PODCAST

The KidsMinistry.Blog Podcast

KidsMinistry.Blog

Hello 👋, we share ideas, tips, and resources to help your Children"s Ministry thrive!

religion & spirituality christianity

All Episodes

5:47

My Go-To Quiet Time Activities for Kids

The KidsMinistry.Blog Podcast ·

2025/08/05

Need kids to be quiet sometimes. After games, before parents pick up, when someone's having a meltdown and needs space, rainy days when we're all stuck inside going slowly insane.Problem is telling kids "sit quietly" doesn't actually work. They don't know what to do with themselves, start poking each other, and drive everyone crazy including me.Today we're talking about quiet activities that actually keep kids engaged instead of just sitting there doing nothing - from detailed coloring

5:45

Back-to-School Event Ideas for Kids' Ministries

The KidsMinistry.Blog Podcast ·

2025/08/04

It's July and I'm already stressing about back-to-school stuff. Kids disappear for three months then suddenly they're all taller, forgot everyone's names, and act like they've never seen our building before.Last year was a disaster. Thought I'd just jump back into regular programming Labor Day weekend and everything would magically work out. Took six weeks to get any rhythm back.Today we're talking about back-to-school events that actually help families transition instead of just hoping

6:45

Common Mistakes in Volunteer Leadership and Retention

The KidsMinistry.Blog Podcast ·

2025/08/03

Cleaning out my phone yesterday and found this text from Jennifer, who used to help with 2nd and 3rd graders. "Hey I don't think I can keep doing this anymore. Just not working out."That was it. Gone.Today we're talking about why good volunteers really quit - from treating them like unpaid employees to only texting when you need something to throwing them into situations without preparation. Plus what I wish I could tell Jennifer now and the volunteers who stayed versus the ones who just

6:16

Seven Keys to Kids Worship Engagement

The KidsMinistry.Blog Podcast ·

2025/08/02

Last week during worship time little Emma asks me why we have to sing the same songs every week. And honestly? I didn't have a great answer because I'd never really thought about it.That got me wondering - do kids actually understand what worship means, or do they just think it's the part where we stand up and sing before the real lesson starts?Today we're talking about helping kids get worship beyond just singing on command - from explaining what "steadfast love" actually means to letting

5:54

Real-World Wisdom for Kids' Ministry Crafts

The KidsMinistry.Blog Podcast ·

2025/08/01

Found myself at Target last Thursday night buying fifty foam fish because I'd seen this "amazing" craft on Pinterest about feeding the 5,000. Looked so simple online - cute little fish with googly eyes that kids could decorate while learning about Jesus providing.What actually happened: thirty minutes of chaos, glue everywhere, foam pieces in the carpet, and one kid who made her fish look like roadkill with brown marker.Today we're talking about crafts that actually work versus Pinterest

7:25

Engaging Volunteers: From Helpers to Partners

The KidsMinistry.Blog Podcast ·

2025/07/31

Planning VBS last year all by myself. Spent weeks figuring out themes, decorations, activities, snacks, everything. Got to the planning meeting and presented my whole elaborate plan to volunteers.Can see their eyes glazing over as I go through my presentation. Lisa finally goes "Sounds like you got it all figured out. Just tell us what you need us to do."Today we're talking about planning events WITH volunteers instead of FOR them - from starting with blank slates to letting people own

6:09

Cultivating Enduring Volunteer Team Culture

The KidsMinistry.Blog Podcast ·

2025/07/30

Last month I'm sitting in this meeting with other kids ministry leaders and this woman starts talking about her volunteer team. How they hang out outside church, cover for each other without being asked, absorb new people like they've always belonged.I'm thinking... that sounds amazing. And nothing like my volunteers who show up Sunday morning, do their thing, and leave without knowing each other's names.Today we're talking about building actual volunteer teams instead of just filling

6:43

Small Church Kids Curriculum Guide

The KidsMinistry.Blog Podcast ·

2025/07/29

Our church has maybe thirty kids total on good days. Preschool through middle school, one room, budget that's basically my gas money, and volunteers who show up five minutes before service looking confused.Most curriculum assumes you've got separate classes for every age, professional teachers, and a money tree growing in the back yard. Right.Today we're talking about curriculum that actually works for real small churches - from the one that gets mixed ages to why expensive doesn't mean

5:12

Engaging Bible Trivia Games for Kids

The KidsMinistry.Blog Podcast ·

2025/07/28

Tried regular Bible trivia once. Asked "Who was Moses' brother?" Dead silence. One kid raised his hand and said "Abraham?"That's when I learned that Bible trivia for kids can't just be adult trivia with smaller words and lower expectations.Today we're talking about Bible trivia that actually works when kids need to move around and can't just sit there answering questions - from four corners chaos to Bible baseball to why letting kids act out answers beats boring Q&A every time. Plus the

7:06

Useful Outreach: Beyond Free Hot Dogs

The KidsMinistry.Blog Podcast ·

2025/07/27

We spent $347 on hot dogs for our community cookout. Got the fancy ones, expensive bakery buns, checkered tablecloths like we were hosting a Norman Rockwell painting. Fourteen people showed up, most already church members.Meanwhile the fire station down the street was doing free car seat inspections with cars wrapped around the block. No food, no decorations, just something people actually needed.Today we're talking about outreach that actually works versus expensive events nobody wants -

7:05

Retaining Volunteers Long-Term: Building Valued...

The KidsMinistry.Blog Podcast ·

2025/07/26

Sarah comes up to me after service Sunday with that look - you know the one where someone's been chewing on something for weeks."I think I need to take a break."My stomach drops. Sarah IS our 4th and 5th grade group. Kids ask where she is if she's not there. But turns out she feels completely invisible, like just another body filling a ratio requirement.Today we're talking about what actually keeps volunteers around versus what makes them quietly disappear - from why "thanks for helping"

6:43

Simple Strategies for Multimedia Bible Teaching

The KidsMinistry.Blog Podcast ·

2025/07/25

Sunday morning I'm feeling pretty smug about my David and Goliath lesson. Got slides, perfect YouTube video, everything's ready to impress some seven-year-olds with my technological brilliance.Walk into class and the projector is completely dead. Just sitting there mocking me while Tyler asks if we're gonna watch something cool.Today we're talking about using technology that actually helps instead of making you its slave - from why perfect videos don't exist to how your phone beats our

5:50

Indoor Games for Energetic Kids on Rainy Days

The KidsMinistry.Blog Podcast ·

2025/07/24

Raining again this Sunday. Kids trapped inside bouncing off the walls like caffeinated pinballs while I stare at my ruined nature walk plans.Had this whole outdoor thing planned - collecting leaves, talking about God's creation, fresh air fixing everyone's attitudes. Now I'm stuck in the fellowship hall with twenty-three kids going absolutely stir crazy.Today we're talking about indoor games that actually work when kids are already wound up from being cooped up - from human knots that take

6:35

Kids' Ministry Outreach: Lessons Learned from Event...

The KidsMinistry.Blog Podcast ·

2025/07/23

7:18

Training Volunteers When You're Clueless

The KidsMinistry.Blog Podcast ·

2025/07/22

Honestly don't know why anyone trusts me to train volunteers. Half the time I'm figuring it out as I go and praying nobody notices I'm completely winging it.But I've stumbled across some stuff that actually helps people instead of making them more confused or terrified.Today we're talking about volunteer training resources that work in the real world - from short videos people will actually watch to background checks that don't require law degrees to buddy systems for the chronically lazy

6:32

Inventive Storytelling for Engaged Children's Ministry

The KidsMinistry.Blog Podcast ·

2025/07/21

My kids know Noah's ark by heart. Also David and Goliath. Asked what they wanted to hear for Sunday school and one kid goes "something where nobody dies and there's no animals."Well then. Time to get creative because apparently we've exhausted the greatest hits.Today we're talking about telling Bible stories in ways that don't make kids' eyes glaze over - from working backwards through Jesus's life to interviewing Goliath about his perspective to turning ancient events into breaking news

5:45

Games for Small Spaces and Big Crowds

The KidsMinistry.Blog Podcast ·

2025/07/20

My living room is ten feet by twelve feet. When my sister brings her three kids plus my two, it's basically a human sardine can where you can't move without stepping on someone's feet or Legos or emotional breakdowns.But kids still need something to do or they'll lose their collective minds and probably destroy what's left of my furniture.Today we're talking about games that actually work in tiny spaces when you're outnumbered and trapped - from musical statues that turn into wrestling

7:12

Fall Festival Fails and Fixes

The KidsMinistry.Blog Podcast ·

2025/07/19

Our fall festival last year was a complete disaster. Ran out of candy in forty minutes, the cotton candy machine literally exploded, and two volunteers just vanished into thin air. Still don't know where they went - maybe they're hiding somewhere until Halloween passes.This year I'm determined not to repeat that nightmare, which apparently means planning pumpkin events when it's still ninety-five degrees outside.Today we're talking about how to survive fall festival planning without losing

8:11

Managing Volunteer Challenges in Ministry

The KidsMinistry.Blog Podcast ·

2025/07/18

Had to tell a volunteer last week that kids were scared of her because she yells when they spill juice. She cried, I felt like a monster, but also those kids shouldn't be terrified of snack time.Nobody prepares you for these conversations and they're absolutely the worst part of ministry leadership.Today we're talking about how to have difficult conversations with volunteers without destroying relationships - from waiting until you're not furious to being specific about problems to knowing

6:22

Mess-Free Kids' Ministry Activities

The KidsMinistry.Blog Podcast ·

2025/07/17

Used glitter once for a craft about God's glory. Worst decision of my life. Still finding sparkles three months later in places glitter should never exist, including my sandwich last week.Never. Again.Today we're talking about activities that actually teach Bible stuff without requiring hazmat cleanup afterward - from memory verse body movements to drawing with eyes closed to why walking around while talking somehow makes kids smarter. Plus the truth about why simple beats elaborate every

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