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Free Gospel Poster Download!

July 6, 2017 By michealwalley

Sharing the Gospel with kids is something we are very intentional about at CentriKid Camps. We’ve used this poster in Bible Study as a visual aid to help communicate the Gospel with kids clearly.

1. God Rules. The Bible tells us God created everything, including you and me, and He is in charge of everything.
Scripture – Genesis 1:1, Revelation 4:11, Colossians 1:16-17

2. We Sinned. We all choose to disobey God. The Bible calls this sin. Sin separates us from God and deserves God’s punishment of death.
Scripture – Romans 3:23, 6:23

3. God Provided. God sent Jesus, the perfect solution to our sin problem, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. It’s something we, as sinners, could never earn on our own. Jesus alone saves us.
Scripture – John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9

4. Jesus Gives. He lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. Because Jesus gave up His life for us, we can be welcomed into God’s family for eternity.
Scripture – Romans 5:8, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 3:18, Ephesians 2:8-9

5. We Respond. Believe in your heart that Jesus alone saves you through what He’s already done on the cross. Repent, turning from self and sin to Jesus. Tell God and others that your faith is in Jesus.
Scripture – John 14:6, Romans 10:9-10, 13

There can be much more to the conversation as a child asks questions about salvation, so LifeWay Kids has made available “The Gospel – God’s Plan for Me” booklets online, and we’ve got this poster you can download for free and use as a visual aid for your kids ministry classrooms or large group setting. We hope this can serve as a reference point for when you are sharing the Gospel with kids.

Click the thumbnail below to download a PDF of the poster!

How to Communicate with Kids

March 14, 2017 By vincentthomas

Working with kids can be tough, especially when it comes to communicating with them. How do they not just get some of the things we are asking? We say it as seemingly clear as day, but it seems like we are talking quantum physics with how little they are actually understanding or paying attention to what we say. Have you ever felt that way? Well, it’s because kids aren’t the same as adults. Now,that’s kind of a given isn’t? While this concept is very simple, and you probably already knew it, sometimes it is so helpful to be reminded of it t as you strive to impact the lives of kids with the gospel in the most effective way possible.

Kids aren’t adults
Kids simply aren’t at the same mental development stage as adults (Although I’m sure at least some of us have been accused of still acting like one!). They are going through much different life events. An exciting thing to a kid might be having 3 dollars to their name, but is an adult’s worst nightmare. When talking with kids, it is important to use relevant-to-them topics and examples. Along those same lines, kids tend to be more concrete learners than abstract thinkers. Kids will learn best with examples that connect clearly to what you want them to understand. That may mean talking about how the game you just played actually relates to our relationship with Jesus. We refer to that as a “debrief.” You can read more about that here in Debriefing 101. Beyond that, using physical objects will help solidify what you are saying in a kid’s mind–they simply aren’t going to understand or retain as much if you are using metaphorical illustrations. And remember to keep your vocabulary simple. They aren’t taking seminary courses; they don’t need to hear words like propitiation just yet, because you will completely lose their attention.

Kids aren’t babies
Now, thinking in a new way, elementary kids are more advanced than their younger counterparts. They can understand words and speak them back to you. You can have real conversations with them. In these conversations it is important to remember a few things. First, since they aren’t babies, you should allow kids to think for themselves. Asking open-ended questions and allowing them to answer in their own words helps kids think through what they know and believe in a much deeper way than simple yes and no responses that guide them to what you are telling them to believe. During these conversations it is also important to get on their level. Don’t tower above them and incite fear over them. Get down to a knee or squat to talk with them where they are.

Final thoughts
I’ve heard it said that when working with kids, you need to get on their train before you ask them to get on yours. For example, when you have asked everyone to come to the stage, but a young boy is continuing to build this massive lego tower instead, talk with him and find out all about what he is doing. Through doing this, he will be much more willing to come the next time you ask. Situations like this will help you build a relationship. We often say at CentriKid that life change happens best in the context of relationships. That’s why we do what we do, and I believe it should be a goal of yours as well — to develop deep relationships with the kids you are privileged enough to show God’s love. This relationship will instill trust, and you will be able to communicate with those kids even greater once that trusting relationship is there. Comment below with tips you have found work well when communicating with kids.

Innovation in Kids Ministry

January 10, 2017 By michealwalley

If you are a kids ministry leader, you want your kids ministry to be excellent, creative, and most importantly, reaching families for Christ. You also probably want to keep finding new ways to get across Biblical truths in creative and innovative ways to the kids in your ministry. Sometimes, though, it’s a struggle in itself to maintain a level of excellence with the nuts and bolts of your ministry (by studying your curriculum, planning events, and even just recruiting enough volunteers for a Sunday morning). You want to create new, and creative ministry tools and experiences for families, but how in the world are you supposed to find time and energy to dream, brainstorm, and innovate?

Here are some tips to help get you started down the path of innovation: 

  1.  Find your purpose. Everything in your kids ministry should be rooted in your purpose. Like at CentriKid, our purpose is rooted in Scripture–everything you see at camp will flow from God’s Word. Before you innovate, be sure you know what you want to accomplish. Write that purpose down somewhere that you’ll see it daily.
  2. Schedule Time to Innovate. Go ahead. Put some time on your calendar each week to simply sit, think, doodle, and brainstorm big ideas that you want to see happen in your ministry. If it’s not scheduled and routine, other things will overtake it, and you’ll never have time to dream. Simply put 30 minutes to an hour each week on your calendar, grab a cup of coffee, and get to dreaming!
  3. Don’t give up!  You can do it! The nuts and bolts of your kids ministry SHOULD definitely be taken care of and sometimes will take away from the chances you have to innovate. But don’t give up! You can definitely allow your creativity to influence your style of kids ministry leadership, and if you keep trying, God will use you and your innovation to continue to make the gospel clear to kids.

How to Share the Gospel with Kids

December 5, 2016 By michealwalley

In kids ministry, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ to kids is one of the most important things we can do as we minister to kids. Because of it’s importance, it can also be one of the most daunting things we can do. The real challenge comes in simplifying the language without simplifying the concepts. Kids are concrete thinkers, so when we share the gospel with kids, we must get on their level and explain the full truth in ways that they can understand.

At CentriKid, we have developed a plan that we call “The Gospel: God’s Plan for Me” that we believe fully explains the gospel on a level that kids can understand. (Other LifeWay Kids resources also use this method of explaining the gospel.)

THE GOSPEL: GOD’S PLAN FOR ME

1. God Rules.  The Bible tells us God created everything, including you and me, and He is in charge of everything.

Scripture – Genesis 1:1, Revelation 4:11, Colossians 1:16-17

2. We Sinned.  We all choose to disobey God.  The Bible calls this sin.  Sin separates us from God and deserves God’s punishment of death.
Scripture – Romans 3:23, 6:23

3. God Provided.  God sent Jesus, the perfect solution to our sin problem, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve.  It’s something we, as sinners, could never earn on our own.  Jesus alone saves us.
Scripture – John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9

4. Jesus Gives.  He lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again.  Because Jesus gave up His life for us, we can be welcomed into God’s family for eternity.
Scripture – Romans 5:8, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 3:18, Ephesians 2:8-9

5. We Respond.  Jesus has given us this gift, and we must accept this gift. Believe in your heart that Jesus alone saves you through what He’s already done on the cross.  Repent, turning from self and sin to Jesus.  Tell God and others that your faith is in Jesus.
Scripture – John 14:6, Romans 10:9-10, 13

You might have other ways that you prefer to share the gospel with kids, and that is great! Overall, just be sure that your method is easy to understand for a kid, explains the whole truth, and uses Scripture as the foundation.

As a kids ministry leader or a parent, point your kids to Jesus every chance you get. Trust that the Holy Spirit will give you the words to say and guide you as you share your faith with kids.

Here are some other blogs and resources that can help you easily explain the gospel to kids:

Tips for Sharing the Gospel with Kids – CentriKid

5 Articles on Kids and Salvation – CentriKid Blog

How to Teach the Gospel without Velcro – Kids Ministry 101 Blog

Always Point to Jesus – CentriKid Blog

Free Gospel Poster Download – CentriKid Blog

The Gospel: God’s Plan for Me (Booklet) 

Staying Motivated in your Ministry

November 28, 2016 By Alli Sewell

1 Corinthians 15:58 says, “Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

There are times when you may feel like you don’t know why you’re staying in the position that you are in. Staying motivated can be tough to do when you aren’t seeing immediate results. Isn’t that how most things are these days?When we put so much time and energy into something and don’t get back exactly what we want to see, it’s hard to stay motivated.
In Kid Ministry, we can feel like the walls are the only thing listening to what we have to say, or that you just don’t relate to the kids anymore. Staying motivated and committed doesn’t even have to be a deep theological outline. It can be very practical, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

We have to create an environment of success for us, as well as the kids. Take a minute to create a list of goals. What do you want your ministry to look like a year from now? Don’t create goals that you don’t expect to reach. You know your ministry best.

Have someone with the same vision as you help out in the ministry. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, “Two are better than one… a three-fold cord is not easily broken.” If you’ve got a big task and it’s only up to you, you’ll probably procrastinate and get discouraged. If you’ve got somebody else and can say, “We’re going to meet and get this thing going”, you’re more likely to get it done and feel more successful.Lastly, think about the kids. That is why we do what we do. We have to remember that God called us into this, because we have a passion to spread the love of Jesus to kids. That takes a special kind of person.. You!

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