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{Book Review} “The One Year Book of Bible Trivia for Kids”

03/18/201403/18/2014 Kathie Phillips

I love reviewing devotionals for kids! But a devotional that is combined with Bible trivia? I couldn’t resist.

Today, I’ll share my thoughts regarding The One Year Book of Bible Trivia for Kids by Katrina Cassel. The book was released in September 2013 by Tyndale House Publishers.

About the Book

“Have you ever wondered…How many days did God take to create the world and everything in it? Where did Moses get water for the Israelites to drink? Why did Mary and Joseph go to Bethlehem? The answers are inside this devotional! Learning about the Bible can be fun – especially with The One Year Book of Bible Trivia for Kids. Each devotion is based on a trivia question from the Bible. The devotion explains the story around the question, gives the answer, and then shares what it means for you. One question a day will open your eyes to biblical truths. Learning about the Bible has never been so much fun! Bonus: You can find out how much your family knows about the Bible! Ask them the question of the day.”

What I Liked

The book contains 365 devotions, one for each day of the year. Each devotional contains a creative title, trivia question, 3 possible answers, a brief devotional (which includes some modern-day examples), personal application points, the trivia question answer and the corresponding Bible passage. The scripture passages were taken from the New Living Translation, which I think makes God’s Word easily understood by older elementary children and preteens.

Since the devotions weren’t topical, they were mostly chronologically from Genesis – Revelation. Since the devotions were mostly chronological, I loved that the book highlights how the Bible is divided (Books of the Law, Books of History, etc.). I also loved how a scripture index was included, making it easy to locate a particular scripture verse/passage.

What I Think Was Missing

I am a visual person, so having more color throughout the book, especially when trying to appeal to kids, would have been a plus.

My Recommendation

Overall, I think the book is a great option for older elementary children & preteens. The content was solid and written in a relevant way. I think adding trivia into a Bible reading and devotional will be well-received by kids, who might be able to teach their parents a thing or two!

Have you read The One Year Book of Bible Trivia for Kids? What were your thoughts?

Tyndale House Publishers provided me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

5 Reasons Why Every Leader Needs an Inner Circle

03/17/201403/17/2014 Kathie Phillips 1 Comment

When I started out in kidmin, I likened myself to a sponge. I wanted to soak up as much knowledge as I could. I also deeply craved being around other leaders who did what I did. I learned so much from listening to and engaging with other leaders – many of my own ideas were birthed as a result of being in such environments.

As the years have passed, the desire to be around other kidmin leaders hasn’t waned. In fact, it has increased! While I still love to learn and swap ideas, I now listen more intently to the heart of the leaders. We share the same challenges and disappointments. We are all trusting God to do big things through us for His glory. We are just trying to survive week to week!

Having my circle around me has made me a better leader. One piece of advice I always give to new ministry leaders or those having a rough time is GET AROUND OTHERS WHO DO WHAT YOU DO. Having a circle of support doesn’t mean you’re a weak leader; it helps make you a stronger one.

How?

1. You can share in a safe place. Every leader needs a safe place to share frustrations, challenges and tears.

2. You can bounce ideas off of other brains. Some of my best ideas have come from a brainstorming session.

3. You can be supported in prayer. Ministry is hard work and can often be lonely. Having prayer support will be invaluable.

4. You can be affirmed. Sometimes when you hear what others are going through, you realize that your situation is not all that bad.

5. You can be challenged. You’ll hear other points of view and be challenged to think outside of the box. You might even be encouraged to take a risk. Being challenged might help you take the next step as a leader.

If you don’t know where to find that inner circle, here are a few suggestions:

Look within your church. There are people in your church who are passionate about kidmin, love and support you or both. This group might not ‘do what you do’ but they can be a great source of support for you. Keep them updated on ministry and personal needs.

Look within your community. Are there church leaders in your community who you can network with? I strongly believe that having a support system of like-minded people will be of great benefit to you. I am part of a network of leaders who meet quarterly but out of that group, I have connected with one leader in particular who meets with me once a month for lunch and fellowship. She is my kidmin sister and I always look forward to getting together with her. Don’t have a group nearby? Start one!

Look on social media. Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, and CM Connect provides platforms for you to connect with other kidmin leaders.

On Facebook, check out the following groups: The Kids Ministry Collective and Children’s Pastors and Children’s Ministries Leaders.
On Twitter, search the following hashtags: #kidmin, #childrensministry and #fammin.
Join CM Connect, a social network for Children’s Ministry Leaders.

Look within your denomination, if you’re part of one. Many denominations have Christian Education groups that meet regularly. If not, start one!

Look for discussion forums within other websites, like Kidology. You might also be able to find discussion forums for the curriculum that you use. Visit their website to see if one exists.

What have been effective ways for you to connect with other kidmin leaders?

Affordable Electronic Check-In for Any Size KidMin

03/10/201403/10/2014 Kathie Phillips

There are many things that kidmin leaders have in common, one of them being learning how to maximize limited ministry funds. We all look for ways to get the most bang for our buck. Oftentimes it takes many years to see many of our bigger dreams become reality. This can be true when we consider electronic check-in options for our kidmin. Electronic check-in is almost standard in many medium to larger-sized churches. But what about smaller churches? Do many smaller church kidmin leaders think that electronic check-in is an option for them because of the financial costs? Today, I’d like to introduce you to Simple Sign In, a 100% web-based tool that is affordable to churches of all sizes.

Product Description Simple Sign In was developed by a brother-sister team in December 2012. It was originally developed for their church and thought that the tool would be great for other churches, too. Simple Sign In is 100% web-based, which means that there is no hardware or software needed for use. Amy Madden, one of the developers, says, “I feel as though all churches, regardless of size, should be able to have a safe and secure children’s environment.”

How It Works

Children are checked in at 1 (or more stations, if needed) check-in station upon arrival.
Two labels are printed – 1 for the child and 1 for the parent/guardian. Use of a compatible label printer is optional – labels can be handwritten.

What I Like

I love that smaller churches have an affordable option for electronic check-in. While there would be an initial investment in computers and/or tablets and compatible label printers (which are optional), the actual tool itself is quite affordable. Pricing plans are as low as $15/month. There is also a free 30-day trial for each pricing plan before you make a long-term commitment.
Getting started seems fairly easy. You would enter the classrooms/age groups for your ministry, the service type(s) you provide, and information for children already enrolled in your ministry.
Children’s claim numbers stay the same from week to week if they’re regular attenders. Great for parents!
I like how parents (or a volunteer assisting with check-in) can sign in multiple children at once. That should minimize wait times.
I like that children can be signed in to multiple services at once. That is a great, convenient feature for parents/guardians.
Each classroom can have its own tablet and can allow for check-in directly at the classrooms. An added bonus is that information is updated in real-time on all computers/tablets so that information is synchronized ministry-wide.
Three basic reports can be generated from the tool: (1) service history, (2) children new to the ministry and (3) children’s birthdays.

What I Don’t Like

Information cannot be easily or quickly entered for guest families unless a separate ‘Guest Family’ station was set up. Amy, the developer, mentioned that guest families at her church fill out an information card and then a ministry leader enters their information into the system at a later time.
One of my biggest concerns is problems if the internet is down. Since the tool is 100% web-based, if the internet is down, that could create a bit of a problem. Amy mentioned that ministry leaders can keep printed copies of sign-in sheets available in the event of an internet problem.

If you are a smaller church looking for a way to offer a more secure check-in option for your ministry, I think Simple Sign In is a viable option for you. You can learn more about Simple Sign In by visiting their website. You can also email the developers directly at admin@mad-swan.com.

Simple Sign In has graciously offered a free 3-month subscription to one of my readers. Here’s how you can enter to win (you can enter in one or ALL of the ways):

Leave me a comment below, telling me what your kidmin’s check-in process currently looks like.
[Tweet this message]—–>Electronic check-in for any size #kidmin http://wp.me/p2CKBS-uj @KidMinspiration.
Leave a shout-out on our Facebook page.
Complete the email form below, indicating that you’d like to be entered into the drawing.

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All entries should be submitted by 11:59pm on Sunday, March 16, 2014.

The winner will be announced on Monday, March 17, 2014.

Disclaimer: I was contacted by Simple Sign In to review their product. I received no compensation for my honest review.

Summer in our KidMin

03/07/201403/07/2014 Kathie Phillips 2 Comments

Depending on where you live, this winter has been extremely long, dreary and snowy. Many of us are ready for things to warm up a little bit. Good news – summer is right around the corner and for those of us in KidMin, we’ve been thinking about summer for some time now.

I recently did an interview with Children’s Ministry Magazine’s David Jennings on what summer looks like in our kidmin. You can read the article here.

I’d love to know – what fun things does your ministry have planned for this summer? Leave me a comment below!