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Tag: children’s ministry

What 2020 Reminded Me About Kidmin Leaders

Kathie Phillips

I have always been proud to be part of the kidmin community. There are many reasons I feel that way but one is that I believe kidmin leaders are some of the most creative and innovative leaders on the planet. We know how to stretch budgets, recycle and repurpose common items and think up some pretty amazing (and sometimes crazy) ideas.

COVID-19 Realities

Then 2020 rolled in and ministry (and the world as we knew it) changed. During all stages of the pandemic to the current day, words and phrases such as ‘unprecedented’, ‘pivoting’, and ‘new normal’ became part of almost every piece of communication sent to those in our ministries.

Those phrases, while accurate on many levels, also described how ministry to kids and families operated. Kids ministry leaders all around the world adapted to ministry during a time when everything around us changed. My fellow kidmin leaders worked tirelessly to keep kids, families and volunteers engaged during this historic time. It was important for leaders to keep some sense of normalcy and familiarity to the kids when so much around them had been taken away.

Through it all, I was reminded of a few things that are true about kidmin leaders.

Kidmin leaders are flexible.

On Thursday, March 12, 2020, our governor announced that group gatherings exceeding 250 people would not be permitted. That meant my church would not be able to meet that upcoming Sunday – just three days away. That was also true of countless churches around the country.

I remember seeing my social media feeds being filled with posts from frantic leaders about what to do next. Leaders like myself raced to come up with a plan and communicate that plan to family and volunteers. This plan included uploading curriculum content to websites, sending downloadable pages to families to do at home and coming up with a plan for the weeks moving forward.

Kidmin leaders are learners.

Much of COVID-19 kidmin has been technology-driven, which means that leaders had to (quickly) learn how to create, film, edit and upload content, teach families how to find and utilize the content, and navigate social media and other tools to help get the Word of God into the homes of families in their ministry. This was in addition to keeping up with health metrics to make wise choices in regards to regathering in person.

Kidmin leaders are passionate about sharing the love of Jesus, no matter what it takes.

Drive-through events, virtual gatherings, monthly activity bags, live videos, social media story times…these are just a few things that ministry leaders did to keep ministry going despite being apart. For ministries that met in person, editing curriculum activities to allow for physical distancing and adopting new health and safety protocols became top priorities. Why? Because sharing the love of Jesus no matter what it takes was of utmost importance.

To all of my fellow kidmin leaders, thank you for persevering. You’ve weathered a very difficult storm. Thank you for all of your hard work and prayers on behalf of your ministries. Thank you for being committed to the spiritual development of kids and families no matter what. I am proud to be part of this community. Your heart and passion for ministry keep me inspired.

NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible For Girls Gift Set {Review}

Kathie Phillips

One of the greatest things I can do as a Children’s Ministry leader is to put a copy of God’s Word into the hands of a child. There are so many Bibles out there to choose from based on the age of the recipient. Storybook or picture book type Bibles are very popular for the younger set but as a child grows, they look for a something a little more grown up that may (or may not) have a child-friendly element.

Bible journaling has become very popular over the years and now elementary and preteen girls have an option for a coloring Bible.

Recently, I received a copy of the NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls Gift Set. Here is product description from the publisher:

Created especially for girls ages 8 to 12, this beautiful Bible, sticker sheets and coloring pencil set provides the tools for young artists to express themselves. 

Girls will get creative through coloring and journaling in the NIV Beautiful Word™ Coloring Bible for Girls. Included are pencils to color, blend and shade the detailed line art surrounding hundreds of inspiring verses. This Bible gift set is perfect for the special young girl in your life and will become a cherished keepsake full of personalized creative expressions of faith.

Features include:

  • Complete text of the accurate, readable and clear New International Version (NIV)
  • Over 600 verses illustrated in ready-to-color line art
  • Four colored pencils
  • Six sheets of stickers designed for girls
  • Thick white paper for writing and doodling
  • Lined, wide margins for notes and reflections
  • Satin ribbon marker
  • Beautifully debossed and screen-printed cover
  • Exclusive Zondervan NIV Comfort Print® typeface in a readable 8-point print size 

The Bible itself is a beautiful color and despite the added images inside, isn’t too bulky or heavy. The images are varied in design, sizes and fonts, allowing each girl to customize her Bible just the way she wants. What I also love is that there are blank lines in the sidebar for notes or added doodles.

My 13-year old niece loved the set, especially the pencils and sticker sheets!

The set comes in a sturdy and beautiful box, which makes it perfect for gift-giving.

*Get a closer look insider here: https://www.zondervan.com/p/beautiful-word-bible-for-girls/coloring/#new

*Purchase this Bible, currently on sale, here.

*Downloadable Sampler here: https://joom.ag/pjMC

*Find Downloadable Coloring Sheets here: https://d3iqwsql9z4qvn.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/09/11185457/Coloring-Sheets.pdf

“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):

Many thanks to Telling Ministries LLC and HCCP for providing this product/product information for review.  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.

What I’m Working On This Month

Kathie Phillips

Here’s What’s Happening In October!

After a very busy September (Promotion Sunday, Volunteer Kick-Off Party, and our 1st Preschool Family Experience for the new year), October looks to be a much more laid back month. However, there are some things that I’m looking forward to!

CURRICULUM

Each month, I edit our curriculum to fit our needs. During this process, we inventory our supplies and order any needed supplies. Thankfully, this month we had most of the supplies we needed! I did order these for our preschoolers, who are learning that God can help them be brave. Each preschooler will get to wear one home on the last Sunday of the month. I’m also excited that our preschoolers will hear one of my favorite Bible stories.

EVENTS

This month, we are celebrating one of our milestone events, 2nd Grade Bible Presentations. Each 2nd grader will receive a Bible (we present these) along with a handwritten note from one of our pastors. A few years ago, we moved this celebration to each of our worship services, which has allowed the entire congregation to celebrate with these precious kids and their families.

We are also preparing for another milestone celebration, our 3-week Communion Class. I will share more about that next month.

OUTREACH

One other thing I’m excited about is that our children (ages 2 – 5th grade) will get to be part of our all-church outreach focus – our annual clothing drive. Kids will be encouraged to be neighborhood heroes (which fits perfectly into our preschool superhero theme for October) by donating and collecting clothes for the giveaway. Our elementary children will help sort donations as part of their missions-emphasis Sunday next week. We love having our entire church be part of a missions project!

FREELANCE PROJECTS

In addition to my ministry work, I am working on a few freelance projects – writing preschool lessons for a curriculum company and writing devotions for a Children’s Ministry publication. I can’t wait to share more about these projects soon!

My second round of my online class through Institute for Discipleship begins next week. I will be teaching class #2 in their kidmin cohort, which will cover teaching theology to kids. It was a great class this past spring, and I’m hopeful for another positive experience.

That’s what’s happening in my neck of the woods. What are you up to this month? Let me know by leaving me a comment below!

Stay connected by being part of our Facebook Community! You can follow me here.

NIV Adventure Bible – Polar Exploration Edition {Review and Giveaway}

Kathie Phillips

For as long as I can remember, I have loved the Adventure Bible. Both of my children, who are grown now, had their own copy growing up. I also selected this Bible (the NIV) to give to second graders at our church for our 2nd Grade Bible Presentation Sunday each fall.

Imagine my surprise when I was asked to review the new Adventure Bible – Polar Exploration Edition. Honestly, my first thought was, “Do we need a penguin-themed Bible?” To me, it’s the same as Chick fil A changing their lemonade recipe – it’s unthinkable!

But, as a loyal supporter of the original, I was curious to take a peek at this new edition.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

With over 9 million copies sold, the Adventure Bible brand is beloved by Christian schools, churches, and families alike. Now, the #1 Bible for kids, including all of the trusted essentials loved by parents, is available in an exciting polar exploration theme!

Ready for a frosty Adventure? Embark on a fun, exciting trek through God’s Word with the NIV Adventure Bible, now in an all-new polar exploration theme! While on this arctic adventure, readers meet all types of people, see all sorts of places, and learn all kinds of facts about the Bible. And most importantly you’ll grow closer in your relationship with God.

Features of the NIV Adventure Bible, Polar Exploration Edition include:

  • The same trusted Adventure Bible content in a frosty new theme
  • Full-color images of polar animals, arctic outposts, and icy landscapes throughout make learning about the Bible even more engaging
  • Life in Bible Times—Articles and illustrations describe what life was like in ancient days
  • Words to Treasure—Highlights great verses to memorize
  • Did You Know?—Interesting facts help you understand God’s Word and the life of faith
  • People in Bible Times—Articles offer close-up looks at amazing people of the Bible
  • Live It!—Hands-on activities help you apply biblical truths to your life
  • Twenty polar-themed pages focus on topics such as how to know you are a Christian, famous people of the Bible, highlights of the life of Jesus, and how to pray.
  • Book introductions feature arctic art and important information about each book of the Bible
  • Dictionary/concordance for looking up tricky words
  • Color map section to help locate places in the Bible
  • Complete text of the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible
  • Thrilling new glacial cover on metallic paper

MY THOUGHTS

Upon the first glance, the Bible looked cool – literally! The icy blue hues made it seem cold to the touch. The inside of the Bible looks pretty typical of the classic Adventure Bible – the font, font size, layout, informative text boxes, and deeper insight pages.

There are penguin touches throughout the Bible, from the penguin paw prints at the top of each page to pictures of penguins inside the text boxes.

All in all, if your child loves the Arctic and arctic animals, they will love this Bible. Otherwise, I think the classic Adventure Bible will do.

ENTER TO WIN

Christmas is right around the corner, and this would be a great gift for your child, grandchild, or a child in your ministry! The good news is…I’m giving away a copy and you can have it before Christmas!

Enter to win a copy of the new NIV Adventure Bible – Polar Exploration Edition by emailing me at kidminspiration@gmail.com.  All entries should be received by 11:59 pm on Friday, November 30.

The winner of this giveaway will be contacted via email and announced on our Facebook page on Saturday, December 1.

“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 a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

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