Kid's Ministry - Hive Resources

A family devotional for the New Year

January 15, 2015 By: demingglobal11 Comment

Looking for a new family devotional to kick off the New Year? Then check out the recently released I Can Learn the Bible: 52 Devotions and Scriptures for Kids by Holly Hawkins Shivers. Published by Tommy Nelson, this weekly devotional will help you hide God’s Word in even the smallest heart in your home.

I Can Learn the Bible

Here’s what’s inside:

— a short and relatable devotion based on 52 Scripture verses

— explanations and illustrations of each verse that children can understand

— helpful discussion questions for parents to use in prompting their children to apply the passage to their lives

There are a number of things I enjoyed about this book, like the fill-in-the-blank statements sprinkled throughout the text that help prompt discussion.

The author also offers a sample daily schedule of simple activities for parents to help their children memorize the weekly passage. A far cry from the moralistic lessons typically found in children’s religious material, I particularly appreciated how the author embedded a biblical worldview into each devotional.

Ultimately, I love the author’s encouragement to parents feeling the pressure to raise godly children. In her introduction, she writes:

“…we can educate our children with a biblical worldview, we can enroll them in church activities and teach them principles to the best of our abilities, and we can pray for them, discipline them, and love them well. But there is nothing like the Word of God being planted in their hearts, taking root, and producing genuine spiritual growth. Ultimately, the spiritual well-being of our children rests in the hands of God – He will form and strengthen them through His Word and His Spirit.”

Overall, this is a wonderful devotional for families just starting to carve out time together in God’s Word, as well as for families with children ages 5-12. My only criticism is the illustrations are not available as Scripture cards or printable 8×10’s for framing. Now THAT would be fun!

Thanks to Tommy Nelson for providing a copy for review. You can purchase I Can Learn the Bible at the link. And psst, the kindle version is only $1.99 right now!

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, click here.

About

Melissa Deming is the creator of Hive Resources — a site to help women sweeten their walk with Christ through Bible study, ministry and missions resources, and more. She is the author of "Daughters of the King: Finding Your Place in the Biblical Story." Melissa has an M.Div. in Women’s Studies from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Operation World: how to give your kids global eyes

October 13, 2014 By: demingglobal11 Comment

Looking for a way to give your kids global-gospel eyes? Then check out this massive resource – Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation.

A RESEARCH TOOL

Operation World is a reference book containing information about each of the world’s countries. Each country is profiled outlining geography, people, economy, politics, and a breakdown of religions.

A PRAYER BOOK

Far from being a dry database of facts about the world, Operation World chronicles the evangelization of the world, noting missions emphasis and victories among peoplegroups considered unreached – with little to no access to the gospel.

Nearly 2.84 billion of the world’s population are still considered unreached or among the world’s least reached.

The book opens with a great challenge for prayer in Christians to complete this task and includes specific prayer points for world missions. Each country includes answers to prayer as well as challenges to prayer including the physical needs specific that country, how to pray for the population, and missionary personnel on the ground.

Although this could be a great reference book to keep on hand for research papers or missions projects, it is best used as a prayer guide.

Here are some ideas for using this book in your home:

–Pick a country during family devotions and take turns reading about it.

–Bring a globe into your reading time for fun. Let smaller children spin the globe to pick the country you learn about or let older children find the country on a globe after it’s been selected.

–Spend a week praying for a specific country during meal time, following the prayer points outlined in the book.

–Let your children make a poster about your country with facts from the book.

–Have your child write notes to missionary personnel living and working among people they’ve read about and prayed for.

–Turn your reading into a hands-on missions project. Look for refugees from countries you’ve read about who have relocated to your area. As a family, pray about ways to minister to them. Let your kids lead the way as God calls ideas to their minds and hearts.

For more information about Operation World, check out their website. From their Facebook page, you can receive daily prayer reminders in your newsfeed about pressing concerns in specifics countries. You can also follow them on twitter.

This post contains affiliate links. For more info, click here.

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A missionary, mom shares how to raise missional kids

September 22, 2014 By: demingglobal12 Comments

A few weeks ago, I had the honor of interviewing Lori McDaniel – former missionary to Zambia and current global mission catalyst for the International Mission Board – about raising missional kids.

The article, which appeared recently in the TEXAN newspaper, was of great personal interest to me as I try to keep my own two guys on the right track. I was eager to hear Lori’s insight into how her own three children – now ages 21, 20, and 15 – felt about living on the mission field and how it impacted their walk with Christ and perspective on the world.

Photo provided by Lori McDaniel. Then 14-yr-old Caleb McDaniel shares the story of the Prodigal Son with a West African village chief. This photo originally appeared in the TEXAN online.

Her counsel didn’t disappoint. It was full of everything I needed to hear:

1) I don’t need to be professional missionary to raise missional kids.

2) Being missional starts with me.

and most importantly,

3) how I can start to raise missional kids right now.

Click here to see the full interview, and be sure to share it to encourage other missional mothers you know.

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Ministry Monday: The Big list of ministry ideas

August 17, 2014 By: demingglobal14 Comments

Last year, I started a series called Ministry Monday to share practical ways to be on mission as mothers, disciples, and women and sisters in Christ.

Most of the posts I shared came from real-life ministry and service projects in our now 3-yr-old Pittsburgh church plant as well as ministry ideas from our own home.

Because Ministry Monday continues to place among my popular posts, I thought I’d list them all here:

The 1 thing that always kills the Great Commission

3 ways to balance family & ministry

22 ideas for calling a family time-out

Why I don’t wear high heels to church

A app that shares the gospel in 40 languages

When Bible lessons fail

Easter devotional for families

How to teach your kids about new life with a new life tree

How to get to church without fighting

Teaching your kids about the resurrection

How to mold missions-minded children

Living and leading from grace

How to teach your child to be a dinner-table missionary

How to host your own home Bible study

Making Better Disciples

Grace vs. Knowledge (the motive of disciple)

Investment vs. Sacrifice (how we view discipleship)

Feeding vs. Feasting (the strategy of discipleship)

Missional Motherhood

3 ways to live on mission and still say ‘no’

How to connect the gospel with social ministries

When you’re tempted to throw in the towel on quiet times

My favorite missional motherhood tools

Simple Service

Real chicken soup for the soul

1 easy way to stir up love in your church family

The best way to encourage the mother of a challenging child

A missional meal for new moms or new move-ins

Summer Edition

When You’re struggling to each your child to serve

How to transform playdates into service opportunities

How to host the BEST grandparents camp ever

Banish summer boredom with ministry ideas for kids

7 resources for a summer of faith & fun

Passport to summer missions

Have a ministry idea you’d like to share or see featured?! Leave your ideas in the comments!

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How to give your kids a ‘Sense of the Resurrection’

March 26, 2014 By: demingglobal12 Comments

I’m continuing my series Ideas for Celebrating the Resurrection at Hive Resources with a powerful and FUN new resource for your family from Oh Amanda.

A Sense of the Resurrection

A Sense of the Resurrection: an Easter Experience for Families is an ebook that guides your family through the Resurrection story in 12 activities.

Along with a Scripture passage and talking points, each activity utilizes one of the five senses, giving kids the chance to experience the Resurrection story in a whole new way. But unlike her Advent experience book, Truth in Tinsel, the activities in A Sense of the Resurrection are more “memory-makers” or “memorials” than simple crafts.

Some of the activities include:

making bread to remind us of Christ’s sacrifice
smelling perfume to remind us to prepare our hearts for Christ
making wind chimes as a joyful sound as in the Triumphal Entry
washing one another’s feet to remind us of our Servant-King

Along with instructions and pictures of each activity, Amanda also provides a printable pennant that goes with each lesson. These can be used along with the lesson, as a follow-up teaching tool, or in place of the activities.

In my house, we already colored our pennants and hung them on our mantle. We’re ready to begin the Easter Story! My plan is to select key activities during April that match our schedule, and then use the pennant to reinforce what they are learning.

Since there is no set schedule for these activities, the pressure is off. We can enjoy the Easter season and follow the story without worrying about missing a day. Plus, the banner hangs as a little billboard to any guests that might join us during April.

coupon code

This week only, A Sense of the Resurrection: an Easter Experience for Families is on sale! Use the coupon code OHEASTER to get 20% off the ebook. But hurry! The code expires tomorrow (Mar. 28)!

This post contains affiliate links. Special thanks to Amanda White for providing me a preview copy of her book!

I’m linking up with Faith-filled Fridays!

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The God Puzzle: A family Bible study for busy moms

February 7, 2014 By: demingglobal1comment

I talked on the phone with a dear friend, recently. She was feeling frustrated because it seemed many of the new resources for teaching children about God’s Word are heavily marketed exclusively to homeschooling mothers.

With two children in public school, her afternoon and evenings hours are already filled with homework and meal prep. Coupled with ministry and church obligations, there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish everything on her list. She needed a sound and intentional resource on the Bible with no prep work.

The God Puzzle

So, when I received The God Puzzle by children’s ministry pro Valerie Ackermann I got excited. I could read the author’s heart right away – she had a passion for equipping parents to tell their own children the story of the gospel.

The God Puzzle: How the Bible fits together to reveal God as Your Greatest Treasure is a workbook about the Christian faith for kids ages 7-12.

What I liked:

It presents children with the whole story of the Bible! (You know how I love the Big Picture of God’s Word). Ackermann begins where all good Bible studies should – the beginning (creation) – and follows the redemptive thread of the biblical story of Christ through to the new creation (Revelation)!

It puts the parent in the driver seat. The God Puzzle gives parents the tools to fulfill their biblical responsibility to train up their child in God’s Word – without any prep work! The 36 lessons can be tailored to any schedule. I think my public school mom/friend would be happy to know the lessons can be done daily or weekly, in 30 minutes or 10.

It preps children for a robust faith. This workbook tackles some tough ideas like the meaning of the image of God and sin. It introduces and explains words like covenant, prophecy, and worship. All these theological terms are presented in fun and engaging ways. Plus, the child is encouraged to look up Scripture using their own Bibles (which I really appreciate).

What I didn’t like:

The author’s use of illustrations to explain the Trinity. On the chapter on the Trinity, the author uses an illustration of an egg and an apple to explain the three-in-one aspect of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

While they successfully avoid modalism found in the water/ice/vapor analogy (that God is made up of and reveals himself in different modes – Father, Son, and Spirit), I tend to think these types of illustrations are too simplistic. I agree with author Michael Reeves, who believes these types of impersonal sketches don’t do real justice to explaining the personal nature of our God, who eternally exists in community with Himself.

Who should buy this book?

Overall, there is much in this workbook to commend itself. Here’s who I think would benefit the most from it:

Busy moms. The God Puzzle would make a great tool for any mother who doesn’t have time for prep work!

Homeschool moms. Even though I specifically think my public-school mom/friend I mentioned earlier would love this resource, homeschooling parents would too! The lessons are easily configured into a 36-week Bible curriculum with daily activities and discussion questions.

The unconfident mom. For parents who feel ill-equipped to tackle big interpretative questions, The God Puzzle would be a great tool. It uses simple and fun ways to answer questions like: “What does my Work have to do with my Faith?” and “What do Old Testament stories teach about God’s Plan?” and “What are My Old Self and My New Self?”

The strategic mom. Any mom who wants to intentionally set aside time to teach her children the truth of the Bible would benefit from this book. The God Puzzle is a great tool for intentionally engaging children for an extended period of time with the seamless story of Scripture.

Want to find out more? Check out The God Puzzle online. Connect with Valerie Ackkermann on Facebook or Twitter.

As a busy mom, what is your go-to tool for teaching your children about God’s Word? Leave your resources in the comments!

Special thanks to Litfuse for providing this copy for review. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, click here.

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Bind your child’s heart to God using an illustrated Bible memory system (giveaway!)

January 30, 2014 By: demingglobal131 Comments

Hi! Welcome to Hive Resources. This post is part of a series – Tools to Keep your Family Rooted in Love. Subscribe today so you don’t miss the goodies in this series!

My mother sketched out Psalm 1 and Ephesians 6 by hand on an over-sized notepad. At dinner, we would repeat the passages using her illustrations as a guide. To this day, her drawing of a gleaming Roman helmet comes to mind when I read Paul’s admonition for believers to put on the full armor of God.

Illustrations aid in memory. My mother knew that and found a way to help her family understand and apply God’s Word using pictures.

Today, I am excited to share with you a tool by Heart Binders Innovations that will not only help your family remember what God’s Word says but what it means and how it applies to everyday life – all through illustrations. Plus, there’s an amazing giveaway at the end of this post! GIVEAWAY CLOSED. Winners announced below.

An Illustrated Bible Memory System

Vicki Palaganas is the founder and artist at Heart Binders. She creates illustrated Bible memory systems that dig deep into Scripture.

Currently, she offers complete curriculum sets for Psalm 91, a Proverbs series based on the self-confident fool, and the Christmas story from Luke 2:1-21.

Each system includes hand-drawn pictures of each verse to help children visualize the Scripture.

We tried out the Ps. 91 system and I was blown away by how well my five-year-old boys retained and understood this iconic passage.

The first day we read through some of the cards, they understood and repeated words like ‘pestilence!’ And while they sometimes ask me to help them with the first word in a verse, I am amazed how much they can remember from the pictures alone.

Here’s my son, Zach, saying Ps. 91:1-13.

When they are fearful at night from bad dreams, we now have common ground from which to discuss God’s protection. They can now picture themselves nestling under his feathers. They can visualize God standing over them like a stone fortress, and they know God is victorious over the serpent and the fowler.

That’s big truth and big comfort for little ones! That’s what God’s Word does when we internalize it. The Spirit causes it to increase our faith!

Why I love Heart Binders

Each curriculum is an entire memory system. This system is a homeschooling household’s dream! The Psalm 91 passage came with illustrations for all 16 verses, a study guide, an e-book including tests, a guided teaching CD, a workbook, flashcards, and a storybook. Because my boys aren’t reading yet, we simply used the flashcards. But for readers, there is no end to the ways this system allows you to reinforce the truth they are learning.

The system digs into Hebrew and Greek. Fellow word nerds rejoice! This was my favorite part of the Heart Binders system. Vicki provides definitions and explanations for almost every Hebrew word in Ps. 91. In fact, the workbook includes space for children to write out the Hebrew and its meaning for each verse.

It was such a joy to sit down and talk about the meaning of the names of God (Almighty and Most High) with the boys, and it was even more thrilling for them to find out what some of the military terms meant like “snare of the fowler” and “buckler.” What a big view of God they both have because of this material!

I can’t wait to start her Proverbs series next, which includes 41 different Scriptures on wise and foolish behavior, highlighting five different types of fools we are warned against. After the boys finish this system, they will have been introduced to 150 new vocabulary words!

Her most recent system, the Christmas Story, was designed for families and groups, such as Christian schools or churches. Can you imagine a Christmas play using all Scripture? What a blessing to both the students and audience!

Want to win a system? Vicki is generously providing an entire memory system of Psalm 91 to 3 lucky Hive Resources readers! That’s a $70 value! ~~Please enter to win below.~~ ~~(Open to US residents only. Contest ends Feb. 6 at midnight!)~~ GIVEAWAY CLOSED. The winners are announced below. You each have 24 hours to contact me with your address before another winner is chosen. Info {at} hiveresources {dot} com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you for entering! I love Vicki’s heart and passion for God’s Word. Would you help grow her ministry by sharing this post on Facebook or pinning it to Pinterest?

Find out more about Heart Binders by visiting them online or their Facebook page. Special thanks to Heart Binders for providing me with a copy of her material to preview. I’m linking up with Thought-Provoking Thursday and Faith-filled Friday!

“Let no mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about they neck; write them upon the table of thine heart.” Proverbs 3:3

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Root your family in love with ‘Kindness in Action’ devotions

January 28, 2014 By: demingglobal17 Comments

Hi! Welcome to Hive Resources. This post is part of a series – Tools to Keep your Family Rooted in Love. Subscribe today so you don’t miss the goodies in this series!

Need some help shaking your family out of winter’s gray grumpies?

Then check out these devotions on love by Sarah Dees of Frugal Fun 4 Boys.

Family devotions on loving God & loving people

For only 99 cents, you’ll receive a printable PDF file of family devotions and activities for the entire month of February.

On her site, Sarah says each devotion has one goal: “To allow God’s word to soak into our minds and hearts, and then for our actions to reflect the truth of His word in the way that we love Him and love others.”

The series includes:

22 devotions on love with a Bible passage & discussion questions
7 hands-on object lessons
6 “project” days with a list of suggested Acts of Kindness

How I’m using these devos

I printed out the devotionals and cut them into strips. Then I tucked each devotional into a heart-shaped envelope I made out of construction paper. You can find a tutorial here.

I labeled the outside of each envelope with the appropriate date and dressed it up with a few heart stickers. All of these supplies I already had on hand.

In the dollar section of Target, I found a cute little Valentine’s mailbox. It’s just big enough for one envelope and maybe a few yummy treats.

Our plan is to have the boys retrieve the mailbox and read them together at dinner.

I can’t wait to talk about some of themes Sarah draws out from Scripture – how we show love to God (obedience), why God loves us (because He IS love), and how our words serve as a real indicator of what’s in our hearts!

So, hurry over to snag your set before Feb. 1! I know your family will be blessed by planning intentional times to learn about God’s love for us poured out through his Son.

Need some more inspiration for how to use these devos? Check out Sarah’s blog for another cute way to display these devotionals using red duct tape!

What are you doing this month to teach your children about the love of Christ? Share your ideas in the comments!

Special thanks to Sarah for gifting me with a preview copy of her devos to review!

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Simple Service: the best way to encourage the mother of a challenging child

November 11, 2013 By: demingglobal18 Comments

Welcome to Ministry Monday. Today’s post is the second in series called Simple Service – easy ideas for taking care of your church family one act of kindness at a time. Take my Simple Service Challenge this month and post your pics to Facebook & Instagram with the #simpleservice!

Take the #SimpleService challenge - ideas for taking care of your church family {Hive Resources}

“He’s the most challenging kid in the Sunday school class,” my Mom announced “…but he’s my favorite.”

I laughed as my mother told me what her prize pupil had done in her Sunday School class that day, because as the mother of five-year-old twins I affectionately call my ‘twinadoes,’ I am all too familiar with the bad reports that come from being the mother of the most challenging kids in the class.

Every Sunday school class, Awana program, or Vacation Bible School has one – a challenging child. A child who is louder than the others. Challenged by transitions more than the others. Driven by impulse more than the others.

I know. Two of those kids are mine.

The best way to encourage the mother of a challenging child {Hive Resources}

So when my Mom shared her affections for the “challenging” kid in her class, my heart soared. Because behind many difficult children is a mother who fervently prays that others will love her kids the way she loves them.

…who will look beyond their weaknesses to affirm their strengths…

…who will diligently watch for small successes and celebrate with them publicly…

…who will actively discern an area of interest and encourage them to pursue it…

I know, that’s a lot to ask.

School rooms and church nurseries are busy places. Many Sundays I serve in the preschool class at our church plant. I consider a class session successful when I’ve managed to keep order, complete a lesson, and engage the children with God’s Word. To actively watch and discern the needs of each child in addition to our to-do list seems overwhelming.

But I know from personal experience that when a teacher or volunteer takes the time to share a kind word about my sons, they’ve done more than encourage me, they’ve handed me the world wrapped in a box.

One kind word can mean the world. It is the simplest form of service – and it doesn’t cost a thing.

Are you taking the #simpleservice challenge this month? The next time you volunteer in your church nursery or student’s program, keep a watchful eye out for genuine things to praise in the children you are serving:

How did they respond to others?

Look for communication skills including tone of voice and kind words. Were they friendly? Were they encouraging to others?

How well did they answer questions about the lesson?

Did they listen to the Bible story? Did they participate in the discussion by volunteering to speak, share stories, or ask additional questions?

How well did they engage in classroom activities?

What interested them? What skill did they exhibit? How enthusiastic were they about the activities or lesson?

Above all, try to be specific. I love it when I’m told specific things my children did that were genuinely praiseworthy. Did they share a toy? Did they welcome another student to the table? Did they assist a younger child in a craft? I also love it when I’m told specific things my child said, even if it was silly.

For a mother of a challenging child, there is no sweet word too small to savor.

Sharing a kind word to the mother of a challenging child is more than giving her a pat on the back. Kind words encourage a mother to persevere with godly training and discipline during the week. Kind words encourage a mother to return with her child to church next week if she’s a visitor. Kind words encourage a mother that God is at work in the life of her child even when she can’t see the daily movements of his Hand.

Words encourage. It’s one of the simplest ways to serve your church family.

Are you the mother of a ‘challenging’ child? How has someone in your church or community of faith served you? Please leave your thoughts and stores in the comments below!

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Ministry Monday: Showing children their role in reaching the nations (Q&A with a KOM Producer)

September 16, 2013 By: demingglobal12 Comments

Welcome to Ministry Monday at Hive Resources! This series is for everyday women who minister through the everyday mission fields of life. Posts feature resources and ideas for discipleship, outreach events, women’s ministries, Bible study, hospitality, and more. Subscribe today!

A few months ago, I highlighted Kids On Mission, a video-based children’s resource of the International Mission Board (SBC). KOM helps children fulfill the Great Commission in practical ways. I love that, but this is really what makes my heart sing: it’s written by REAL missionaries who are photographers, writers, and videographers serving all over the world.

A KOM Producer contacted me after I wrote that post, and I was thrilled when she agreed to be interviewed for my Ministry Monday series. I’m calling her Cindy (not her real name), because she also travels overseas to many dangerous places with the Gospel in heart and hand. Cindy is the Producer of KOM and the leader of the IMB’s Children’s Forward Communication Team. I asked Cindy about some specific ways mothers can instill in their children a heart for the nations. Here’s what this veteran-video-missionary-turned-Producer had to say.

How to show a child their role in reaching the nations for Jesus

HIVE RESOURCES: How do you make such a big world seem small enough for a preschooler to understand?

Cindy from Kids On Mission: God is bringing the world to us! In every missions package created for KOM, there is a serving experience designed for leaders and children to start thinking about who lives around them. It may surprise many that so many people from different cultures live in their neighborhoods, go to their schools and work in their communities. The world is getting smaller but God’s creation is still so very diverse! Every KOM package also has a cultural experience to help develop a worldview. What do other parts of the world look like? What are the people like…what do they believe, what do they eat? We also explore what are some differences and what are some similarities between these countries and the United States. Praying is also a HUGE part of KOM. We can pray for people from every culture to have an opportunity to hear about Jesus and choose to follow Him! We can be a part of what God is doing across the globe right where we are by praying for missionaries, for missionary kids and for those people who have yet to hear about Him.

HIVE RESOURCES: Where do you start when you want to teach a child about God’s heart for the nations? Do you start with God, creation, the Bible, or do you pull out a map and talk geography?

Cindy from Kids On Mission: We start every KOM missions package with a cultural experience. We want kids to understand the people God will be using them to intervene for over the next few weeks. Understanding the countries may involve a map or a photo slideshow. Understanding the culture may involve sampling food from a particular place. Understanding the needs may involve an activity that helps the child identify with the people they will be engaging that month. The biggest need that is always highlighted is the need the people have for Jesus. We start with the Gospel. Everything else flows from that.

HIVE RESOURCES: What is one thing parents can do this very night to help their child know they play a role God’s redemptive mission for the world?

Cindy from Kids On Mission: A parent with a basic knowledge of the world can take every day experiences and provide a healthy worldview for their children. The next time your child asks for a glass of water take the opportunity to share that many people around the world don’t have access to clean water. Pray for those people. The next time you sit down for a family devotion, remind kids that many around the world don’t have a Bible, may not be able to find a Bible, or may be hurt or threatened if they were caught reading God’s Word. Pray for those people. Remembering to pray for the peoples of the world and the missionaries working with them during bedtime prayers is also an excellent way to get involved. Specific prayers are even better! There are many people groups highlighted in KOM. Choose a people to lift up and watch how God works!?

HIVE RESOURCES: What is your favorite resource currently available to parents through the Kids On Mission website, and why?

Cindy from Kids On Mission: KOMPray is a great and easy resource for parents to use. It is updated weekly with prayer requests from missionary kids. Kids can pray for kids living across the globe! Prayer is a great way for children to be involved in missions now but it’s not the only way. There are also projects for families to meet real needs available through OneLife Kids.

Subscribe to Hive Resources to get all the info on the upcoming launch of my eBook, Daughters of the King: Finding Your Place in the Biblical Story.