It's one of those essential, even crucial, kidmin tasks that needs to be done each term or quarter. But it's also something that most kidmin leaders/ coordinators dread.... organising the rosters. Aghhhh...

It generally involves checking with all your volunteers to see how often, in what department, and in what capacity, they'd like to be involved for the term. This usually means pages of sign-up forms and other information to sift through, only to discover that many of your volunteer team have not completed or returned the forms and that you'll need to chase the information. You'll need to find out if there are particular dates when they will be unavailable. And, if any of your volunteers is involved in other ministries, you'll need to check that the rosters don't conflict.

I'm sure that you, like many others, have muttered to yourself, 'There must be an easier way to organise these rosters!'

Actually, there is!
Programs like VolunteerSpot provide simple online or mobile planning and sign-ups.
They are easy to use. There is no need for special emails or ringing around to find out which dates are best for volunteers or when they will be unavailable. You'll find no need for signup sheets and no missing information. And... reminders are sent out automatically. Plus.. it's free!

Using this program, you can set up the groups, classes, lessons or events and the number of volunteers required.  Volunteers sign up with a few clicks, no registration or passwords required, and just choose the dates, times and events they wish to be involved in.

Yes.. there will be an initial period of acquainting yourself and your team with the new program, if you decide to go with it. But after that, you'll find your life so much easier. You'll be able to involve volunteers by email, website link, Facebook or Twitter.  But, more than that....

• It's safe and secure.
  
• It's easy to schedule volunteers for the same day and time every week/month simply by scheduling repeating spots.
  
• You can include lists of items you need leaders or helpers to bring or donate to your events or program with a  quick item entry.
  
• Volunteers can request replacements or substitutions of some other volunteer, themselves, using the program if they're unable to make their volunteer commitment time-slots. (Imagine how this alone would save you worrying about finding a last-minute replacement for Sunday mornings.)
  
• Easy email options provide you with tools to communicate with individual or groups of volunteers regarding particular programs and last-minute details.
• Online videos help acquaint you with the program and how to implement it to the best effect.,, see here

If you're introducing this new process, make sure that you give everyone time to become aware of the changes and why. Explain via letter, newsletter, email, via announcements, during meetings and in person. Offer to assist anyone who is struggling with the new system.

If, however, you're looking for a church management system that offers comprehensive church management services with volunteer management and scheduling included, then online systems such as Elvanto might be an option. The features are quite extensive, but it is not a free program. The price is determined by the number of active members within your church.

“An educated man should know everything about something and something about everything.”  -C.V.Wedgwood
(This article contains affiliate links at no cost to you.)

Back-to-School time for many..
Yes, it's that time of year for many when children and teachers must transition back to school. And, in your children's ministry, this may mean an exciting event to help ease this return to school or just a simple acknowledgement of this event in the lives of children, families and the teaching profession.

Looking for a slide or image?
 So.. you may be simply looking for an image or powerpoint slide to promote this special event. In which case, look no farther. Free promotional images and slides are listed below.

Looking for ideas?
If you're searching for ideas or inspiration to create something more interactive, you can find plenty of ideas and resources below and pinned on the Pinterest Back-to-School board.

Looking for resources to create your own graphics?
But, if you're wanting to create your own images for promotional materials and would just like some help, then check out the following information. With a bit of help some from terrific online programs, you can create spectacular results in no time.

For example, you might have an image that is.. well... it's ok, but just lacking a bit of punch. Look at the before and after photo I took for my grand-daughter. She needed an image for an article she was writing, but it was late afternoon, the light was not good. Ahhh... So I went on PicMonkey- added some brightness and a filter- included some wording, a border and.. voila! The image on the right looks so much clearer. If you need a great image, work with PicMonkey. It's fun!

So... how do you do it?
1. First.. you'll need to download the program- easy! Click on the above Smilebox link to find it. Now, click through the slideshow below to find out how easy it is to make these graphics yourself.

You've finished! .That's it! You can now insert this image in any promotional material you want- powerpoint slide, printed material.. whatever.
Have fun!If you want to learn more about using Smilebox to create a movie clip, you can find instructions in this previous article.

In summary.........

*Disclosure: Some links in this email are affiliate links meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may get a commission if you make a purchase.
 Thanks for your support in this way!

August, in the southern hemisphere, means the end of winter. Hooray! There are always plenty of activities, family and community events and fun in August, too. But August always reminds me of fireworks. It's because my son was birth in August and no, most people don't experience fireworks on the birth of their child. But actually, I did with Ben. He was born during the week of Brisbane's Exhibition (read 'showday) and the hospital is just around the corner from the showgrounds. So, Ben was born as the evening fireworks exploded into the night sky. 

Actually,  I think enjoying fireworks would be a great thing to do in August but there are plenty of other things to focus on for your kidmin during August. I've included a list  below of just 10. But before I start, I'd like to mention a little about using social media to enhance your children's & family ministry.

Social Media and your children's ministry
 I've written briefly of the benefits of setting up and using a kidmin Pinterest board to connect with families. And it's easy! But there are other platforms that you might consider using- Facebook, Instagram and more. Social Media can help you develop a connection both to those in your church family and to the wider community. It's also a wonderful means of connecting, even training your leaders and volunteers. Michael Chanley states: 'When we engage in community, whether online or in person, we allow God to connect us to people who will challenge us and inspire us to do better in our unique calling.'

You might like to read more about social media trends that you should consider for children's ministry. If you're not doing it already, you might like to consider setting up a page for your children's ministry.

Social media content
One of the difficulties many find is that of sourcing ideas and fun content to include regularly on their ministry social media pages. Now, there are Bible verses that the kids are learning that you could upload, images of craft activities, games and Bible lessons that can be included. (Just omit any images of the kids.) You can highlight upcoming events. You can mention training events, conferences or relevant meetings. You could include links to helpful parenting articles or kids' activity pages. You could link through to movie reviews or great resources, like family devotions,from your Christian bookstore. But what else?

Think about including interesting community news or upcoming events, as well. Build your social media page into a valuable go-to resource that connects  the church family and community.

With this in mind, consider the following list for your ministry during August. Now, obviously, not all of these special dates will be accurate for your country/location but you might like to mention the date and create a fun focus anyway for your kidmin kids and families. 

2. Plan some special family events for National Family Fun Month.
Now again, this will not be the same for every ministry, depending on where you live. But even if you don't have a Family Fun Month nationally declared for August, why not declare one yourself for your church/children's ministry and start planning some great events for your families this month?
 Here are just a few ideas to get you started.


3. Raise awareness of the homeless during Homeless Persons Week- August 3-10.
This is a growing concern within most communities. Do a little research within your area and highlight those organisations and people who are working to assist the homeless. It may be an opportunity for you to raise awareness of ministries within the church who are assisting and even to encourage others to join them in this outreach/mission programme.

4. Buy a cup of coffee on CafeSmart Day- August 7. This day is organised in conjunction with Homeless Persons Week. Participating cafes donate $1/cup of coffee sold to fund local projects that benefit the homeless. Check out the Facebook page... but if you can't be involved in this, it might be a great idea to promote something similar within your area. Check with local cafes and see if they'd be willing to participate. Or, a simple link on your social media site to donate to the homeless might be an alternative option.

5. Wear your jeans to work on  Jeans for Genes Day.- August 7. 
Involve yourself and encourage others to wear jeans as a fund-raising event for Children's Medical Research Institute. Highlight this on your social media platforms and perhaps post some images of church staff in their jeans..

6. August 9: Celebrate International Day of the World's Indigenous People.
Highlight this on your social media pages and perhaps include an article link or images that reflect God's love for all people of all nations. You might be able to highlight the work of church ministries within your community or overseas, too. Add some photos of the work to your social media.

9. World Humanitarian Day- August 19.
Is your church/ministry involved in mission work through World Vision or Compassion or similar? Highlight this mission work and list some of the prayer needs they are currently experiencing. How about considering the Step into My Shoes experience for families or groups? Or.... include a link for kids to do more than just read about kids in another culture, they complete online activities.

10. World Mosquito Day- August 20
World mosquito day honours the malaria work of Sir Ronald Ross.
Download the image and use it to encourage donations to fund mosquito nets to areas of the world fighting malaria. This can be done through World Vision and other organisations so provide a link for these donations or organise it through your church website.