The Kidmin Huddle

What am I loving or leaving right now? Find out in this episode. Also, if you need some ministry encouragement, this episode is for you. 

Resources Mentioned in the Podcast:

1.     Making Marriage Easier by Arlene Pellicane - https://amzn.to/4dh3Vnt

2.     6:14 Ministries - https://614ministries.org/home

3.     I Made It, by CAIN - https://youtu.be/iX-FfvtX4Ow?si=o9DD-OU772c9SdLX

4.     One Way Gospel Trick - https://www.youtube.com/@AmberPike_IntentionalKidmin

5.     Fall Prayer Kit - https://amberpike.org/shop/ols/products/fall-family-pray...

Do kids need to be taught doctrine and theology, or just told some Bible stories until they are older? In this episode, Amber gives 5 practical ways to deepen your lessons to children, giving them a deep foundation of faith. 

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
Top 50 Bible Lessons Book - https://amzn.to/4c8GKLN
Exploring the Bible Through History - https://amzn.to/3SP7xGm
Intentional Children's Ministry - https://amzn.to/4gRQI6Q
RenewaNation Curriculum - https://familyministry.org/curriculum/

What does every parent in your ministry need to know? And how can you communicate that through your programming? 

This episode shares 3 things every parent needs to know and how your ministry decisions can communicate them. 

Mentioned in this episode: 

The Family Ministry Academy - https://familyministry.org/family-ministry-academy/

What events are on your calendar? And why? This episode will challenge you to think through the events you do, how you are equipping parents to disciple, and maybe even give you permission to take things off your calendar. 

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Are you feeling a little weary? Galatians 6:9 reminds us not to give up. This episode will give you not just encouragement to keep going when things get tough, but some practical advice from the trenches.

We've all had classes where behavior was out of control, and kids weren't listening. While the first steps toward good behavior start in the planning phase, this episode covers 6 ways you can see behavioral improvement. 

You've had an event, and now you are inviting kids and families to come back. But what are you inviting them back to, and is it enough to make them want to stay?

Mentioned in this episode:

The Family Ministry Academy - https://familyministry.org/family-ministry-academy/

If you're planning a movie day, whether it's an event or a class alternative, this episode will challenge you to think about your why. If your goal is discipleship, this episode will give you some great, practical movie day alternatives. 

Looking for great discipleship events, check out amberpike.org/shop and familyministry.org for ideas!

How is your church teaching children the importance of communion? How are you preparing parents to lead their children in communion? In this episode, Amber shares practical tips and tools to both teach children the significance of communion and to prepare parents to teach their children about it as well. 

Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

Sure. Some seasons of kidmin are inherently stressful. (VBS season, anyone?) But is it just a stressful season, or have you developed some unhealthy habits? In this episode, Amber walks you through four unhealthy habits in kidmin and gives you some practical suggestions on what to do to reduce stress.

Are you training teenagers to effectively serve in kidmin? Camp and VBS offer many opportunities for teens to lead, but to lead effectively, they need some training. 

Like this episode? Follow Amber on Social Media!

https://www.instagram.com/amberpike_intentionalkidmin/

https://www.facebook.com/amber.pike.54

https://www.facebook.com/groups/familyministrycommunity

How do you decide which curriculum among the over 80 companies is the right one for your church? In this episode, Amber gives you steps to take and lots of questions to ask when deciding what curriculum to use in your ministry. 

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Exploring the Bible Through History - https://amzn.to/4v74d7g

Top 50 Bible Lesson Book - https://amzn.to/3SEwV0U

Intentional Children's Ministry - https://amzn.to/4eg2ANu

RenewaNation Curriculum - https://familyministry.org/curriculum/

Children's Ministry can and should be done with a family-first mentality. Whether you have a position change to a family ministry leader or remain in children's ministry, you can and should be equipping parents to disciple. 

Pulling from years as a Director of Family Ministry, Amber shares from experience how you can do both children's and family ministry. 

Want to learn more? Check out these great resources:

The Family Ministry Academy - https://familyministry.org/family-ministry-academy/

1:1 Coaching - https://familyministry.org/childrens-ministry-coaching/

Intentional Children's Ministry - https://shop.renewanation.or...

Teaching time is where it's at in children's ministry. In this episode, Amber shares some fun, interactive teaching activities to make lesson time come alive. 

Resources mentioned in the episode:

This list m...

What does a healthy church look like? What does healthy leadership look like? In this episode, Amber is joined by Stan Givens (a senior pastor with over 40 years of experience) and his son and ministry partner, Josh Givens (of 6:14 Ministries). Join the conversation for practical advice that will help you disciple and remain in ministry for the long haul. 

Learn more about 6:14 Ministries: https://614ministries.org/

Listen to their podcast, The Shepherds Circle: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-shepherds-circle/id1796331013

Flannelgraphs. Silly bands. Veggie Tales. We've seen trends come and go (and some come back) in kidmin, but in this episode, we'll learn what never goes out of style in children's ministry. This episode will encourage and challenge you. 

Resources Mentioned: 

Intentional Children's Ministry - https://shop.renewanation.org/products/intentional-childrens-ministry-how-your-church-can-disciple-children-with-a-lifelong-faith-in-jesus-pre-order-to-be-released-january-2025

Family Ministry Academy - https://familyministry.org/

Flannelgraph Tutorial on IG - https://www.instagram.com/amberpike_intentionalkidmin/

After two decades of taking kids to camp, Amber shares some must-haves to add to your packing list and things that will make your week of camp easier. 

Resources Mentioned in the Episode

*This list may contain affiliate links. If you decide to purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no e...

In this episode, Amber catches up with author friend Joshua Cooley to talk about his new book, Heroes of the Bible Devotional 2. 

Follow Joshua online at https://joshuacooleyauthor.com/

Grab his new devotional: Heroes of the Bible Devotional 2. https://amzn.to/4tqy0qc

*Amazon link is an affiliate link. There is no added expense to you. 

Don't let your volunteer meeting get skipped or met with groans. Plan your meeting so it guarantees success! This episode gives you four important planning steps. 

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Bonus Resource: Share this encouragement video with your team!

https://youtube.com/shorts/z-aWT77XPE0?feature=share

How do you grow your church from one or two families, or even no families? In this episode, Amber walks you through how you can grow your church and gain families. She shares how she has grown her church from a few families, some of which were ready to leave, to the upcoming problem of where to fit all of the children. 

Check out the resources mentioned in the episode:

Intentional Children's Ministry: https://amzn.to/4ts8eCE 

Top 50 Bible Lessons About Ordinary People in God's Extraordinary Plan: https://amzn.to/48j3...

As leaders in children's ministry, we have a vital role in equipping our kids to recognize the lies of the world and stand firm in the truth. Every day, our children face a spiritual battle. This episode will remind you not to fall asleep on your assignment. 

Recommended Resources to Check Out:

Intentional Children's Ministry: https://amzn.to/4crIyPf

Praise Him: A 30 Day Family Devotional: https://amzn.to/48E1p8z

Raising Worry Free Girls: https://a.co/d/03e1pCln

Ever had a class of squirrely, disengaged kids? Engaged kids during lesson time starts with your prep. In this episode, Amber teaches you to S.M.I.L.E. and gives practical tips and tricks to help you engage kids better, thus reducing the squirrelyness. 

Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

Classroom Management Live Training in the Family Ministry Community Group on 4/21/2026 - https://www.facebook.com/groups/familyministrycommunity

Intentional Children's Ministry 

Children's Ministry Coaching: https://familyministry.org/childrens-ministry-coaching/ 

If you've ever struggled with feelings of doubt or fear or fallen into the comparison trap as a kidmin leader, then this episode is for you. Discover practical tips for overcoming self-doubt, fear, and comparison in your ministry, as well as how to embrace your unique journey and grow as a leader.

Check out what leadership books Amber has been reading: 

Soundtracks by Jon Acuff - https://amzn.to/4v47a9g

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki - https://amzn.to/4dRXFnh

The Art of People b...

This episode might step on your toes, but listen in as Amber talks about 10 of her unpopular kidmin opinions and why she has them. Each of her opinions is rooted in the eternal importance of what we do in children's ministry. 

If you want to learn how to be more intentional in your ministry, grab a copy of her book Intentional Children's Ministry on Amazon (available in audio and ebook as well) or at renewanation.org. 

To protect children at church, policies and procedures must be in place. Who gets access to your children? What policies are being put in place to keep children safe? If no policies are in place, now is the time to get started. 

Are we teaching our kids who God is both at church and at home? 🤔  
If not, we need to start! 

In this episode, Amber shows how understanding God's character is essential for our children. They need to know that He is loving, kind, holy, and just. These attributes shape their trust and faith in Him. 

Resources in this episode:

Blog Article

RenewaNation Review Magazine

Who is God Curriculum

Praise Him: A 30 Day Family Devotional

Do you want to make this year's VBS the best yet? Here are 10 tips to make this VBS a discipleship success. 

David Rausch, from GO! Curriculum joins Amber to talk about his new book, Feeding Faith, and how we can truly disciple boys and girls during lesson time. 

Get David's new book here: https://amzn.to/4rDq2d9

Kids need to be taught theology and doctrine, not a watered-down version of the Bible. In this episode, Amber goes over 10 tools you can use to help teach theology and doctrine to the kids in your ministry, helping to give them a firm faith. 

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Mavalus Tape: https://amzn.to/4arWeZm

Pointer Hand: https://amzn.to/4bV2E5R

Hula Hoops: https://amzn.to/4qEIh0k

Posters: https://amberpike.org/shop/ols/categories/teaching-aids

Predicting Crayon trick: https://youtu.be/um4p...

Have you ever thought about starting a preschool choir at your church? The benefits of choir for kids are huge! Brenda from Little Jam Sessions shares with us not only the benefits of kids' choir, but also about her choir curriculum. 

Find out more at: https://littlejamsessions.com/

If you haven't placed a volunteer training on the calendar yet this year, then this episode is for you. Amber walks you through the why of training, plus practical tips to get you started. 

Recommended resources mentioned in the episode:

Intentional Children's Ministry: https://shop.renewanation.org/products/intentional-childrens-ministry-how-your-church-can-disciple-children-with-a-lifelong-faith-in-jesus-pre-order-to-be-released-january-2025

Bring in a Speaker: https://familyministry.org/speaking/

Children's ministry is awesome, but corporate worship is biblical. When are children worshipping with mom and dad and the whole church family? How are kids and parents being trained on this?

Recommended resources:

Listen and find out about the new Easter family devotional, Wondering to Jerusalem, by Vanessa Myers from Family Faith Builders. 

Learn more about Family Faith Builders at: https://www.familyfaithbuilders.org/

Order your copies of Wondering to Jerusalem at: https://amzn.to/3LTCoy0

Whose job is it to disciple boys and girls? Are you leading your ministry in such a way that you are fulfilling your biblical command for discipleship?

Check out the resources mentioned in the episode: 

The Family Ministry Academy

Intentional Children's Ministry

Family Ministry

Praise Him: A 30 Day Family Devotional

It's the start of a new calendar year. If discipleship is your goal, you need to be asking these 3 questions. 

Grab the resources mentioned in the episode:

Praise Him: A 30 Day Family Devotional 

Proverbs Bile Reading Scratch Off Challenge

In this episode, Amber shares her top 25 things of 2025, from things for the home, favorite books, to kidmin products you can't live without. 

Check out the links to the products mentioned:

Intentional Children’s Ministry - https://amzn.to/4pHZ6ba

Praise Him - https://amzn.to/4qfsMw5

Plastic Envelopes - https://amzn.to/3XUEiRx

Confetti Streamers - https://amzn.to/4oTq925

Timeline Poster – https://amberpike.org/shop/ols/products/bible-timeline-poster

Kidmin Swag – https://kidmin-corinne-merch-store.printify.me/

Ducks – https://amzn.to/3MxB83P

Hair...

Are you evaluating every resource in your ministry through the lens of Scripture? No lesson should be taught or resource sent home unless it's been previewed and vetted against God's Word. 

Are you a detailed or a big-picture person? No matter how you are wired, if you are being intentional about your discipleship opportunities in kidmin, you've got to start planning the big picture of your year. 

Grab the Kidmin Planner, here. 

Plus, check out Amber's blog to get the free big-picture overview planner. 

Listen to Amber's top 10 list of things she is thankful for. You'll receive ideas and encouragement, enabling you to continue striving for intentionality in your ministry. 

Links to products mentioned: 

Tis the season to start planning your Christmas volunteer appreciation. But what do they want? How do you make it personal?

Check out Amber's Kidmin Volunteer Gift Guide for more.