Your children's ministry volunteers are priceless. So how do you keep them encouraged, inspired, and motivated? In her book Blueprints for Children's Ministry, Kim E. Bestian shares a helpful acronym, TIES, to help church leaders effectively lead, train, and retain their volunteers.

If you've ever been the "new kid" at a school or church, you probably remember butterflies in your stomach as you walked into the class. Being in a new situation where you don't know anyone can feel scary and unsettling. Sometimes as Sunday school teachers and leaders, we can forget what "being the new kid" feels like and have to remind ourselves to see everything through the eyes of a visitor. Here's a few easy ways to welcome your Sunday School visitors.

Recently, as I was sitting in church, I was transported to the world of VBS, complete with amazing decorations, lively music, and exciting worship that reflected God’s love for us and His incredible work in creating us, saving us, and loving us. After the worship (which was led in large part by the VBS children and teens), families were invited to stay and help with some service projects and have lunch together. It was amazing, and I was thinking about how wonderful this was for my family and for the guests and church members alike to be part of.

This morning felt like CHURCH—a community of people hearing the Gospel good news, learning how to walk with God and each other, and serving our community. As someone who has been blessed to lead VBS for the past two decades, I understood and appreciated the work and thoughtful planning that went into the whole worship experience. It made me think, what if Sunday School Kickoff was like VBS?

What comes to mind when you think of Memorial Day? A day off work? The weekend when the pool is opened? People selling poppies in front of stores? If you polled some of the children you know, what would they say? Here are a few activities you can do with children at your church to remember Memorial Day.

Sunday School teachers are very important. They help us bring our children up in Christ and put them on the right path to Jesus. Week after week, they choose to work with kids—boogers and all—so that they can share the love and forgiveness of Jesus. Many of us remember these amazing individuals in our own lives. We recall their bold faith and their unconditional love. (I even recall a few snacks as well!) Unfortunately, it can be hard to recruit and retain people for this vital position. We have come up with 3 tips for finding Sunday School teachers.

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?”    

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 .