Amber Sugg is my Kids Ministry hero.  And I can hear her right now saying, “What EVER, Katie DeCillo.” She always calls me by my full name. In fact, she recently sent me a package addressed to Katherine Rosemary DeCillo… but I digress.

Amber is the director of preschool and children’s ministry at First Baptist Church in Murray, KY.  She is wife to Micah and mom to the adorable and hilarious Madelyn and Allie.  She graciously allowed me to serve as her intern and taught me many valuable things about ministry life in the short amount of time I was under her wing. 

Here are some fun facts about Amber:

• She wore rain boots with a dress once…to service.  And taught in them…from stage.
• She LOVES Jesus, balloons and inflatables.
• She uses hashtags (a tool created for sorting and identifying things on Twitter) in normal communication–email, text messages, Facebook wall posts. For example:  ”Teaching Maddie Cunningham 90′s rap songs #jumpjump.”
• She coined the phrase “fun at church”–more often read, #funatchurch.  ”Katie DeCillo…they’re kids.  They need to have fun at church.”  And it’s true, kids do need to have fun while they learn about Jesus.
• She likes pranks.  Her most recent endeavor was the posting of this really awesome picture of pastor Sam Rainer on FBC’s heritage wall.  (See below)

But those things aren’t what make Amber my hero.  Those things are just frosting on the cupcake.

Amber invests in her relationships.  She invests in the way that Christ calls us to when he says to make disciples.  Whether you're 3 or 30, she can be a source of encouragement, spiritual wisdom, and accountability.  (Though she'll tell you she'd rather hang out with kids than adults!)  She has guided me through some difficult and hilarious conversations alike that have spurred me on to seek more and more truth in my life.  Best of all, Amber is not afraid to teach the difficult truths of Scripture, and does it in a way that is applicable and full of God's love and grace.

Today, the Gold Star goes to YOU, Amber Sugg! 

 Tell me about YOUR kids ministry hero!   

tagged as: heroes, kids ministry, ministry heroes || category: Encouragement , Fun , Leadership , Sunday School , Vacation Bible School
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Normally, childhood experiences do not include finding out that one of your parents has cancer and spending lots of time at this place: the Cancer Center... so how do you minister to the kids in your church when that is the case?

 

tagged as: illness, kidmin, ministry, parents, sickness || category: Encouragement , Preteen , Resources , Sunday School , Training , Vacation Bible School
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The statistics on divorce in our country are staggering.  Upwards of 50% of marriages will end in divorce and sadly the church is not immune to that statistic.  As the body of Christ, how do we minister to kids whose stories have always included divorce or are just recently experiencing it?   

 

The challenging part is that every kid’s story is unique.  They have grown up in different environments; they have been exposed to the Gospel in varying amounts and the reasoning behind their parents’ divorce differs from case to case.  Regardless of the differences, I think there are some basic ways that we can all minister to these kids.

My parents were divorced by the time I was seven and up until that point I had never stepped foot in a church.  It wasn’t until after my parents’ divorce that I was even exposed to Jesus and to this day, I don’t know the exact reason why they got divorced.  So, I speak out of my own personal experience in the way that my church ministered to my own heart as a young child.   

• Love on these kids unconditionally.  Hug them. Write them notes telling them how much you care about them.  Celebrate them.
• Ask them tough questions and allow them to ask you tough questions.  So often, we don’t want to overstep our boundaries but not asking the questions, and we allow the child to navigate through it by themselves. Sadly, this is worse than becoming a bit uncomfortably by asking the tough questions.  Kids need to know that they have a safe place to hash out their feelings regarding their parents’ divorce. 
• Be an active part of their life.  Divorce can leave kids with either a varying amount of parental involvement in their life or none at all, and this can be devastating.  Go to soccer games or ballet recitals or go eat lunch with them at school.  All of these things will show them that they matter to someone. 
• Remind them of the nature of God.  God is good.  God works all things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).  God will use their hardship for His glory.  It’s critical that you love the child but it is also crucial to remind them how great a love our God has for them.

Bottom line, there is no easy fix for divorce.  There is nothing that anyone can say or do that is going to make it all right.  But, we have an opportunity to love on kids that might not get the love they deserve and we have a chance to show them a little bit of who Jesus is.  These are opportunities that I know I surely do not want to miss out on.  I hope you will join me on the journey of ministering to kids of divorce.

Tori Einstein is a CentriKid staffer, Art Studio leader and Production leader who loves to invest in kids.  She uses her own experience with divorce to help kids at camp open up about what they're going through.  In the off season, Tori attends the University of Arizona.

 

tagged as: divorce, Divorce Ministry, kidmin || category: Encouragement , Preteen , Resources , Sunday School , Training , Vacation Bible School
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Every Tuesday, I get the opportunity to volunteer at an inner city ministry here in Nashville, and every week there is at least one kid there who just doesn’t want to be there. They don’t want to work on their homework; they don’t want to listen to the devotional, and they certainly don’t want to sing.

Ever been there? You have that kid that has no desire to listen to what you have to say and doesn’t think that your activities are fun. They want nothing to do with this Jesus you are talking about and have no idea why their parents force them to come to your class.

Here are some tips I’ve learned teaching at church and working with kids each Tuesday:

1. Don’t take it personally.

Kids will be kids, and some days, kids just don’t like what they have to do. They may leave and even come back next week with the same attitude, and that is ok. The Word of the Lord doesn’t return void. They may not seem to be listening or to get it, but they may.

2. Don’t get angry.

Normally, kids who say they don’t want to be in your class will warm up to you after a while if you continue to love on them and talk to them like they are an adult. Ask them lots of questions and really invest in them. Raising your voice will make them feel like you don’t really care.

3. Don’t leave boundaries undefined.

In many cases, kids will push you until they know exactly where the boundaries are. They crave them. Boundaries make kids feel safe. Set up rules at the beginning of class. Re-emphasize as you go. One of my favorites that I have learned volunteering is “raise a quiet hand to tell me …” Also, the kids know that they don’t want to be sitting along the wall because they won’t get to play capture the flag. Rewarding good behavior and participation is great.

Again, don’t be upset if you are not able to be the catalyst that makes this kid love coming to Sunday School. Sometimes, they will still not want to be involved. They may want to sit at a separate table or on the floor, and that’s ok. Try to keep their attention and make class way too much fun to want to miss! They’ll come around. It may take time, but the more they know you care the more interested they will be.

tagged as: behavior, difficult kids, encouragement, sunday school, trouble || category: Encouragement , Preteen , Resources , Sunday School , Training , Vacation Bible School
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How do you connect with the kids in your ministry who would rather doodle than listen to your stories about burning bushes, the ark, or the cross?

I was that kid. Craft time at VBS was my favorite and I LOVED when my teachers used big posters with lots of colors... and I loved it even more when I got to write or draw on the poster...and Playdoh- Playdoh is God's gift to the creative child. It's fabulous!

A large majority of creative people, kids included, learn by seeing things and by having a hand in them. They need a visual. Teach with posters, pictures, etc and use illustrations that they can visualize so that these kids can really connect and learn. If these kids are like I was when I was little, I thought in pictures, and still do to a large extent. I connect with pictures more than text.

Add activities like illustrating a story, painting the names of God, or building a Tower of Babel with paper. Tap into the competive nature of some of your kids by making this a race, a contest, or a group mural, and always display the art or let them take it home. Let creative kids know that you value their creativity...and encourage them to continue to develop it. Let them illustrate the story on a dry erase board as another kid reads the story and a few more act it out. When ministering to lots of different kids, lots of different types of activities are the secret weapon of success.

How do you minister to your creative kids? 

 

*This post is the second in a week-long series of guest blogs from CentriKid blog writer Mary Carlise.  You can read her other posts in our archives.

 

tagged as: art, crafts, creative, creativity, kidmin, ministry || category: Encouragement , Fun , Resources , Sunday School , Training , Vacation Bible School
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