The Ultimate Survival Guide for Children's Ministry Workers

by Ivy Beckwith

Too often, children’s ministry volunteers say yes to helping out and then are confused about what to do. How do I use curriculum? What if the kids get rowdy? How do I build relationships? This valuable, easy-to-use resource will give every children’s volunteer a solid foundation as they begin working in ministry. From basic ideas for getting started, practical tips on classroom management techniques, to help with understanding different age levels, everything a volunteer needs is outlined in these pages. There are also ideas for working with children with special needs, understanding the current tech-savvy generation, keeping kids safe at church, the role of a volunteer in the child’s spiritual development, and ideas for self-evaluation. Every church will want a copy of this terrific guide to ensure their children’s ministry volunteers get off to the right start, have a successful year, and finish their term of service with passion and enthusiasm.

137 pages, Paperback

First published May 7, 2007

Reviews

[Kari McDowell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good general information but getting a little dated now!

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been searching for good resources for children's ministry ideas for some time now. I bought this book thinking it was written for those of us who make children's ministry a full-time career. It wasn't - it was written specifically for volunteers in children's ministry. Although it was full of information that wasn't new to me, she puts it in "laypersons" terms - she makes volunteering seem so simple!

Those of us who work in children's ministry as a "career" know that it can be incredibly difficult to get faithful adults to volunteer for "the long haul". This book is the perfect resource to give anyone who is currently a children's ministry volunteer or who is considering the possibility of volunteering in children's ministry. It's full of practical advice and is small enough to be a quick, yet informative, read!

I think I'll plan on using this book to help me develop training and orientation opportunities for my children's ministry volunteers - in fact, some of the stuff is so good it can even been translated to youth ministry - after all, youth are just older children :-)

If you're in search of a good starting point for children's ministry, check out this book. It's a good resource to have available.

[Todd Mckeever · Rating 2 out of 5]

Little disappointed in this book.

I think any book needs to be cautious when taking into its title, "Ultimate Survival Guide". When I read this title I open it up feeling that the book will have certain information to take me beyond where I am currently at. That was not the case with this book.

This book will be good for someone who may be just starting in children's ministry and has no prior experience with kids. If this book would have added this into their title, then I would have given it a higher rating. The Low rating is not for the basic information it provides, it is because it really is basic information that it provides and should say that.

This is all personal opinion, but again that is what a review is, personal opinion.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really useful book about children's ministry, although mostly with the idea of using a set curriculum, rather than for those of us who actually write our own.