher training session is just around the corner, and you're staring at a list of volunteers -- a mixture of people from various backgrounds. You have Rookies, Veterans, and...
Pat Verbal
Teachers come in all personality types, from diverse backgrounds, and with very different styles. I've seen a quiet, middle-aged, balding man in polyester pants, who at first glance...
Craig Jutila
I recently sent an audiotape titled What My Parents Taught Me About Leadership...Never Say "I Quit" to our children's ministry volunteers. I remember my mom continuously telling me,...
Stephanie Martin
How young volunteers can take your ministry to the next level. When kids finally graduate to a church's junior or senior high program, the last thing they want to do is associate...
Jennifer Hooks
Does reliance on spiritual gifting assessments for volunteers hinder or help God's call? Two experts weigh in. Spiritual gifting assessments have long been the go-to tool when it...
by Karen Kogler, director of volunteer equipping at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Arlington Heights, Illinois, volunteer expert with 35 years in ministry, and founder of...
Christy Olson
The Stamp of Gratitude After 30 years in ministry, I've gained immense respect for volunteers. Curriculum and room setup aren't nearly as important as the people who are willing to...
Try these no-fail tips to get teachers to training meetings. "Why do we need another meeting? I'm just too busy." "I've been teaching Sunday school for years. Why should I come to...
Janice Long
How to successfully involve parents in children's ministry Today's parents. They're a rare breed-a hard-to-understand breed. They're returning to the church, but they're reluctant...
Barbara Beach
Use these tips from children's ministers who have successful summer Sunday schools. School's almost out! But does that mean summer Sunday school should be out also? Teachers,...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Great news! We scouted the best ways to get temporary summer volunteers -- tried and true ways to maximize all the human resources surrounding you. Summer Interns Local colleges and...
Gordon and Becki West
Simple strategies to get men more involved in your ministry. The Bible says fathers should teach children the truths of God, so why are so few men working in Sunday school? Could it...
Children's Ministry Magazine
If you're like us, you have a lot of moms who volunteer to teach in your Sunday school and give all they can in their ministries at home and church. They need your love, support,...
Gordon West
How to disciple volunteers as they disciple children "All power has been given to me in heaven and earth, therefore go and fill vacant volunteer slots..." Whoa! Wait a minute! Is...
Sarah Smith
Use this article with your teachers to help them develop critical thinking skills in children. Scott memorized "Love thy neighbor as thyself" in Sunday school. He can quote it...
Margaret Beheler
My experiences as a child in church weren't positive. My family didn't encourage me to follow Jesus as a child -- but I knew I needed him. So I regularly walked down the road from...
Julia Roller
At Saturn Road Church of Christ in Garland, Texas, these church folks know how to bring up babies right, and they've done it for more than 35 years... It's Sunday morning, and...
Jim Wideman
Your volunteers love to be affirmed, but many may prefer simplicity when it comes to what really speaks to them. Consider these tips for keeping your affirmations simple and...
Spring has sprung, and summer's standing by--are you ready? Use our handy emergency-preparedness guide to ensure your summer ministry plans stay on track. 3 Ways to Get VBS Supplies...
Carmen Kamrath
10 unique ways to train your volunteers -- without another meeting The last time you had a training meeting, how many seats were empty? More than were filled? You may feel all alone...
Selma Johnson
Two veteran children's ministers sound off on the pros and cons of rotating volunteers Rotation: The Solution for Today's Ministry by Selma Johnson If someone had told me decades...
Alan Nelson
If you have challenges getting volunteers to attend training meetings, you're not alone. Borrow these best practices for boosting your meeting attendance. Create a compelling reason...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Loss and grief, just like joy and celebration, are part of life. Throughout your years as a children's minister, you'll undoubtedly cross paths with a tragedy involving one or more...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Meet with your teaching staff to get the most out of this article. 1. Before the Meeting -- Two weeks before this meeting, photocopy a "Parent Survey" for each child in your...
Children's Ministry Magazine
Become fluent in the "love languages" so your volunteers feel appreciated by you. We asked our staff and Children's Ministry Magazine Live presenters what their primary love...
Kerri Hock
Are you volunteer poor? These debt-management principles can help you turn a shortfall into a windfall. When I was a child, my mom frequently said I must've had a hole in my pocket...
Carmen Kamrath
These 10 recruiting missteps can cost you new volunteers. Here's how to avoid them. Remember that person you had such a crush on in high school? Maybe you flirted and worked...
Untitled Document It's all in a day's work for this children's ministry leader and volunteer on the same team. Jenice Moore and Kim Ross. Both energetic women live in Livermore,...
Carmen Kamrath
These 10 recruiting missteps can cost you new volunteers. Here's how to avoid them. Remember that person you had such a crush on in high school? Maybe you flirted and worked...
Scott Kinner
How to keep from being singed when your critics ignite a blaze. "Maybe I'm not called to children's ministry after all." "I've failed." "I've tried my best, but this isn't for me."...
Christine Yount Jones
It's a cliché, but you get more bees with honey than with vinegar. The same is true about volunteers. You'll attract more volunteers with excitement, energy, creativity, and a fun...
Dale Hudson and Ray Tollison
Follow this new children's ministry leader as he tackles a serious need to double his volunteer team. We can all relate to volunteer shortages -- for many children's ministers,...
Christine Yount Jones
The editors of Rev! magazine sat down with Christine Yount Jones, executive editor of Children's Ministry Magazine and Rick Lawrence, executive editor of Group Magazine, to listen...
Amy Dolan and Denise Silva
Follow this leader for five weeks as she struggles with confronting volunteers. If only volunteer management were as easy as it sounds. But few leaders relish the tough side of...
Lesleigh Keetch
12 ways to re-energize weary volunteers. It's spring -- the season when we rejoice in the promise of new life and refreshed spirits. So why do your volunteers seem collectively...
Craig Jutila
If no one's behind you, you may have a loyalty problem. More than 10 years ago I sat in a staff meeting ripe with tense energy. The senior pastor lectured us -- his staff --...
Larry Shallenberger
When volunteers quit, flake out, or just can't get along. Confession time: Fantasy football is one of my guilty and more nerdy pleasures. I'm a 37-year-old, mortgage-paying father...
Keith Johnson
You've heard it before: "I'm bored! I already know all this!" You've seen it before: Kids fidget, zone out, and harass others -- or you. You've felt it before: Glassy eyes,...
Christine Yount Jones
77 tips for growing vital volunteers from fertile friendships! Summer is no time to slack off on your recruiting. In fact, summer can be one of your most productive seasons for...
Angela Yee
A ministry fair is a great way to reach potential volunteers in your church. Hosting one can add an atmosphere of celebration to your church and help people get excited about...
What's something we all have to do at one time or another even though we'd rather not? Grocery shopping. What's something we all should do at one time or another but we often...
Fill a zippered plastic bag with one each of the following items: a rubber band, a tissue, a button, a toothpick, a bandage, a Hershey's Kisses chocolate candy, a gold thread, an...
Alan Nelson
Leaders who take time to contemplate themselves, their experiences, and their relationships are more apt to remain fresh and stable. Lessons learned, failures experienced, and...
Sue Mallory
One of my greatest surprises when asked to serve at my church many years ago was that there were no prerequisites. I have been a volunteer all my life, and have always been required...
Bob D'Ambrosio
No matter how much screening you do, you can never screen out difficult people from your ministry. Because the church is a "grace place," people come to your ministry with their...
Lori Haynes Niles
One of my deepest convictions about teaching is that it must be learner-focused. I believe that's the biblical model. When Jesus taught, he didn't throw a fast pitch of truth out to...
Thom Schultz
Curriculum publishers sell boxcar loads of printed pieces they call teaching materials. Here's an example from a well-known Christian publisher's fifth- and sixth-grade student...
Jacquie Vanatta
Albert Einstein said, "Knowledge is experience-everything else is just information." Nowhere is this more true than with children-and especially children in cradle roll. Creating...
Tim Cox
When new families try your church, they're often willing to park quite a distance from the door or don't mind too much if the music seems a little loud. But if their little child is...
Someday, your name will be hailed as the one who changed a life. In the busyness of everyday ministry, it's easy to lose sight of the eternal difference you're making on kids. We...
Anthony M. Sirianni
"Mommy, I want to arrest God for taking Daddy!" Words like this are expressed by children daily. Every year roughly 2.3 million people die in the United States; 16,000 are children....
Lonni Collins Pratt
Three-year-old Joseph Wallace had finally found a haven in his foster home in Chicago. But the authorities took Joseph from his foster home and returned him to his mother -- a...
Mary Davis
David was once outgoing and happy, without a care in the world. Now he's withdrawn and sad. Annie can't seem to calm herself. And Steve is always on the verge of tears. These...
Keith Johnson
7 characteristics that spell the difference between good teachers and great teachers! The teacher had obviously prepared her lesson because it was full of sticky notes, yellow...
Christine Yount Jones
Creative ways to get people off the bench and into your children's ministry . "Play ball!" When the umpire calls out this familiar refrain, everyone's in his or her place! The front...
Bob D'Ambrosio
Quick tips to equip -- all you have to do is add volunteers! Instant messaging. Instant potatoes. Instant replays. Since we live in an instant-everything culture, we're always on...
Greg Baird
There he sat, under a broom tree (what exactly is a broom tree, anyway?). He was beaten, battered…burned out! After all the great victories and the shining moments of faith in this...
Keith Johnson
The art of "selling" your volunteers on anything. Believe it or not, you're a salesperson for your ministry -- if selling is defined as convincing. Think of everything you do to try...
Christine Yount Jones
"The most important measure of how good a game I played was how much better I'd made my teammates play." -- Bill Russell "Of all the things I've done, the most vital is coordinating...
Lois Keffer
Easy-to-prepare training meetings to equip your children's ministry volunteer team to teach unforgettable lessons KNOW THE GOAL Unite your children's ministry volunteer team with a...
Use this devotion at a meeting of all your volunteer teachers and helpers, including the "behind-the-scenes" heroes, to show just how much God appreciates everything your volunteers...
Use this devotion at a volunteer training meeting to help volunteer teachers get in touch with the fun of being a child and to challenge them to be learners as well as teachers in...
Church membership. Churches that require their volunteer teachers to be church members help to ensure that their teachers believe what the church teaches. If you are unwilling to...
Keith Johnson
What's the difference between training that inspires and training that simply fills time? When volunteers are actively involved in learning, they're enriched. When volunteers...
Jody Capehart
11 ways to recharge your volunteers' faith Who is your primary ministry to -- children or volunteers? If you truly want to multiply your ministry, you answered volunteers. Just as...
Eugene C. Roehlkepartain
What you can learn about children's ministry volunteer training from Olympic athletes. What would happen if athletes showed up at the Olympic Games equipped the way children's...
CHILDREN'S MINISTRY VOLUNTEERS APPRECIATION DINNER To show our Children's Ministry volunteers that they're doing a great job, we gave them a catered buffet dinner. We sent out...
STRONG AS SAMSON-ITE If your volunteers arrive with arm loads of supplies, give them this back-saving tip. Use a portable luggage cart wheel rack to transport curriculum, craft...
Pray. Continue to ask God to supply the volunteers you need. It's God's ministry, and ultimately he does the work. Spread the word. Talk to your pastor and other church leaders...
Joe Murphy
Ask children's ministers what their top three ministry needs are, and 99.9 percent will list volunteer recruitment as one of those three needs. It's painfully difficult to capture...
Xers, like generations before us, need to serve because service is the real, powerful expression of God's love to the world As a member of Generation X, I'm concerned by my...
Christine Yount Jones
For 20 years Roger Mailand has been the minister of education and youth at St. Michael's Lutheran Church in Portage, Michigan. In those 20 years, Roger has had very low volunteer...
Craig Jutila
"Therefore encourage one another, and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." -- Thessalonians 5:11 Take this quiz What item would you give a volunteer to encourage her...
Sandy Cope
Many people will volunteer to help, but they don't understand what kind of help is needed or what kids enjoy. So I've developed a notebook for these people to look through for help....
Chris Hill
Are you effectively mentoring leaders to maximize your ministry? Will your volunteers know how to carry on in your absence? Or will programs fall apart and attendance decline in a...
David English
"I learned about a dream-catcher today. If you have one by your bed, it'll take all your bad dreams away," explained the 6-year-old, towheaded boy to his mother after Sunday school....
Mike Gillespie
9 reasons to fire a volunteer and how to do it. After a month, it was apparent trouble was brewing in the fourth-grade class. The teachers and students weren't getting along....
Judi Bailey
When it's time to confront. What do you do, as a children's minister, when one of your suggestions goes ignored? How should you react when a volunteer says, "I've been a public...
Cindy Parolini
If your volunteer staff seems like a group of misfits, take another look at their personalities. Six months ago, Holly asked Carol how she could help with the children's ministry....
Faith Tyson
Use these helpful tools to keep your teachers on track Are your teachers on track? If not, your entire program could end up in a massive derailment. Use this 10-question "Pop Quiz"...
Christine Yount Jones
Well, maybe not quite a million, but here are oodles of quick ideas that will help you celebrate your volunteers. Give a gift certificate from a local restaurant. Have children use...
Christine Yount
As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it,...
Rick Chromey
Look for volunteers of all occupations. Volunteers aren't all alike. Some have been trained to teach, many have not. Some enjoy working personally with children, others welcome...
Use this fun, unusual training event to make a yearlong impact on your team of volunteers. It's time to kick off your year with a fantastic volunteer training and affirmation event!...
Gordon West
Historically, children's ministry has been predominantly staffed by women. According to George Barna, "Women are almost twice as likely as men" to teach Sunday school. But in our...
Bob D'Ambrosio
Are people running from you in the church halls again? Before you invest in a new box of Altoids, consider if your ministry recruitment techniques are responsible for the cold...
Jennifer Hooks
How Potter's House in Dallas, Texas, is sculpting one of the most dynamic volunteer programs and children's ministries in America. Potter's House church in Dallas, Texas, though...
Lynda Freeman
Creative ways to let your wonderful volunteers know you appreciate them! Your volunteers go above and beyond their calling by faithfully serving -- often without anyone ever taking...
Craig Jutila
I can remember going to the doctor with a sore throat. The doctor took a cotton swab, rubbed it along the back of my throat, and then put the swab in a petri dish to grow a culture....
Order a fine cup of coffee at a Starbucks and you can savor the aroma, taste, and body of the coffee. Your senses awaken to a subjective experience that brings you pleasure. That's...
Thom and Joani Schultz
You know Bertha. She's your third-grade Sunday school teacher, a veteran of 10 years. She's reliable. But she's standing in the way of effective ministry. You and your other...
There's a training innovation on the horizon that'll transform your ministry. The number of volunteers has increased significantly over the past decade, according to the Points of...
Nancy Friscia
Like water to a fish, affirmation is to volunteers. As children's ministry leaders, we know that we need to say thank you to our staff often and in creative ways. A note here. A...
M. Kurt Jarvis and Maxine Waldman
1. Pray. Too often we receive not because we ask not! Pray about your need, and get the entire congregation praying by giving them prayer reminder cards. 2. Ask. Identify people who...
Christine Yount Jones
THREE STRIKES AND YOU'RE OUT! But with volunteers, you may only get one pitch at getting them to an orientation event. DON'T STRIKE OUT! Here's how to hit a rip-roaring home run...
Rick Chromey
A letter to my Sunday school teacher. Dear Donna: It's been over two decades since you taught me, and yet it only seems like yesterday. It's strange how the years pass. I bet you...
Mary Van Aalsburg
Gracias! Dankeschon! In any language, these ideas will help you express your gratitude to volunteers' hearts! "Thanks" is such a simple word, and it comes in many forms -- some...
Christine Yount Jones
Eunice Miller's 31 years in children's ministry have borne abundant fruit in Fort Collins, Colorado . After 31 years in the same house, Robert and Eunice Miller are moving. "We...
Stephen Kemp
Discover how you can get more training without ever leaving your ministry . You'd like to get more education, but there's no way you can move to a college or seminary. Then why not...
Randy Warner
A "no yawns" teacher-orientation scavenger hunt to kick off the new year. This fun scavenger hunt will orient your teachers and build relationships as they work together. This event...
Christine Yount Jones
Find out why these volunteers at East Tulsa Christian Church are so on fire. 1. I've never seen another group of people like this. I think God has blessed this church tremendously....
Margaret Hinchey
Christian education involves everyone: teachers, children, parents, church leaders, and congregation members. Before you kick off your new educational year, rededicate your church's...
During Teacher Appreciation Month at our church, we recognized the teachers for their sacrifice and dedication in meeting the needs of our children. Each Sunday we surprised them...
Dr. Les Parrott III
Conventional wisdom holds that stress doesn't begin before late adolescence or early adulthood. Truth is, today's children are unlike any generation before them. They're...
THANKSGIVING SONG: FIVE LITTLE PILGRIMS Preschoolers will enjoy this Thanksgiving song with motions, sung to the tune of "Five Little Ducks." Another option is to use this as a...
Barbara Beach
Why Volunteers Quit...and what to do about it. John just filled the last Sunday school teacher slot. He heaves a sigh of relief. Now he can sit back and relax. But not for long. The...
