Here’s a great resource for those of you who like promo stuff… or skateboards.

Our video editing guy, Tom Poch and another church leader, Scott Shull started a skateboard business a while back called: VOLUME SKATEBOARDS. They design some pretty interesting decks and have cool t-shirts and hoodies too! If you have kids in your church that are into skating – and you want to support a great Christian company, these guys will treat you right.

Cool Resource: They guys at volume turned my attention to a company that they get all their banners, posters, temporary tattoos and stickers from: stickersandmore.com

They do a lot of work for bands and edgy companies… Like skateboard companies. The prices are reasonable and it’s as easy as uploading your artwork during the ordering process. In two weeks or less, you have some cool promotional tools. Think about it: how many kids would wear a temporary tattoo with your logo on it this summer? What kid wouldn’t want to win a big sticker with a picture of one of your characters on it?

I recently taught at the Minnesota All Church Ministries Conference a class on the structure of a children’s church. (perhaps I will post it as a podcast). While studying, I realized that the children’s church service was a hybrid of several models. The Children’s Church is has mix of education, inspiration and entertainment elements. Here are the three models:

The Education Class Model –

• Tell them what are going to teach them – this is the icebreaker/opener that introduces kids to the lesson.
• Teach it to them – teach them using all the fun methods that you use.
• Tell them what you just taught them – review games and follow-up moments at the end of service (take-home papers or bulletins could also fit this heading).

The vaudeville Show Model –

• Excitement – something that gets the show/service off to a fun and exciting start
• Introduction – welcoming the audience and helping them to feel comfortable with being there
• Identification – showing in an exciting way why you are all together or, preview your lesson
• involvement – get the audience engaged… Invite people to participate – both corporately as well as individuals… Every kid wants to help
• Solid Content – This was the feature act – teach the “meat” of the lesson
• Confirmation – give the audience a chance to respond and let them leave feeling positive about what they just experieced – like an altar call, and a review. The kids should leave with a sense that they can put what you just taught them into practice.

The Intensity Model of a Children’s Class

• Kids are excited, rowdy and silly at the beginning of a class – match that with some controlled chaos… Fun games, exciting songs, silly or funny characters

• About half way to two-thirds thru the class time is when the kids are at their most attentive – teach the most important things during this window… The main sermon, prayer time, worship times.
• As the class comes to a close, the kids will start to get rowdy again, so end with excitement elements… Review games, songs that relate to the topic, funny characters who need help from the kids in reviewing the lesson.

I hope this helps you in some way!

So, we have 4th, 5th and 6th graders who help us in every kid’s church service. They are called: the Timothy Club. These kids run the sound, lights, computer, they shake hands at the door, act as ushers and collect the offering, pray for others at the altar, help with games, pass-out prizes and stuff at the door as kids leave and really… anything else that needs to get done during the services.

Last night we had our Timothy Club BBQ/Party. It was great! The kids showed up (over 30) we ate burgers and brats. The kids played some football and botche ball in our yard. Then we headed to the park near our home for a cut-throat game of kickball. We headed back and while the kids enjoyed some roasted marshmallows, s’mores, rootbeer floats and other goodies, I blasted a movie onto the side of our house with a video projector and we sat on blankets and watched a movie on the lawn. We had a blast from 6:30PM – around 11:00PM.

If you have kids that help you out – appreciate them and give them the time of their lives once in a while. If you don’t have a team of kids that help you out… start one.