Youth & Children’s Ministry

Youth & Children’s Ministry equips churches, parents, and ministry leaders to disciple the next generation with biblical clarity and lasting care. Explore practical resources on teaching Scripture to kids and students, creating safe and welcoming environments, partnering with families, developing volunteers, and building ministries that form lifelong faith. You’ll find guidance for age-appropriate curriculum, small groups, outreach, worship, and mentoring—along with wisdom for navigating cultural pressures and supporting students through formative seasons. Whether you lead a children’s program, youth group, or family ministry, these articles help you serve young people in Jesus’ name.

February 28, 2014

Christian Standard

Making the Most of Opportunities

By Teresa Welch   Educators call them teachable moments. They can happen more frequently than you might imagine. And they give us the greatest chance to help children see and remember Bible truths. A group of 40 elementary children had just settled into chairs when Nathan raised his hand. I should have known by the twinkle in his eye that Nathan was up to something, but I called on him anyway. “Miss Teresa,” he began, “if Adam and Eve were naked in the Garden of Eden and Heaven is supposed to be like the Garden of Eden” (you can see

February 27, 2014

Christian Standard

What I”ve Learned About Teens and the Bible

By Curtis Booher   What will it take to turn the tide of biblical illiteracy among young people? I contend it will require us to listen more than we talk. We should listen well to young people from every point of the illiteracy to literacy continuum. I have tried to listen to the students sitting in my Bible survey classes, and this is what I”ve heard:   Model a Love for Scripture It”s not that students can”t read the Bible; they can. But really, why would they want to? When was the last time they saw their parents read the

January 15, 2013

Christian Standard

Developing the Youngest Disciples

By Teresa Welch Discipleship””following after Christ””is an expectation for every believer. But sometimes we forget that discipleship can””and often should””begin during childhood. I recently enjoyed spending time with “my kids,” who were part of the children”s ministry I led prior to joining the faculty at Emmanuel Christian Seminary. As with all of my former kids, I was curious to find out about their lives, as I felt responsibility for their continued spiritual formation. During my visit with them, it became apparent what I see in their lives now is directly connected to the time I was with them and their

January 1, 2013

Christian Standard

Tried and True and New for You!

By Mark A. Taylor Take a glance at Standard Publishing Vacation Bible School materials this year, and you may think you”ve seen them before. But look a second time, and you”ll realize Standard has created something all-new for this vital summer ministry. We talked to the creative team that produced God”s Backyard Bible Camp to discover what this material is all about. Frankly, we couldn”t have been more pleased with the answers we received!   To tell you the truth, this looks an awful lot like a VBS course Standard already offered before. Is this just old stuff with a

August 28, 2012

Christian Standard

Church”s Reading Club Prepares Way for VBS

By Jennifer Johnson New Burlington Church of Christ (Cincinnati, OH) is very small””only 50 or 60 people gather for worship each Sunday. But this little church is making a big impact on its community. In June the church launched its Promise Island Reading Club for children entering kindergarten through third grade. Each Thursday morning for six weeks volunteers led activities, tutored children one-on-one, read stories, and provided snacks. The team also built a children”s library for the new program, with more than 100 books bought secondhand or donated, and gave each child a new book bag in which to carry

July 28, 2012

Christian Standard

Church “˜Blessing Teen Parents” from Area Schools

By Jennifer Taylor When Caleb Kaltenbach became the senior pastor at Valley View Christian Church (Dallas, TX), he challenged members to get more involved in local outreach. “My wife, Marla, and I led a life group and began discussing what we could do,” says John Latvatalo, an elder at Valley View. “My daughter, who is a teacher, told us about a teen mom who was struggling to stay in school. We wanted to help but didn”t know where to start.” The couple contacted the school district”s parenting program, planning simply to give money. “But the school told us these girls

May 30, 2012

Christian Standard

Woman Launches Mentoring Program for Teenage Girls

By Jennifer Taylor When Trinia Arellano was in high school, her four Sunday school teachers were a huge influence in her life. “They loved us, they were the type of women we wanted to be, and we always knew we had a safe place to go with people who would bring us back to God”s Word,” she says. “I have always wanted to be that to another young lady.” When she moved to Germantown, MD, in 2010, she began attending Journey”s Crossing: A Christian Church, and serving as a volunteer leader with youth group. “I was overwhelmed by the things

May 1, 2012

Christian Standard

Turning Around Our Middle School Ministry

By Kile Baker “What are you doing here?” One student”s question started a process that led us to evaluate all our strategies and activities with the students we were trying to reach and teach. “What are you doing here?” That question was directed at me as I sat at a table with a handful of my students in one of the local middle schools. It was lunchtime on a Tuesday, and it seemed rather odd to the students that I was there poking at the school”s version of a burrito, muttering under my breath about the “meat” being rather gym-mat-like.

April 30, 2012

Christian Standard

What I”ve Learned in 20-plus Years of Middle School Ministry

By Kurt Johnston My middle school ministry career began when I was 22 and trying to finish college. Over the years I”ve made a lot of mistakes, done a few things right, and learned a ton of lessons. In no particular order, here are some of the more significant lessons and aha moments I”ve experienced.   God Is in Control I”m sure that, like me, you believe that. I”m also sure that, like me, your actions often betray that belief. But I”ve learned that I”m not smart enough, creative enough, savvy enough, or spiritual enough to manufacture the things that

February 21, 2012

Christian Standard

‘Promise Island’ VBS Earns Top Honors

  Standard Publishing again received top honors for best Vacation Bible School in the nation for its 2012 curriculum, “Adventures on Promise Island.” Lynda Freeman, editor of the popular blog “About the Children”s Department,” chose “Adventures” as her top pick. “This VBS has solid Bible content and a strong focus on living what you learn by serving others,” she writes. “Combine this with a fun island setting and great music from Yancy [and] you have a VBS which will impact and change lives!” “Adventures on Promise Island” uses the fun of surf, sand, and island adventure to introduce God”s lifesaving

November 4, 2011

Christian Standard

Families Enjoy Outdoor Fun at “˜Journey Jubilee”

By Jennifer Taylor Instead of a traditional Vacation Bible School, this summer Journey Christian Church (Apopka, FL) created “Journey Jubilee,” a three-day event designed for families and friends. “The older people need to teach the younger ones, and parents need to teach children,” said teaching pastor Harold Armstrong to the Journey family in an announcement about the event. “And often we don”t know how to do that, so we want multiple generations to come together.” The event, held on Journey”s campus July 28-30, centered around a “Tent of Meeting” in the church courtyard where the campers gathered for worship and

August 18, 2011

Christian Standard

Interview with Keith Poletiek

By Brad Dupray As a boy, Keith Poletiek lived the life of “Johnny Lazarus,” the namesake character in a book series Keith devised to encourage young people toward evangelism. As a popular children”s conference speaker and author, Keith has also connected with children through Project316 (pronounced three-one-six) to motivate, train, and encourage young believers to take the message of John 3:16 to the world. Keith grew up at First Christian Church of Huntington Beach where he learned the beach culture of Southern California; he now uses that as a means of telling the message of Christ. In addition to his

August 17, 2011

Christian Standard

How Churches Can Help Children Pray

By Katie Barbee There are so many things we, as adults, must teach children about prayer””persistence being one of them. I believe that teaching children how to pray certainly starts at home. After praying for a baby brother or sister for nearly one and one-half years, our 5-year-old son Drew prayed aloud one night: “Dear God, thank you for my family. Thank you for my friends . . . could you please give us a baby, whenever you think it”s time? Oh, never mind””could you just give me a puppy?” My husband and I tried not to laugh until we

August 16, 2011

Christian Standard

Who”s the Hero?

By Teresa Welch During my 15-year tenure as a children”s minister, I was proud of how much Bible content the children learned. But now I wonder if that was enough. Whether it was through Sunday school, kids worship, youth groups, or summer programs like church camp and Vacation Bible School, I knew children were learning the Word of God. However, as I reflected on those years, I saw a problem. Sometimes our efforts to make sure children were learning the Word of God didn”t lead them to learn about God. Certainly we taught about the number of stones David collected

August 15, 2011

Christian Standard

The Rules Are Changing

By Mary Manz Simon Do mousers play in your church nursery? Is mompetition undermining efforts to build community through small groups? How many weblebrities are in the fourth-grade Sunday school class? Those words might be new to you, but they reflect real-world issues faced by those serving children and families. As we gear up for another year of Christian education, volunteers and professional church staff members will communicate the same biblical truths that have been shared for centuries. But in 2011, the rules of engagement have changed. These shifts are so significant that we must deep-dive to pinpoint the implications

August 11, 2011

Christian Standard

Get Ready for the Adventure!

By Mark A. Taylor Believe it or not, many church leaders have already started thinking about NEXT summer”s Vacation Bible School! That”s why Standard Publishing announced the 2012 VBS theme this July. Next year we”ll partner with you to bring “Adventures on Promise Island” to your church, and we can hardly wait. I”m excited about this course because . . . “¢ It”s biblical. Each lesson features a Bible story with powerful reminders of God”s life-saving love: I Am With You (Isaiah 41:10). Look how he protected Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3:1, 4-28). I Care About You (1 Peter

March 10, 2011

Christian Standard

Church Youth Bring the Blessings

This past Sunday churchgoers received some great food and a special blessing. After the worship service, the youth group at River Hill Church of Christ (Monongahela, PA) surprised the congregation with a pancake breakfast. “As we took our seats, the youth asked us to sit quietly and remember Jesus” example of service when he washed the disciples” feet,” the church shares. “Then they made their way around the room and washed our hands and prayed for each of us individually. . . . They had [also] written a personal letter to every person at the breakfast, thanking us for our

February 17, 2011

Christian Standard

“˜Inside Out & Upside Down” VBS Ranked No. 1

Standard Publishing”s 2011 Vacation Bible School curriculum, “Inside Out & Upside Down on Main Street,” was ranked this year’s No. 1 VBS by About the Children’s Department, a popular blog with authoritative reviews of children”s curriculum based on standardized criteria. “Standard Publishing is known for providing quality VBS resources that teach God’s Word in every station and activity; this year they have done a tremendous job!” said the blog”s editor, Lynda Freeman. Standard Publishing is the original publisher of Vacation Bible School and has served Christian churches in America for 145 years. Every summer, more than 1.3 million kids and volunteers are touched

February 6, 2011

Christian Standard

Pep Rally Jesus and Other Youthful Myths

By Jim Herbst Imagine the Sermon on the Mount this way. The people are seated on the mountain. They use a tent as a staging area. Ten apostles start playing drums. The apostle John comes out to the beat. He encourages the crowd on their feet and leads the chant, “We will, we will, rock you.” Next the apostle Peter comes out dancing. Mary and Martha run out from behind the tent and start doing backflips. Finally Jesus comes out and gives high-fives to the waiting crowd. The crowd, still chanting, goes wild. Peter starts the wave. And then Jesus

January 17, 2011

Christian Standard

Revitalizing Your Children”s Ministry

By Karen Wingate “Growing, dynamic churches are rooted in a powerful philosophy that recognizes kids matter to God,” says Rick Chromey, author of Energizing Children”s Ministry in the Smaller Church. Those are discouraging words to a church that sees the population of its children”s department slipping into oblivion. Struggling churches know that without the next generation, their congregation”s future is in jeopardy. Is it possible to revitalize a dying children”s ministry? “Yes,” says Teri Lewis, director of the Son Harbor children”s ministry program at Plymouth Avenue Christian Church, a congregation of 250 in Deland, Florida. In 2003, a “good” Sunday

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