Pinterest provides a wonderful opportunity for you to showcase your kidmin programs, events and activities and connect with families and the community. Join up  and create your own online display boards for your ministry's programs, events, crafts and more. See here for more information about using Pinterest for your children's ministry.

Having organised your kidmin Pinterest account and set up your boards with inspiring photos, images and clips, you may still find it difficult to display some of your information and content in an interesting and attractive way. 

Don't despair- there are tools to help. Previously, I've mentioned Pixlr Express, the great little website (and app) that enables you to easily add wonderful effects, borders, stickers and text to your images before uploading them to Pinterest. This means that you can create you own graphics of photo plus Bible point, verse or other text in next-to-no-time. Check it out here if you haven't used it yet.

Another helpful tool is the site, Pinstamatic. This site will create images of your information and content that can be pinned to your boards or saved and shared on other social media such as your ministry Facebook page. If you wish to add an inspirational quote to your board, Pinstamatic will create an image of your quote with the reference. Just want to include a short message with a link to more information? Pinstamatic will create a sticky note for you to pin or save. You can also: create an image of a website or blog, add a map with information plus a link to your Pinterest board, create a date graphic for your upcoming event, and add text to a photo. Pinstamatic will even locate a music track or album and provide the image with a link enabling the music to be heard with a simple click.


There is no need to create an account with this website or provide any contact details. and the site is free to use. It is also really easy to use so check it out and get started!

While a number of training videos are available for use with your children's ministry team, Group has recently released on-demand training for all areas of ministry- children, youth and church. The expert information and material in these videos is both engaging and practical. Video lengths vary from 2 to 20 minutes and can be viewed on any device- smartphone, tablet or computer. Internet access is required.

No log-ins are required; simply email a link to your volunteers, and simple tracking features are in place so that you see who has received training and assignments and when. The cost of this training is an affordable $13/month or $15 for the PLUS plan which includes extra storage and the option to upload your own videos.You can cancel your subscription to either plan at any time. Check it out with a FREE trial.

'Children’s Ministry may be the most important ministry in the church.'
Probably the most convincing argument for the importance of children's ministry  is the research on the probability of people accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior for a lifetime relationship. Research by George Barna and the Barna Institute of over 1,000 adults in May 2001 puts the probability at

• 32% for children between 5 and 13 years old,
• 4% for children between 14 and 18, and
• 6% for people 19 years and older.

In other words, attracting younger children to a church to learn about the love of God will have 5 to 8 times the impact of attracting the same number of older children or adults. Barna's research on faith development and discipleship also found that the moral development of children is complete by age 9.
Non-religious oriented research on children's moral and values development substantiates that the foundation for lifelong values and morals are formed at the earliest years.

So how can you share the importance of children's ministry and your passion for the eternal impact of this work?  Kidz Blitz has a number of great posters with quotes about kids and children's ministry that you may like to use with your volunteers or to introduce any training sessions. They would actually be great to print as posters and display on your kidmin walls. Or... perhaps you could share them on your kidmin Facebook page.

There are also some movie clips that can be used to highlight your focus in children's ministry. The Rethink Group's 252 clip (Orange) reminds us that the time we have with kids is limited. Check out the clips below:

Another way to create a visual reminder for your volunteers (and parents) of the precious but limited time you have with kids is with a box of Legacy Marbles from reThink Group. 52 marbles in a box - one for each week of the year: ''Because what you do over time really does matter in the life of a kid.'

Our next kidmin and family outreach event will be a Christmas-in-July style of event with activities, music, a wonderful Christmas dinner, games and a music and puppets presentation that everyone should enjoy.

Previous posts have shared some of our promotional ideas and advertising.  Today, I wanted to highlight a great little app that I used to create our table decorations for this event. The decorations are really just decorated boxes that we have planned to fill with M&Ms and pop in a battery operated tea light. (see below)  It's a great little gift for everyone to take home and adds an attractive glow to the tables.

The app, Foldify, is very simple to use. Once opened, you can choose from various box styles and then just add colour and details to create a unique design. The completed design can be printed, saved or emailed. You can check out the promotional clip below for a better idea of how easy it can be to create something similar. Some designs are included in the app and you can also view other designs created using the app. 

If you're like me, you spend a large amount of time sourcing and creating graphics and illustrations for your kidmin programs, newsletters, announcement slides and more.
Children's Ministry Deals have come to your aid with a professional set of free graphics ready to download and use in any of your presentation programs and formats.

You'll find Game Time, Lesson Time and Memory Verse graphics, Christmas, Easter, Birthday, Locked-In, Discussion Questions, Bible Trivia images and so much more. In fact, 35 images are available for your immediate download and  use!

While you're there, you may also like to check out some of the other resources from Children's Ministry Deals- printables, curriculum, games, resources, videos. While some of the materials are available for purchase, there are also a lot of freebies. And... they're downloadable which is wonderful when postage & handling costs often preclude the purchase and use of quality kidmin curriculum and resources.

You'll find the link for the free graphicshere...

Pinterest provides beautiful and  inspirational ideas for volunteer 'thank you' gifts. Recently, I noticed an idea to use permanent markers to write inspirational messages on a mug. It was a great concept, especially as it is relatively inexpensive and the kids could be involved in personalising and perhaps even signing the mug. I decided to use the quote, 'Teachers touch eternity, one heart at a time.' The markers were easy to use and I added a couple to extra hearts with the text- easy!

However, I found that the lettering washed off in the dishwasher. 

So, I researched a little more and found a helpful article that listed a number of helpful hints to add some permanency to the design: 
1. Use an inexpensive mug. Apparently, the better quality mugs also have a better glaze that prevents the lettering adhering well.
2. Ensure you have cleaned the outside of the mug thoroughly. It was suggested that rubbing alcohol and a soft cloth be used to clean the mug.
3. Bake the finished mug for longer and at a higher temperature than most instructions suggest.

I followed these instructions carefully... and the design still washed off. So... my suggestions?
It's certainly a great idea for a gift and if you still would like to create them, keep a couple of things in mind. First, you can buy ceramic pens that are a little expensive but easy to use and will not wash off. Check with your local art and craft store (as I did) for these pens. There are also ceramic paints that could be used, too, which will look attractive but perhaps will not be as easy to use for quotes and text. My second suggestion is to create your designed mug with permanent markers but pot a little plant in the mug rather than use it as a regular coffee cup. I planted some little 'heartsease' in the mug which combined nicely with my quote.

Planning a special event for your kidmin is exciting! And.. there are so many great ideas to check out on Pinterest for inspiration. But, there are still some points to consider in your planning to ensure that your event, not just runs smoothly, but has maximum impact.

Taking it to the next level
Lance Howerton, director of LifeWay Kids, recently shared some tips to take your next kidmin event to the next level and the article is worth reading. You can check it out here...
Briefly, the main points to consider are:
* Production/ technology. Technology is an integral part of everyday life and it's an expected addition to every planned event. Fortunately, it's also not as expensive to purchase this equipment as previously and it does make a huge difference. Music lyrics on-screen or dvd music clips, animated backgrounds, movie clips,lighting, sound and more all contribute to raise the involvement and excitement level of your event. If you can't purchase your own, you may be able to borrow the required resources.
*Platform. Certainly, you need to have the right people presenting your event, not just those who would like to be up-front.
*Creativity. Don't limit yourself to your past events even if they did go well. Add the excitement of something new and creative. Check out what others are doing. (It's a good idea to sign up to some kidmin blogs to gain some ideas and suggestions.) Check out Pinterest. Involve your creative people in the planning of these special events.
*Practice. Mmmm.... this is something I stress with my team. Top athletes need to practice. Concert pianists need to practice. Seaworld dolphins and their trainers need to practice. Even those performers who joke and quip so easily and naturally have practised until it appears natural and unrehearsed. Practice!
*Evaluation. Many avoid any evaluation because they don't want any negativity. That's not the point. Review and evaluation can be honest without being upsetting. But you need to know of anything that could lessen anyone's enjoyment of your event. For example, we discovered that some kids were racing around in the carpark following an evening event and parents were concerned for their safety as cars exited the grounds. Not good! But we needed to know.. and now we organise carpark attendants both before and after an event.

*But.. I think that you also need to include a creative way to thank your volunteers and helpers for the event, and you probably have many. You may thank everyone during the church service. You may send each one a card. You may give each one a small gift of thanks. However it's done, ensure that everyone feels appreciated and included.

*Finally.. follow-up. If families from the community have attended your event- great! But how have you planned to follow- up and connect with these families? This needs to be an important part of your planning and not an after-thought. Don't forget to include highlights of your event on your facebook page and/or website, too.

Please download the file below if you'd like a copy of an event evaluation to use or adapt, There are two forms- one for church family to complete and one for those who were helping out with any part of the event. You can also find an online copy here. Copy the file to your own Google Drive ready to email to your volunteers. Once you have your copy in Google Drive, open it and  click on Form and then Send Form to send to your team.
Online copy of evaluation form: preview here , and here to obtain form. 
Online copy of family ministry volunteers form: preview here...  and obtain form here..

There's no denying the importance of promotion for any special family or kidmin event. And, it's probably not a skill that you thought would be critical for your role in children's ministry. Unfortunately, most churches cannot afford designated staff for promotion and publicity. So... its up to you. How will you encourage kids and families to attend the event that you and your team have spent hours planning and preparing?

First.. pray together about your event. Too often, we spend huge chunks of our time in planning and activity and then, almost as an afterthought, we decide to pray about it. Encourage your team to meet regularly and pray for your event and your potential guests. Encourage others beyond your ministry team to pray for the event, too.

Next, you need to focus on ways to keep your event visual and to build excitement in the days leading up to the event. Certainly, printed flyers for letterbox drops and personal invitations are important. Weekly slides included in the church announcements are also helpful. Include your flyers in the church bulletins. Some shopping centres will allow you to pin a flyer to their community noticeboards so check with the centre management.Consider your local TV station. Most will have a free-to-air community noticeboard for free community events where you can promote your event. Generally, these need plenty of lead-up time so plan ahead.

Hopefully, you have a kidmin page on the church website or perhaps your own kidmin site. Ensure that all the relevant information, with date and time, is listed prominently on your page or site.
And.. don't forget social media. Include the event on your church and kidmin facebook page. Regularly include information and updates about the event- certainly add it as an event, add your flyer image, add information about any speaker or presenter, add clips of the  guest speaker etc, add updates of other fun or activities that will be a part of your event. Plan ahead and build momentum rather than sharing everything at once.

Our church has a strong focus on families, both within our church family and families in the community. Regular family outreach events are planned throughout the year- free events that have family values and are fun for everyone. Many in our community have had no previous contact or connection with a church and this is one way that we can build ties and connection to these families.

Our next event will be held next month and will be a Christmas in July style of event. We're calling it 'Australian White Christmas.' The front and back of our invitation flyers can be seen on the image. I've included a file of these images that you can download, edit and use yourself if you wish.

As inspiration and a starting point for our planning, we purchased and downloaded the Christmas event 'Christmas Magic' from Group ($2.99). Although this event has been created for women's groups, it still gave us great ideas and help with decorating ideas, games and activities. 

We will provide a free family Christmas dinner as part of this special event. We begin and finish early so that families can just take the kids home following and pop them into bed. Generally, for our outreach events, we encourage everyone to attend, but because this is a small church and our seating for a formal dinner will be limited, we will only be issuing a limited number of free tickets.
There will be games for the kids, activities, crafts, the dinner and a special Christmas presentation with music and puppets to finish. I've included a powerpoint to promote this special family event, if you wished to use it.

Father's Day, in Australia, isn't celebrated until September. But for those overseas, you may like to consider some of these great Father's Day clips. It's a lot of fun working through the many available but difficult to choose one to use for your special Father's Day event. (At least I have a bit more time to decide which we will use later this year.)

This selection is from worshiphousemedia but sermonspice has a great selection, too, that you might like to consider. I've included a link for each so you can easily find the clip. Just click on the image. 

The first in the selection, 'Fathers, You are Vital', could be used at any time to highlight the crucial role of men in our families. It is really an animated infographic style of clip. Everyday Heroes is short and would probably be best used to introduce a segment within your program or as a link.

The Real Story of Father's Day is, just as it says, a well crafted story of the first father's day and how it came about. Of course, Courageous follows on from the Courageous movie and materials and incorporates images and scenes from the movie along with inspirational quotes from the movie. Yes.. some of these clips will make you laugh or pull on the heart strings but they all have a wonderful message- taken from different perspectives, they provide churches and families with the opportunity to acknowledge and thank Dads for their impact on the lives of those they love.

What movie clips have you found and used for Father's Day? Please share them with us....