Don't you love Spring? It's such a beautiful time of year. Flowers blooming, birds returning, more hours of sunshine, warmer weather, and Easter, one of my favorite celebrations.  To me, it's all about redemption, new beginnings, and it happens with the freshness of spring as God recreates the world all over again.

To the outside world looking in at the church -- it might look like a chance to show off new clothes, colorful eggs, and lots of chocolate.  More than I can express, I wish everyone knew the real reason.  I loved the way a sweet lady once explained the "new clothes" situation.  She told her daughters that it was time to put away the dark clothes of mourning and put on bright new colors in celebration of  Christ's resurrection! Doesn't that just make you want to go put on some pink right now? (Even you guys could wear a pink shirt or tie!)

I remember as a little girl having Easter egg hunts in my backyard and trying my hardest to find that "prize egg."  To its discoverer, it meant a full-size candy bar! (We had four kids and not a lot of money at our house!) But I don't remember my parents talking about the Easter Bunny and I never associated those decorated eggs and baskets with Jesus' death and resurrection.

However, now churches seem to be able to find lots of ways to connect the joy of Easter with the joy of spring and even those colorful eggs.  I have to say - I sometimes wish we'd have had some of these creative minds and cool resources around when I was a kid!

I know I've asked this before, but we have several new readers, so if you don't mind my asking again...

Let's take a poll:

How many of you will be holding Easter Egg hunts at your church?

How many of you will be holding Easter Egg hunts, but not on Easter Sunday and/or at a location other than your church?

How many of you would say "Not on MY watch?"

I don't really know that there's a right or wrong answer here, but I really am interested to hear how this is handled at your church.  Let me know!

And remember...He is risen! He is risen INDEED!  

category: Events
post a comment || comments (5) || trackbacks (0)

A few weeks ago we spent the week here on the blog sharing more about The Gospel Project and specifically The Gospel Project for Kids. Today I want to share with you two more exciting things related to The Gospel Project. 

Last week our brand new website for The Gospel Project launched. Make sure you go check it out, and if you haven't already, make sure you sign up for the pilot program. Once you've signed up (and did I mention it's free), you'll have access to the first four lessons for EVERY age group. 

 

The second thing I want to make sure you don't miss is The Gospel Project Webcast on Wednesday, March 14 at 2:00 p.m. (CDT). You'll hear from Matt Chandler, J.D. Greear, Ed Stetzer, and Trevin Wax as they discuss the need for gospel-centered discipleship and missions. 

 

You'll also find some of your favorite KidMin bloggers will be blogging live during the event from Nashville! 

Have you already checked out The Gospel Project samples? Let us know what you think!

 

category: Events , Resources
post a comment || comments (1) || trackbacks (0)

This week we are at CPC San Diego talking about The Gospel Project! Yesterday was our first day getting ready for all the kidmin attendees, and we were all feeling the effects of jet lag. Here's a little glimpse into our day.

We started off like this:

 

 

Then we did a little of this: 

 

And this:

 

 

Until we got this:

 

And then we looked like this (except for Meredith, I think her years of work at CentriKid Camps is paying off):

 

And we loved every minute of it. If you're at CPC this week come stop by The Gospel Project booth to learn more about it and sign up for the pilot program!

 

 

 

 

 

category: Events , Fun , Resources
post a comment || comments (0) || trackbacks (0)

Even though the groundhog saw his shadow, Spring is coming. You could offer some Springtime fun on a Saturday or during Spring Break. Here are a couple of ideas for or preschoolers and kindergartners...and even those older kids.

 

Play Dough Party

Make play dough and then have some fun with it.

Basic Play Dough: Mix 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup salt, and 2 teaspoons cream of tartar. In another bowl, mix 1 tablespoon cooking oil with 1 cup water and a few drops of food color (optional). Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and mix well. Pour mixture in an electric skillet heated to about 250 degrees. Stir constantly unitl dough forms and pulls away from the pan (about 3 minutes). Place dough on waxed paper or washable surface and knead until smooth. (The dough will be hot initially but cool as you knead it.) Cool and store in airtight bag or container; divide into 4-6 balls for children to use. (You can cook the play dough on low heat in a non-stick pan rather than in an electric skillet.)

Give each child a ball of play dough. Provide tools for the kids to use with their play dough. You don't need purchased play dough tools (although those can be great). Craft sticks can be used to cut dough like a knife. Small plastic cups or containers can cut shapes. Smooth rocks can add a fun dimension to the exploration. Put out a variety of safe gadgets or objects that kids can use to experiment with the dough.

For kindergartners and older kids, play some play dough games.

• Tape several cups and small boxes at one end of a table, openings facing the other end. Kids can make small balls with part of their dough and try to roll the balls into the cups and boxes.
• Call out an animal or shape and set the timer for 1 minute or 5 minutes. Kids try to make what you call in the allotted time. Adjust time and complexity of shapes to fit your kids' abilitites.
• Challenge kids to make circles that measure exactly 1 inch or 3 inches or the size of a quarter.
• Encourage each child to make a ball (of any size). Call pairs of kids to come to a table and hold the dough balls at the same height; at your mark, they drop them and see which one bounces higher. Compare the relationship between size and bounce height.

You could make air-drying clay for kids to create lasting sculptures.
Air Drying Clay: Mix 1 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup cornstarch, and 2/3 cup water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir the mixture until it has the consistency of mashed potatoes. Cool the mixture and knead. Store in airtight container. This clay will harden as it dries. It can also be painted.

Planting Party

Purchase some large terra cotta planters can position them near the entrance to your kids ministry area or other appropriate location. (You may want to spread a dropcloth underneath before work begins.) Add rocks and some potting soil to the planters. Guide kids to scoop and add more potting soil. They can enjoy digging in the soil for a while. Provide wildflower seed for the kids to sprinkle into the planters and mix with the soil. Kids can pour in cups of water after seeds are planted. Offer paint and brushes or sponges for kids to decorate the planters; you could also offer markers for more controlled decorating. Encourage kids to check the planters in the weeks ahead to see if seeds sprout and grow. As an alternative, ask for a patch of dirt outside your church for kids to plant seeds. Or kids could make individual plants to take home.

 

Add your own variations to these ideas or other Spring fun ideas in the comments below.

category: Events , Fun
post a comment || comments (0) || trackbacks (0)

 

How are you celebrating Valentine's day?

My wife and I usually get-together with our friends on Valentine's day at our house. We usually have breakfast-for-supper and just enjoy time together with our friends and children.

 

That was usually.

This year is different.

This year, I got my wife a gift (that's not usual; not for Valentines). Yes, it was a usable gift that she asked for before our upcoming trip to Taiwan, but hey, it was still a gift.

This year, we aren't having friends over. We are going to meet them all at Chick-fil-a.

This year, we aren't celebrating with all of our kids. One of them is in Taiwan, waiting for us to come and get him. We are praying little Tuck is home soon.

Things around LifeWay|Kids Ministry Publishing department have been a little unusual this year to.

Today, we actually celebrated Valentine's Day with a cookie break by bringing cookies for our department and for our friends down in LifeWay Customer Service.

We've also been celebrating with a door decorating contest. I was thrilled to see the creativity of the amazing people I work with come alive on their doors. It's add a bit of excitement to our floor. For the past few days, our fans on Facebook have been "liking" their favorite doors.

I'm excited to show you the winners.

With 118 votes, Katy Bradley's door one first place:

Katy created a sweet message for her coworkers.

In second place, Kelly Mikhailiuk created a skyview of downtown Nashville complete with airplane and hot air balloons.

Tracey Rogers brought us our third place door with a beautiful reminder of how much fun it is to play games at grandmother's house on her old patchwork quilt.

 

Be sure to check out all of the fantastic doors on our facebook page.

 

Which one was your favorite?

 

 

tagged as: Leadership, publishing, Valentine's Day || category: Encouragement , Events , Fun
post a comment || comments (0) || trackbacks (0)