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Category: Ministry Programming

Covers topics such as discipleship, ministry basics, nursery ministry, preschool ministry, elementary ministry, preteen ministry, special needs/trauma-informed ministry, organization, curriculum

Mother’s Day Prayer for Moms in Every Season of Motherhood

Kathie Phillips 4 Comments

Last Mother’s Day, I heard the most beautiful prayer for moms during our Mother’s Day worship service.  What made this prayer unique is that it covered moms in every season of motherhood as well as those who longed to be mothers.

The prayer was written and shared by Debbie Schmidt, our Pastor’s wife.  She has granted me permission to share it with all of my readers.  I have also placed a pdf copy under the “Free Resources”——> “Parents” ——> “Downloads” tab.  You can find it here.

I pray that it will be a blessing to you and the moms in your sphere of influence.  Enjoy!

Mother’s Day Prayer

Our good and loving God, we thank you today for mothers, for grandmothers, for great-grandmothers, for aunts and neighbors and every wise and kind woman you have put in our lives. We are grateful for the many ways they have nurtured us.

We pray today for the mothers in our midst and ask for your blessing on them.

We pray for expectant mothers and thank you for the joy and excitement of new life. We ask for your protection over these mothers and their babies.

We pray for mothers of infants, that you would give them endurance for the daily tasks of feeding, diapering and caring for their children. We pray that in the midst of these challenges you would give them times of joy and delight in the little ones you have brought into their lives.

We pray for mothers of young children, that they would have patience for the endless questions that come as young minds try to make sense of their world. Refresh them by your Spirit and help them model to their children the love they receive from you.

We pray for mothers of teenagers, that they would have the discernment to know when to speak and when to listen. Give them confidence that you are at work in their children and that you hold their children’s futures in your hands.

We pray for mothers of rebellious or wayward children, that as they pour out their grief to you, they would find hope and encouragement. Remind them of your love for their children, a love that exceeds even their own.

We pray for mothers who face special challenges, parenting their children alone or mothering children with disabilities or illnesses.  Give them an extra measure of grace. Surround them with a community that can support and love their children and them.

We pray for mothers who have lost children. Comfort them in their sorrow and use them in your kingdom to comfort others who grieve.

We pray for those who long to be mothers. Give them grace to receive the blessings of each day with joy and satisfy the desires of their hearts with good things.

We pray for our own mothers and ask your blessing upon them. Thank you for all the ways they have nurtured and loved us. Give us the words to express our gratitude to them.

Where our mothers have wounded or disappointed us, give us grace to forgive.

For every mother here who carries regret or guilt, we pray that you would meet her in that place of failure with forgiveness for the past and grace to move forward in your love.

Thank you, Lord, for the love of mothers. Their love feeds our souls and gives us a small glimpse of the overwhelming love you have for each of us.

In the name of your son, Jesus, Amen. 

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Ministry and Motherhood

How We Brought Preteen Parents and Leaders Together

Kathie Phillips

This past Sunday, we hosted a Small Group Leader & Parent Breakfast for Route 45, our church’s Preteen Ministry.  I was inspired to plan this after I saw an idea on a great website, Stuff You Can Use.  The website offers a free, editable kit that will help you plan the entire event.  The event was originally designed for Middle School Ministry, but I found it easy to design it for our needs.

I described this event to our parents as the church version of “Back to School Night”.  This type of event is usually held in August or September.  Since things were extremely busy in the fall, we scheduled it for February, the mid-point for our ministry year.

Here’s an overview of our event:

Purpose:  The primary purpose of this event was to bring parents and leaders together for a light breakfast and conversation.  Since our preteens are allowed to check themselves in and out on Sunday mornings, many of our parents and leaders had never met.  I didn’t want the school year to go by without this important face-to-face interaction.

Logistics:  We held our event on a Sunday morning during both of our morning services.  Parents were encouraged to attend during the hour that their child attends Route 45.  I recruited a few teens to help me teach the morning’s lesson and help with crowd control.  Leaders were provided with a timeline for the morning and a copy of conversation starters prior to the event so that they’d be familiar with how things would operate.

Promotion & Registration:  We began promoting the event through our weekly parent email approximately two months before the event.  It started as a “Save the Date” promotion and then moved to actual emails with more details.  We also promoted the event through announcements during our preteen Large Group time, our online church newsletter and the church bulletin.  Invitations were provided for each preteen to take home and give to their parents.  (We wanted to publicize in many different ways.)  Our invitations and other handouts were customized to be blue and white (to complement our color scheme) and include our logo.

Food:  We kept the menu pretty simple.  We served muffins, bagels and cream cheese, protein bars, fresh fruit, juice and bottled water.  We were able to keep the event to less than $60 for food and supplies.

Decor:  We set up three 9-foot tables parallel to each other with space to walk in-between.  We covered the tables with table cloths and placed an acrylic sign holder in the middle.  The sign holder held the names of each small group leader.  At each place setting, we placed a legal-sized place mat (with a section for notes); a two-sided post card – one side shared how we want to partner with parents and the other side listed our leaders and contact information; and a feedback card that parents and leaders could use in telling us if the event was beneficial, if we should offer it again and suggestions to make it better.  We also placed name tags, pens, markers and copies of Reggie Joiner and Carey Nieuwhof’s book, Parenting Beyond Your Capacity, for parents to peruse.

Here are a few pictures:

Flow for the morning:  At the beginning of the morning, I welcomed parents, shared the purpose of the gathering and brief overview for the morning as well as insight into our ministry year.  (We launched Route 45 in September, so the word for the year is “new”…new format, new curriculum, new leaders, new space, new programming, new, new, new!)  Then I turned things over to our leaders and let them facilitate the conversation.  Five minutes before the service ended, I wrapped up the time by giving a few announcements and a heartfelt “thank you” to our parents and leaders.

Overall, I am so glad that we held this event and I look forward to it again in the fall.  It warmed my heart to see parents and leaders talking about how we can best work together to help our precious children in their spiritual journey.

Leaders and volunteers:  How do you encourage a partnership between your ministry and parents?

Parents:  How can your church better partner with you as you guide your children spiritually?

Ideas for Lent and Easter

Kathie Phillips 3 Comments

Lent is upon us and Easter is right around the corner.  If you’re looking for Lent and/or Easter ideas for church, home or school, be sure to visit my Lent & Easter board on my Pinterest page.  You can access the board here: http://pinterest.com/kathierphillips/kidmin-lent-easter/

Have you given up anything for Lent?  What do you have planned to make the Easter season come alive this year? 

Practical (and Inexpensive) Gift Idea for Anxious Children

Kathie Phillips 2 Comments

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

James 4:8a

A few weeks ago, a mom of an elementary aged-girl asked me for words of wisdom to help her daughter who is having anxiety issues.  I came across a great gift idea on Pinterest and decided to take it one step further.

The original idea was to type out James 4:8a on a sheet of copy paper, being sure to use different, vibrant colors for the word “draw”.  Then use fancy-edged scissors to cut out the verse and use curling ribbon to attach it to a box of markers.

What I decided to do was to include a journal with the markers (I added colored pencils as well).  I wanted the recipient to have a safe place to doodle and write her thoughts about what was troubling her, her prayers to God, and Bible verses that help her to remember that no matter what, God is with her.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • White copy paper or cardstock
  • Color printer
  • Tape or glue
  • Markers, crayons, or colored pencils (You could also use paints)
  • Small journal
  • Bible
  • Gift bag and tissue paper OR wrapping paper

Here’s step-by-step instructions for how I put this gift together:

  • Type the verse (James 4:8a) onto a sheet of white copy paper.  (I used a fun font – it was for a child.)
  • Use vibrant colors for the word “draw”.
  • Cut out the verse using fancy-edged scissors.  (I used pinking shears to edge the verse.)
  • Attach the verse to the package of markers, crayons or colored pencils using tape or glue.
  • In the front of the journal, write a personal note to the child receiving it.  Include Bible verses that reassure a child that God is with them.  Suggestions might include:  Deuteronomy 31:6; Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5; Isaiah 41:10; Psalm 46:1.
  • Wrap the gift or place in a gift bag with tissue paper.  Add a fun tag, if desired.
  • Say a prayer for the child that will receive the gift before you bless them with it.

This was a very inexpensive gift but one that the mom has already told me has blessed her daughter in a special way.

How have you helped a child who struggles with anxiety?  Share your ideas below!

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