The proof of my book had arrived. I was so excited, and apprehensive, opening the box and lifting out the copies.

How wonderful, finally, and after so many hours of planning, work and effort, to be able to hold it in my hands.

If you haven't used a gratitude journal before, the Simply Grateful- a creative journal is the easiest way to start.

It encourages you with prompts, questions and suggestions to reflect on the many ways that you have been blessed. You'll find places to record lists or add notes.

​You'll find spots to doodle and draw if you feel creative. And there are some colouring pages and quotes if you need to relax and de-stress.  Check it out!

And now, you can get your own copy to use and enjoy. I've already written about and highlighted the importance of journaling and, in particular, gratitude journaling. And you can find out more about my Simply Grateful creative journal and how it's different from many other gratitude journals available.

But I've heard of some who plan to give copies of my book, Simply Grateful- a creative journal, as 'thank you' gifts to teachers and volunteers. 

Naturally, I think it's a wonderful idea and yes, I'm thrilled! It's a gift that will continue to build a legacy of family fun and memories for the recipients of your gift. 

So.... just as a suggestion, how about including a nice pen, a pack of colouring pencils and even a few stickers with the Simply Grateful journal for a truly meaningful gift.

If you're looking for packaging ideas, you can find plenty of suggestions for your gift plus thank you tags on the At Grandma's Place site.


​
​(The information in this article first appeared At Grandma's Place.)

So... have you checked your Facebook today? Did you see the latest cat video? I couldn't stop laughing and I had to share it with my kids.

The thing is, connecting and sharing on social media platforms is an integral part of today's conversations and relationship-building. And ministry, and in particular your family ministry, needs to be building online connection, too.

Sure, there are some negative aspects of social media and it's important to be aware of the dangers. But there are many positives, too.

Most of the people in your ministry, your leaders and your church family, are already using social media.

 Social Media has great potential for ministry

Social media has real potential for building relationships with families in your church and in your community.... and with your kidmin leaders, too.

While it's increasingly difficult to organise team meetings, online social interaction can help foster team connection.

It provides plenty of opportunities for discipleship in easy, non-threatening ways through thought-provoking posts, encouraging quotes, inspirational Scripture verses, training articles and shareable content.

Social Media platforms enable ministry to reach beyond the church

Christianity Today makes a comment on the way Focus on the Family uses social media to reach beyond their previous sphere of influence with ... 'their focus on real-time online interaction with people all over the globe struggling with family-related decisions, questions or regrets.'

Social media enables them to reach out online and help meet these needs. But yes, they employ a full-time team to handle this aspect of ministry.

So... what about your own ministry?

What are you going to need to make your social media plan work?

• someone tech-savvy to set it all up. (Maybe you're able to do that yourself..??)
• leaders who will answer parents' questions or start a conversation. (Yes... but you can work up to this. Start with developing an online presence.)
• people who will help find great content
• people who will update, post things, keep it fresh and happening.

Posting regularly shows people that your church, your kidmin, is active.

Use websites like PostPlanner or Hootsuite to schedule your posts in advance. It will save time.)

Now, while you have probably read that you should post numerous times a day, you'll quickly become disheartened if you have to find or create a large amount of content. Start small.. and build upon it.

Take some time to highlight and promote your upcoming events and programs on social media, too.

Monthly social media packs provide content to start posting immediately.

A number of people have mentioned how difficult and time-consuming it is to create content. So.. I've created monthly content packs to help you with this content creation. Each pack contains at least 8 quotes/ Scripture verse images plus editable powerpoint slides.

I've included a sample image file that you can check out below.

You can use these social media files to:

• encourage one another
• get the word out about your relevant, family-focused ministry
• connect with individuals and families with content that is heart-warming, thought-provoking, encouraging, shareable.

You can purchase these packs at affordable prices. Or, a subscription reduces the cost even further.

No matter what children's ministry program or curricula you use for your Sunday morning lessons, there are winning ways to include creative Bible puzzles for your kids.

I had bought my small grandson a simple puzzle board and, as I took it out of the pack, I smiled and called out to him, "Here's a puzzle for you, Fletcher, but it might be a bit tricky for you!"

Instantly, he leapt to his feet and called out, "Not too tricky for me! Coming now!"

Whether it's jigsaw puzzles, Find-a-Word, Crossword puzzles or Sudoku everyone, regardless of age, seems to enjoy solving puzzles. Here are 5 simple ways that you can spark interest and include puzzles to interest and involve kids in learning Bible truths.

1. Use a puzzle at the conclusion of a lesson to challenge your kids and solve the Bible puzzle using important points from the lesson. 

2. Home activity. Send home the puzzle with your students to complete at home for extra points, whether it's for individual prizes or for extra team points. The prizes don't have to be big- sometimes just a bookmark or a balloon or even to be the special helper or assistant for the day can be reward enough, plus the challenge itself of solving the puzzle before anyone else!

3. Include the puzzle with the weekly take-home resources that you provide for your kidmin families. This means that everyone in the family can be involved in solving the puzzle, while learning Bible truths at home.

4. Use a puzzle for your small group time on Sunday morning. It's a creative way to involve the kids and encourage their detective abilities in solving a problem that relates to your lesson.

5. Project the puzzle on-screen for everyone to complete together during the lesson time. It's simply done. Insert the puzzle image into a Powerpoint presentation slide. Then use the 'draw' feature of Powerpoint to add the letters, lines or information needed. You'll find that kids won't need too much encouragement to come up and help solve this large onscreen puzzle. Award points as you go, if you have a team competition happening.

So... how do you prepare puzzles for your lessons that doesn't involve big chunks of your time in planning and preparing? 

Easy! Check out this Super-sized Book of Bible Puzzles. There are puzzles of all kinds and for all ages ready to download, print and prepare for your kids. You'll wonder how you ever managed without it!

Some slip in quietly with a shy smile. Others burst in with noise and excitement. Bright eyes- curious- full of full of fun and full of questions- anxious to please; who wouldn't want to work with preschoolers?

Well, yes.. they are also still working on developing that self-control, and they are still learning to play and interact well with others. 

Perhaps, one of the most important things to keep in mind with preschoolers is their short attention span... and I mean short! They want to get going, doing stuff, feeling things, smelling things, tasting everything, even the play dough, and trying to make things work.

How can you present meaningful moments for busy preschoolers?
So, when it comes to planning and teaching lessons, all that bottled up energy means creating loads of short, hands-on, interactive segments that teach a Bible truth in a short amount of time. Interest tables, puzzles, setting up scenes with miniature figures, music and instruments, art and craft, blocks and construction, science with plants and animals... anything and everything that they can touch and feel and smell and listen to that will teach them a Bible truth.

That's a lot of planning 
Now, I know that means a lot of organising for each lesson but it's worth it. And, you'll enjoy it, too. 

But... at the end of your lesson there may be times when you have some minutes spare; maybe the pastor preaches overtime or maybe, a few parents stay back to talk or linger over coffee and they're late picking up the kids. 

Don't panic!

Here's your answer.
5 Minute Sunday School activities for preschoolers- Jesus shows me, by Mary J. Davis.
This book is just made for those types of situations. You'll find it overflowing with five minute ideas for Bible lessons (44 in all) ready to print and use.

What's included?
It includes activities for The Lost Sheep, the Large Catch of Fish, Jesus Calms the Storm, Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus and many more.

Each lesson activity provides a reproducible activity sheet to print ready to use, a list of needed supplies, instructions for preparation and a step-by-step guide for presenting the activity...  plus extra suggestions for extending the activity.

What types of activities?
Sometimes they'll colour and create a small booklet. They might glue on yarn or seeds to create a a collage picture, search for hidden pictures or make a simple windsock.

Plan ahead
I would suggest preparing a few of these activities ready to use at a moment's notice. Prepare 3-4 boxes of supplies ( I used clear acrylic document cases) and replace as necessary.

Label each box. I used blackboard labels so that I could easily edit the label according to the activity I popped into the box.

Fill each box (one box per activity) with enough copies of the printed activity sheets for your group plus the instruction sheet and any other needed resources eg yarn, sequins, seeds..

Then, simply take out a box and complete the activity when you need to fill in the occasional few minutes of unexpected activity time. It's easy!

The kids will love it... and so will the parents when they arrive to find their children engaged and having fun. And you'll love knowing  that, regardless of what happens, you'll have plenty of activities to keep those busy, active little people happily occupied, learning and growing.

(Copy of 5 Minute Sunday School Activities for Preschoolers provided for honest & personal review purposes.)

Yesterday was a scorcher! The temperature hovered just above 34 deg Celsius and the humidity was around 80%. I checked the bags of beautiful, red, chocolate hearts that I'd recently picked up cheaply for Valentine's Day.

Sigh.....  definitely soft! A melted heart is not exactly what I'd planned to use for our kidmin Valentine's Day gifts.

Why do anything for Valentine's Day?
I know that many churches and children's ministry leaders omit any reference to Valentine's Day in their programs or on their social media; and that's fine. It's certainly not a religious event or commemoration. But with the Valentine's Day focus of love, it seems a shame to miss the opportunity to shine the light on God's amazing love. 

Not only is this a wonderful opportunity to encourage the kids to share God's love with others, it's also the perfect time to remind our volunteers of how much we love and appreciate their involvement in the kidmin programs.

Check out these ideas
So, if you're considering Valentine's Day gifts for the kids to make and share with others, or perhaps making some gifts yourself to hand out to your volunteers, you might like to check out these creative ideas.

Check out these 5 kidmin Valentine's Day ideas! You'll find more information about each idea below...

1.. Valentine's Day colouring verses
This is a simple activity for kids to complete. Download the printable here. Print and hand out to the kids in your groups to colour. They can be cut to size, mounted on coloured card and handed out to their friends and family.
​

2.. Mini Bible Valentine
The site claims that this is not as difficult as it looks: plus, it comes with an instructional clip. You can also download the free printable, as well as four other designs, as long as you sign up for the emails. Check out the clip below and you can find more information, as well as the printable, here.

3.. Printable Valentine's cards with Bible verses
These are lovely and I wish I'd found them sooner. They can be downloaded from the website here and printed, ready for kids to personalise and hand out to their friends. Or... buy some simple frames (like the ones I found at Kmart). Mount the printables with the frames and add a coloured card backing. Then attach a small chocolate heart as a simple gift for a friend. See my sample ones.

 4.. 'Thanks for putting your heart into teaching' gift for volunteers
This is a simple idea but still heart-felt. You can find the instructions plus the free printable on this site.
​Hand these gifts out to your volunteers as a 'thank you' for their involvement in children's ministry. You also might like to check out these Valentine's Day ideas for your volunteers.
​

5.. Valentine's Day lesson for children's ministry
This lesson teaches kids that God has promised His love will never fail them, and that the very first fruit of the Spirit is love. If you're quick,you can pick this one up FREE. Find it here on ChildrensMinistryDeals.com

If you're still looking for more ideas for Valentines Day in your kidmin, then check out my growing collection on Pinterest. See below...

Key takeaways from this article

• Like New Chapter on Facebook
• If you're planning a Valentine's Day focus, check out the suggested ideas.
• Find out how you can simplify your life and ministry planning
• Check out New Chapter on Pinterest
• Read the latest book review
• Read regular kidmin ideas and inspiration

My granddaughter is reorganising her study area ready for recommencing school. She and her brothers are home-schooled with Distance Education and much of their learning content is online so technology is an integral part of their schooling. But Rachael still likes to set up her study area with printed organisers and daily planners. Colour coordinated pens and stationery are neatly stored beside her laptop and a handmade plant terrarium is displayed beside an inspirational framed quote and calendar.

It looks great! But, while she took time to present all her preparations, a warning 'ping' reminded her of a timed task she had set up to complete. Her smartphone indicated an incoming text message and she needed to click off Skype notifications from friends so that she could talk with me.  

Technology has its benefits and its drawbacks
​We have never been so productive, so busy and at the same time so distracted. Throughout history there have always been issues that have prevented us from doing what we set out to do. But, it’s never been as hard as it is today. When it comes to planning and organisation, technology has its benefits and rewards, but it also has its drawbacks.

The very fact that we have so many choices in terms of technology can also cause problems. Having instant access to family, friends, work and the rest of the noise can be overwhelming. Email, smartphones, mobile devices, laptops and other “screens” can get in the way of staying organized, even though the technology was originally created to make you more productive and organized.

The technology can actually cause you to feel pressure to do even more. No matter how amazing you are, you start feeling inadequate that you cannot do more. The technology ends up becoming more of a curse. Take heart, though; you can learn how to wrangle the technology and make it work for you, personally and in your ministry.

Apps to help plan and organise your ministry
There are many apps and programs and that you can make use of to help you plan and organise your time, tasks and ministry. You can become more organized even if it doesn’t come naturally. You can give yourself permission to do things differently. Here are some apps that may be helpful..

Plan, prioritise and organise
You can learn to capture what you need to do, break it down into logical steps, prioritise those steps, figure out what’s next and then get to work doing what needs to be done − without feeling overworked, stressed out, and out of control. You just need to have a plan of action and an understanding of why you need to do things in a certain way. Then you’ll finally really be organized. And a good planner can help.

In ministry, it's important to remember that you are not your ministry. Yes, your work with kids and families has eternal impact. But it's easy for ministry demands to take precedence over all other aspects of your life and family. It's worthwhile to take some time to think and work through your personal, family and ministry goals, as well as your ministry vision. It will help you keep everything in balance. And... although I love technology, I've gone back to using a printed planner. There is just something about writing out my tasks and to-dos, listing them on my schedule and ticking them off as I complete them. What do you prefer.. printed or device/app planners?

​My Brilliant Kidmin Planner
With this in mind, I've created My Brilliant Kidmin Planner- a downloadable resource that encourages you to set out your goals and ministry vision, as well as the important areas of focus in your life. eg family- home- ministry- personal development ..... The planner provides space for you to list these and include time each day/week to focus on some aspect or task related to these areas. You can find more about the planner here...

​

This clip can also be viewed here...

​Here are some helpful articles and resources that may also assist you with your goal-setting and planning for this year:
​5 Unconventional steps to accomplish your goals- Craig Jutila
​The 2 most powerful words for reaching your goals- Michael Hyatt
​Make over your mornings- Crystal Paine (You don’t have to keep living life feeling constantly behind, overworked, and overwhelmed!)
​2016 Ministry Planner....  Set out your monthly programs, events, training sessions and monthly ministry focus for your own ministry plus important church dates.

Regardless of your personal situation, the best thing that you can do is to try some of the available tips, suggestions, and ideas.  Don't just hope that things will be better this year. Begin with a plan, set out the steps and tasks you will need to complete and keep with it. You can get and stay more organized in the age of distraction if you know what to do and have a plan and system in place.
​

It's the start of a new year filled with exciting opportunities to reach kids for Christ and to encourage families. Along with the start of this new year, is the renewed need to organise my ministry, my family and my life before everything revs up. I've lost count of the number of emails and articles about setting goals, organising and planning that have filled by Inbox. And....maybe it's just me, but I just can't get motivated!

​I know... I know... I should just start.....  I've even written about this and probably will again. But yesterday, and the day before, too, I've settled at my desk and completed, well, just small stuff. Or else, I've guiltily decided that I would work better at the coffee shop. (A caramelised cappuccino is motivational, right?)

​So... today, I've decided to take positive action and add a real boost to my enthusiasm! I'm adding some brightness to my working space and creating an area that will jump-start my day.  Want to check it out?

​There's what I've added... 10 simple things that are fun and bright and have really made a difference.

1. 2016 KIDMIN CALENDAR
​This one is actually part of the 2016 ministry planner that I've created to help plan and organise your monthly programs and events for your ministry. But I've made the calendar available to download below. Print it off and add to your folder/binder or frame and place on your desk.

2. RAINBOW WALL MOUNTED ORGANISER
​This fun and brightly coloured organiser is just perfect for storing those little items that frequently go astray. Mount it on your wall and you'll never lose them again. And I love the rainbow colours!

​3. MY BRILLIANT KIDMIN PLANNER
​The 'My Brilliant Kidmin Planner' is 135+ pages for organising your children's ministry and your personal and family tasks. Keeping family and ministry balance takes intentional planning and these pages help to keep that crucial balance and focus. Add all your tasks and events into these planning pages and keep on-top of all your commitments.
​

​4. KEYBOARD RESTS AND ACCESSORIES
​Thecolourful choices of keyboard rests are not only fun, they're practical. They're filled with flax seed and include the matching mousepad. From Etsy stores

5. DECORATIVE, AND FUN, CANDY CONTAINER
Although this looks just like a zip-seal plastic bag, it's actually a glass container. It's also just the right size for JellyBellies... too much bigger and I'd be overdosing on jellybeans.

​6. INSPIRATIONAL WALL ART
​Add a spot of inspiration with the addition of a framed inspirational quote... or you might like to add a poster from your current kidmin program. You can also check out some of the kidmin posters on my Pinterest board.

7. SCENTED PASTEL GEL PENS
​There's nothing so exciting as new pens and paper! Well... I think so, anyway. And these ones from Smiggle are pastel gel pens. There are also neon colours if you're really after something vibrant.

8. SCENTED HIGHLIGHTER PENS
​These highlighter pens are alsobuildable highlighters, so you can use them and play with them, too. But keep a close eye on them or you may find them disappearing when others discover your fun stationery.

9. COLOURFUL DESK LAMP
​Add a splash of colour with a colourful desk lamp. Not only is it bright and cheery, it also provides extra light to ensure that you aren't straining your eyes as you work.

10. INSPIRATIONAL MUG
​Don't stop at redesigning your desk and work space. How about an inspiration coffee mug?

​Are you feeling more motivated, now? Ready to start anything? Excited about the plans and goals that you have set out for this year? I really hope so. I know that I'm now going to  play some motivational music and get started right away!

Key takeaways from this article:

• Read more information about The 2016 Ministry Planner​
• Buy a copy of My Brilliant Kidmin Planner.. see below
• Like NewChapter
• Check out NewChapter on Pinterest
• Read the latest book review
• Get regular newsletter updates about kidmin ideas and resources

You might also be interested in:

The year is rapidly drawing to a close. In fact, emails, online stores and shopping centres are highlighting the days remaining until Christmas. I noticed, with a shock, that the countdown is listed now in days, not weeks.
So I'm sure that, likewise, your ministry events and programs now focus on the upcoming Christmas holiday season and the end of the year.

Some churches and ministries take this opportunity to review the year and look toward the future. But, before you embark on an extended planning session within your ministry or with the church leadership team, check out these 5 planning tips.
​

1. SET GOALS
It's easy to focus on the programs, the events, the tasks and the details of ministry. But you need to set specific goals in place first. Start your planning with your ministry vision and mission in front of you. Now, you can set your direction and goals within the context of your mission. And too, you have a framework for further planning and organisation. Remember to include prayer as an essential part of your planning, not just during your planning session. Pray and think through your ideas and thoughts concerning your ministry even before you formulate them into plans. There is adage that states, 'If you know how you did it, then God wasn't in it!' I think there is a lot of truth in that. Sometimes, we make our plans and then ask God to bless them instead of asking for His help and guidance first as we plan and prepare for ministry planning.

2. BALANCE YOUR EFFORTS
Planning can be exciting! It's great to brainstorm ideas, programs, events and possible directions in which your ministry and your church could be heading. Don't attempt too much at once. Open your ministry planner with the year view before you. Set your priorities in place first. Then consider other options. Spread events and programs evenly throughout the year, making sure that you have remembered specific days and events that will already be a part of your year planning- Mother's Day, Father's Day, Easter etc. 
​

3. CREATE ORGANISATION SYSTEMS
Your planning will be more effective if you have systems in place that will enable you to take your ideas from planning to implementation. It's great to plan. But then you must do something with it. A good organisational system will enable you to set out your plans within realistic time frames to develop these ideas plus the resources required to implement your plans.
​

The 2016 Ministry Planner helps with all your ministry planning:  year-to-a-page, month-to-a-page highlighting your month's focus, prayer needs, special events/programs ideas and notes, plus a list of special days and events throughout the year to include in your plans. You can read about it HERE.
​

4. COMMIT TO YOUR PLAN
I know this seems a 'given.' But it's easy to take the time and effort to carefully organise your efforts for the upcoming year before filing it carefully away and forgetting it.  Share your plans with your team and encourage their discussion and involvement. Commit to doing it! Take action!
​

5. KEEP IT TOGETHER
​It's helpful if you keep your planner with you. Consider placing it with your other weekly and daily ministry planning and add to it whenever necessary. (My Brilliant Kidmin Planner coming soon!) Make it a regular habit to check, review and refresh your plans.

So much to do...
There's the children's Christmas program to plan and organise, the Christmas kids' item to practise, decorations to put up in the kidmin area, gifts to prepare for all the wonderful kidmin volunteers, Christmas music to choose and play, ... and the list goes on.

It's easy to get caught up in all the planning, preparation and excitement of Children's ministry at Christmas. We know that, at the heart of this busy season, there is so much more: God's love for us. But sometimes we spend so much of our time and energy sharing this message to your church family and kidmin that we forget it's also a message for us.

Take some time to capture the joy of God's love for you... hold the peace of this season close as you focus on your own family Christmas and creating some wonderful memories for your family.

I know what you're going to say: You don't have time. You'll do it after you've organised everything else.

Well..... here are just a few resources that will help you. I hope that you can use them to focus on the wonder of the Saviour's birth and the peace He brings to our own busy lives.  ​

1. FAMILY CHRISTMAS PLANNER
These free planners help you to focus on all that you want and need to accomplish in the lead-up to Christmas. The planners also provide ideas and suggestions for changing a 'Martha-style' Christmas of tasks and jobs and things to complete to a 'Mary-style' celebration with room for the important things- developing meaningful family traditions, Christmas joy and peace and even, relaxing.
​

2. CHRISTMAS DEVOTIONAL
Yes, we know the Christmas story well. We carefully take time to tell the story in meaningful ways to those in our children's ministry. But we also need to reread and capture again the joy of the season for ourselves. Perhaps you would benefit from seeing it from a different perspective. Take a few moments to check out the Christmas devotional, Advent in Narnia.' If you know and love the stories by C.S. Lewis you wILL enjoy this devotional. Certainly, the cold winter landscape of Narnia with the people watching and looking for a king is the perfect parallel for the Christmas story. ​
The author states: "My purpose in writing this book is not to help you know Narnia better but to know God better.... I hope that by spending a little time in Narnia, this Advent, you will get to know Aslan- and Jesus Christ- better, and to prepare for Jesus' birth at Christmas all the more richly for it."
​

3. FAMILY ADVENT CALENDAR
I've found that there are plenty of commercially produced Advent calendars. Start a new family tradition. Explore the Christmas story a little each day as you prepare to welcome the Saviour. Share together the excitement of counting down the days to Christmas with a handcrafted Advent Calendar. Use this as an opportunity to retell the real Christmas story of the hope, peace, joy and love to be found in the Saviour in the manger. 
This article describes how to make your own calendar that can be used year after year and become a family tradition. And there are other printable versions to check here....... and also, here.
​You could also use a Christmas Advent app. You'll find some suggestions here.

*** Use this simple, effective way of emphasizing the importance of Jesus, in the days leading up to Christmas, with your family. I think it might just become a favourite family tradition.
​

4. A MEANINGFUL GIFT-GIVING IDEA FOR FAMILY
Yes, searching for and buying Christmas gifts can take a huge amount of time.. and stress. Here's a gift idea that is simple, takes little time and can be done from home. It's the perfect gift idea for your parents or other family members and it's something that will be appreciated long past Christmas Day.
​

5. CHRISTMAS MUSIC AND CAROLS
As a child, I loved waking up on Christmas morning hearing Christmas carols playing. I even prefer to linger in shops that are playing beautiful carols rather than other Christmas music. But, if you're like me, you spend a lot of time finding music for Christmas for your kidmin and run out of time to source and buy Christmas arrangements for yourself and your family.

Life Church has free downloadable music that you can play online or download and listen to whenever you want. You'll find the music here.... and another collection here.

I hope these resources will help you plan and prepare for your own family Christmas celebrations. Plan ahead this year to find time with your family to focus on the wonder of Christmas.