Welcome to our web hub of resources, ideas and inspiration for ways to do ministry and mission with children with excellence.
We have gathered a collection that will hopefully inspire you and point you in the right direction. There are great resources for getting started in CM as well as links to some of the awesome friends we have made along the way. There are also plenty of training opportunities for both leaders and teams.
Feel free to give us a call or send an email. We love to help and seeing churches flourish is our goal.
After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," Peter replied, "you know I love you." "Then feed my lambs," Jesus told him.
John 21:15
Safety First
We offer training to enable your church to develop a Safety Management System.
Contact us for details about training in your area.
There are an enormous variety of curricula available for Children’s Ministry and the quality and price can vary widely.
Make sure that you choose curriculum that fits your church and your children. The articles below have great advice on how to choose curriculum. You may like to talk to other leaders as this is often the best way to find out what works and what doesn’t. We also have various curricula available for loan (see our Online Resource Library).
Many curricula have a Scope and Sequence (S&S) that enables you to see what they cover over a three or four year cycle.
Checking the S&S is a great way to evaluate curriculum.
Thanks to our friends at Kidsfriendly and NSW Baptists for some of these articles.
Where to start, what to consider and how to move forward... Read more
3 Keys: Choosing The Best Curriculum For Your Children
Whether you’re a veteran ministry leader or a children’s worker newbie, the following article by Dr. Thomas Sanders will help you... Read more
Choosing a Curriculum - KidsFriendly NZ 2013
Our friends at KidsFriendly offer guidelines for choosing teaching resources and brief descriptions of some of the Christian education material available ... Read more
Choosing a Curriculum - NSW Baptists
With so many curriculums available, it can be hard to decide which is best for your church. The following is a list of areas that may be helpful to consider when selecting... Read more
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We have a wide variety of resources available, some we produce our selves and others we have sourced.
Are you new to children's ministry?
Starting a new job can feel overwhelming especially when that job involves children (and churches!).
So, where do you start? In the links below we have included some great ideas and resources designed to help you start with excellence in mind.
If you are new to Children’s Ministry (CM) here is our list of ‘where to start’ – or CM 101!. Read more
We offer training to enable your church to develop a Safety Management System. Read more
Baptist Children & Family Ministry has an online resource library with curriculum, personal development resources, teaching resources and plenty more. And it's all FREE! Click Here
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Welcome Booklet - Download here.
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Tertiary Studies available from Carey Baptist College
New Zealand Certificate in Christian Studies
Carey Baptist College offers the NZ Certificate in Christian Studies. This certificate is a 60 credits (four 15 credit courses) from Carey’s Applied Theology programme. This can be studied part time over one or two years and leads to the award of the Carey Certificate in Christian Studies .
Study specific courses designed to equip you for the opportunities and challenges of serving Jesus in children and family ministry.
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Courses:
MF510 Reflective Field Education (15 credit practical fieldwork course) OR
MF505 Contextual Theological Praxis (30 credit practical fieldwork course)
MM565 Children’s Ministry
MM677/777 Family and New Zealand Society + one other 15 credit course if opting for RFE above
Graduate Diploma of Applied Theology
Carey’s Graduate Diploma of Applied Theology is primarily designed for people who already have an existing undergraduate qualification or equivalent and who have not studied theology before. It is for graduates who are studying for personal interest, or to explore further how their faith might impact their professional vocation. A student enrolled in the Graduate Diploma will study a total of 120 credits (8 x 15 credit courses) and this can be done full-time over one year or part-time over a longer period.
Both MM565 Children’s Ministry and MM777 Family and NZ Society can be taken as part of this qualification.
See https://www.carey.ac.nz/ for more information on how they can partner with you on your ministry journey.
Our monthly newsletter, eConnect is packed with inspirational stories, resources and upcoming events.
Email childrensministry@baptist.org.nz to be added to the email list.
Volunteers are the people who make ministry possible. They are there to lead, assist, guide and nurture the children that God has placed in your ministry. In order to fulfill their potential they will also need leadership, guidance and assistance from you.
We have collected articles and resources that will hopefully make leading your team easier and more enjoyable.
For Leaders
Leadership is influence. It's true and that means you will want to become a better leader for your volunteers.
It's All about Relationships - by Karl Bastian
This ebook is loaded with practical ideas on how to have a more relational ministry. You’ll be surprised by the results!
Calling all volunteers - by Key to Kids Ministry
It is our privilege to minister alongside people who give so freely of themselves.
What you do matters.
For Small Groups
Small Group Handbook - by BCFM
Small groups are an essential part of children's ministry. This handbook will help your leaders understand the responsibility of being a small group leader and how to do this with excellence.
Lead Small - By Elle Cambell for reThink Group
When you lead small you realise that what you do for a few has more potential than what you do for many.....
Small Group Leader Conversation Starter Cards
As a small group leader it can sometimes be difficult to start conversations with the kids. These cards are a great way to unpack the story and get the kids talking.
The cards are designed to be laminated, cut out and put on a key ring for easy use by leaders.
It can sometimes be difficult for the parents of children with special needs to feel welcome in a church environment.
It can also be difficult for the church to know how to effectively support the family at the same time as providing a safe place for children with special needs. It is however, important that we take the time to work through both the implications and needs.
Insightful weblinks
Insights, strategies, and expert help as you minister to children with special needs
Articles
Ministering to the Special-Needs Family - by Marci Campbell
Starting a Special Needs Ministry - by Amy Fenton Lee
SEN Help make the right connection - Toni Edmonds-Smith
Book
Leading a Special Needs Ministry – Amy Fenton Lee
This is an excellent handbook that should be in every church library and used as a training tool for special needs ministry. It is also very insightful for the parents of children with special needs. It answers questions and concerns, especially what to look for when placing a child in a church ministry.
This book is available for loan from our Resource Library (see above) or
Click Here to order