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Time to Update: 7 Areas to Integrate Digital Discipleship into your Children's Ministry Strategy
What does digital discipleship look like practically in children’s ministry? Time To Update explores 7 areas of your children’s ministry strategy where you can incorporate digital means and methods to increase your effectiveness in discipling the next
Safety & IntegrityYour Church WebsiteTeaching Experience for KidsEquipping ParentsConnecting with VolunteersSocial MediaAdministrationA digital approach to children’s ministry involves intentionally using technology to enhance and improve a variety of areas within the ministry, from administrative tasks no one ever sees to communication with families to teaching Bible lessons on Sunday mornings. Time to Update will help you be more intentional so that digital discipleship becomes part of your ministry strategy rather than merely a coincidence or afterthought.
Leader, it’s time to update.
Safety & IntegrityYour Church WebsiteTeaching Experience for KidsEquipping ParentsConnecting with VolunteersSocial MediaAdministrationA digital approach to children’s ministry involves intentionally using technology to enhance and improve a variety of areas within the ministry, from administrative tasks no one ever sees to communication with families to teaching Bible lessons on Sunday mornings. Time to Update will help you be more intentional so that digital discipleship becomes part of your ministry strategy rather than merely a coincidence or afterthought.
Leader, it’s time to update.
186 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 22, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 20, 2023
Digital Kid's Ministry can sound like a scary phrase. What does it mean to minister to kids digitally? How can we best use technology in our ministries to serve the kids and families in our churches? Should we even use technology to disciple kids and families?
These are the questions Brittany Nelson tackles in her book, Time to Update: 7 Areas to Integrate Digital Discipleship into Your Children's Ministry Strategy. If you have ever wondered how technology can best be used in your children's ministry, this is definitely the book you need to read next. I flew through Time to Update and found myself with highlighter and pen out, jotting down idea after idea, all practical, and all easy to implement tomorrow in our Kids Ministry.
Kids today are digital natives. They have grown up with technology in hand, and as we prepare to disciple this generation, the best question to ask is: Am I using all the tools available that will best help me minister to the kids and families in my church? I found myself asking this again and again as I took notes on ways our church could take our digital presence up a notch.
From the outset, Nelson defines digital ministry not simply as posting an online Kids Church video, but as so much more. Nelson takes us through seven key areas where digital tools can enhance what we do to serve kids and their families:
Safety and Integrity in Digital Discipleship
Church Websites
Teaching Digital Natives (AKA the kids in your ministry today!)
Using Digital Tools to Communicate Effectively with Parents
Connecting with Volunteers through Digital Tools
Social Media
How to Use Technology to Assist in Administration
This book doesn't have to be read in order. If there is a specific topic that sticks out most to you, jump to that chapter and discover new ideas, apps, and ways to implement digital discipleship in that area. Each chapter contains action steps that will allow you to put the key takeaways into action immediately. Chapter Ten of the book is a list of additional resources and apps that can assist you in everything from scheduling volunteers to texting families in your church.
If you're not a tech-savvy person, don't worry. Nelson writes in such a way that nothing ever feels overwhelming or out of reach. Even if you don't click with technology, you'll find ideas here that will help you find the right people in your church who could help you out. You might also be surprised at how easy some of the ideas she gives here actually are, and how even the least tech-savvy person could find themselves adding a digital component to their ministry in no time. That's not to say if you're a tech person that you won't find any ideas here. Nelson puts forward some new ways to use old digital tools that will surprise you and give you a lot of great ways to update your ministry.
Overall, I highly recommend Time to Update as your next KidMin read. Practical, timely, and focused on reaching kids with the love of God and the Good News about Jesus, Brittany Nelson won't let you down as you explore the world of digital discipleship.
These are the questions Brittany Nelson tackles in her book, Time to Update: 7 Areas to Integrate Digital Discipleship into Your Children's Ministry Strategy. If you have ever wondered how technology can best be used in your children's ministry, this is definitely the book you need to read next. I flew through Time to Update and found myself with highlighter and pen out, jotting down idea after idea, all practical, and all easy to implement tomorrow in our Kids Ministry.
Kids today are digital natives. They have grown up with technology in hand, and as we prepare to disciple this generation, the best question to ask is: Am I using all the tools available that will best help me minister to the kids and families in my church? I found myself asking this again and again as I took notes on ways our church could take our digital presence up a notch.
From the outset, Nelson defines digital ministry not simply as posting an online Kids Church video, but as so much more. Nelson takes us through seven key areas where digital tools can enhance what we do to serve kids and their families:
Safety and Integrity in Digital Discipleship
Church Websites
Teaching Digital Natives (AKA the kids in your ministry today!)
Using Digital Tools to Communicate Effectively with Parents
Connecting with Volunteers through Digital Tools
Social Media
How to Use Technology to Assist in Administration
This book doesn't have to be read in order. If there is a specific topic that sticks out most to you, jump to that chapter and discover new ideas, apps, and ways to implement digital discipleship in that area. Each chapter contains action steps that will allow you to put the key takeaways into action immediately. Chapter Ten of the book is a list of additional resources and apps that can assist you in everything from scheduling volunteers to texting families in your church.
If you're not a tech-savvy person, don't worry. Nelson writes in such a way that nothing ever feels overwhelming or out of reach. Even if you don't click with technology, you'll find ideas here that will help you find the right people in your church who could help you out. You might also be surprised at how easy some of the ideas she gives here actually are, and how even the least tech-savvy person could find themselves adding a digital component to their ministry in no time. That's not to say if you're a tech person that you won't find any ideas here. Nelson puts forward some new ways to use old digital tools that will surprise you and give you a lot of great ways to update your ministry.
Overall, I highly recommend Time to Update as your next KidMin read. Practical, timely, and focused on reaching kids with the love of God and the Good News about Jesus, Brittany Nelson won't let you down as you explore the world of digital discipleship.
January 29, 2026
This was a solid, practical book for kids ministry (really, any ministry) leaders. I am currently exploring whether or not to integrate video teaching into my kids ministry, and while the book touched on that, it was only brief and I would have liked more. I am young for my job (Gen Z) so it wasn’t quite as helpful for me, a digital native, as I would imagine it would be for an older kidmin leader who is less familiar with technology. If you want some real practical tools of how to integrate technology in every aspect of your ministry, this is a great book for that. All in all, I’m still glad I read it because I always like to support kids ministry leaders!
August 21, 2023
This book is as awesome as the author ... and I've personally spent time with both! Reading an early copy has me super excited for YOU, a future owner and reader of this new book. We all know plenty of downsides of current technology. This book will expand your thoughts and give tons of practical ways to use tech for eternal purposes. Whether you remember a childhood in "simpler times" before the tech wave or you have grown up with it, you will benefit tremendously from the content and easy application.
August 22, 2023
I've learned so much about what I'm doing right and what I'm in great need of improvement as a Children's Minister in this digital age. I appreciate the focus on the children of this incoming generation and their unique quality of being digital natives, and how we can work with them and their families with the same enthusiasm as previous generations! If you are a Christian Educator, I encourage you to grab a copy of this book!
August 22, 2023
What a great read for all in children’s ministry! I recommend reading it as a team or staff! Great conversation starters to really help see the possibilities of better reaching parents and your community!
August 19, 2023
I recommend this book for the seasoned veteran to the newest ministry leader. This book is a very practical approach to adding digital tools to enhance your Children’s ministry strategy.
September 19, 2023
This is a MUST READ book!
September 22, 2023
This is a great book with tons of practical and useful tools for children’s ministry workers. If you need an updated toolbox to help grow your ministry, this is the place to start!
September 21, 2024
Amazing book for NextGEN leaders! So practical, easy to implement! Definitely will read again!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews