Tag: kidmin

Meet Dorena Williamson, Author of “ColorFull”

Kathie Phillips 1 Comment

Friends, I am so very excited to introduce you to Dorena Williamson!  Dorena is the author of the brand new book “ColorFull: Celebrating the Colors God Gave Us“, which releases today, May 1st.  But Dorena isn’t just the author – she’s my aunt!!  I had the privilege of interviewing her recently and I am so excited to share her with you so that you can hear her heart behind this incredible book that you should grab for your ministry.

Colorfull: Celebrating the Colors God Gave Us

Tell my readers a little bit about yourself.

Hello! I am a PK turned Pastor’s wife, so church sometimes feels like my second home! Together with Chris I’ve raised four amazing kids who are now 24, 22, 17 and 14. Two are graduating this year so this is a season of celebration! My new adventure as a children’s author stems from 22 years leading and loving a multicultural church in the Nashville, TN area. On the side I’m a stylist with Evereve, a national company focused on heart filled styling for women. When I find leisure time, it’s spent reading, watching travel shows or dreaming about tropical places to visit!

Racial reconciliation has been a longtime passion of yours.  Was that the motivation for this book?

That was definitely a part of the formation of ColorFull. Over twenty two years of multicultural church leadership has cultivated a passion to help others experience God’s diverse kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. Jesus invites us to enter the kingdom as children do, since they can teach us so much.

Tell us about “ColorFull”.  What is the story about?

ColorFull begins with something we all have in common: friendship and family. A grandmother uses a teachable moment to reinforce God’s truth, that creation’s colors AND our skin colors are all a part of God’s colorful design.

What was your process for writing this story?

The idea for ColorFull grew out of frustration! I saw companies like Mattel and American Girl expanding their doll lines to incorporate more varied skin tones. Yet, Christians diminish God’s glory by being ascribed to colorblind rhetoric. I wanted to lend a new voice to the conversation and help teach kids that every person’s color is a beautiful handiwork of God to be fully seen and celebrated. Once I signed with B&H, we got an excellent illustration husband/wife team to bring the words to vibrant life. I’m really excited about how it turned out!

What are the main takeaways you want people to walk away with from “ColorFull”?

1. We need to be talking to our kids about ethnicity & skin color!!

2. Reinforce God’s truth in this area while your kids are young; raise the importance level on this conversation; let go of colorblind rhetoric and instead teach God’s intention in diverse creation.

3. Find teachable moments to impart wisdom.

4. Relationships and proximity changes everything. What you read, who you spend time with, what activities you engage with all shape a worldview that not only appreciates God’s diverse kingdom but helps advance the work of justice and restoration.

You have a follow-up book, “ThoughtFull”, in the works.  Can you tell us a little about that?

Yes! ThoughtFull is book two in the series of three books. In this story, Ahanu, a Native American boy with Down Syndrome, models how to be ThoughtFULL – full of kind thoughts towards others. I hope this book reminds us that every person has value and is uniquely gifted!

Where can readers find “ColorFull”?

It releases May 1. Readers can order via my website and directly through LifeWay and Amazon.

Where can my readers connect with you on social media?

Facebook – Dorena McFarland Williamson

Twitter – @dorenawill

Instagram – dorenawilliamson

Website – dorenawilliamson.com

Friends, purchasing this book is such a great investment for the children and families in your ministry!  I am happy that Dorena has agreed to give away a book to one of my fabulous readers.  To enter, email me at kidminspiration@gmail.com with your response to the following question:

How do you celebrate the colors God gave us?

Responses should be received no later than 11:59 pm EST on Friday, May 5th.

No More Manic Mondays!

Kathie Phillips

Mondays don't have to be manic! Here's what my Mondays look like like and how it sets me up for a productive week!

Mondays.  The day of the week many people dread for various reasons.  However, for many others, Mondays offer a start to accomplish new goals and gives a fresh perspective to tackle the week ahead and allows.  You either love ’em or you hate ’em.

Mondays don’t have to be manic. They can be magnificent!

Click To Tweet

Today, I’m sharing a peek into what my Mondays typically look like.  These seven tasks help me to start my week off on the right foot.  While I don’t do every single thing below every Monday, this gives you a general idea of what I block Mondays out for.

FOLLOW UP WITH NOTES FROM SUNDAY

Each Sunday, I carry a clipboard (yes, I’m very old school – I am a ‘pen and paper’ type of gal) with my Sunday volunteer list and blank paper.  I make notes of any upcoming volunteer absences, school performances, special occasions/milestones, prayer requests, supply needs, etc.  If I don’t write it down, I forget!  On Mondays, I transfer these notes to my daily planner and follow-up accordingly.

FOLLOW UP WITH VOLUNTEERS WHO CALLED OUT

Like any kidmin leader knows, rarely a Sunday goes by without a volunteer calling out unexpectedly due to illness (or the illness of a child), traveling or last-minute emergencies.  I follow-up with an email or text, asking for any updates on how they’re feeling, if I can bring a meal, how I might help, etc.  I want my volunteers to know that I truly care about them and that I miss them when they’re not able to serve.

UPDATE THIS WEEKEND’S VOLUNTEER SCHEDULE

Each Monday, I update my volunteer schedule to reflect those who are serving for the upcoming weekend.  This is especially helpful early in the week because I can identify serving opportunities (not “slots” or “holes”) quickly and know exactly what our needs are.  Doing this early in the week also saves me those unexpected surprises and scrambling at the last-minute.

INVEST IN MY LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

In order to grow as a leader, I have to invest in myself.  This could include reading books/blogs/articles, listening to podcasts, viewing webinars or meeting with another leader.  By blocking out this time each week, I am able to invest in myself so that I can pour into others.  See some of my favorite books here and my favorite magazines, websites, social media networks and podcasts here.

MEET WITH VOLUNTEERS AND/OR PARENTS

It is very important for me to spend time with my volunteers and parents outside of Sunday morning.  Nothing makes the beginning of a busy week better than grabbing coffee, breakfast or lunch with a volunteer or parent.  Doing this in a relaxed setting allows for us to have great conversations and get to know each other better. (*Note: this is typically ‘issue’-free.  We meet on Mondays just for fun and fellowship.)

CURRICULUM EDITING

Honestly, this is one of my favorite parts of my week.  I love seeing ‘raw’ curriculum become ‘live’ curriculum that I’ll get to see in real-time!  I’ll share my process for editing our curriculum in a future post, but when I sit down to edit, I edit for the entire month/unit so that I can (1) get an overview for the entire month, (2) set a cohesive tone for the entire month, (3) build on each week based on the previous week, and (4) purchase any needed supplies in one order.

SCHEDULE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

I schedule all of our social media posts (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) for the entire month on the first Monday of each month.  This saves me a HUGE amount of time and gives me one less thing to think about.

TOOLS I USE TO GET THE JOB DONE

Google Docs – I use this to keep track of who is serving when and where – this is a great tool because any necessary changes are made in real-time and I’m able to share the document with others on my team.

Hootsuite – This program allows me to schedule all of my social media posts for the entire month.  Not only can I do this from my computer, but I can use their app on the go.  Very flexible and very easy to use!

2018 At-A-Glance – Yes, I still use a paper planner, mainly because I take great joy in actually checking things off of my to-do list!  This planner is one of my favorites.

Keep the conversation going by leaving a comment: What do your Mondays look like?  

Freebie Friday: Recruiting and Training New Nursery Volunteers

Kathie Phillips 2 Comments

Church nurseries are often the first place where parents leave their babies for the first time, so it’s very important to ensure that this ministry area is particularly top notch.  As a kidmin leader, you have the responsibility of recruiting the right people and thoroughly training them to serve in your Nursery.  Where do you start?

Earlier this fall, I wrote a training piece for Sparkhouse’s Frolic Online to assist kidmin leaders with this task.

Recruiting and Training New Kidmin Nursery Volunteers

You can download the free guide here.  Happy Friday!

Let The Little Children Come Bible Tracts {Product Review}

Kathie Phillips

Do you know what a ‘tract’ is?  So, in my neck of the woods, I haven’t heard that term or seen an actual one in 30+ years.  To be honest, I didn’t know they were still a ‘thing’, so when the opportunity came up for me to review Bible tracts and evangelism tools for children, I was curious to take a look.

PRODUCT DETAILS

Looking for ways to help children share the Gospel?Let The Children Come aims to provide effective gospel tracts and evangelism tools and resources for children.  It is the hope that these tools and resources will help you in conveying the powerful gospel message to children.  These tracts are all specifically designed to capture and hold the attention of children, while not distracting them from the core message of salvation through Jesus Christ.

The sampler pack I received contained 10 Gospel tracts and evangelism tools.  Each of the 10 tools is unique in how it should be used.  (Detailed instructions and video demonstrations can be found on their website.)  The 10 included tools fell into one of five (5) categories:

1. ANIMATED TRACTS (These tracts allow you to capture and hold the attention of children as you share with them the Gospel message.  You simply place the provided striped plastic sheet over the images and slowly slide it from left to right.  The images will begin to move!)

The tracts were pretty cool once I got the hang of it.  After a while, I realized that I was not holding the striped plastic sheet over the images close enough.  Once I did, the images really did come to life.  The kids will love that!

Check out the samples here:

John 3:16 Animated Tract

The True Story of Christmas Animated Tract

Where’s Everybody Going? Animated Tract

2. POP-UP TRACTS (Delightful pop-ups keep children engaged in your Gospel presentation and wonderfully illustrate the message of salvation in 3D.)

These tracts were fun to manipulate.  The pop-ups were cool and the tracts were colorful.

Check out the samples here:

The Most Amazing House Pop-up Tract

The Lost Easter Egg Pop-up Tract

3. FLIPABOUTS (Its fascinating folding mechanism keep kids interested!  You will fold the tract, turn and open as you read its contents.)

So these tracts took a little bit of time and patience.  I didn’t quite get the hang of it and it frustrated me.  If you plan to use these, definitely read the instructions, watch the video demonstration and practice ahead of time.

Check out the samples here:

John 3:16 FlipAbout English

Gospel Buttons FlipAbout

4. WEARABLES (These evangelism tools can be worn.)

There were 2 wordless bracelets included, both of which clearly explain the color-coded message of salvation.  The Silicone Salvation Bracelet and the Wordless Bracelet are perfectly sized for a child’s wrist.  The silicone bracelet easily slides on and the wordless bead bracelet is a craft that kids can put together with minimal adult supervision.

5. TRADITIONAL (This tool is a popular evangelism tool that most will be familiar with.)

This evangelism tool is one I’m familiar with and was trained to use as a teenage – the Wordless Book.  If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a handheld book version of the wordless bracelet.

MY THOUGHTS

All of the booklet-type tracts were all written in kid-friendly language and were visually appealing.  The variety of tracts and tools was also appealing to me.  With clear explanations and training, kids in your Sunday school class, VBS or ministry can be equipped to use these tools to share the Gospel.

LEARN MORE

Buy your sample pack today and check out these evangelism tools!

*Disclaimer:  The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.  I was not compensated in any way.