In ministry, people must know that they are priceless—so much so that the Lord Himself would give Himself up for them … so that all may know Him and have relationship with Him. He paved the way for relationship with each one of us through His love.

And as His Body, His Bride, we can only function well in following His love through unity and in relationship with one another. You see, without relationships growing in Christ and with one another, ministry cannot take place. It’s when we show up and care for one another that we see a reflection of the goodness of God.

Join us for this webinar and be reminded of why relationships are more important than any programming that could take place. Plus, get practical ideas for building a relational children’s ministry.

Sometimes in conflict resolution, there is no easy solution. It’s the picking up forgiveness everyday type of work. And while we always strive for restoration and reconciliation, we can’t control how other people choose to respond.

So how do we handle conflict resolution when there really is no resolution? How do we talk to that parent who does not like our way of ministry? What about the volunteer who disagrees with our leadership? How do we move forward?

In this webinar, gain both encouragement and ideas for moving beyond. Move beyond the hurt, the anger, the disappointment, the expectations, and the conflict itself. Gain insight for how to carry yourself in hard places as you let God do the work that only He can do.

From children to parents to volunteers and leadership, everyone thinks something about what’s taking place in your ministry. It’s important to take a good look so that you can pause or make changes where necessary, run where it’s working, and celebrate the wins.

And while evaluating your children’s ministry is one of those things that can be tedious, time consuming, and certainly not very glamorous, it is key to the success of your ministry. In this webinar, we’ll talk about the who, what, when, and how of evaluating your children’s ministry.

Make it part of the process as you lead ministry to children and their families.

We want each one of our ministries to be in God—we want to lean into all He is and all He is doing. It’s our desire that within each of our ministries, kids understand they are created to be known by God, loved by Jesus, and led by the Holy Spirit. And we want to be part of building that foundation, especially in the Easter season.

Spiritual practices (or disciplines), teaching kids how they can spend time with God, is a powerful place to start. How can we participate and teach contemplative practices that are right for our kids? How can we creatively teach them to talk with and listen to God?

Experience some of these practices firsthand and walk away with practical activities and approaches to engage kids (and volunteers and families) in their faith formation, while posturing your heart for the Easter season.

We know as children’s ministry leaders that we need a strong curriculum in our ministries. It helps as we work to keep our ministries running smoothly from week to week. It’s an even bigger plus when it’s easy-to-use and fun. But we also need it to be Bible-centered, age-appropriate, engaging, and easy for our volunteers.

Curriculum is one of the core structures of ministry philosophy. As we look at curriculum, it’s important that we pause and ask ourselves the bigger questions. Questions like: If a child started in your ministry as a toddler and stayed through 6^th grade, what would they walk away with? Would they be confused or confident in who God is?

Join this Ministry Spark webinar and ministry leader Lynne Howard as we discuss how to choose a children’s ministry curriculum and why it matters so much. Take away practical steps for selecting a curriculum that will work for your ministry.

You see, in a healthy and safe faith community, we work together, we lift one another up when weak, we celebrate the wins and mourn the losses. In community, we check on one another and give space for vulnerability and rest. Together, we walk through the hard and embrace the good. In community, we know and are known, we see and are seen, and we hear and are heard. 

Without community in the local church, we cannot be the Church, and we run ourselves weary to the point of burnout. Join the Ministry Spark team and ministry leader Joel Smith and be encouraged in caring for your soul through community. 

And although this is true for every child and family, it is especially true for children with special needs. What better place for there to be community and connection than the Church that Jesus came for? What better place to belong?

Join the Ministry Spark team and Stephen “Doc” Hunsley, M.D. and be encouraged where you are. Find practical steps for beginning, inspiration for continuing, and ideas for keeping every child connected and growing in faith.

Keeping the Gospel central keeps our hope alive. It ignites our faith in Christ and reassures us of His goodness. It is why we are in ministry to begin with. His Story pursues our own.

As you cast vision, prepare lessons, and inspire your team, staying rooted is key. Join this webinar conversation and be encouraged as you lead.

And one of your biggest responsibilities as a leader is developing your volunteers into a healthy, functioning body. In this webinar, be encouraged with ideas to help you succeed in your ministry to volunteers.

Dig in with us and empower your volunteers to do (and love) the work God has given each of them.

In ministry, it’s easy to get distracted by church politics, programming, or maybe even ladder climbing. But it is especially important in children’s ministry that we do not get distracted by these things. The spiritual formation of our children matters too much. Their souls matter too much. Their futures matter too much.

So how can we come alongside children and their families to share with them a faith that lasts? How can we help them know who Jesus is so that they want to say yes to Him? And how are we modeling a life surrendered to Christ?

Join Ministry Spark and special guest Natalie Runion for this important, timely conversation.

Let’s pause and discover the joy of being with God, not just working for Him. Learn about the art of resting in God’s presence. Prayer can become not only a place of seeking, but becoming.

And as we celebrate the sacrifice and triumph of our risen Savior, it’s good to remember He’s exactly who we need.

Find rest as joy as you meet with Jesus. Join the Ministry Spark team and special guest Strahan Coleman for this much needed conversation and prepare your heart for this Easter season.

We need to help kids discover that their identity is found in God’s Big Story—where Jesus is Lord and the Holy Spirit is present. And we need to leave room for their big questions and big ideas while leaving no doubt about who God is or who they are in Him.

Our kids are image-bearing children of God, and we can declare this truth over them!

This topic can feel overwhelming, it’s our goal to help with practical ideas that support rather than overwhelm. Join the Ministry Spark Team for this important topic on Thursday, January 25, 2024, at 2pm Eastern.

You, like every person on earth, were made for God’s glory. The prophet Zephaniah says it so well in 3:17: “The Lord your God is with you … He will take great delight in you.”

We all have the ability to know this God—the one true God—and therefore love Him, worship Him, serve Him, and enjoy a relationship with Him.

Sometimes—maybe without realizing it—we get things turned around. We act like we were made to be busy so that we will bring God pleasure. We try and try harder with the sincere desire and hope that our efforts will bring glory to God. Our intentions are good but can easily become misguided. So let’s back up and start with first things first.

God delights in you.

Join The Ministry Spark Team and special guest Melissa J. MacDonald on Thursday, November 9th at 2pm Eastern as we encourage you in your role as a ministry leader.

It was Jesus in Mark 10:14 who said, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” Children matter to Jesus, and they should matter to us all the more because of that.

And when children begin to know for themselves that God fully sees them, knows them, hears them, and loves them, they can begin to realize that they can trust Him with everything. They can then accept the invitation to the table where they have the chance to respond.

Join The Ministry Spark Team and special guest Sam Luce on Thursday, September 28th at 2pm Eastern as we discuss this ever-important topic.

So, what would it look like if we could hit pause in the rush? What if the world stopped spinning long enough for you to take your ministry back to the basics? Would you do it?

We’re here to encourage you to take the time to get back to the basics. Back to what really matters in ministry.

Join The Ministry Spark Team and special guest Tiffany Mills for this important conversation.

As we continue our Faith Formation discussion, let’s ask these questions yet again: Are we resourcing and running children’s ministry, church services, small groups, and other ministries in essentially the same way we did twenty years ago? Are we passing on traditions and programs, only to have lost a clear focus on the very faith they are meant to foster?

In 2005, David Kinnaman, now president of Barna Group, summed up why: “Young people are spiritual sponges whose most impressionable years are too important to pass up.” His statement remains as true as ever.

As we continue our Faith Formation discussion, let’s ask these questions again: Are we resourcing and running children’s ministry, church services, small groups, and other ministries in essentially the same way we did twenty years ago? Are we passing on traditions and programs, only to have lost a clear focus on the very faith they are meant to foster?

Considering this change, it’s wise to ask ourselves the follow questions.

• Are we resourcing and running children’s ministry, church services, small groups, and other ministries in essentially the same way we did twenty years ago?
• Are we passing on traditions and programs, only to have lost a clear focus on the very faith they are meant to foster?

In this special holiday webinar, join us to hear from two ministry experts, Sam Luce and Lynne Howard. Luce will encourage leaders to pause and prepare their own hearts for this season so they can effectively serve the families in their community. Howard will discuss different ways to engage families using interactive ideas and experiences as Christmas draws nearer.

It’s easy to miss the awe and wonder of moments throughout our lives. This is especially true when we’re busy. Let’s connect and work together to focus our minds and hearts on helping families grow deeper in their love of Jesus this Christmas.

With new volunteers joining your program and others returning after time away, you may be questioning how to successfully equip everyone for ministry.

Ministry leader Lynne Howard will share her vision, strategy, and 5-step-outline for leading and onboarding volunteers for any time of the year. As we each work toward thriving ministries, let’s prepare to onboard volunteers with excitement and passion like never before!

We often toss this word around without pausing to consider its importance. Discipleship is the process in which one becomes more like Jesus. Nothing we could ever do is of greater eternal value than this!

God created the church as a community so we, as leaders, could help parents navigate this process. As discipleship is a tandem effort between church and home—how can we inspire, equip, and support our parents in this experience without them feeling overwhelmed or ill-equipped?

Learn from family pastor and ministry veteran Sam Luce as he leads conversation on the theological understanding of the church’s role in discipleship. Discover how to communicate the honor of creating discipleship experiences within a family’s home.