The Best of the Best in Children’s Ministry Resources

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To see the resources available to churches through our lending library, please browse these categories:

• Christian Education: General
• Christian Education: Children

From the files of Monique Hodge, Tina Kish, Sherry Hall and Bev Fritzke
Updated December 2007

Music

1. Action Bible Songs – 17 Classic Christian Songs for Kids (Cedarmount Kids)
2. 15 Christmas Favorites – sung by children (Bob Singleton)
3. Fruit of the Spirit (Vineyard Music)
4. Group’s Singable Songs for Children’s Ministries (Group)
5. Shout to the Lord Kids Volume 1 and 2 (Integrity Music)
6. America’s 25 Favorite Praise and Worship Choruses for Kids Volume 1 and 2 (Brentwood Records)
7. I Could Sing of Your Love Forever Kids
8. Catchy Choruses for Children (1 Way Street)
9. Songs Kids Love To Sing – 25 Sunday School Songs (Straightway)
10. Good Buddies – Mary Rice Hopkins
11. Psalty’s Funtastic Praise Party
12. Kids Church Praise-A-Long 2 (Joyful Heart)
13. Great Praise for God’s Kids (Word)
14. He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands – Bible Action Songs (Word)
15. Acapella Kids (Maranatha)
16. It’s a Party – VBS CD (Regular Baptist Press)
17. Awesome God (Sovereign Grace Ministries)

Magazines

• Christian Parenting
• Children’s Ministry Magazine
• LifeSavers Magazine (available through our National Ministry Center)

Videos

• Who Cares – a reproducible live action outreach video for kids (kids can make copies for their pre-Christian friends) (Gospel Publishing House)
• The Legend of the Three Trees – explains the Gospel Story (Tommy Nelson)
• The Amazing Bible Series – includes “The Amazing Book”, “The Amazing Children” and the “Amazing Miracles” (Bridgestone MultiMedia Group)

Books/Magazines

• Why Don’t We Live Together Anymore – Understanding Divorce (Comforting Little Hearts Series) There are several more titles in this series dealing with difficult issues kids face.
• The Armor of God Activity Book (Shining Star Publications)
• 801 Questions Children Ask About God
• Communion Activity Book (Crosswalk Resources in the States)
• Fruitful Lives – Kids Sermons and Object Talks – based on the Fruit of the Spirit (Group)
• Dream Themes – Dazzling Decorating Ideas For Your Children’s Ministry (Group)
• Kids in Missions – 5 Dynamic Special Event Lessons (Charisma Life) Also has Kids in Worship and other titles too
• Sunday School Smart Pages – Gospel Light
• Nursery Smart Pages – Gospel Light
• Leadership Essentials for Children’s Ministry (Craig Jutila)
• Teaching Children How to Pray (Susan Lingo, Standard Publishing)
• Children’s Worker Encyclopedia – New/Old Testament (Group)
• Big Book of Bible Skills – Gospel Light
• Bible Story Coloring Book – Gospel Light
• Heritage Builders Family Night Series (Focus on the Family)
• Most any Gospel Light VBS Crafts Book!
• What The Bible is All About For Young Explorers (Henrietta Mears–Gospel Light)
• Heritage Builders series of books (Your Heritage, Spiritual Milestones, Family Fragrance, Family Traditions, Extending Your Heritage, Family Compass) (Focus on the Family, Standard Publishing)
• Kids’ Questions about The Bible and Creation (Cheryl Fawcett and Robert C. Newman)
• Pray!Kids (Nav Press)

Gospel Presentation Tools

• The Evangecube
• God’s Plan for Your Life – life-sized cards explaining the Gospel (Acorn Publishing, Forest, Virginia)
• The Legend of the Three Trees Book

Bible Studies/Curriculum

• Real Life Bible Curriculum – a topical index of major issues teens and preteens face (Group)
• Alliance Logo Lessons (CMA National Ministry Center)
• Welcome to the Family – a lesson guide for boys and girls who know the Saviour (Regular Baptist Press)
• Kids on a Mission – children’s curriculum developed through our National Ministry Center
• Baptism: “So What is Baptism All About, Anyway??” (Karen Dillaman)
• Communion (Richard Todd)
• “God, Why Should I Be Baptized?” (Richard Todd)
• My Prayer Journal (Christian Teacher’s Association)
• Preparing for Adolescence (Dr. James Dobson)
• No Miss Lessons for Preteens (Group)
• Appleseeds (A young girl’s curriculum; David C. Cook)
• Alpha Youth (Alpha Ministries)
• Children Desiring God
• Grapple (Group Publishing; for preteens)

Websites

• puzzlemaker.com
• childrensministry.net
• childrensministry.com
• grouppublishing.com
• lifeway.com
• kidology.com
• boundless.org
• relevantmagazine.com
• webmonkey.com
• pluggedinonline.com
• promiselandonline.com
• cmmag.com (for archives of children’s ministry magazine)
• cmacan.org (Canadian ministries – church education – online copies of Life Savers Magazine)
• family.org (Focus on the Family)
• empoweringkids.net

Bibles

• Young Readers Bible
• Interactive Bible Stories for Children (Old and New Testament)

100 Plus Ministry Questions

© 2005 Karen Dillaman; edited 2006

Vision

• Do you have a vision to reach children for Christ?
• Do you have a vision to teach children to love God and their neighbour?
• Do you have a prayer support system?

Nursery

• Are the nurseries well staffed with a 1:3 ratio?
• Do you have enough rooms for the various age groupings?
• Do the workers wear smocks or aprons?
• Are the parents instructed to label all of their child’s supplies?
• Does the nursery use a sign-sheet with a place for care instructions?
• Do you disinfect the toys after each service?
• Do you provide wet wipes, diapers and gloves?
• Do you provide snacks?
• Do you have an area for nursing mothers?
• Do you have a cry room for parents unable to use the nursery for whatever reason?
• Do you have enough room to keep traffic flowing before or after services outside your nurseries?
• Do you have strong overseers supervising the nursery volunteers/staff?
• Do you have a baby curriculum that you use?
• Do you have evacuation cribs?

Safety and Security

• Do you have some type of pager system/claim stub in place?
• Are your preschool rooms well staffed with a 1:4 ratio?
• Are your elementary rooms well staffed with a 1:6 ratio?
• Do your volunteers have ID tags?
• Do you have child abuse and background checks on file for your staff and volunteers?
• Do you do personal reference checks on your volunteers?
• Do you have an accident report form?
• Do you have first aid kids available throughout the department and in each classroom?
• Do you have a written plan for emergencies?
• Do you have a fire evacuation route posted?
• Do you conduct fire drills?
• Are the teachers made aware of allergies and special needs?
• Do you have outlet covers in place?
• Do the children wear nametags with room numbers so that you always know their name and proper location?
• Do you have off-site permission slips?
• Do you have bathroom guidelines to protect children and volunteers?
• Do you have classroom rules posted?
• Do you have co-coordinators that monitor all the classrooms?
• Do you have a thought out discipline plan that is both assertive and nurturing?
• Do your teachers know the signs of child abuse?

Attendance

• Do you keep accurate attendance records?
• Do you track attendance to see growth patterns?

Budget

• Do you have a system to track your expenditures?
• Does your church give high priority in the budget for children’s ministry?

CM Paid Staff

• Do you do planning at least once a year, looking for strengths, weakness, potential problems, opportunities, work goals and faith goals?
• Do you do staff evaluations on a regular basis?
• Do you welcome feedback from parents and volunteers?

Volunteers

• Do your volunteers have a heart for children?
• Do you have a volunteer manual? (Job descriptions, expectations etc.)
• Do you have an effective recruiting process?
• Do you show appreciation for your volunteers?
• Are your volunteers trained to know all policies and procedures?
• Do you have written job descriptions?
• Do you have a schedule for teacher training events?
• Do you have a once a month orientation for new volunteers?
• Do your volunteers know how to lead a child to Christ? Do you provide them with any tools to do so?
• Do you train your workers to discipline effectively?
• Do the volunteers share the vision for children’s ministry?
• Do volunteers know how to get substitutes?
• Do you provide opportunities for youth to serve?
• Do you encourage your volunteers to keep their own relationship with God a top priority?
• Do your volunteers commit themselves to a Christian lifestyle statement?
• Do you send your volunteers a personal birthday card?
• Do you provide coffee?

Resources

• Do you provide all the basic supplies in the classrooms?
• Do you provide most everything that the teachers need in your resource centre?
• Do you have TVs, VCRs, overhead projectors, sweepers and puppet stages for teacher’s use?
• Are you resources user friendly?
• Do you provide Bibles in the classrooms that elementary children can use?
• Do you provide material for doing bulletin boards?
• Do you provide Bibles to give to children?
• Do you provide safe appropriate toys and puzzles to co-ordinate with the preschool curriculum?

Classrooms

• Do parents realize you are not a babysitting service?
• Is your curriculum user friendly?
• Do you have a scope and sequence to your curriculum that is well thought out?
• Does your curriculum include real life application?
• Do you have a memory program that enables your children to really learn scripture?
• Do you teach denominational distinctives?
• Do you teach basic doctrine?
• Do you teach missions?
• Do you offer a baptism prepatory class?
• Do you teach children how to worship?
• Is fun included in your curriculum?
• Is your curriculum culturally diverse?
• Do you have a discipleship program?
• Do you have a daily Bible reading program?
• Do you have a system for organizing your leftover curriculum?

Children

• Do you recognize visitors or follow up with them in any way?
• Do you have a reward system for children?
• Do you follow up on absent children?
• Is your programming suitable for the social and economic diversity of your congregation?
• Do you have a program for special needs children as well as a room for them?
• Will the children have great memories of being in your programs?
• Do you keep track of children who accept Christ?
• Do you have a place for parents to “hang”?

Communication

• Do you have an information centre for visitors?
• Do you have a user friendly registration form?
• Do you send out a communication piece to parents?
• Do you have an effective website?
• Do you have a way of communicating essential information to new families?
• Are you able to send an email to all your teachers?
• Does your church have a phone tree?
• Are you available during the week to answer questions?
• Are the directions to the children’s rooms clear when you walk in the church entrance?
• Do you do a parent page that lets the parent know what is happening in the various age groups?
• Do you have brochures that explain your various programs?