Children's Ministry

By Judy N. Comstock and Adam Hamilton

The Abingdon-Church of the Resurrection Ministry Guides are the first choice for recruiting, motivating, and developing lay leadership for specialized ministries from A to Z—from adult ministries to ushering. Each inexpensive, 64-page Guide brings together Church of the Resurrection’s can-do attitude with Abingdon Press’s ministry of empowering church leaders. The result is a series that is user-friendly, encouraging, and most important, practical. The passion to help churches experience how many things they can do to encourage participation drives these Ministry Guides. Each Guide is concise, conversational, and current, full of ideas you’ll be able to implement immediately, with little or no budget. Recognizing that volunteers are busy people who work hard, the Guides will be the first place to turn when you’re new to a topic, to help you feel empowered, prepare quickly, and get up and running with confidence and creativity. You’ll find eye-catching icons and features that help you move directly to practical, fun, and effective solutions.

Judy Comstock is the Director of Children’s Ministries at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Abingdon Press
• Release date: Jul 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781426734540

Book preview

What They're Saying about This Guide

Judy Comstock provides timely information and creative approaches and cutting-edge ideas for some of the greatest leadership needs in children's ministry. This book is a refreshing and a much needed guide to the veteran as well as the novice children's leader on the essentials of establishing and developing a children's ministry with excellence.

—M. Kurt Jarvis, Disciple Making Ministries Director, INCM Board of Directors, The Christian and Missionary Alliance Metropolitan District

Judy Comstock's love for kids and those who minister to them is second to none. She's produced a 'home run' with this practical help for church leaders.

—Jim Wideman, author, leadership coach, children's ministry consultant

This ministry guide lays out many basics of children's ministry. Judy Comstock uses the experiences from her church staff, along with input from other churches, to bring us suggestions. Her emphasis on first impressions hits the mark. Comstock brings to our attention the various opportunities for ministry with children, besides the obvious one of teaching. She reminds us that everyone does not have the gift of teaching and how important it is to find the gifts that God has given volunteers and connect them with specific opportunities for ministry. Children's ministry today must work in tandem with other ministries in the church. As Comstock suggests, this is the attribute of a healthy children's ministry.

—Delia Halverson, Faith Discovery Ministries

Abingdon Press & The Church of the Resurrection Ministry Guides

Judy Comstock

Adam Hamilton, Series Editor

A B I N G D O N     P R E S S

Nashville

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Copyright © 2006 by Abingdon Press

All rights reserved.

No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission can be addressed to Abingdon Press, P.O. Box 801, 201 Eighth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37202-0801, or e-mailed to [e-mail].

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Comstock, Judy, 1950-

Children's Ministry : The Church of the Resurrection / Judy Comstock. p. cm. — (Ministry guides 1)

ISBN 0-687-33413-6 (binding: pbk., adhesive : alk. paper)

1. Church work with children—Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Title. II. Series.

BV639.C4C645 2006

259'.22—dc22

2006005002

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15—10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Foreword

1. / Making Children's Ministry the Flagship

2. / Recruiting Volunteers . . . the Right Bait

3. / Screening, Security, and Safety . . . Life Jackets

4. / Connecting with Kids . . . Reelin' Them In

5. / Programs That Move the Ministry Forward . . . . More than Floating

6. / Staying the Course

Foreword

Children are often the entry point for families in joining a church—churches that recognize this are on their way to vitality and growth. But, it's also a fact that children are one of the most demanding audiences in the church. This audience comes in all sizes, colors, shapes, and personalities. As unpredictable as they can be, these children must be kept safe, but given freedom. They have to be entertained, but taught well. Wiggling or still, crying or laughing, loud or quiet, they need to be loved in a big way.

That's where the Abingdon Press & The Church of the Resurrection Children's Ministry guide comes in. With energy and an enthusiastic can-do attitude, Judy Comstock gives practical how-to information for laypeople—and professionals— involved in this special ministry. She has developed ways to bring children in, ways to bring in their families, and ways to bring in their friends. It's good, practical advice that will help children's workers be off and running.

At The Church of the Resurrection, we live daily with the goal to help people become deeply committed Christians. More than nominally religious. More than the