It’s no secret that being a teen in today’s world is difficult. As more teens are seen leaving church and losing faith, churches across the country are trying to figure out how best to meet the needs of these young people. The most common response seems to be to customize programs to teenagers’ needs. Youth Bible studies, youth service projects, youth conferences, and other “youth-centered” events are created and grown to connect young people to the church.

As a pastor’s daughter who, at 21, is not too far removed from teenhood, I’d like to suggest another option: Start treating teen church members more like adults.

Children memorize many things word for word without realizing it. They know the words of hundreds of songs on the radio, many which are not worth memorizing. Children memorize jingles from commercials on television and radio, hours of exact dialogue from their favorite Disney movies, and the biographies and statistics of players from their favorite sports teams. How do they do it? Repetition! It works.

Children’s Ministry leaders across the country are experiencing the annual “August panic.”.  It goes something like this:  “Sunday School starts up again in three weeks and we don’t have enough teachers!   Eeeeks, what will we do?”    

Those who lead Sunday Schools—pastors, directors of Christian education, and lay leaders—always seem to be looking for ways to keep Sunday School visible to the congregation as a whole. They know that when the activity of Sunday School can be seen, it will be valued and supported. Here are some suggestions for lifting Sunday School up in the eyes of your congregation throughout the year.

Christian teachers know that the best way to start the school day is in the Word—uniting these classroom brothers and sisters in Christ with His love and truth. But what are the best ways to do that? What if the classroom could use a change of pace or a new idea for morning devotions? Take a look below for ways to enhance your devotion time in school.

Blooming flowers and budding trees are beautiful signs of spring! Kids will have fun making this pink popcorn that looks like blossoms on a cherry tree.

This article is adapted from the April-May 2015 issue of Happy Times .

There is a camp treat people make, and everyone wants more and more and more of it! Do you know what it is? S’mores!

Thinking back to your confirmation, were you given the choice to pick out your verse? If so, how did you do it? Was there a specific reason you selected it?

I remember at my own confirmation service, the pastor read each student’s verse out loud before they were confirmed. For many confirmands, the idea of selecting a meaningful confirmation verse can be daunting. But it doesn’t have to be. Here are a few suggestions to help you, your student, or your child to select a meaningful confirmation verse.