KidMin Families Archives - Page 6 of 14

{Book Review & Giveaway} “Love Letters from God”

01/21/201501/21/2015 Kathie Phillips 1 Comment

This is one resource that I could not wait to share with you. The title alone was enough to capture my attention.

About the book:

Official Website: www.glenysnellist.com

For children ages 4-8

“I had so much fun making the world! But do you know the very best thing I made? It was you!”

What child doesn’t love to receive mail? In this heartwarming lift-the-flap picture book, children can open and read their own personal mail from God as they experience some of the best-loved stories of the Bible. As each captivating story unfolds, children will eagerly await the opportunity to open the envelope and read God’s message of love written especially for them. They will also delight in the final envelope that encourages them to write their own personal letter to God.

What I Liked:

This storybook is unlike any other I’ve ever read – and I have read quite a few. Each beautifully illustrated story begins by using very kid-friendly language to explain Bible truths. Each story ends with a related Bible verse (from the very kid-friendly New International Reader’s Version) that is a promise from God and a love letter from God to the child. I love that the love letter begins with Dear ________ to personalize to the child reading it.

Even the title of the Bible stories were unique, such as “Noah Needs His Nails (Noah’s Ark) and “The Lions Who Lost Their Lunch (Daniel in the Lions’ Den). And as crazy as it seems, I love the book’s size. It’s perfect for an older child to read on their own as well as the perfect size for a parent to read to their child – the child would have no problem seeing the pictures or opening the love letter flap.

What I Think Was Missing:

In my opinion, nothing was missing.

My Recommendation:

This book should be part of your family’s storybook library. Glenys has graciously offered to give a copy away to one of my readers. Enter to win a copy by emailing me at kidminspiration@gmail.com. Deadline to enter is 11:59pm Monday, January 26th.

Watch the video:

About the author:

Glenys Nellist was born and raised in a little village in northern England. Her stories and poems have been published in children’s magazines where her writing reflects a deep passion for bringing the Bible to life for young children. Glenys lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with her husband, David. For more information, visit www.glenysnellist.com.

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Christmas Memory Book

12/10/201412/10/2014 Kathie Phillips

I am always on the hunt for new resources to supplement our kidmin programming, especially around the holidays. What’s in the Bible?’s new Christmas Memory Book is one that we’ll definitely pull from this year.

The Christmas Memory Book is a 14-page downloadable resource that older children can do on their own or that younger children can complete with help. The variety of activities contained within are Bible-centered, fun, and great for sparking good family conversations. Children will enjoy activities such as:

a Bible scavenger hunt (this is one our elementary students will do)
a Christmas letter to Jesus (this is another one our elementary students will do, especially since our Advent memory verse is displayed on the page)
a Christmas song match game (our preteens will LOVE this one!)
a Christmas memory interview
coloring pages
and more!

Normally priced at $2.99, this great resource is available through 12/18/14 for just $1.99! Don’t let this deal pass you by! Click the picture above to order your instant download today! You can also click below to check out other What’s in the Bible? deals.

The “Buy More, Save More” Deal – Ends tomorrow, 12/11!

The more DVDs you buy, the more you save:

3 DVDs for $20

4 DVDs for $25

5 DVDs for $30

6 DVDs for $35

7 DVDs for $40

8 DVDs for $45

9 DVDs for $50

(Buy 9 or more and DVDs are only $5.55 each!)

Get “Color or Sing Through the Bible” for only $9.99

The What’s In The Bible? coloring book and Sing Through The Bible singalong DVD make for great introductions to the series and are perfect stocking-stuffers. Buy both together for only $9.99 this week when you use SNOW30 on orders over $30.

Free Shipping

Don’t Forget! All shipping within the US is currently free-no minimum!

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

12/09/201412/09/2014 Kathie Phillips

Hi friends! Several weeks have passed since I’ve last posted. Like you (I’m sure), we have been busy getting ready for Christmas. Here’s a snippet of what’s been going on in my kidmin world as we’re making final preparations:

For Everyone

Our Worship Arts department selected “For Everyone” as our theme & sermon series for Advent. We are learning how Jesus came for EVERYONE. Each year our Children’s Ministry provides Advent devotionals for our families, so we wanted to try our best to factor this theme into our decision regarding our selection. Originally, the theme of “Born for the World” was tossed around, so we chose one that fit that theme (even though it was reworded to “For Everyone”). We landed on this devotional from Creative Communications. We have heard a few parents tell us this was the best Advent devotional we’ve selected so far. Yay!

Deck the Halls

On the first Sunday in Advent (Sunday, November 30th), my church held an all-church event where our entire congregation (including children) were invited to come out to decorate the church, make crafts (including an Advent wreath) and enjoy a meal together. Started last year, Deck the Halls is one of the few all-church events we offer throughout the year and it’s so much fun!

Sunday Programming

All of our kidmin Sunday programming for Christmas will obviously center around the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. For younger children (toddlers & preschoolers), the lessons will be simple, as this might be the first time many of them hear about the Christmas story. Since many of our older children (elementary students and preteens) have heard the Christmas story before, we are being intentional about helping them personalize the story in a different way, while having lots of fun of course. I’ve incorporated some ideas from ideas I’ve collected on Pinterest. You can check out my kidmin Advent & Christmas board here. There are over 230 ideas!

Worship Time

Each year, our Pre-K children – 5th graders lead the worship for our family Christmas Eve services, so on each Sunday during Advent (during their regularly scheduled kids’ worship time), they practice the songs they will sing. This year, we added our 3 year-olds to our worship time and they are just precious. Songbooks, CDs and a video showing the motions are provided to families so that children can rehearse at home.

Christmas Eve Services

Every year, our church holds four (4) Christmas Eve services, with the first two being designed for families. Children’s Ministry works closely with our Worship Arts department to plan and implement these two services, which will include: