Maybe you have decided to go ahead with developing a puppet ministry and you have a team of excited, novice puppeteers.... but no puppets. Where do you start looking? Well, before you purchase anything, consider where you will be using your puppets. Will they be used in small group settings, one-on-one with kids, as a segment in your children's ministry program or sometimes in church? Will you work behind a stage or out front- in other words, will you need full-bodied puppets ? Have you considered other types of puppetry such as black-light puppetry or even silhouette puppets. Will you need people puppets or animals/characters? These considerations will influence the size and type of puppet you will be looking to buy.
Now, take a look at some of these sites: I’ve always used www.puppetsinc.com  (They used to be called puppetproductions). The ‘innovas’ are the big sized ones (45cm or 18")  that we always used for our puppet stories and are a great size for up-front work with puppets. ($160) But they also have some great animal ones. From a professional perspective, these also come with details that many overlook- eg handgrip inside the mouth for comfort, extension rod or glove and more…

Consider, too, the Axtell ones..      http://www.axtell.com  They use a certain amount of latex with most of their puppets’ faces which looks good, but are a little stiffer to work with. But their bird puppets are tremendous! If you buy the pre-recorded skits to go with the birds (you just have to practice when to come in and say your part so that it looks as if you’re interacting with the bird) it is very effective!

Also check out:
www.onewaystreet.com
www.puppetplace.com
www.childrensministrytoday.com

Kristen Charles shares this review of a new parenting book on Ministry-to-Children. While I haven't read the book yet, the review piques my interest sufficiently to encourage me to do so. See what you think... The book is available from  our online store.

My husband and I have two children with big dreams.  As any parent would, we will fight for them to realize these dreams, sacrificing whatever is needed.  But if they only strive towards their own goals, they will fall far short.  Professional success does not equal contentment.  We want to raise children to change the world.  We know that we are not alone.

There are many parents like us out there.  It is our commitment and challenge to, “Tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.”  (Psalm 78:4) We would all claim that we want our children to know Christ and to make Christ known in their world, but there is a grave problem staring back at us.

Julie Ferwerda documents this problem in her book One Million Arrows.The Barna Group’s statistical findings state that today’s Christian parents rely on the church to do most (if not all) of their children’s religious training.  Not only that, but they have no plan for the spiritual development of their children; they do not consider it a priority in their homes and daily lives; they do not have any spiritual goals for their families.

While submitting her manuscript to publishers for consideration, Julie received a rejection letter from a prominent Christian family ministry. While this publishing house loved the concept of the book, they stated that Christian parents seldom follow through in their commitment to “real life” spiritual training.  Therefore, the book would not have a market in publication.
Not a market for publication?  You have got to be kidding me!  Parents, if we are not committed to developing spiritual leaders in the home, then who is?  The next generation is going to be spiritually bankrupt if we do not start putting actions to our words.  And just for the record, I am speaking as much to myself as to anyone else out there.

We have got some prioritizing to do.  Is the world going to change our children?  Or are they going to change the world?  Without question, One Million Arrows is one of the best books that I have ever read on parenting.  It is a call to action for parents to be deeply committed to the spiritual training of their children and to live beyond individualistic mediocrity.

Group publishers have developed  Family Faith Celebrations-materials to mark and celebrate family milestones: Baby Blessing, First Bible, Faith Commitment, Preteen Passage, Commitment to Purity and Highschool Gradualtion. What Are Family Faith Celebrations?

Group: 'Family Faith Celebrations are events celebrating the spiritual growth of children. These faith milestones are like mile markers on the road map of spiritual formation. Because these milestones are moments when families feel the need to celebrate, they're unique opportunities your church has to connect with and train parents. And because you're already so busy, our kits make it easy to take advantage of these opportunities and minister to families in a meaningful way without a lot of extra work.'

Download their introduction to Family Faith Baby Blessing

Strengthening family ministry means touching the lives of families within your church and the community by helping parents discover they really can make spiritual connections with their kids, helping families connect with other families and ensuring that every family feels secure in the larger faith family, supported and encouraged through the various phases of life. The birth of a child is a wonderful phase of life and when parents present their little one for dedication, the entire church family should be involved.  

Baby Dedication is…

• An opportunity to thank God for the precious gift of your child.
• An opportunity to publicly declare your intentions to raise your child in a Christian home.
• A benchmark you can return to time and time again.
• A family dedication, where the parents commit themselves to abide by biblical principles and to raise their children according to God’s standards
• An opportunity for the church family to accept and share in the spiritual nurture of the child

Use some of these ideas and resources to create a meaningful experience for the whole church family.........
*Bring the whole family forward as they present their child for dedication. 
*Show a inspirational clip as they come forward   eg A Dedication from www.worshiphousemedia.com, Wonderfully Made or Baby Dedication from www.sermonspice.com
*Present the family with a commemorative certificate. If you don't have one prepared to use, download one here, personalise and print it.
For more information about Baby Dedications, visit...

Building Church Leaders (www.buildingchurchleaders.com) is an excellent source of ministry training materials, team discussion sheets, handouts and others materials for children's ministry and church leadership. Some of their materials are free.
Check out their article 'Connecting Parents to the Ministry' and use this as a discussion vehicle with your children's ministry team as you consider your church and your ministry's focus on family ministry.
  Free article

The Bible is full of pictures of families; parents and children, brothers and sisters, and as we read these stories we see ourselves in the characters- warts and all. But we also see God's grace at work in families and relationships. Susan Martins Miller, in her book 'Family Ministry Events- Building faith and community in the families of your church' says, "Caring for families is crucial. The church has a unique opportunity to walk alongside families through every stage and phase of life. The same kinds of skills that healthy families use for living together at home, for creating positive, secure relationships are the skills the church needs to use to make the congregation a vibrant faith family. A church that is committed to family ministry understands this and looks at its entire ministry through the family lens."

So.. how do you make family a priority in your ministry? Start in small ways..meeting them where they are rather than where we think they should be... highlighting the phases of life for children and families.
Here's a simple suggestion: Whenever a family brings along their new baby for the first time to church, highlight that milestone. Introduce the family and the new little one to the entire church family, pray for them and highlight the importance of families in the lives and faith development of children. Personalise and present this certificate to the family and, if possible, include a Bible story book. We also attach a silk rose to the certificate and present the family with a family manual with growth milestones and suggestions for impacting this young life placed in their hands. You can download the certificate below...