Welcome to the website of Children’s Ministries International, Inc. and the home of the Children’s Ministry Seminar. The Children’s Ministry Seminar is a Biblically sound resource for children’s ministry leaders and volunteers worldwide.
EPISODE 011: TEACHING CHILDREN ABOUT THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS
In 1 Corinthians 15: 3b-8 (ESV), it says, “…Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” The bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the greatest event in history, and it is essential to the Christian faith. There is no Christianity without the Resurrection. Therefore, our faith stands or falls on whether this event actually happened. In the first four books of the New Testament, Matthew (chapter 28), Mark (chapter 16), Luke (chapter 24), and John (chapters 20-21) give us their accounts of the Resurrection and show us multiple evidences of its reality. In addition, each gospel writer contributes various details that, when combined, give us the complete picture of what happened on that first Resurrection Sunday. As you teach children about the Resurrection of Jesus, there are six essential facts you must help them to learn […]
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EPISODE 010: TEACHING CHILDREN ABOUT SIN
The Bible says in Romans 6:23 (ESV), “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Sin is an unhappy subject to teach to children, but it is necessary for us to do so because boys and girls must understand the seriousness of sin and why Jesus died on the cross to save sinners. Our worldly culture does not want anything defined as sin. Instead, the culture sees everything as a lifestyle choice or a personal preference, and they have declared war on sin and the guilt associated with it. Sadly, some people think that teaching boys and girls about sin will increase their stress, give them low self-esteem, and cause them to worry, become depressed, or have feelings of inadequacy. They will say things like, “The guilt you feel is normal,” or “It’s not your fault, stop blaming yourself.” Unfortunately, these people may not be true followers of Christ because their lack of understanding about sin does not align with God’s Word. Children cannot understand the solution to a problem, like sin, until they understand the problem. Once the problem is diagnosed, the cure can be understood. […]
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EPISODE 009: GLOBAL 4/14 DAY
I want to invite you to be a part of an upcoming event. The event is Global 4/14 Day, and it takes place on April 14 every year. Global 4/14 Day is an international day of prayer for boys and girls, sponsored by Children’s Ministries International, Inc., which is the same ministry that produces this podcast. The 4/14 in Global 4/14 Day simply identifies the month (4) and day (14) of this event. Whether you pray by yourself on April 14 or with a group from your church, pray for the children in your congregation by name and for your children’s ministry overall. I encourage you to go to www.Global414Day.com to JOIN THE MOVEMENT and print a Prayer Guide. Global414Day.com is one of our ministry’s websites and is available in multiple languages. The Prayer Guide will help you prepare your heart before the Lord and specifically suggest ways to pray for children. For example, we encourage you to pray for children geographically, beginning with the kids in your family and moving on to the children in your church. Then pray for the children in your city, community, town, or village, including the kids in the elementary schools closest to your […]
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EPISODE 008: TEACHING CHILDREN TO FEAR GOD
The most important thing we can teach children is to fear God. And when they learn this important truth, wisdom and knowledge will follow. (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10) You may be thinking, “I don’t want children to be fearful of God.” Yes, you do! Let me explain. The Bible teaches us to fear the Lord in two ways. The first is REVERENT FEAR. This type of fear means that we reverence, respect, honor, and worship God because He is Holy (Psalm 99:1-5). In other words, we are to be in awe of His greatness and glory! When children learn to reverently fear God, it impacts how they think, speak, and behave. For example, when a son or daughter dearly loves and respects their father and mother and desires to please them, they show their parents reverent fear. This child is not afraid of being punished. Instead, their fear stems from not wanting to displease, disappoint, or offend those they loves. In Psalm 111:10a (ESV) it reads, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;” The focus of this verse is on a sense of awe and respect for the holiness and majesty of God. Often, Christians get too casual with God, […]
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EPISODE 007: DISNEY WAY UNDERMINES AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE
In Evangelicalism, there is a movement in children’s ministry that promotes the wisdom and business practices of entertainment mogul Walt Disney (1901-1966). These influencers encourage children’s pastors and children’s ministry leaders to use Disney’s ideas to build the children’s ministry in their congregations. This methodology is known as the“Disney Way.” As with every innovative approach to ministry, this one must also be examined in the light of Scripture. First, the Disney Way of children’s ministry robs God of His glory. The Bible says all glory belongs to God (I Peter 4:11), and He doesn’t share His glory with anyone (Isaiah 42:8, 48:11; Psalm 115:1). If a local church successfully implements the Disney Way, and these methods effectively attract more kids to the children’s ministry, who gets the credit? Not Christ. The praise goes to Disney and his genius. The Disney Way glorifies man by putting human will, human ability, and human achievement above God. Giving a man credit for church growth steals glory from God. Some may say, “the end justifies the means,” but that is pragmatism and a classic example of how Biblical theology has taken a back seat to methodology in the church today. Second, the Disney Way of children’s […]
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EPISODE 006: TEACHING CHILDREN THE TRUTH
In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV), we read, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” The most loving thing we can do for children is to teach them the Truth (1 Corinthians 13:6). To do that, Christian parents and children’s ministry leaders must know the Truth for themselves (John 17:17), speak the Truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), and faithfully live out the Truth every day (1 John 5:1-5). In other words, our wisdom, words, and actions must be founded upon the Source of Truth – the Triune God. God the Father (Deuteronomy 32:4), God the Son (John 14:6), and God the Holy Spirit (John 16:13). are One God in Three Persons (Matthew 28:19), and God is the Source of Truth. God has revealed His Truth on the pages of the Bible (Psalm 119:142; John 17:17). It is the Word of the Living God. When the Bible speaks, God speaks. All Scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16) and His written word proceeded from His mouth. He is the Source and Author of the Bible. There is […]
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EPISODE 005: THE BIBLE IS GOD’S WORD
Sometimes in children’s ministry, we assume kids know things that they really don’t know. So when it comes to the Bible, start at the beginning and be clear. When you stand before children with an open Bible in your hands, you are holding the divinely inspired Word of God and communicating what He has said. Teaching kids God’s Word is such an awesome responsibility, and why it is crucial that you only say what the Bible says and not add anything or remove anything from the Scripture. Instead, let God speak for Himself through His written Word. In 1 Thessalonians 2:13 (ESV), the Apostle Paul says, “And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.” As we teach boys and girls the Bible at church, we want them to know they are hearing the actual Word of God, not some fictional storybook. Make a clear distinction between the Bible and all other books because the Bible is the Source we use to teach kids about God. Children must […]
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EPISODE 004: TEACHING CHILDREN ABOUT GOD
As Children’s Ministry Leaders, we have the awesome responsibility of teaching children about God, who He is, and what He has done. In I Chronicles 28:11 (ESV),we read, “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness Ind the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.” Ponder this for a moment. Our job is to teach kids about The Triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). The Triune God is the Creator. He is the Savior. He is Lord. He is King. He is Holy (God is pure and perfect, untouched by sin). He is Righteous (God always does what is right). He is Just (when legislating His righteous standards). He is Sovereign (God is subject to no one and does as He pleases). He is Eternal (God has no beginning or end). He is Immutable (God never changes His nature or purpose). He is Omniscient (God is all-knowing). He is Omnipresent (God is present everywhere). He is Omnipotent (God is all-powerful). He is Love (God is the Source of Love). He is […]
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EPISODE 003: INTRODUCTION (PART 3) FULL TIME MINISTRY
Before Jesus returned to Heaven, He gave us the Great Commission. It is found in Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV), which says, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” When I was a little boy back in the 1960s, God planted a seed in my heart for world evangelism. Long before there were compact discs and online streaming services, there were vinyl records. In addition to listening to music on a record player, I also listened repeatedly to one album titled “You Can Be a Soul Winner,” which was recorded and produced by a traveling evangelist, who was also a family friend. “You Can Be a Soul Winner” was a two-sided record. On side A, the evangelist preached a sermon on the Great Commission. While on side B, he taught a class on personal evangelism. In Proverbs 11:30 (NKJV), the Scripture says, “And he who wins souls is wise.” As a kid, I wanted to be a soul winner, too! Fast forward to 1980, and I am 22 years old […]
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EPISODE 002: INTRODUCTION (PART 2) PART-TIME MINISTRY
Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. (I Timothy 4:12, ESV) After serving as a children’s ministry volunteer in my home congregation for three years during high school, two small churches in southern California invited me to serve as their part-time Youth Director. I worked at the first church on Sundays. This congregation met in an elementary school, and each week I would pack the trunk of my car with equipment and supplies to set up at the school. And each week, I would remove the equipment and supplies from the classroom we used and loaded them back into my car to store at home. Over time my responsibilities grew to lead four children’s programs each Lord’s Day. First, I taught a Sunday School class for Junior High and Senior High students, immediately followed by Junior Church, which I led for children ages 5-12. A kind family in the church would feed me lunch and let me rest at their home in-between morning and evening youth programs. At 4:30 PM, I would lead a youth meeting for teens, and then at 6:00 PM, I […]
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