Welcome to

Hopefully Devoted to Jesus During much of my early adolescence, I was absolutely infatuated with Olivia Newton-John—for her Aussie accent as well as her music. It all began with the movie Grease, and one of her many hit songs from that musical: “Hopelessly Devoted to You.” In my foolish pre-teen mind, this song perfectly summed up my allegiance to a woman who was much too old for me (and way out of my league). I’m sure my parents hardly in favor of this heart devotion of mine! As Christian parents and grandparents, we understand that our children, in their foolish [...]

The Long View of Discipleship The annual Leadership Training Retreat has easily become one of the things I most look forward to each year.  Three days spent in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, delicious food shared with new and old friends, worshipping with other believers, and learning alongside others in similar roles who are also ministering to children make LTR special to me. LTR is a unique conference geared for those who are in leadership positions in the church and specifically in children's ministry.  Time together is rich and sweet. I've attended this retreat the last six years, and [...]

Grow Virtual August 19th -20th, 2022 As we gathered with children's ministry leaders from around the country at our annual Leadership Training Retreat this past April, one of the many topics which came up in conversation was the need for resources to help train our teachers in the local church.  At CDM we want to help you with that this year! Plan to participate in the Children’s Ministry Grow Virtual Conference on August 19-20, 2022. You can gather a group of teachers and volunteers at your church to participate in a livestream and recorded weekend of training. You’ll want [...]

There is Still Time to Plan for Summer Are you in the middle of planning your summer for children's ministry? Are you still thinking through a VBS option for the summer? CDM offers a curriculum that provides in-depth Bible lessons, emphasizes Scripture memory, is Gospel centered and is FUN for children and adults alike. If you are not familiar with Reachout Adventures, take a look at the benefits of Space Probe. Although the Space Probe curriculum is intended for a week-long Vacation Bible School, there are various ways you can adapt this curriculum to fit your church!  Check out [...]

Planning for Vacation Bible School Yes, you read that right—VBS planning! After years of running VBS, I have learned that setting aside a day for prayer and planning goes a long way toward a successful VBS. Over the years I have directed Vacation Bible Schools of all sizes, from 40 kids all the way up to 800, and the need for prayer is critical during the entire process. Pray for God to lead you to the right people to recruit into the main positions: Bible teachers Prayer leader Music leaders Drama leader Craft director Snack leader Recreation leader Nursery [...]