Articles Zone

Practical and insightful articles about Children's Ministry.

Looking for some expert advice? This Zone is a treasury of Children's Ministry expertise from the Kidologist and other veterans in children's ministry.

Some of the most popular articles are:

Getting into the Home | Mailbox Ministry | Discipline that Disciples | Entering the World of Kids | First Steps for a New Children's Pastor | The Great KID Mission |

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Plus Volunteer Evaluation Worksheet

An evaluation worksheet that can be used to help gain feedback as well as help volunteers evaluate their performance.

Volunteer Evaluation
Free Volunteer Recruitment is Best Through Relationships

Become more relational with your volunteers while recruiting.

Volunteers, Relationships
Plus Vote with Your Feet

This opening lesson activity helps to illustrate that while we have many things that make us different... there are some things we can all agree on.  

Fun Lesson Intro
Plus Ways to Get Kids 'In the Word'

Here are some methods you can use to encourage your kids to study their Bibles!

Bible Study
Plus Ways to Make Kids Feel Special

We all love kids! Here are some very practical ideas of way to SHOW it!

Shepherding Children
Plus What Happened to the Bible?

A tragedy is happening! The Bible is a rare object in most children's ministries today. What are the steps for action that we need to take?

Using Bibles in Children's Ministry
Plus What Matters Now: Relationships

Karl Bastian, the Kidologist, made this contribution to the book What Matters Now in Children's Ministry.

Relationships
Plus What's Your Excuse?

An inspiring story from Karl about at 67 year old that is not making excuses when it comes to ministry.

Excuses, Serving
Plus When Good People Disagree

Using Halloween as a case study in conflict, this article rises above that issue to provide insight into how Christians should deal with controversial topics, such as Halloween.

Conflict - Halloween
Free Who is Edward Kimball?

Edward Kimball dedicated his life to the spiritual guidance of young souls. Little did he know that one of his seemingly unpromising students would later become one of the greatest evangelists in history.

Evangelism
Plus Why Children's Ministry is the BEST

Longer Results—Children who have just made a commitment to the Lord have their entire lives before them. Adults who accept the Lord have already squandered much of their lives. Children’s ministry is the only place where you can impact one’s entire life span.

Children's Ministry
Plus Why Children's Pastors Fail

Top Ten Reasons Why Children's Pastors Become Discouraged and Fail

Leadership
Plus Why Television is Harmful to Children

An educational look at how television is affecting your kids, and then some PRACTICAL things you can do battle the T.V.'s influence!

Media
Plus Windshield Prayer Cards

Let your ministry encourage the whole church as you give the kids an opportunity to pray.

Prayer, Ministry
Free Work Expands to Fill the Time Allowed

No matter how early you start to plan, how much you delegate, or how many volunteers show up, why does it always seem that you can't get ahead on all that needs to be done? If you've ever asked this, then you're in the right place!  

Efficiency
Free You Don't Have a Recruiting Problem

I hear it often... "I'm having trouble recruiting." May I be so bold as to suggest your problem isn't recruiting. If you focus on something far more important than recruiting, you'll have all the volunteers you'll ever need. You may even have extras! Read on for the secret to building the largest team in the church!

Recruiting, Volunteers
Plus Your Salvation Story

This is a guide on how to prepare a written salvation testimony with the Kidologist's as a sample. Written for kids, but good for all ages. See the PDF for printing and the sample.

How To Write a Testimony
Plus Are You Called to Minister to Children?

You'll never gain fame or glory in children's ministry. So are YOU called?

Ministry Calling
Plus Are you discipling your OWN kids?

Discipling our children is not optional. If you have kids (or grandkids) you are discipling them. You might be discipling them for good or bad, but you are discipling them one way or another.

Family
Plus Can We Keep her?

A child's prayer for a dog teaches Dad a lesson.

Prayer
Plus Christian E-Mail Etiquette in an Age of Fear

Why do we, as Christians, seem to rush to be among the first to use the medium of e-mail to fan the flame of fear in the hearts of others?

Computers
Starter Do You Need Photo Permission Slips for Your Kids Ministry?

It is a common children's ministry myth that you need a media release for pictures to be taken of kids in your ministry. This comes up often in social media conversations, so Karl answers this question here.

Media Releases
Plus Every Child Needs a Daddy to Love Them

A Godly reminder about the reason we serve children in the Lord's name. Many kids have been through a lot and come from broken homes. What a privilege it is to be an instrument in the hand of the Lord to let every little kid we come in contact with, know that they are loved.

Mark 10:14
Plus 'Gospel' Magic?

Eric Reamer, a professional Christian magician, has studied the origins of witchcraft, Satanism, and many of the cult movements of our time from a Biblical perspective and has been in the full time ministry for over ten years. Here he answers the question, "Isn't magic condemned by the Bible?"

Gospel Magic
Plus Parent Prayer Warriors

Prayer is a critical line of defense which parents of today must not neglect, overlook or postpone. Here are some important things to consider as you prepare to do battle for your children:

Prayer
Plus Practical Ways To Encourage Children To Pray

In surveys given to Christian adults about prayer, there are two main reasons given why we don’t pray as much as we know we should. The first answer is, "Because I’m too busy." The second should shake the core of the Church: "Because I don’t know how." Many answering this survey have been raised in Christian homes.

Prayer
Starter Prayer Evangelism for the Family

Practical ways to fulfill the Great Commission at Home

Prayer
Plus Praying Scriptural Blessings Into The Lives Of Your Children

Our children are facing difficult circumstances daily. No matter what culture they are living in, there are always pressures and temptations to do the wrong things. As parents, we can teach, by our example and our words, what is right. Yet even children who know Christ face struggles that pull them away from doing "the right thing."

Prayer
Plus Preparing The Next Generation For Revival

Author Cheri Fuller has developed a wonderful three-step model for engaging children in prayer: invite, equip and release. When applied to revival praying, this model takes on powerful significance.

Kids and Prayer
Plus Raising Holy Children

When we think of those we know who live holy lives, we generally don’t think of children. Children need two important things: example and opportunity. If holy living is not demonstrated to them, we cannot expect that they will grow up with a desire to be holy.

Raising kids
Plus Teaching Children To Pray: Some Basics From The Scriptures

Children can be taught the basics of prayer from the Lord Himself, who has given us some very specific instructions. The simplest and most powerful way that children (and adults too) can grasp and understand prayer is to read and follow God’s How-To Manual of Prayer--The Bible. Study one of these prayer concepts together each week and put them into practice so that children will begin to weave prayer into the fabric of their every day lives. The Lord will be faithful as your children grow in their prayer lives.

Prayer
Plus Tenacity

Reasons not to give up when everything seems hard.

Tenacity
Plus The Cost of Freedom

They gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books never told you a lot about what happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn't fight just the British. We were British subjects at that time and we fought our own government! Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't. So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots.

USA Freedom
Plus The Transforming Power of God's Word in the Child's Life

Jeremiah 29:11: What a powerful legacy for any child--or for any Christian! Almighty God has told us that He has wonderful plans for us. Here are some practical steps toward bringing your children to fullness in Christ, through employing the powerful Word of God.

God's Word
Plus You Looking Good

One of the biggest challenges for any children's ministry leader is helping the adult congregation recognize that your ministry is a vital part of the kingdom plan for the entire church. These suggestions and hints are proven in hundreds of churches. Formulate a strategy for growth.

Promotion of CM
Plus

Here is a great lesson for children on the story of Balaam's talking donkey. Through this story, kids will learn that they need to listen for God's guidance.

Children's Lesson
Plus "I Can't Feel God Today"

What will you say when a little child says to you, “I can’t feel God today”?  

Divorce Care
Plus "Whether" getting you down?

Find out how you can calm the 'whethers' in your kids' lives, even if you can't control the 'weather'.

Divorce, Uncertainty
Free 10 Children's Ministry Secrets

Not everything in ministry is self-evident. Some things that seem true—or effective—can produce substandard results. Read these tips on how to be most effective in your ministry.

Leadership Tips
Free 10 Common Mistakes Church Staff Members Make

If you work (or have worked) on a multiple member staff at a local church, you know that it is not always easy to maintain unity and cohesion among the team. Much of the reason for that includes some of these common mistakes made by church staff members.

Leadership, Relationships, Workplace Issues
Free 10 Easy Ways to Partner with Families in Your Ministry

Ten easy steps to help you get started on your goal to partner with families in your church.

Partnering with Parents, Leadership, Equipping
Free 10 Essential Classroom Supplies

Do you have a list of classroom supplies? Here are my top ten essential classroom supplies.

Classroom Supplies
Free 10 Fundraising Ideas for Kids Church

Exciting ways to raise money for your Children's Ministry and get others involved.

Fundraise, Money
Plus 10 Interactive Storytelling Ideas for Elementary Kids

Use these awesome tips to make your teaching more interactive!

Storytelling, interaction
Starter 10 Questions to Get to Know Your Kids Better

It’s so easy to get caught up in all the details of pulling off a weekend service and totally miss out on the opportunity to get to know the children in your ministry.

Discipleship
Plus 10 Scripture Passages for Children's Ministry

Here are 10 Bible passages for every kidmin to know. They will provide a Scriptural foundation for their ministry.

Bible, Leadership, Philosophy of Ministry
Free 10 Things Children's Ministry Volunteers Expect and Deserve!

What do volunteers really need from their leaders to give them support and help them feel appreciated? Hear what these volunteers said. 

Volunteers, Appreciation
Free 10 Tips To Help You Prepare for the Fall

Fall is right around the corner, and we have to be ready! Prepare now by keeping the following tips in mind.

Preparation for Fall
Plus 10 Ways To Build a Prayer Team for Your Children's Ministry

Do you have a prayer team for your children's ministry? One of the most powerful tools believers have in ministry is prayer! Here are ten ways to build a prayer team for your children's ministry.

Children's Ministry, Prayer
Plus 10 Ways to Manage Behavior Problems in Sunday School

How to deal with behavior problems with kids in your ministry

Behavior, Correction,
PLUS Membership 2025 Recruiting Tools - Fishing KidCheck Curls 2025 Gospel Colors Kid Conversation Cards Andy and the Ants My Awesome Adventure DiscipleTown Unit 20 - Love God U-Turn Cards Kidmin Talk Podcast
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