danielle bell, Author at dandibell

In kidmin

sermon notes & school lunches

September 13, 2012 3 Comments

i believe children can participate, contribute, and learn in corporate worship. i also hate sitting behind the desk in my office all day. how do these things go together? i call it the sermon note school lunch tour.

each week children can pick up special worship bulletins just for them. the folded bulletin addresses the same topic as the pastor’s message for the day. then, inside is a half sheet (front/back) to guide the child’s participation in worship. here are some of the things it includes:

a picture of the previous week’s winner.
a worship challenge. (i.e. go introduce yourself to someone you don’t know in the greeting time, as you sing the worship song think about what that song is saying about or to God, practice the church’s monthly memory verse, etc.)
the scripture passage for the day so they can look it up and follow along.
three to four questions, activities, opportunities to draw, apply, and share what they are learning through the sermon that day. (i get the pastor’s sermon points ahead of time so i know what questions or activities to provide.)

what does this have to do with school lunch? well, i love to meet kids on their turf during the week, but i want to be careful about “picking” kids to eat with to avoid showing any favoritism. so, each week the names of children that turn in sermon notes are put in a pile and i pick one. i make arrangements for my assistant and me to meet them at school for lunch and the rest is an adventure. the lunch table is always interesting and i enjoy meeting other children and then having some focused time with one of my church kids. these brief visits begin to foster a relationship that carries back into the church walls. honestly, it is like my favorite part of the week!!!

as children become consistent with their sermon notes we give them a celebration tag and recognize them in a church publication when they reach 25, 50, 75, and 100 completed notes. truth is, it isn’t about the number of sermons they take notes in during church. my goal is to build stronger relationships with them outside the church walls and for them, after hearing God’s Word, respond to it and apply it to their daily lives.

In kidmin

a first with the 1st graders

September 9, 2012 2 Comments

in my years in ministry i have never been a part of a 1st grade Bible sunday. today was my first. 🙂 i was so excited to continue in this important tradition of giving 1st graders their very own copy of God’s Word and challenging them to seek it out for His life-changing truths! little did i know what joy it would bring me to hand out Bibles and watch those sweet little hands grip them with pride. i thought to myself, do i hold as tightly to God’s Word each day? am i as thrilled to pick up my very own BIble (of which i have many translations) as these children were to receive their first copy? their fresh eyes and eager hearts were a sweet sight to my soul today. so, i thought i would share some pictures of some of my favorite parts of the morning.

dr. fenton had the 1st graders hold their Bibles high as he shared with them that there is no other book like the one they are holding.

at our family celebration lunch, two middle schoolers (one boy and one girl) shared testimonies about how their first grade Bible helped God’s word become a part of their daily lives. they were amazing.

families spent time sharing and laughing using group publishing’s gabbit.

families prayed over and for their 1st grader!

of course we had pictures made with the pastor. look how proud this 1st grader is of his new Bible.

1st graders left with goody bags that included a gabbit, a seeds family worship cd (this includes songs made up of only scripture), and a special bookmark that has all the favorite scriptures of the ministers at dawson and their 1st grade teachers.

In kidmin

ministry flats

September 7, 2012 5 Comments

tap. tap. tap. who knows how long my tire had been making that sound. with my blaring music or loud mouth on the phone, i usually can’t hear the sounds from outside my car. thankfully, today i was sitting in silence and heard the dreadful sound coming from my front right tire. i don’t care for the quiet, but today it allowed me to hear the warning signs from my tire’s damage. i just wish i had been quiet enough to listen earlier, because i ended up with a flat tire in my hair dresser’s parking lot. (don’t worry ladies, of course the tire was put on hold for a much needed color treatment.)

all this led me to think through the effects of the drowning sounds of programs, events, and weekly stresses in ministry. are we heading into a flat or is there an area that is so slowly losing life we will be caught off guard when it can no longer move forward effectively?

there are plenty of “sounds” and busyness that can keep me from hearing the warning signs of ineffective ministry, weary volunteers, concerned parents, or hurting kids. the motions of ministry can become so second nature that stillness must be scheduled to evaluate and seek God’s direction.

i am thrilled and honestly relieved to begin the first of three carved out times of quiet reflection and vision casting with a group of kidmin parents this sunday evening. this is not another meeting, but an intentional time to slow down and seek God’s best for dawson kids. in the first month we will honestly evaluate all areas of the ministry. the second month brings a time of vision casting and formulating a ministry signature that will act as a filter and compass for the road ahead. the third and final phase will include mapping out future ministry opportunies and matching parents to champion each cause that supports our new ministry signature. (the signature comes in step two.)

my time with this group does not end after three meetings. i need these “parent champions” to hold me accountable, to partner with me in ministry, and listen closely to the warning sounds of trouble. hopefully together we can embrace some quiet moments, intentionally be still, avoid flats, and safely stay on God’s directed route.

as i sit in the tire repair shop i can’t help but think that my tire oversight is costing me only money. what a greater cost we pay in ministry if we refuse scheduled stillness and silence to listen for the warning signs.

In kidmin

KidMin is coming

September 2, 2012 No Comments

in less than a month, thousands of those serving in children’s ministry (and many of my favorite people on earth) will descend on chicago for group’s KidMin conference. i couldn’t be more excited. these four short days pack in so much encouragement, inspiration, challenges, laughs and connections for me with my children’s ministry colleges.

this year, i also have the privilege in leading a pre-con and two workshops. (see below) as i have prayed and prepared, i have been so humbled to dive into these topics with those whose hearts beat wildly for kids to know Jesus. i am certain that i will be the one to leave richer for having the opportunity to share and learn from others in the trenches in KidMin.

Branding A Christ-centered KidMin – Pre-Con
Why does your children’s ministry exist? If everyone on your team isn’t sure, it’s time for a new direction. In this session, discover your ministry’s unique strengths, weaknesses—and opportunities. Dream, plan,and develop your master blueprint for ministry. We’ll help you strategically brand and cast vision for your ministry so you can inspire, recruit, and retain passionate volunteers and parents. Great for your entire team!

Broken, Burned Out, or Bored in Kidmin – Workshop
This is time specifically carved out for you to bring your burdens to Jesus. Together we’ll reflect, release, receive, and rejoice in the midst of our personal/ministry struggles. Through interactive experiences, encouragement from others, and time with our Savior, you’ll leave recharged.

Helping Kids Build a Friendship With Jesus – Workshop
We’ll explore ways to be intentional in facilitating a child’s spiritual formation. Experience and explore REAL (Relational, Experiential, Applicable, and Learner-Based) ways to take kids beyond learning to genuine relationship with Jesus.

if you are coming to KidMIn, i would love to connect and chat with you. i also encourage you to plug into a connect group. these meet daily (friday, saturday, and sunday) from 4:45-5:45p.m. information will be posted on the connect group board. we have great groups with some amazing leaders. here are the groups you have to choose from: large church, first two years in ministry, men in CM, bivocational ministry, student of CM, special needs, small church, urban ministry, women in CM, married to a CM, early childhood, family ministry, burned out in children’s ministry, multi-site ministry, volunteers in children’s ministry, canadian children’s ministers, senior pastors, preteen ministry, rural children’s ministry, children’s ministry veteran, and thriving in transition.

september 28th can’t get here soon enough. are we there yet?

In my journey

a bend in the journey

August 28, 2012 5 Comments

it has taken three months, but in the last week i could almost literally feel myself turning the corner in my transition to alabama. there have been many sweet ah-ha moments sprinkled in between what i felt was my constant state of cluelessness, but when i walked home from church last wednesday, i experienced a bend in my journey that plastered a smile across my face. i believe i would have sat right there and celebrated had it not happened right in the middle of the road. 🙂

i would have considered myself someone that “loves change”, but when the rubber met the road this summer i saw things in me that were surprising, disappointing, and in need of being challenged. i have failed miserably at some and faced others head on, all while growing stronger and more dependent on God as my guide.

now let’s don’t get all crazy. i still use my gps to get most places and have almost caused quite a few wrecks because i am gawking at the beautiful birmingham scenery or nearly missing a turn. i still have many places, names, and sweet faces to learn. there are also many stories to hear and history in relationships to be developed. i am learning the key to transition is time and i realized i was beginning to embrace this truth when without thinking last week i referenced my little yellow house in homewood as “home.”

About Me

Danielle has over 28 years of kidmin experience, and she possesses a passionate fervor for sharing, discipling, and shepherding children and families with the message of Jesus Christ. Danielle is a well-respected leader and trainer in Children's Ministry and has spoken regionally at local churches and nationally at children's ministry conferences. She has written curriculum for The Gospel Project Kids and HyFi. She has also written the following resources: "God's Brave Girl" Leader and Student Guides (Lifeway), "The Gospel God's Plan for Me" Leader and Student Guides (Lifeway), and the Younger KidMin chapter for "Children's Ministry Volunteer Handbook" (Outreach).
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The posts on this site are my own personal opinions. These posts do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the companies I write for or my church.