Archive for November, 2011

Holidays or Holy days?

By Lindsey | November 29, 2011 | Christmas, Holidays and Events, Parents | No comments

I recently read a post over at Impress Your Kids about turning Holidays into Holy Days. Between the hustle and bustle, Christmas play prep, shopping, cooking, baking, planning all-nighters, cleaning, shopping, wrapping, and decorating — it’s pretty easy to forget about the real reason for the season. But these cultural celebrations are a fabulous time to really drive home some Scriptural truths to the kids.

So, I’m going to take a break from the kidmin stuff and focus on the family a bit this month. I’ll be “giving December” to my kids as suggested by Amanda, the author of Impress Your Kids as we work through the wonderful e-book, “Truth in Tinsel” (have you grabbed your copy yet?). Stay tuned for some fun ideas and pictures of our adventures!

I’ll be working a day ahead of the book, so I can have my post up first thing in the morning for all you readers to see. Let me know how yours went by posting a comment or by heading over to the Truth in Tinsel facebook page and leaving a comment.

I’m looking forward to it and hope you are too!

Truth in Tinsel E-book: Great Resource!

By Lindsey | November 25, 2011 | Christmas, Holidays and Events, Parents, Resources | 2 Comments

I’ve been following a blog called Impress Your Kids for some time now, and have admired the creative ways the author Amanda uses to teach her kids about God and Scripture. When she announced she had written an e-book called Truth and Tinsel, and was looking for bloggers to review it, I nearly lunged out of my chair in an attempt to send her an email. I just finished browsing through the book, and I can tell you, I am not disappointed. Not one bit.

In her introduction, she shares the history of the book, which goes like this:

When my daughter was just a year old, I bought her an Advent Calendar book. Each day, she’d open a tiny flap in the back and then we’d read the corresponding page in the book. The first day the book instructed us to make a Christmas ornament to go along with the story. We did (I think it was made out of construction paper and had some stickers slapped on it) and my daughter was in love! Every single day of December she wanted to make an ornament. However, the book didn’t continue with ornaments each day, so we made some up ourselves! They were mainly made from paper, glue, markers and maybe a ribbon if I could scrounge one up.

We had so much fun making a little craft together during that Christmas season. What was even more fun is that my little bitty girl started understanding the Christmas story. She’d talk (or babble) about Mary, Joseph, and Jesus.

Amanda goes on to tell how she tried a few new things over the next few years, but she and her daughter always returned to the Christmas ornaments, because of their story value. My daughter is just about to turn two, so I am especially interested in ways to make Christmas meaningful for her this year.

Won’t Break the Bank!

As I opened up Truth in Tinsel, I was so impressed with all the super cute and easy ideas. I especially love that most people will already have most of the supplies on hand already. Even if you had to go out and buy things, the cost for making everything in this book would probably be under $10 and you would have some truly wonderful memories.

Up for a Challenge?

We’re really into crafting right now (I have another girl that comes to my house for child care). I’m always browsing around on Pinterest trying to gather up ideas. With Amanda’s book, I now have 24 simple crafts that all tie into the Christmas story and I couldn’t be more excited about it! She also issued a challenge to “give” December to your kids by participating in the crafts and Scripture every day. I’ll take the challenge! Stay tuned for more posts and pictures of all the fun. Check out the list of days at the bottom of this post!

Good for Kidmin Too!

Another great way to use this book is in your Children’s Ministry during the down time of the Christmas play practice. If you’re in kidmin, you know this problem all too well. What do you do with the kids who aren’t actively practicing? Or with guests for that matter? You want something that’s going to be engaging, but isn’t going to suck up too much man-power, or require a ton of set-up or clean-up. Truth in Tinsel is a perfect solution! kids will be engaging in the Christmas story, but will also be readily available to practice when their part comes up. Fabulous.

My Favorite Parts

Okay, want to hear my favorite parts about the book? I’ll tell you a few, but I don’t want to give it all away! Of course, I love the fact that each craft has a corresponding Scripture passage or story. I also love the “do more together” feature. This is perfect if you’ve a few extra minutes one day and want to make a really good memory with your kids. I also love that the crafts are designed for the younger set, and there are parts of each ornament that even a toddler can participate in.

Some of my favorite crafts?

Mary and Elizabeth who have pop-dots for their pregnant bellies!
The city of Bethlehem made out of an egg carton.
The temple made out of an old Christmas card
The scented ornament made out of homemade dough.

Does it all seem like too much?

Don’t think you have enough time to do it all? Amanda has a “just the basics” schedule with only 6 of the most important ornaments!

Get Yours Today!

So what are you waiting for? Head on over to Impress Your Kids. and snag your copy today!

Got Questions:

Check out the FAQ page or contact Amanda through her blog.

I’m Thankful for these Kids!

By Lindsey | November 24, 2011 | Ministry Ideas | No comments

Toilet Paper Nativity

By Lindsey | November 22, 2011 | Christmas, Holidays and Events | 2 Comments

Looking for a fun craft for your Kidmin kids to do while everyone is practicing for the Christmas play?

Or how about a fun project for your own kids to engage them in the Christmas story more?

Kids love nativities, but the family heirloom might not be the best thing for them to play with. How about making their own set using toilet paper rolls and these great printables?

I know what we’ll be doing this week!

Children’s Ministry Director Job Description

By Lindsey | November 14, 2011 | Ministry Ideas | 7 Comments

Inspired by a posting over at Ministry to Children, I thought I’d post my newly written job description for those who are still working on their own. It’s a new thing we’re doing at our church, and a great idea for anyone who is structuring their ministry for growth!

Here it is in Word or PDF if you’d like to download it!

Children’s Ministry Director

HOURS: 15 hours a week.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Be a member in good standing.
A desire to teach and mentor children with patience and an accepting heart.
Preferably have an educational background in Christian Ministries, Biblical Studies, or a related field.

PURPOSE OF POSITION:

To ignite a desire for a genuine relationship with Christ and to equip the kids for the spiritual battle they are in. Encourage and equip parents to develop a biblical worldview in their children. Promote Scripture memorizing, prayer, and personal Bible reading as well as provide opportunities for ministry leadership, outreach to the community, and connection to mission field. To teach a Bible based curriculum and encourage a Biblical based life style among the children.

RESPONSIBLE TO:

Responsible to the Board of Ministries, working directly under the supervision of the Senior Pastor. The position will be evaluated every 6 months.

JOB DUTIES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

Responsibility for the oversight and leadership of the Children’s ministries that include: Wednesday Night Ministries, Children’s Church, Special Events, Vacation Bible School.
Recruit, train, pray for, and involve new children’s ministry volunteers.
Create and effectively manage the ministry’s budget.
Maintain ministry’s section on website.
Communicate consistently with parents as well as provide the tools they need for spiritual leadership

OTHER GENERAL EXPECTATIONS INCLUDE:

Should always exhibit professionalism, demonstrated by: a well-groomed appearance, conscientious work ethic, be willing and able to work at a fast pace within a variety of settings and circumstances, with composure and flexibility.
Should be ever conscious of the need for confidentiality.
Should exercise discernment and wise judgment.
Should be a person who gives extreme attention to details with an eye for excellence.
Should be a self-starter, good at multi-tasking and prioritizing projects.
Endorse and support the local church and her mission as well as the ministries of the worldwide work of the C&MA.
Maintain personal spiritual development through Bible reading, prayer, and Christian community

What Readers Are Saying about The Imagination Station Series

By Lindsey | November 9, 2011 | Resources, Reviews | No comments

Did you catch the reviews of Showdown with the Shepherd and Problems at Plymouth recently? Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a chance to win your own copy of the books (contest ends November 15th). Check out what other readers are saying about this great series!

Money-Saving Mom

If you’re looking for a good read-aloud for your children, I highly recommend these books. Our children
have been riveted and on the edge of their seats through each and every chapter. In fact, we usually
read no less than five to eight chapters as a time because I can’t bear to say no to their begging for me
to read more.

Life as Mom

The books are easy to read as well as intriguing to kids and adults alike, making for a fun family read aloud.

A Peek at My Bookshelf

These books are engaging, filled with just the right amount of adventure and mystery, but also with important historical detail.

Christy’s Book Blog

Mia and I have read several in the Magic Tree House series, to which this is certain to be compared, but Imagination Station is far superior. The writing doesn’t talk down to readers, the plots are thoroughly engaging while using historical characters. They give kids a good view of what life was like at the time, because Patrick and Beth are treated like children of the era. … This is one series that I don’t dread reading aloud with my daughter each night.

From Mia, age 6: I liked everything about this book, especially being able to go to the past. My favorite part was the mysterious person who helped them open the church door. I loved the illustrations and the author is magnificent at his writing. I learned that God should forever be in your path. I really like that all of these books are Jesus books.

Karen in Mommyland:

This series has the potential to appeal to both boys and girls. I particularly like series which try to engage children of both genders. … This series isn’t dripping in history quite as much as the Magic Tree House series, but it has a nice healthy dose of it that carries the potential to spark an interest in history for young children. The book’s Christian message is subtle. I have read other books for children where the religious message feels heavy handed and forced. This is not the case with this series. The message is there, but it does not try to shove anything down the readers throat.

My Buckling Bookshelf:

Mom and Dad, if you’re looking for fun, engaging books to keep your child reading then look no further than these Imagination Station books from Adventures in Odyssey. They’re fast paced and easy to read (with pictures, too), and have an air of mystery that will keep your child turning pages. Another bonus…they’re exploring the annals of history with the element of faith! I really enjoyed seeing how the message of Christ was woven through each story.

My Memphis Mommy:

As a parent I love that the Web site is very family friendly and gives lots of great resources for engaging your child further with the story lines. My husband and I appreciate this series as it shares our biblical worldview and has value based lessons through out the story. We also love that it teaches her historical facts in an exciting and fun way! She literally could not put the books down and once she was finished reading it was all she talked about it.

Have you Entered the Giveaway Yet?

Check out these posts for a chance to win Showdown with the Shepherd or Problems in Plymouth!