• Heartprints

    Three Steps to Combating Power Struggles in Children’s Ministry

    Power Struggles are as old as The Fall. In Genesis 2, the man and his wife worked as a team, one unit working together in trusting teamwork: the ideal for every children’s ministry to aspire. Only a few verses later, everything has changed. Man and wife have sinned, and the Lord pronounces the consequences of their actions. “To the Woman He said:….You will want to control your husband, but he will dominate you.” (Genesis 3:16). Four verses later, we see the first evidence of this phenomenon: “The man named his wife Eve….” (Genesis 3:20) . Verse 20 is often glossed over. Its significance is often missed. The Man had already…

  • Heartprints

    Encourage Children To Bloom…”Blooming As An Infant”

    Several years ago, my husband and I had the opportunity to visit Singapore.  While there, we were thrilled to get to visit the National Orchid Garden.  This garden was not just any orchid garden; rather, it was filled with more orchids than any other garden in the world. Upon entering we saw a large array of orchids, large and small, growing from one single stem.  Each one was unique, a one of a kind.  There were myriads of varieties sprinkling the sidewalks, paths, and walkways with their vibrant colors and designs. If you have ever tried to grow an orchid then you probably know of their temperamental nature.  Unlike most flowers, orchids can be very…

  • Heartprints

    I’m Back Writing and Excited

    I am thankful for the invitation to continue writing for Bible.org's Children's ministry blog, Heartprints, and to encourage the rise of men and women to be passionate for the gospel in ministry to children! As you read, I hope you notice an active, planned involvement to kids personally – not just "ministry." This is not a job or a gift – it's a calling and command from God to any Christian – especially Christian men and pastors. We have grown numerically in our family, bringing on a 16 year old exchange student from Thailand for the last year and a half, and she looks to be forever apart of our…

  • Heartprints

    The Apostolic Creed: Why Should We Teach It?

                It is a disturbing trend that children in many American churches today are more likely to be called upon to recite the Pledge of Allegiance than the Apostolic Creed (or Apostles’ Creed).             I believe such a creed is very apropos to learn today, though children’s ministers and pastors may choose to make slight modifications to the creed or to further explain certain parts of the creed to improve their understanding. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:             Children learn here two truths about God the Father—He is Almighty God and the Creator of Everything. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son,…

  • Heartprints

    Stay Encouraged…The Next Generation of Christians Needs You!

    “…we face a generation of young people who no longer hold to what most evangelicals consider to be the true foundations of the Christian faith: belief in the deity of Christ, the reliability of Scripture, and the bodily resurrection of Jesus.”  Josh McDowell and David H. Bellis, The Last Christian Generation (Holiday, FL: Green Key Books), 27.  The preceding observation by Josh McDowell and David Bellis is sobering to say the least.  The reality is that we are progressively living in a world where the basic tenants of the Christian faith are no longer believed, taught, or consistently championed.  Relativism has taken root and has such a stronghold in our…

  • Heartprints

    Your Church Has Decided to Hire. Now What?

    You’ve desired that it would be in the best interests of your local flock to hire workers for your church nursery. Your church has approved the hire, and has assigned to you to prepare a list of qualifications for a paid children’s ministry worker.  What should they be? I’d like to suggest some basic qualifications. The worker should be a believer. I do believe that unbelievers can be converted to Christ by hearing the gospel while serving in children’s ministry, however, I hold that a believer instructing young children in the faith is an important part of the young child’s beginning spiritual development. If your church chooses to hire a…

  • Heartprints

    To Pay or Not to Pay, That is the Question

    Whether or not to pay nursery workers to work on Sunday mornings is a minor controversy in children’s ministry. Many children’s ministries have volunteers working on Sunday mornings (and many of them struggle with having consistent volunteers). I have worked as both a paid nursery worker and an unpaid volunteer, so I believe I have some perspective from both ends. I’ll briefly review the pros and cons to each approach. The Church Nursery is Staffed by Volunteers Pros One less expense for the church, many are struggling. Gives believers in a local congregation an opportunity to serve in ministry Parents are more likely to know the workers, especially in a…

  • Heartprints

    Dialoguing Like Jesus

    “Why is the sky blue?” I asked. “Because God made it that way” was the classic answer. But I was never satisfied with that answer. “Why did God make it that way?” I continued. “I don’t know,” replied the poor adult.  To which I replied, “Well, why not?” Some of my family members have joked that my favorite word as a child was “why.” Like many children, I asked a lot of questions, and honestly, I am sure I annoyed a few people a time or two. When I read the Gospel accounts, I marvel at the skillful way in which Jesus asked questions. He wins the award for best…

  • Heartprints

    Volunteers: The Next Generation

    A group of teenage girls from the youth group want to serve in your church nursery. “We love babies.” One of them assures you “and we babysit all the time!” You want to honor their desire to serve, but how can you best implement it wisely? You need to establish (if they are not in place already) a policy and procedure with regards to teenage volunteers. Sit down with your church’s youth pastor and ask for his or her input on which teenagers are most gifted with children. You can then establish limits on how often they volunteer (to encourage them to attend the church service and to have balanced…

  • Heartprints

    G.R.O.W.ing Volunteers

    Now you have volunteers. Great! So how do you keep and maintain them? How do you keep their passion for serving your children’s ministry burning? Make sure you are providing for the four inner needs of volunteers. Feed the volunteers’ needs. Most children’s pastors and nursery directors are incredibly attuned to the needs of their children and the needs of the children’s ministry staff; they may not always take time to consider the needs of the volunteers: Grace, Relationships, Ownership, and Worth or “GROW”. Grace: just as grace has been given to you and to the children in your ministry, grace has also been given to your volunteers.  One way…