Low or No Cost Ways to Improve Your Children’s Ministry
A Formula For Continued Effectiveness – not just a one time shot of curriculum
A Clear Simple Program that is ready to use
Practical ministry methods you can use (I do), not just a bunch of theory
How to move past the baby-sitting mentality of Preschool Ministry
Secrets to recruiting, training, and appreciating ministry volunteers
UNIT 1: LAYING THE FOUNDATION
CHAPTER 1: ALL ABOARD THE PRESCHOOL EXPRESS
Welcome * The Purpose of this Book * So You WANT to
Be A Children’s Minister? * Ready or Not, Here I Come!
CHAPTER 2: MEET YOUR CONDUCTOR
CHAPTER 3: FUEL FOR THE JOURNEY
The Power of Prayer * The Power of Authority * The
Power of Perseverance – Stay Where You Are
CHAPTER 4: THE JOURNEY BEGINS
Understanding the Preschooler * Understanding the
Preschool Parent * “Preschool Moments” – Whose Fault
Are They? * Discipline in Preschool Ministry * Second
Level Discipline
UNIT 2: MAKING YOUR MINISTRY OUTSTANDING
CHAPTER 5: KEEP THAT TRAIN MOVING
Just the Facts * Please Secure All Loose Minds * The
Secret To Constant Forward Motion * That’s a Wrap
CHAPTER 6: STAYING ON TRACK WITH “THE POWER OF ONE”
Too Many Engines * Keep It Simple
CHAPTER 7: WHICH CARS WILL YOU PULL TODAY?
The Elements of a Successful Preschool Worship Service
Music * Songs * Bible Stories * Storytelling * Puppets and
Crazy Characters * Puppet Skits * Incidentals * Praying
With Preschoolers
CHAPTER 8: RIDING THE RAIL “PASTOR BRYAN” STYLE
The Rotation Model Works * We Did It Our Way *
A Word About Our Teams
CHAPTER 9: WHAT TRAIN ARE YOU RIDING?
Brand Name or Generic * Let God Lead You * It’s Your
Turn Now * Have Name – Will Decorate * An Example of
the Process * Do It Your Way
CHAPTER 10: MAKING YOUR TRAIN LOOK GOOD
The Magic of Atmosphere * And On the Eighth Day . . . *
Some Interesting Examples
CHAPTER 11: PULLING OUT THE FANCY CARS
More Than Day To Day * Well Worth the Effort * Don’t
Overlook the Obvious * Never Underestimate the Power of
Creativity
UNIT 3: WHEN IT IS TIME TO GROW
CHAPTER 12: KEEPING YOUR TRAIN RUNNING: FINDING
THE FINANCES FOR YOUR MINISTRY
The Blessing of Budget * The Challenge of Fundraisers
CHAPTER 13: HOW TO PREVENT A TRAIN WRECK PART
ONE – KEEPING THE GOOD GUYS IN
Getting the Good Guys On Board * Recruiting 101 *
Keeping Your Volunteers Happy * Investing In Your
Volunteers Through Training
CHAPTER 14: HOW TO PREVENT A TRAIN WRECK PART
TWO – KEEPING THE BAD GUYS OUT
Know Your Volunteers * Secure Your Area *
Identification – A Must For Security
CHAPTER 15: WHEN IT’S TIME TO CHANGE TRACKS
Square Pegs in Round Holes * Proceed With Caution and
PRAYER * The Process * Some Resources * When You
Have An Itch, Scratch It
CHAPTER 16: THANKS FOR RIDING
A Tool Is Most Powerful In the Hands of A Craftsman *
Don’t Forget “The Power of One” * Welcome Aboard, My
Fellow Children’s Minister
CHAPTER 5:
KEEP THAT TRAIN MOVING
One of the biggest secrets to successful Preschool Ministry is that you have to keep the kids interested in what is happening. In order to keep them interested, you have to keep things moving. Your acceptance of and reaction to this truth will directly determine the success of your Preschool Ministry.
My Audience?
That’s right, I said audience. In today’s world of Barney, Nick Jr., and The Disney Channel, you have to be willing and able to compete for kids’ attention. What does that mean? You have to be willing and able to put on a show for kids. In other words, you have to give them what they want! What a concept! If you don’t give them what they want, they will “TURN YOU OFF” and escape to their own little world of imagination. Now don’t get me wrong, I understand that we are working with preschoolers and there will be days when some of them will “TURN YOU OFF” no matter what you do or how well you do it.
CHAPTER 7:
WHICH CARS WILL YOU PULL TODAY?
The Elements of a Successful Preschool Worship Service
Now that we understand we need to have a central theme, or The Power of One, which runs throughout our day and that we have to Keep Things Moving, let’s take a moment to focus on what makes up a successful Preschool Worship Service.
The elements that make up a successful Preschool Worship Service are much the same as the elements that make up an adult worship service or a successful elementary Children’s Worship Service.
The basic elements are:
· Songs
· Music
· Storytelling
· Bible Stories
· Prayer
· Incidentals
There are also a couple of items that are basic to a Children’s Worship Service but probably would not be welcomed in the adult arena. These items are puppets and crazy characters. In the pages that follow, I will discuss each one of these elements as it relates to the successful Preschool Worship Service.
CHAPTER 11:
PULLING OUT THE FANCY CARS
The Awesome Power of Big Events for Preschoolers
More Than Day To Day
We all know that it is the day to day things that keep us going. They are what give our life consistency, but we also know that it is the big events or the special occasions, holidays, anniversaries, weddings, and parties that make life a lot more fun. While many of us consider putting on big events for elementary age children, teenagers, young adults, middle aged adults, senior adults, and every other group of people in the church, sometimes a very special population slips through without being noticed. That group is the preschool group.
CHAPTER 13:
HOW TO PREVENT A TRAIN WRECK PART ONE –
KEEPING THE GOOD GUYS IN
Many Children’s Departments are held together by construction paper and glue stick. With this in mind, I would like to take you through a few steps that will help you strengthen your Children’s Ministry, your Children’s Department, your church, and ultimately the Kingdom of God. It is not my desire to see any Children’s Ministry fail and anything that I can offer to avert that is nothing more than “my reasonable act of worship” (Romans 12:1) to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Getting the Good Guys On Board
The truth is, a successful Preschool Ministry is not and never will be a one man show. You can think of Preschool Ministry like the faithful crew that keeps the train rolling down the track. There are several people that work on the train besides the Engineer or the Conductor. You have those who take the tickets, those who work the brakes, and those that provide maintenance to make sure everything is ready to go. You also have the hero of days gone by, the one who sits in the caboose and gives everyone a friendly wave. It is his responsibility to keep an eye on the train and make sure everything runs smoothly.
Many Hands
Just like a successful train trip, Preschool Ministry has many different positions and many different processes that demand our attention. It requires lots and lots of hands and lots and lots of volunteers.
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