A local Kidmin leader’s perspective on switching to Tru Fire: “When Tru Fire was presented to our staff, we were impressed by the mission and focus of the curriculum. On further review and research of the program, our love for it continued to grow. Due to the size of our ministry, kids and volunteers, our concern was making the switch to a completely new style of teaching and involvement.”

Six questions that will help you evaluate your leadership training and leadership appreciation: What is something our team should celebrate this week? What is an area within our ministry that needs to be molded and tweaked? What is a responsibility I have or am doing that I need to train and equip someone else to do and begin letting go of? Which child or family within our kids’ ministry can we be there for EXTRA this week? Who was a life saver this week and went above and beyond? What is one reason I still love working in kids’ ministry?

There are some topics in children’s ministry that are commonly accepted practices. These would include how to discipline, how to communicate with specific ages, etc. But there are some training topics to consider that may not be a normal part of your process.

Every weekend, children’s pastors around the world lead a simple prayer of salvation. We call it the sinners prayer, and I’m sure that you have prayed it too. It can be broken down into three simple phases: the confession of sin, belief in Jesus, and a commitment to Jesus-following. Admit, believe, confess, and done! You are now a Christian. But what does it mean for kids to become “Jesus followers”? Does it really begin with a simple decision? And where do we go from there?

In my past four decades of ministry to children, I’ve been blessed to serve alongside some of the best volunteers on this planet. While serving with, and being a volunteer, I’ve discovered two truths. First, volunteers long for care. Second, volunteers will not reach their full potential without training.

If there’s one thing every children’s ministry has in common, it’s the perpetual need for quality children’s workers. Leaders understand that the strength of a ministry relies on the abilities of the leaders who are on the front lines doing the ministry. But, just for a moment, let’s imagine you had a line of people ready to work. Would you be ready to receive them? How would they know what to do?