“No somos un ministerio grande, pero sí somos un gran ministerio”

Abel Esquivel sr.

10 Tips for Better Staff Meetings

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10 Tips for Better Staff Meetings by Betty Robertson Make your meetings helpful, not a hindrance, to your staff morale with these tips.   1. Have a definite time and place for each meeting. Be sure to schedule at convenient times for those participating. 2. Give lots of advance notice. Send reminder e-mails the day … Leer más

Home Children’s Ministry Leaders Children’s Ministry How To’s Helping Kids Prepare for the Teen Yearsby Nick Diliberto One of our jobs as preteen leaders is to help equip parents and preteens for the teen years. First of all, let me clarify what I consider a preteen: a 9-12 year old or 4th-6th grader. Some consider 13-14 year old to be a preteen. However, from a developmental standpoint, 13-14 year olds are more accurately early adolescent or young teens. Enough said. As preteens hit 11 & 12 years old, they are quickly approaching the teen years. Its critical theyre prepared. If not, theyll get blindsided in junior high or middle school, where theyll face lots of external pressure and temptations. Theyll face drugs, sex, drinking, self-esteem doubts, faith re-evaluation, online bullying, social media access, and a host of others. Preteens also experience HUGE amounts of internal developmental changes in the following areas: social, physical, spiritual, & emotional. The amount of external pressure & internal change can be quite overwhelming for both parents & preteens. So what can leaders do to help prepare both preteens & parents for the teen years? Here are a two ideas: 1. Preparing for Adolescence by James Dobson Offer a Preparing for Adolescence small group and use the resources written by James Dobson as your guide. Whether you are a Dobson fan or not, the resources he provides are superb. Everything you need is available for purchase: family guide, group guide, book, and CD pack. Get them all or pick & choose what you want. It is recommended you split up boys and girls. Ive offered this class for 6th graders at the end of the school year before they enter junior high. Its always been a HUGE hit! Preteens are equipped. Parents are informed. If you only have 4th/5th graders, maybe you could offer it to exiting 5th graders. It all depends on how your preteen ministry is structured. Youll want to do a lot of communication with parents when offering the group (course covers some sensitive subjects), which brings me to the next point. 2. Offer parents support & community. Communicate with parents about the internal & external issues preteens face now and whats around the corner in the early teen years. Many are probably aware of the external issues their preteens are about to face. But some arent and many need to be given a reminder. They need to know what cyber bullying is and that their preteens will soon want to get on Facebook. Just around the corner for some and already there for others. They need to know the internal changes preteens are experiencing and what theyll experience as an early teen. Parents want to be educated. Next, provide them with community. They often struggle alone with parenting preteens. But it can be very helpful when they are given an opportunity to connect with other parents. Together, theyll be able to help preteens navigate the upcoming years ahead. Theyll also make some new friends and provide each other with a prayer network. Experiment with different ways of offering support & community: a quarterly or monthly meeting for parents, form a Facebook group with discussion & helpful posts, yearly parenting seminar, preteen retreat for families, etc. Experiment some and find out what works best in your environment. No doubt, the teen years can be tough. But with adequate preparation, both preteens and parents can be equipped for the years ahead.

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Helping Kids Prepare for the Teen Years by Nick Diliberto One of our jobs as preteen leaders is to help equip parents and preteens for the teen years. First of all, let me clarify what I consider a preteen: a 9-12 year old or 4th-6th grader. Some consider 13-14 year old to be a preteen. … Leer más

How To Help Minors Who Are Being Abused

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How To Help Minors Who Are Being Abused by Marnie C. Ferree Helping adults who were sexually abused as children is challenging enough. A more urgent (and usually greater) crisis is dealing with children who report current sexual abuse. A pastor must take the following steps: 1. Remain calm and do not overreact. Children often … Leer más

De Manos Abertas

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De Manos Abertas “Y todo lo que pidiereis al Padre en mi nombre, lo har, para que el Padre sea glorificado en el Hijo” (Juan 14:13). Una leyenda habla de un reino antiguo cuyo soberano acabara de morir. Embajadores fueron enviados para escoger, entre dos nios gemelos, un sucesor. Encontraron los dos compaeros hondamente se … Leer más

4 Areas of Childrens Ministry Excellence

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4 Areas of Childrens Ministry Excellence by Kent Shaffer   In childrens ministry, teaching good spiritual truths is the essential foundation. It is the basics. So if your childrens ministry already has the basics covered, here are four areas of childrens ministry excellence that will make you more effective and efficient. #1 – KNOW (Rules, … Leer más

4 Areas of Childrens Ministry Excellence

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4 Areas of Childrens Ministry Excellence by Kent Shaffer   In childrens ministry, teaching good spiritual truths is the essential foundation. It is the basics. So if your childrens ministry already has the basics covered, here are four areas of childrens ministry excellence that will make you more effective and efficient. #1 – KNOW (Rules, … Leer más

Using Music in Kids Ministry

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Using Music in Kids Ministry by Orange Leaders Music can engage and uplift kids and uniquely illustrate spiritual points for you.   Leaders and parents are always looking for good music with a positive message for the kids in their care. In the Right Mix Concentrate in the back of theThink Orangebook, we highlight the … Leer más

When Preschoolers Ask About Salvation

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When Preschoolers Ask About Salvation by Worship KidStyle Lay the foundation and partner with the Spirit for a child’s acceptance of Jesus as Savior.   Guiding children to take those first steps toward faith can be the most rewarding opportunity of life for parents. Parents who have growing relationships with Christ can create an environment … Leer más

The Tough Road of Children’s Ministry

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The Tough Road of Children’s Ministry by Craig Jutila Children’s ministry can travel far beyond the realm of challenging, but don’t give up.   Pull up a chair, and let’s be honest. Sometimes, ministry can travel far beyond the realm of challenging, deep into the land of downright difficult, discouraging, and overflowing with drama. Anyone … Leer más