KidMin with Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia

Welcome!! Dr. Virginia invited Dr. Val to speak to the preschool leaders at a conference her church hosted last month. The conference break out was a very basic, introductory conference for leaders teaching Bible to preschoolers. Before the welcome dinner, Val shared a portion of that conference with some of Virginia's leaders that would be serving during the breakout sessions. Val's  husband offe...

This week Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia were in the same city!!! So they took this opportunity to hang out and ask each other some questions. Some silly, some about KidMin, but all of them give you a chance to get to know them a little bit better!!   #kidmin #childrensministry #preschoolministry #questions

Many churches today are adding a Next Gen Minister to their staff. This staff member is usually given the general oversight of Birth through High School. Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia discuss advice they would give to new ministers or the current church's Youth or Adult Ministers who have found themselves assigned with this special responsibility.   #kidmin #childrensministry #preschoolministry #pretee...

It happens in every church eventually, a senior pastor leaves and the staff has to plan and prepare for a big transition. Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia go over some of the basic concerns and how you can best prepare your ministry and your heart for a big change. #kidmin #childrensministry #preschoolministry #leadership #transition

As a church family we are so excited to celebrate Mother's and Father's on their special days! We also have to be mindful of our children, church family, and visitors that may struggle on these days. Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia share how they have found ways to celebrate our church families and show compassion to those hurting.   #kidmin #preschoolministry #childrensministry #mothersday #fathersday #...

Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia continue the series on Learning Styles. Based on research done many years ago on Multiple Intelligences by Howard Gardner, learning styles help teachers focus on the way children naturally learn. This week the KidMin Doctors talk about the  characteristics of Reflective Learners and give examples of activities that will help teach biblical concepts to students who learn be...

Join Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia as they discuss some of their favorite resources for leaders of Preschool and Children's Ministries. Podcasts, magazines, children's books, and more!   #kidmin #childrensministry #preschoolministry #administration #resources #kidsbooks     Ministry Safe Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast Raising Boys and Girls Podcast - Sissy Goff and David Thomas The Glass House Podca...

Choosing curriculum is a challenging responsibility. Finding material from  a publisher that can meet all of your ministry's needs can be difficult. Listen as Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia discuss the steps they recommend to help churches create a plan necessary for your children to build a relationship with Jesus, learn about church doctrine, and lay a foundation for knowing the Word of God.   #kidmin...

One of the greatest challenges in planning Vacation Bible School is finding the most effective way to connect with families in your church and your community.  VBS is a great opportunity to build relationships with not only the children but also their families. Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia discuss having a plan and strategy for intentionally designing your VBS to meet the needs of the families in your...

Continuing the series on Learning Styles, Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia discuss auditory learners. Some children may learn best through sound. They enjoy activities that include music, rhythm, and social interaction. Find new strategies to help integrate auditory activities into your Bible study classroom.    #kidmin #preschoolminsitry #childrensministry #learningstyles #multipleintelligences #auditory...

Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia share what they have learned when challenges come up in life and ministry and their very special set of skills do not apply.

There is never a shortage of challenges or days you find yourself surviving in crisis mode when you serve in KidMin. Today Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia share an update, some personal prayer requests, and discuss what God has been teaching them through His Word during a season of unexpected challenges.   Job 38 Hebrews 12:3-13   #kidmin #preschoolministry #childrensministry #crisis #GodsWord #administr...

Space and building issues are a constant concern in children's ministry. As our ministries grow, we often find the need to adjust space or build. Listen in as Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia discuss some common ministry building issues and give you some suggestions as you make decisions about space in your classrooms.   #kidmin #preschoolministry #childrensministry #classroomspace #building #sharedspace...

We are so excited…Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia were together leading a couple of conferences at the Children's Pastors Conference in Orlando and were able to record an episode together!! Join the conversation today as we share some of the questions leaders asked during our conferences.   #kidmin #preschoolministry #childrensministry #vbs #specialneeds #donations #decorating #teachingpreschoolers #trai...

Today Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia discuss the cultural trends and data from the most current research and consider how this information impacts the future of preschool and children's ministries. Being aware of the changes in our culture and characteristics of the different generations can help us as we plan for our ministries and serve our families.       Links:   Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast, T...

Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia continue the series on Learning Styles. Based on research done many years ago on Multiple Intelligences by Howard Gardner, learning styles help teachers focus on the way children naturally learn. Join the conversation this week as they give characteristics and examples of activities that will help teach biblical concepts to students who learn best visually.   #kidmin #chil...

We all have them…days of overwhelm when we think the only option is to just quit! Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia discuss how we can be prepared to respond to those feelings and how we can tell if it is just a momentary struggle or if we are truly being called to walk away.   #kidmin #childrensministry #preschoolministry #burnout #overwhelm #stress 

In this last episode of 2023, Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia are prayerfully going into this Christmas season asking God to orient our hearts away from the busyness of the season and find a worshipful and loving way to focus on God and share Him with our people.   Friends, thank you for all of the encouragement and support you have shown us this year!! We look forward to spending time with you again in...

Children's ministry is so busy during the holiday season. Join Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia as they discuss some things we can do to prepare our ministry so we can focus our hearts and minds on Jesus.   #kidmin #childrensministry #preschoolministry #christmaschallenges #christmasevents #planning #administration

A time may come where we find ourselves in need of an extended leave of absence from our ministry. Whether it is unplanned like an illness or family emergency…or a planned leave for a sabbatical or maternity leave…there are many ways we can prepare our staff and volunteers to keep the ministry running smoothly in our absence.   Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia are excited to be talking with Lauren Jackson...

Today Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia are sharing their Thanksgiving thoughts. Life has been busy and stressful…and that can be how we find the weeks leading up to the holidays in children's ministry. This week provides us the wonderful opportunity to share joy, love, and peace to our kids and their families…and to take a moment to remember God's Word and His faithfulness.   #kidmin #preschoolministry #c...

How can we help teachers and leaders that serve in our KidMin create and maintain a positive and effective classroom environment? Welcome to the second part of our discussion about Basic Classroom Management. This week Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia share strategies for handling big emotions, discuss a Calm, Care, Coaching process learned from the Reach Hurting Kids Institute, and talk about how to thin...

There are many challenges when leading any classroom and when you have children for such a short time in church each week the challenges can be even greater. In this episode, Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia discuss how teachers can create the basic foundation for classroom management by providing a positive teaching environment, engaging students, setting expectations, and developing strategies to minimi...

Every child is created by God uniquely. They have special gifts, talents, and ways they naturally learn. Kicking off a new series (that will not appear in any specific order) Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia talk about 8 special ways to learn based on research done on Multiple Intelligences by Howard Gardner. They begin this series with information on how Kinesthetic learners process information and give...

The constant struggle in Preschool and Children's Ministry is not only finding the right people to volunteer in the right position but also helping them stay. Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia discuss the basic things we can do to help retain our volunteers and encourage them to commit to being a key part of the ministry.   #kidmin #preschoolministry #childrensministry #recruitment #retention #volunteers #...