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15 Outrageously Easy-to-Plan Summer Activities for Families
Summer activities for families are in high demand these days as we look ahead to the next few months. The school year is winding down. And long, warm days waiting to be filled with fun are on the horizon. Summer is a funky time in ministry. Lots of travel happens. Attendance goes down. Schedules are unpredictable. But, on the other hand, for families, it can be a season of relationship-building. With kids out of school, families often need to fill lots of time. And why not fill it together? So, if you’re looking for fun summer activities for families in…
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4 Massively Meaningful Ways to End the School Year
Oh, to end the school year. Do you remember that feeling? The day you’d been dreaming of for nine months was finally here. You’d finished finals and the week of class parties. Now, you were launching into all the adventure and freedom that awaited you. Summer break was here! TV all day, Doritos for breakfast and lunch and swimming into wrinkly ‘raisin’dom. So, we know very well that joyous feeling our kids experience when they leave their campuses for the last time until September. And it isn’t just their new-found freedom from homework that’s got them floating on cloud 9. It’s…
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5 Enchanting Interfaith Children’s Books for Families to Explore
Interfaith children’s books are a fantastic resource to have on your bookshelf in your home or classroom. Our interconnected world exposes us all to ideas and perspectives that differ from our own. This is truer now than it has ever been before. The neighbors next door and friends at school may practice a faith that is not our own. As children develop, they begin to notice these differences and become curious about them. By the age of 5 children have developed an image of God, whether they’ve been given religious instruction or not. Since we read to our children about…
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3 Ways of Celebrating the Sacred Feminine This Mother’s Day
May you, this Mother’s Day, find a rich and deep celebration of the Sacred Feminine that is held within all of our bodies and around us, even in the air we breathe. Sharing Our Gratitude on Mother’s Day Perhaps you aren’t a mother. Perhaps you don’t have a fantastic relationship with your own mother. Or perhaps you are without your mother. No matter where you find yourself fitting or not fitting, there may be even more to celebrate than you’ve imagined before. On Mother’s Day, we celebrate our own mothers. We thank them for their love and for the ways…
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Top Parenting Secrets that Could Transform Your Life
Parenting secrets. We all need them at one time or another because being a parent is really hard work. It’s beautiful. Don’t get me wrong. But, let’s just have a moment to admit to ourselves and to each other that parenting brings with it a lot of struggle. What’s so hard about it? I think we forget sometimes because years separate us from that season in our own lives. But, let’s just be real. Having kids messes with your entire world. And there’s no going back. What does this do when one becomes a parent? Parents can feel like their…
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Ways to Use Our Large Coloring Posters: Ten Creative Ideas
Are you thinking about purchasing a set of our large coloring posters, but you’re not sure how to use them in your context? Are you looking for inspiring ways to use our large coloring posters? Well, whether you work in a church, hospital, retirement community, school or many other places, we got you covered! Over the past few years, we’ve been inspired by so many of our customers and the creative ways they have used our large coloring posters. We’d love to share with you ten creative ways that you can use them, but trust us when we say there…
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Growing in God’s Love: A Story Bible – A Review
Growing in God’s Love: A Story Bible is one of so many children’s Bibles. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the variety and unsure which is best for your bookshelf. So, here at ICM, we’ve compiled our thoughts in this blog series where we’ll be reviewing some of today’s most popular children’s Bibles. Once you find your fave children’s Bible, check out our post on ways of reading scripture with your kids to get the most out of it! Quick Facts about Growing in God’s Love: A Story Bible Editors: Elizabeth F. Caldwell and Carol A. Wehrheim 360 Pages Age Range: 4-8 years…
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7 Ways Art Helps Teens Make Sense of The World
Wondering how art helps teens? There are countless ways we all benefit from art-making. And adolescents are no different. Of course, no two teens are the same and, therefore, will not experience creating art in the same way. However, they are in a particular place in development. Because of the changes happening during this stage, we can make generalizations about what is helpful. By incorporating art into ministry, you assist your students in sharing their experience and making sense of their world. How Art Helps Teens: Understanding Their Development How art helps teens is better understood when we first explore…
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5 Ways of Getting More Young Families to Church on Sunday
Getting more young families to church. If you’re like most ministry leaders, you’ve found yourself sitting around a meeting table discussing the topic. And if those in the meeting are honest, these conversations are often motivated by the fear that your church may be dying. More young families in church would save it… right? Let’s Think Big Picture Here Well, first, it’s short-sighted to think some quick fixes geared toward one demographic will save any church or the Church. Second, young families want, most of all, to be a part of a thriving, loving community of generous, kind, broken, real…
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March For Our Lives Posters Around the Country
We are grateful for all those in our community who asked for posters to march with during the March For Our Lives. And then the photos started streaming in and being shared on social media. It was impactful to see you all marching alongside youth and children with raised voices demanding change for communities to be safe from gun violence. Make sure to check out the gallery of images below! Some of the youngest speakers from March 24th’s March For Our Lives especially inspired us here at Illustrated Ministry. These 10 and 11-year-olds who spoke are the same age as…
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Deep Blue Children’s Bible Series – A Review
The Deep Blue Children’s Bible series is one of so many options out there. It’s easy to feel unsure which is best for your bookshelf. So, we’ve compiled our thoughts in this blog series of some of today’s most popular children’s Bibles. Once you find your fave, check out our post on ways of reading scripture with your child. And share what resources you love in the comments below! What’s in the Deep Blue Children’s Bible Series? The Deep Blue Children’s Bible series is made up of four distinct resources. First, the Deep Blue Toddler Bible Storybook introduces toddlers to a selection of…
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5 Spectacular Spring Activities with Kids to Welcome the New Season
We’re dreaming of spring activities with kids over here as the winter melts away (at least for us up here in the Northern Hemisphere). Seasons shifting holds treasures for us. The turn from one to another grounds us and marks our lives. So much awaits, especially when spring arrives. Such new life and promise. But seldom do we take much time to welcome it all. So, we’ve put together a list of five ways to usher in spring with kids. Share with us how you’ll be celebrating the shift in season in the comments below. Outdoor Spring Activities with Kids…