Check our Arkansas UMC Conference Kids Ministry Facebook page each Friday!
I will create a quick sharable video for your social media pages about Family Faith Formation at home. It will be everything you as a Children's Minister already know, but it will be a different voice backing up what you try to teach your parents.
Special Work from Home Ministry Opportunities

I had a children's minister share that they felt guilty getting a paycheck right now because so much of their job is done at church and with people. They felt that their Zoom staff meeting, media posts, check-ins and phone calls to their children in their church did not equal the hours they were getting paid. Be sure to be as connective as you can with your kids but here are some other things that are just as valuable and totally what you get paid to do in your job:

  • Create a "Whine Night" on zoom for parents only. A time after kids are in bed and parents can jump on Zoom with you and whine about what life is like for them during quarantine. We all know it feels good to get it off our chest and even better when we feel others have the same feelings. Set a timer for each share of 5 min. let everyone who wants to share have their full time. Pray together at the close for the parents as they parent in ways they have never experienced. Offer multiple Whine Night Times incase your one time doesn't work for someone.
  • Take an online CouRSe which is free for you through the conference. Dr. Leanne Hadley's Grief is available starting March 31! Go to arumc.myabsorb.com You never have time to do this when people are stopping by your office. Taking these easy online classes is PART OF YOUR JOB!
  • READ!!! You have ministry books that you buy and then never get time to read! NOW is the time to READ them. It is called Continuing Education. Everything you read will help you be more successful in ministry once this pandemic is done.

  1. Sustainable Children's Ministry by Mark DeVries and Annette Safstrom
  2. Redefining Children's Ministry in the 21st Century A Call to Change by Becky Fischer
  3. Relational Children's Ministry by Dan Lovaglia
  4. Making Sense of the Bible By Adam Hamilton
  5. Gospel Discipleship By Rev. Dr. Michelle Morris (AR Conf. Center for Vitality)
Rev. Dr. Leanne Hadley spoke several times on this over those two days of the Beyond Conference. She held a train the trainers Zoom conference last week saying that we must adapt our HOLY LISTENING! Grief is coming! Churches and community members will lose the COVID 19 battle and people are not going to be able to mourn as they once did due to no attendance funerals. Grief is important and just calling on the phone you will likely get an "I'm okay" from a child and a "Fine" from a teen.

Using listening stones gives symbols to feelings and helps people find the words they are feeling. Get your youth director, your pastor, a Stephen's Minister and yourself signed up on April 7 for the Zoom Webinar on how this all works. Rev. Dr. Michelle Morris will mediate as Katie McLean and I share what we learned on how to use our phones and talk with people through their grief.
April 7, 2020
Your Desktop
Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device:
Please click this URL to join. https://arumc.zoom.us/j/620367090

If you miss that time, no worries it will be on the CouRSe and you can watch it as your continuing education anytime you like after April 10, 2020!

Christie Crawford sent me this picture of the tornado and the red circle is her Cornerstone UMC church! She said that her church and members are all safe.

Karen Holloway at First UMC in Jonesboro said the same, but their fear is now that those out trying to clean their homes and rescue what they have will increase in Covid 19 breakout in their town.

They have asked for prayers and distance for those that must clean up the wreckage. Please send up prayers with your children in your ministry when you meet via technology with them.
Record Your Family Puppet Show Telling a
Bible Story!
  • Choose a Bible story - children's Bibles are great for script material.(Holy Week stories encouraged.)
  • Gather props, costumes, or other creative storytelling materials. Consider making puppets, use legos, or dress up for a drama. I can supply stories and other creative materials to download if you need help.
  • Record your story from your phone or ipad. We are experimenting with posting so record with whatever works best for you. 
  • Send your video to me your children's minister . Be sure to include your cast and crew in your email.
  • Videos will be posted on the church website for others to enjoy.

~Idea and video from Pam Lentz from Conway UMC.
Holy Week Cross!

1.Build wood cross and wrap with grapevine for your drive up area of your church yard.
2.Promote to your congregation that starting Maunday Thursday that they can bring flowers from their yard, homemade flowers, or old flowers and place them on the cross as they pray.
3 Easter morning the cross will be filled for the community to drive by and worship with their eyes.

~Idea from Christie Park WhiteHall UMC.
Drive by Easter Parade Social Media Downloads
You can find the pdf to download and send out at
Your Children's Ministry Council has started a YouTube Channel of Bible Stories!
You can send the link out to families to add to their child's YouTube list. We will continue add Bible story read alouds and books by authors who give permission. We would love for you to record yourself and I will upload it to the channel. Won't your kids think it is fun to see you along with other Children's Ministers reading to them. Just send it to me in Google drive. You can make it with your phone, but please record it horizontal.
We are preparing to have the best summer for our campers! Visit  tanako.org  to view our list of camps and programs. We are so excited to go zip-lining, kayaking, swimming, and s’more building with all our friends this summer. Did you know you can sign your kids up to ride horses or sleep in a hammock? Located in Hot Springs, Tanako is a beautiful place to grow in faith through fellowship. We have curriculum planned that will enhance their spiritual experience through small groups and the outdoors. We end each day with worship, and whether in the chapel or at the fire pit, God’s love abounds and shines in the hearts of our young campers. And all this is what makes Tanako...a place set apart.

COVID-19 update: We are monitoring the uncertainty that we are all facing. We would ask that everyone go ahead and sign up as they would have. By signing up now, it allows us to plan for staff and programming. Refunds will be issued if any camps get canceled. Tanako is accredited by the American Camp Association and with this we are following precautions set forth. Please follow our Facebook or Instagram pages for updates.

Grace and Peace,

Kayla Hardage
Executive Director

For your planning purposes get these dates on the church calendar:
Dates to remember :
  • Annual Conference Hot Springs May 27-29 2020
  • Quest September 26, 2020