Art of Hearing God for KIDS!

Another great curriculum for kids!  If you're looking for a curriculum with substance, check out "The Art of Hearing God for Kids."  John Paul Jackson's Streams Ministry put lots of love into this one and despite the high dollar, it's well worth it with the quality lessons and being 18 weeks long.  I'm pleased to have a curriculum that's not based on media and allows the kids to hear God for themselves.  I'm nothing but impressed!  For more info: http://www.streamsministries.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=825

Amazing Real Heroes for Kids!

While browsing through a "Voice of the Martyrs" magazine last fall, I discovered this fabulous kids DVD curriculum that features different real life Christians who overcame extreme circumstances for Jesus!  Each DVD was so inspiring and many left ME in tears!!  I highly recommend them.  Some of our favorites were Samuel Morris and Corrie ten Boom.  I purchased mine directly from the VotM's website: http://www.persecution.com/got 12 DVDs for around $50!! Such a great value.  Also, if you have Amazon Instant Video, there are several to view on there.  I highly recommend for any children's church, home school, or even for entertainment!   

For more info:
http://www.torchlighters.org/

St Patrick's Veggie Tale

For a great St. Patrick's lesson add-on check out the short "St. Patrick's Day" on Sumo of the Opera

http://www.amazon.com/VeggieTales-Sumo-Of-The-Opera/dp/B0002PYFZE

Free VeggieTales Silly Songs!

Check out this entirely free VeggieTales Album at amazon.com! Enjoy!

Justice Month~ Is Abortion Taboo for Children?

Our church is having a "Justice Month" where we are focusing each week of August on an issue of justice and doing what we can to help and pray. For example, one week was about the sex trafficking, one was about the persecuted church, one about the poor, and finally one about Abortion.

I wanted to raise this issue of Abortion in our children's ministry class, but some are so delicate and even scary for their little hearts. I found this book about 4 years ago at the International House of Prayer out of KC, Missouri. It's such a unique yet very meticulous way to present such topics to children.

Here's a video of the book:

Justice Loves Babies Illustrated Video from Kevin Govro on Vimeo.

For more information, go to:
http://www.justicelovesbabies.com/home.html

Praying Moms

I love this video; it's from IHOP-KC in Kansas City and focuses on Moms and how even as Mothers we are significant to the "house of prayer" being built.

http://blip.tv/ihopkc/moms-at-ihop-kc-2642658

We are evaluted not by the outward appearance, but how we reach to God where we are at.

Heaven Is For Real

Just finished an amazing book by Todd Burpo, a normal dad pastoring in nearby Nebraska. His son has an emergency appendectomy and actually visits heaven.

This was so inspiring and renewed my love for children & children's ministry!! Everywhere the 4 year old little evangelist would go, he'd say, "Jesus REALLY loves the children! He really does!"

I highly recommend this to every Children's Minister! :)

Veggie Tale Premier Events

With every VeggieTale movie release we have a Premier Event! For example this Sunday we are hosting 'Twas the Night Before Easter.

The kits have ranged from $20-$25. They are great because not only do you get the DVD way before it's release to the public, but also you receive a bunch of free stuff & an activity guide! Stickers, Posters for the kids to keep w/ $3 off coupons for the movie once it's released, & coloring sheets are all included. My mother-in-law's church is smaller so they don't use all the free stuff so she'll send me the remainder and it works perfectly! I highly recommend checking it out! :)

http://store.veggietales.com/church-supplies/twas-church-kit.html.

Painting Your Own Picture

You know, raising children is serious business. Not just any manual or pattern will work. Creavity is desperately needed.

I've been thinking about creavity today. What is it about the human heart that just craves it? We long for a vision. It's like our hearts are on perpetual treasure hunt seeking purpose, direction, & something new. We were made to discover and express ourselves.

While my two little ones nap, I've been conversing with the Holy Spirit. Asking Him, what is it that you want me to do next?

I felt like He whispered: "Paint your own picture."

We don't need a stencil. Sometimes we just need to step out and paint something completely new. God give us grace to bust out of our boxes and discover news way to teach, instruct, & love our children.

Sundae Sunday

We memorized 3 very long, but AMAZING verses from our Apostolic Prayers workbook. Not only did they memorize them, but they could actually pray the verses too.

http://zacharymckinleyfamily.blogspot.com/2011/02/praying-word.html

To celebrate we had a Sundae Sunday last week!

We actually had a conversation about how God made ice cream... we finally came to the agreement that every good thing comes from Him!

I think they all approved!
Who ever said that you can't eat ice cream at church?

Kids Illustrated Sermon

Here's a great illustration on ways people try to have a "righteous" heart. I made a heart that you can flip back and forth to say: righteous or guilty. I talked to the kids about how we are all guilty of sin and need to become right with God in our hearts.

Next I showed the kids 3 things that people try to use to "clean" their hearts, but really only Jesus can do that by dying on the cross.

LarryBoy Hat

"Super-Suction-Ears... AWAY!"

We ♥ Larryboy! David, who will be 4 in May, has been asking for a Larryboy Costume... so I told him that we could try to make one! :)

He giggled the whole time... from the Dollar Tree where we bought the plungers to the extreme 1,000 ft taping process! :)

Praying the Word.

I love PRAYING HIS WORD! :)

One of my passions for Children's Ministry is to see kids dialoging with Jesus himself. I want to see kids alongside adults in the house of prayer. Just like Samuel, growing up hearing His voice and having a prayer life at a young age.

His a GREAT resource for learning Apostolic Verses. These verses are simply prayers that the Apostles in the New Testament prayed. I love this, because you are simply agreeing with God's heart when you pray what He wrote!

Here's the link to the workbook if you are interested in ordering:

http://rootedandgrounded.com/

Fabric Dancing

Approaching the Throne of God with praise and dancing!

I love worshipping Jesus with dance and I stumbled across the concept of "fabric dancing" on familyfun.com and I thought, "What a neat thing way for kids to express praise!"

http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/fabric-dancing-672492/

So I went to Walmart and bought tulle around $1.50/yd. I cut the fabric into 1 yard pieces and the kids love them!

WORSHIP MUSIC
We sing Hillsong Kids almost every Sunday in KidZone. They sell DVDs (really cheap at CBD.com. They have live worship sets with fun actions and FUN, POWERFUL songs. Our kids favs are: Jesus, You're My Superhero and Supernatural.



http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/easy_find?nav_search=1&event=ESRCN&Dn=5401&action=Search&Ntt=Hillsong+Kids&N=5401+1111682&Ne=1000000&Nu=product%2Eendeca%5Frollup&Ntk=keywords

My nephew & neice have this CD and I LOVE IT. It "decrees" scripture over you child. Kids LOVE IT. It's called "Decree for Kids."
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/patriciaking5

I LOVE these songs... they are all scripture. You can feel the Father's love as you listen! Way fun!
http://scripture-lullabies.com/

Fun sound! Lots of scripture.
http://www.seedsfamilyworship.net/listen-online/

This is extremely fun for preschoolers learning their alphabet! It has a very for every letter of the alphabet. Example: "Keep me as the Apple of your eye (Letter A) or "Jesus said, I am the BREAD of life." Letter B
http://www.songsforsaplings.com/cd_songsforsaps.php

Tongues of Fire

We made these hats a couple years ago when we were studying the early church. I LOVE THEM. Hee hee... they still make me giggle.

To create our "tongues of fire" we used a half sheet of yellow card stock and glued our verse then followed with crate paper. Lastly, we took a thin piece of elastic to tie them on. And voila! Instant tongues of fire!! Yay.

Praying for owies.

Almost every week I tell the kids that the same Holy Spirit that lives in our parents lives in us! We try to always set aside some time during our KidZone service to pray for owies. It sounds simple and it is. We ask Jesus to heal our owies believing that He will.