Archive for the ‘Kids’ Ministry’ Category
Posted on August 19, 2010 - by rfrank
12 people I follow on Twitter and why
Twitter is one of the greatest ways to network in children’s ministry and to learn from each other. I’ll never forget the night Jim Wideman called me and said that he was on Twitter and that I needed to get my tail in gear and sign up. It took me about 16 minutes to do what he said. Every day I spend 20 minutes keeping up with the people I follow on Twitter.
Here are twelve great people I follow on Twitter. These aren’t my favorite people – just some cool ones I picked from the group.
@jimwideman – How could I leave Brother Jim off the list? This man is a great friend and someone who has given me permission to call his cell phone any time of the day or night if I need to talk. He’s a leader of leaders and friend of friends.
@shawnthornton – Shawn is a pastor in California that is from the same state I am – the Hoosier state! Shawn serves on the BOD of Awana and is someone I learn from almost every day on Twitter.
@AllyEvans – Allison is the Next Generation Pastor at LifeChurch.tv. We met at Napkin last year and shared the stage on the same day. She’s a great communicator and leader.
@michaelchanley – Michael (or Chang as I call him and don’t ask me why because I don’t know) is “Mr. Networker”. Beth and I enjoy Michael, Rose and their kids and have spent some time hanging out. Although they lives in the same state that we do, the only time we see each other is before and after events. Good think I can connect him every day on Twitter.
@FlowerDust – Anne Jackson is the author of the book on the Mad Church Disease (great book!). She’s fun, creative, and when she tweets I pay attention.
@bennyperez – Pastor Benny is one of the coolest pastors I have ever met and knows what it means to walk with God and talk for God. He’s got a sweet Volkswagen 23 window Microbus parked in his garage that I hope he lets me drive the next time I’m over at this house. Benny is someone that I email every once in a while to tell him I am praying for him and he replies in less than an hour and tells me the same.
@evdoyle – I’ve got to mention my boy Evan. Actually, Beth and I often think of him as our boy. We’ve had the joy of watching him grow up in our church from a newborn up and now he works for us at KidzMatter (and does a knock out job).
@kennyconley – Kenny spoke for me at kids camp before he was one of the leading children’s pastors in the blog and Twitter world. I love this guy and wish that I had half the creativity he does. (He’s also the one that started the #kidmin hashtag on Twitter and should have trademarked it!)
@mattmckee – Sweet mobile apps, Orange, marketing guru, loves ministry. Matt in 8 words.
@yancynotnancy – Even though I served Yancy and her mom super-pink hamburgers from my grill last summer, she’s still nice to me. That’s a true friend! Yancy gets it when it comes to kid’s worship and I’ll follow her on Twitter or wherever she goes.
@blitzchicky – Terra has a super crazy dad (shout out to Roger) and has a big heart for kids with the Gospel. We have enjoyed working with Terra at KidzMatter for quite some time.
@CindyFiala – Cindy is a great children’s pastor and is one of our newest K! mag editors. You’ve got to start following her on Twitter if you’re not yet.
@samluce – Last, but definitely not least, is the man that I play phone tag with the most – Sam Luce. Sam is a great friend is one of the coolest children’s pastors around. He is a growing voice in children’s ministry and has a super humble heart.
That’s my twelve. Who would you add to the list?
Posted on August 9, 2010 - by rfrank
Win a FREE Registration to the LifeWay Kids Ministry Conference!
I can’t wait for October 11-13. I’m so excited to be joining my friends from LifeWay and hundreds of other ministries at the LifeWay Kids Ministry Conference on those days. Their all-new conference features over 50 workshop options, a VBS spectacular, exhibits, networking opportunities, and much more. They’ve brought in some of the nation’s tip-top guests for this conference. You’ll get to hear from Rick Burgess, Angela Thomas, Anthony Evans, Thom Rainer, Jeff Slaughter, Yancy, and tons of other great guests (including yours truly). There’s even going to be a late night event for those of you who like to take a walk on the wild side.
Like I said, I’m stoked about this one. LifeWay is even offering a chance to win an iPad to everyone who signs up between now and August 15. So bring yourself and your whole crew down to Birmingham to drink in all the LifeWay Kids Ministry Conference has to offer.
But wait! That’s not all! LifeWay has partnered with me to give you a chance to win a free registration to LKMC. That’s right, as in no charge free. Entering is easy. There are 3 ways to win:
- Commenting. That’s a pretty easy one. Just leave us a comment on this post and let us know how many children’s ministry conferences you attend in an average year. That’s your first entry.
- Tweeting. Just tweet (click the link to tweet it automagically) ”Enter to win a free registration to @LifeWayKids Ministry Conference at http://ryanfrank.com”. Then come back here and leave a second, separate comment telling us you did that. That’s your second entry.
- Facebook. Like KidzMatter or LifeWay Kids on Facebook, and we’ll give you a third entry. Again, leave a separate comment letting us know you liked us. Just that easy. That’s your third entry.
I’m excited about this contest! The contest runs through 3 PM Eastern on August 16. Get your entry in today. I’m can’t wait to see you at LifeWay Kids Ministry Conference!
Legal stuff everybody hates:
- Estimated prize value $350.00. One (1) DVD package is being given away.
- Contests ends 3:00 PM Eastern, August 16, 2010.
- Family, friends, employees, and business associates of KidzMatter and LifeWay cannot enter. Very sorry.
Posted on August 5, 2010 - by rfrank
Back to School Worship Giveaway
Can you believe it’s almost back to school time? In just a week or so it’s going to be time for kids to head back and start filling their heads with another year’s worth of learning. For us in ministry, it means time to set in stone our fall and winter programming. One of the most important parts of ministry to kids is effective, exciting worship.
That’s why I’m so excited for the next giveaway right here on my blog! We’ve partnered with our friends from God’s Kids Worship to giveaway their God’s Kids Worship Modern Worship Summer Quarter DVD Collection to one lucky winner. God’s Kids Worship DVDs are designed to fit in easily with any children’s ministry curriculum. You’ll get the 3-DVD Summer collection with great modern worship songs by Hillsong, Chris Tomlin, Israel Houghton, David Crowder and more. Each DVD has 14 music & lyrics music videos, 4 pre-arranged worship orders, 2 countdown clocks, and teaching time video wallpaper.
Entering is easy–and dare we say, maybe even a little bit fun. There are 3 ways to win:
- Commenting. Now, we don’t want just any comments. We want you to tell us about your “worship horror stories.” Tell us about that time your stage exploded in the middle of a song. Tell us about any time something went horribly wrong. Hopefully your new worship music can help you avoid those issues from now on.
- Tweeting. Just tweet (click the link to tweet it automagically) ”I’ve entered to win a quarter of free worship from @r_frank and God’s Kids Worship! Enter yourself at http://ryanfrank.com”. Then come back here and leave a second, separate comment telling us you did that.
- Facebook. Like KidzMatter on Facebook, and we’ll give you a third entry. Again, leave a separate comment letting us know you liked us. Just that easy.
I can’t wait to see what you have to say! The contest runs through 10:59 AM Eastern on August 12. So get your entries in today!
Legal stuff everybody hates:
- Estimated prize value $60.00. One (1) DVD package is being given away.
- Contests ends 10:59 AM Eastern, August 12, 2010.
- Family, friends, employees, and business associates of KidzMatter and God’s Kids Worship cannot enter. Very sorry.
Posted on July 14, 2010 - by rfrank
#6. Two hotels and a few cans of paint.
Across the street from our KidzMatter headquarters is a Hampton Inn. About 100 yards south is a Comfort Inn and Suites. I noticed something the other day. One of the hotels started painting the outside of the building. Then guess what? The other hotel started painting theirs a few days later. Good ol’ competition.
Christians are constantly told not to “compare yourselves among yourselves” but I want you rethink that. True, we don’t rate our walk with God by comparing ourselves to others, but every now and then a dose of comparison is healthy. Especially for leaders.
Great leaders learn from other leaders. They even compare themselves to each other every now and then. It makes them better. Start learning from others and once you start, never stop. Read their books and blogs, follow them on Twitter, buy them a cup of coffee, hang around them whenever you can.
Let’s recap.
1) Compare your leadership to other leaders.
2) Ask yourself, “What do I need to change?”
3) Buy some paint.
This is one of a series of blog posts titled: 101 Ways to Get Your Children’s Ministry Off the Ground (Without the Hot Air)
Posted on July 5, 2010 - by rfrank
#5. Leaders let go (just ask Andy).
This past Saturday, Beth and I took the girls to watch Toy Story 3. It was really more for Luci than anyone else. Our 8-week-old, Londyn, slept through the whole thing. Except for the fact that it cost me $28 for three tickets and I got ripped off at the concession stand it was a great night. (Because AMC doesn’t make enough money on their concessions, they only offer “free refills” on large popcorn now. Irritating.)
I was nothing short of impressed with the movie which brought a conclusion to the story of Andy and his toys. It’s my favorite Toy Story for sure. I found myself laughing a lot during the movie. However, those laughs turned into tears in the final scene. Yes, I was crying. And I wasn’t the only one. The tears came when Andy, on his way to college, finally said goodbye to his toys and gave them to a young, playful little girl. He learned to let go. Something that a lot of children’s pastors never learn.
Here’s my question for you. What do you need to let go of?
This is one of a series of blog posts titled: 101 Ways to Get Your Children’s Ministry Off the Ground (Without the Hot Air)
Posted on June 14, 2010 - by rfrank
#4. Thank you Starbucks. It’s about time.
Today Starbucks announced (via a Tweet) that free Internet is coming to all of it’s 11,000 plus coffee shops. Yep, free. Just order your coffee, open your laptop, and make a single click. No more dreaded registration pages. Hip hip hooray. What does this have to do with children’s ministry? Here are a few things:
1. Find a new way to make a splash. This is a big announcement from the coffee king of America. They unrolled it in a Tweet. No TV commercials or big posters on their walls (yet) but in a simple Tweet. Actual cost? Nothing. Come up with new and different ways to make your big announcements. The church bulletin is overrated and people are tired of looking at that same bulletin board.
2. If something needs changed, change it. Everyone has been complaining for years that you can’t get free Wi-fi with your Grande Vanilla Latte. Well, at least I have. Starbucks listened and made a change. What is it in your ministry that everyone is screaming for you to change? Step one: Start listening. Step two: Get off your duff. Step three: Change it.
3. Make life easier for the (little) people that enter your doors. My guess is that sales will go up for Starbucks. They are giving people what they need (and want). What do the kids in your church want? What do they need? Here’s how to find out in a single word: ask.
4. The Internet is here to stay. We live in an electronic world and the Internet has penetrated our society. The kids in your ministry are digital. In 20 years, will kids still carry a Bible and their Awana handbook with them to church or will it be on their iPhone or iPod? If I were a betting man, I would say it will come in a lot less than 20 years.
This is one of a series of blog posts titled: 101 Ways to Get Your Children’s Ministry Off the Ground (Without the Hot Air)
Posted on May 19, 2010 - by rfrank
#3. 64 1/2 ways to help.
Today when driving through town I saw a sign outside a copy store that said, “We Do Everything.” I thought to myself: “Everything? Wouldn’t that be nice!”
Sometimes we think we can do everything. We can prepare the lesson, recruit the volunteers, make the plans, and on and on I could go. The problem with this idea is that it leads to a big mess. You can’t do it all. Go ahead and try. You will crash and burn. What’s the solution? Get some help! The two most important words some of you need to change your ministry are these: Get help. There are some people in your church that want to help but they need you to ask.
A few weeks ago I got a newsletter in the mail from another church in our town. I enjoyed flipping through it, especially when I got to the middle. There was an article called “64 & 1/2 Ways to Help, Encourage, and/or Donate to Our Children’s Ministry.” I love it!
I know you are dying to see the list. I called the children’s ministry director at the church (shout out to Shanna Herron!) and asked her if I could reprint it. She obliged. Enjoy.
1. Donate WASHABLE Tempera Paint & Brushes
2. Donate a Wal-Mart Gift Card
3. Pray specifically for the children’s ministry on Sundays between the hours of 9:45am-11:30am
Posted on May 7, 2010 - by edoyle
What’s in the Bible WINNERS!
Yes, the time has come to announce the winners of the veritable “What’s in the Bible?” signed DVD contest. It was a great week hearing from all of you about your favorite Bible stories and various social networking pursuits you used to try and win this DVD. We’ve employed the latest in random number technology to select the winners for this contest. The winners will be contacted shortly via the email provided at signup.
And now, without further ado, the winners of the signed “What’s in the Bible?” DVDs are, in order as selected:
- Emily Carson
- Amy DeKoninck
- Faith Tyson
- David Barnes
- Jean Smiley
- Lilly Conforti
- Christy Thompson
- Evan Reid
- Stacey Kay
- Jonathan Foster
Congratulations winners! Thanks to everyone else for participating. Be on the lookout on Facebook and Twitter for more opportunities to win from KidzMatter!
Posted on April 29, 2010 - by edoyle
Win a signed copy of What’s in the Bible!
Yes my friends, it is time for a giveaway here at RyanFrank.com! My good friends at Tyndale House Publishers have sent me 10 copies of Phil Vischer’s all new What’s in the Bible DVDs. What’s in the Bible is designed to walk kids and families through the entire Bible with the help of Buck Denver and his friends. It’s one of the top Bible-based kids’ movies out right now.
But these aren’t just 10 regular old DVDs Tyndale has sent us to give away. These are DVDs signed by the big man himself, Phil Vischer. We’ve got 5 Volume 1 and 5 Volume 2 DVDs to give away. You could even frame it when you get it and make it part of your Phil Vischer shrine. You have one of those, right?
I hear ya, I hear ya. “Enough with the formalities! How do I win this thing?” Well, the answer to that my friends is very simple. Below you’ll find several ways to enter. You can enter through as many of the methods below as you would like, but you can only enter through each method once. Mmm kay? Let’s get started.
- Methods of entry:
a. The first one is easy. Just leave a comment on this post and tell me your favorite Bible story. (Be sure to put your email address in the appropriate field so I can contact you!)
b. Like What’s in the Bible on Facebook. Then come back here and leave another comment telling me you did.
c. Like KidzMatter on Facebook. Just like above, come back here and leave another comment.
d. Tweet the following: “Enter to win a signed copy of @whatsinthebible from @KidzMatter! Visit http://bit.ly/a2Md1W” Once you’ve done that, come back here and leave another comment. - Rules:
a. You must be at least 18 years old.
b. You must be a resident of the United States.
c. You must not be a family member, friend, or staff member of KidzMatter or Tyndale House.
d. You must really, really want a Phil Vischer signed copy of What’s in the Bible.
See? That wasn’t so hard after all. Now, get entering! Winners will be announced next Thursday, May 6.
P.S. Can I tell you a secret? Phil Vischer is getting interviewed in the July/August issue of K! Magazine. Subscribe yourself (and your team!) now and make sure you’ll get your hands on this valuable issue.
Posted on April 27, 2010 - by rfrank
#2. Jesus in the morning
Tonight Luci was in the bathtub and I asked her if she wanted to listen to some music. Dumb question. Of course she did. I plugged in her iPod and she listened to some kids praise songs. I forget which album it was, but that’s not important. A few minutes later I went in to check on her and the song was playing, “Jesus. Jesus. Jesus in the morning. Jesus at the noon time. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus when the sun goes down!” Do you remember singing this song when you were a kid? Man, I sure do and the motions came right back to me. It made me think about the songs I sang as a kid in children’s church. Most of them were about Jesus or about the Bible. We sang about loving God, serving God, praising God, and you get the idea.
Worship has changed the last ten years for adults (and kids). People don’t want to sing about God, they want to sing to God. My mind goes to Psalm 30:4 that I memorized in Awana. It says, “Sing unto the Lord.” Key word: unto.
Can kids sing unto the Lord? You better believe it. They want to. Don’t force them to sing only about Him.
Before I get 100 emails chewing me out for attacking the old songs, let me tell you that there isn’t a thing wrong with the classics. I want Luci to know the songs I knew when I was a kid. I like singing “The B-I-B-L-E” and some of those oldies together. Just ask yourself this question: Are you creating opportunities for kids to sing unto the Lord, or is it all about who can sing the best, the loudest, and most importantly – follow you on the motions?
This is one of a series of blog posts titled: 101 Ways to Get Your Children’s Ministry Off the Ground (Without the Hot Air)
-
About Ryan
Ryan Frank is a husband, dad, children's pastor, creator of KidzMatter, and publisher of K! Magazine.
