About: Kids Ministry is often an over-looked ministry without many people or resources given toward it. Sometimes it can be hard to really feel like Kids Ministry is important, but the truth is that it very much is!

Your team (whether staff, interns, volunteers or all of the above) NEED encouragement in this area. This workshop inspires and encourages - it focuses on the ‘Why we do what we do’ part of things, and emphasizes knowing that it makes a difference and lasting impact on the next generation.

• Kids Ministry is laying the foundation for kids to build up and develop their own personal relationship with Jesus.

• Kids Ministry helps kids navigate and make sense of the world around them; helping them make wise decisions and avoid unnecessary pitfalls.

• Kids Ministry is being a part of helping to shape the next generation.

Workshop Run Time: 30 mins.

If you find this topic interesting, you might also like to read this Kids Ministry In-Sight blog post.

About: Passion and urgency are about more than just hype, personality and putting on a good show. Real passion and urgency comes from something much deeper.

When you actually believe what you’re teaching the kids, when you know you’re not just filling a spot or babysitting the kids so the adults can go to church…then the sparks of passion ignite.

When you know that the lesson you’re teaching makes a real-world difference in a kids life and you’re a part of that…then a sense of urgency picks up.

Workshop Run Time: 30 minutes.

Read more about this topic on the Kids Ministry In-Sight blog.

About: The real secret to success and effectiveness shouldn’t be a secret at all - it’s all about building up relationships and showing every single kid that you love and care about them for real. It’s really that basic. There’s no way around it, a personal connection makes a lasting impression on kids and makes them far more receptive to listen to the lesson and other things you want to teach them.

Workshop Run Time: 30 minutes.

If you’re interested in this topic, you would love this Kids Ministry In-Sight blog post.

About: There’s a time for seriousness and there’s a time for fun - my paraphrase from the book of Ecclesiastes.

Having a fun Sunday School program should definitely be a top priority. Heaven forbid we teach the next generation that all things associated with God are dull and boring; they’ll never want to come to church or get to know Jesus for themselves. We should be making our Sunday Schools a place where kids want to go (and even somewhere they’d like to bring their friends). Yes, it’s possible!

• Themes - great theme ideas and how to pull them off well without breaking the bank.

• Games, prizes, incentives and rewards: why they they make everything better and a lot more fun.

Workshop Run Time: 45 mins - 1 hour.

If you find this interesting, then you will love the Kids Ministry Ideas blog.

About: There’s certainly a place for dreaming up big ideas and having grand plans, but it all comes down to the nitty gritty details of what you can actually practically pull off. There are lots of challenges in the world of Kids Ministry: from small budgets, to sometimes faithful/sometimes inconsistent volunteers, to basic time constraints, so being practical is a must.

Does it mean we don’t take on big things? Not at all! It means we learn to work within our means, resource great ideas, find free stuff and excel at thinking ahead and managing logistics and planning.

Plus, it means asking ourselves two important questions: Is it worth it? And what will make my life easier? Game. Changers.

Workshop Run Time: 30 - 45 minutes.

About: Games are a good time and they should always be incorporated into your Sunday School program. Games are great to get the wiggles out before the lesson, or work well as rewards and fun time following it.

But games can get a little chaotic, so learning some tips and tricks to control the chaos is super helpful for your sanity and for the amount of scraped knees you can avoid.

Plus, my top 10 favorite go-to games. And this wonderful thing I call a ‘Back Up Games Box’.

Workshop Run Time: 30 - 45 minutes.

About: Lots of Sunday School teachers struggle with this one - how in the world do I get these kids to pay attention to the lesson?! My answer is this: it’s a combination of things!

There are positive and negative reinforcement techniques you can apply, and various rewards and incentives you can incorporate. Not to mention interesting, relevant and dynamic curriculum that your kids find engaging. As well as including some physical activities, before, during and after the lesson. Like I said, it’s a combination of things!

Workshop Run Time: 30 minutes.

About: This isn’t one single workshop, it’s a bundle of workshops developed around LET’S BUILD! Curriculum - understanding how the lesson is designed and how to teach it effectively.

Workshops always include a demonstration to show how it’s supposed to be taught, a practical breakdown following the steps in the Teaching Toolbox manual, practice time and presentation for participants, feedback and a time for Q&A.

• The Basics of the Lesson: 30 mins.

• Part 1 - Lesson Intro and Memory Verse: 1 hour.

• Part 2 - Bible Lesson: 1 hour.

• Part 3 - Review, Point of Decision and Prayer: 1 hour.

About: Creativity is a must when it comes to lessons and learning! And there are SO many different creatively engaging ways to present a lesson.

LET’S BUILD! Curriculum is intentionally designed in a minimalistic way. This gives Kids Pastors and Sunday School teachers flexibility which is needed for many different reasons (attendance, physical space, limited number of teachers, money, etc.). Understanding how to expand a lesson creatively using audio and visual elements is a useful skill to have.

Workshop Run Time: 1 Hour+

About: All Sunday School teachers need to prepare their lessons, but what’s the best way to do that? Approaching lesson preparation should be a lot less like memorizing a script and a lot more like following a guide.

Preparing a lesson is about first connecting with the content yourself, then teaching it to others; that’s when you make the lesson your own, and that’s far more powerful than regurgitating a script filled with someone else’s words!

Workshop Run Time: 30 - 45 minutes.

About: Whether teaching to a large auditorium filled with kids or just a small handful gathered together in a classroom setting, knowing some key principles of communication points comes in handy.

• Repeat your Big Idea! over and over (like a hammer and a nail).

• Eye contact with your audience.

• Don’t put your hands in your pockets.

• Don’t pace back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and… (even that was annoying!).

• etc.

Workshop Run Time: 30 minutes.

About: Your title might not imply it, your job description might not mention it, but if you are a Kids Pastor you are most definitely a leader.

• Leading yourself first.

• Being an example to others; asking from others only what you’d be willing to do yourself.

• Communicating clear expectations and goals.

• To-do lists, organizing and delegating tasks.

• Managing stress and frustrations.

• Keeping your ‘Why’ front and center.

Workshop Run Time: 30 minutes.

About: Recruiting and retaining volunteers can be challenging. This workshop provides some proven methods of getting people involved and keeping them as committed volunteers beyond one single event.

• Taking the vagueness out of volunteering.

• Offering different roles for different people.

• Building up personal relationships with lots of different people.

• Providing some basic training (and follow up trainings).

• Seeing someone’s gifts and talents (and encouraging them to use them).

• Finding the right places for the right people.

• Expressing authentic appreciation and gratitude.

• etc.

Workshop Run Time: 30 minutes.

About: This workshop is not just about the incredible power of working together as a team, it is also about intentionally building up your team. Whether it’s staff, interns, or volunteers, knowing how to build up your team, cast vision, accomplish common goals and manage conflicts along the way are all important things to know how to do.

Workshop Run Time: 30 minutes.

About: Have you ever given yourself permission to make mistakes? It’s a weight off and such a feeling of freedom when you’re wanting to test things out and explore new things.

Learning the value of evaluation is about learning to ask the right questions and having a commitment to growth and getting better each and every time.

Workshop Run Time: 30 minutes.

About: You might be used to Sunday School inside the 4 walls of the church but there is a whole community around you that you can (and perhaps should) try to engage with.

A fun kids program is one of the best ways to reach out to the entire community. Adults who might never step foot into a church building will bring their kids to a program outside and hear the message of the Gospel while there.

• Let’s talk practicality, planning and logistics.

• Let’s talk promoting and networking for your event.

• Let’s talk building relationships and meeting needs within your local community.

• Let’s talk ways to follow-up and make a lasting impact.

Workshop Run Time: 45 minutes - 1 hour.

About: If you’re interested in increasing your Sunday School attendance then there are definitely some tried and true ways to do that.

• Let’s talk incentives and fun stuff that gets kids involved and inviting their friends.

• Let’s talk building hype and promoting fun events and prizes.

• Let’s talk making Sunday School fun and engaging so new kids want to keep coming back.

• Let’s talk creating a welcoming space where kids feel loved, seen, heard and encouraged.

Workshop Run Time: 30 minutes.