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What I’m Working On This Month (September 2026)

Kathie Phillips Leave a comment

Happy September! We are approaching my favorite time of year (fall) and I couldn’t be more thrilled! We’re also winding down my busiest time of year (February – September), and I am ready for a little bit of a slower pace. With our ministry year kick-off happening in just a few weeks, I still have quite a bit of a workload to work through before that can happen. In fact, some of what I’m working on is carrying over from last month.

Here’s what I’m currently working on:

Finishing September Curriculum Edits

I am a little behind on this, but since our program year starts post-Labor Day, I do have a little bit of time to finish (and I mean a very little bit).

Promotion Sunday

On September 13th, we’re promoting our kids to the next class based on their age or grade, so we’re busy making final preparations for that. (Stay tuned for an upcoming post with a more detailed look at how we prepare.)

Meeting With My Key Leadership Team

Last month, I shared how I’m building a leadership team called “Team Champions”. The team is complete and our first meeting is scheduled for this Sunday. We’ll review our purpose, dream about the future, look at the next three months’ curriculum themes, and brainstorm how we’d like to bring those themes to life. I’ll share more details in a future post about who is on the team and a few goals I have for us.

Meeting With Our Spiritual Formation Director

One of my key roles as Next Gen Director is to provide families with opportunities for connection and spiritual formation. Each year, I meet with our Community Life/Spiritual Formation Director to brainstorm classes/workshops that would be beneficial to families with kids and students. This has looked different over the years, but since we have a new Spiritual Formation Director, this is all brand new to her. I’m looking forward to putting our brains together!

Supporting Our 6th Graders as They Transition Into Student Ministry

Helping our 6th graders successfully transition into student ministry is one of the ways our Next Gen staff team collaborates, so my presence at our 6th grade move up event is important. I’ll have a pretty low-key role, but being a familiar face to students and their grown-ups helps to make the transition go as seamlessly as possible.

I’m sure your September to-do list is just as long (if not longer) than mine! Now it’s your turn. What are you working on this month?

Plan Year-Round Family Ministry Events With Ease

Kathie Phillips Leave a comment

If you’re like many Children’s Ministry leaders, you’re probably thinking through and planning your yearly ministry calendar. Events such as VBS, camps, baptisms, dedications, game nights, retreats, parent workshops, and many more are probably some that you’ve included.

Thinking about an entire year’s worth of events can be a daunting task, let alone planning them. The challenge is even greater when you want your events to be more than just events. You want them to be intentional discipleship events that engages the whole family and provides lasting memories. If that’s something you’re looking to create, then Team Family: Book Three, a newly-released resource from Group Publishing, might be an answer to your prayers!

Product description from Group’s website:

Team Family Book Three will help you and your church effectively reach and engage families of all shapes and sizes! You’ll get a practical year-round strategy (formatted around the four seasons) for partnering with today’s families to strengthen their faith and their relationships with each other, with you, and with Jesus.

The resource includes four seasonal themes: Calm & Bright (Christmas), Forgiven (Easter), Humble Heroes (Summer), and Here 4 You (Fall).

Here are a few things that I love about it:

  • Each theme incorporates not only an event for the entire family but also an outreach component.
  • The ideas for each theme also include easy-to-follow instructions and basic supplies that you likely have on hand, making them cost-effective.
  • There is a section for notes so that you can customize the material to fit your church’s context and budget.
  • Supplemental take-home resources that reinforce each theme are available for an additional purchase. Many come in packs of 10, which again keeps it cost-effective.
  • The guide includes an access code to download the resources in a digital format.

My daughter and I have had the honor of contributing to Team Family Book Two as well as Team Family Book Three, so I stand behind this product. (Disclaimer: This post is not a paid promotion. I just really love this resource!)

Be sure to check out Team Family Book Three and see what might work for you.

Leave me a comment and let me know what events are on your ministry calendar for the upcoming year!

Great Back to School Resources For Kids & Families

Kathie Phillips Leave a comment

Back-to-school season is one of my favorite times of the ministry year. I love shopping the sales (my children are grown but I shop sales for ministry-related items) and the start of a new school year brings a reset of schedules and rhythms.

This season is a very good time to provide practical resources for our families as they settle back into post-summer rhythms. I love the process of looking at resources and deciding which ones we’ll provide to our families is one I enjoy.

Children in our area of the country are returning to school as early as next week, so I thought I’d share what we’re providing to our kids and families. These items will be provided in person (on our Back-to School Sunday) and digitally (with links to purchase or download) through our September family newsletter. (I have linked ones that are available. Email me if you’d like me to send one that’s no longer available.)

Preschool Family Resources

  • “Creating a New Back to School Rhythm – Preschool” handout (this is an old resource from Parent Cue – it is no longer in print but one that I really like)
  • Lunch box notes that I found online (we’ve done a mix of scripture-based as well as just-for-fun ones)

Elementary Family Resources

  • “Creating a New Back to School Rhythm – Elementary” handout (this is an old resource from Parent Cue – it is no longer in print but one that I really like)
  • “Bullying Conversation Guide for Parents” from Parent Cue (no longer in print)
  • “Anxiety Conversation Guide” from Parent Cue (no longer in print)
  • Back-to-School Scripture Fighting Cards from LifeWay

Additional Family Resources

For Kindergarteners – 3rd Graders

For 4th & 5th Graders

In previous years, we’ve provided backpack tags, journals, leftover widgets from our curriculum provider, and other small toys. Every year looks different, but the goal is to provide quality, Christ-centered resources for parents and some sort of scripture-based items for the kids.

What items are you providing for your kids and families? I’m always on the hunt for great resources, so share them with me!

How We Prepare for Promotion Sunday

Kathie Phillips Leave a comment

Last week, I shared what I’m working on this month. (If you missed it, you can read that post here.) Our team is in the final stretch of preparation for our upcoming Promotion Sunday, which is taking place on Sunday, September 13th. At that time, our kids will move up to their new rooms/grades. There’s a lot that happens behind-the-scenes to get us ready for a seamless transition. Here’s what we take care of:

Parent Communication

Since we don’t promote until the first Sunday after Labor Day, we inform families of our Promotion Sunday date via our website and our monthly family newsletter about six weeks out. As the date gets closer, we’ll increase communication through our social media platforms, our website, email newsletter, and direct email.

Curriculum & Supplies

I am wrapping up September curriculum edits (I’m a little behind!) so that copies can be made, activity pages cut out, and supplies gathered and ordered (if needed). We also tackle tidying, taking inventory of, and restocking our resource closets (we have several) and classroom carts. (This includes tasks such as tossing dried out markers and glue sticks, broken crayons, sharpening pencils, updating bulletin boards, and cleaning whiteboards.)

Admin Tasks

Our Operations Coordinator is the glue to our ministry and takes care of much of the behind-the-scenes prep work. She handles things such as making sure background checks are up-to-date, processing new volunteer applications, updating our website and newsletter, printing new room signage, promoting the kids in our church database, printing off classroom rosters, updating check-in iPads, restocking check-in label printers, printing volunteer nametags, and updating & printing our volunteer handbook. And after a busy summer season, our guest family bags will be restocked in our Guest Services area.

Physical Spaces

This year, we’ve chosen a hot-air balloon Promotion Sunday theme, so on the actual day, our space will have coordinating decorations, including a photo wall area. Stay tuned for pictures!

Our classrooms and hallways take a beating during the year, so our facilities team waxes floors, replaces light bulbs, makes needed repairs, and touches up paint. This year, we’ll also need a banner and window coverings hung up as well as have our audio-visual equipment inspected. One thing I’m very excited to do is shop for new furniture. Last year, we purchased new gliders for our nursery (our nursery team requested them and was THRILLED to get new ones). This year, we’ll be purchasing new seating for our preteen ministry space. Since their room is a shared multi-purpose space, it’ll be key to purchase seating that is not only functional but durable.

Volunteer Care & Support

Like in previous years, we are welcoming a few new faces to our team, so we’ll provide an orientation for them. Our returning team members will receive a few refreshers, too, because we’re making some curriculum and format adjustments this year. Our volunteer hospitality room will be restocked with their favorite snacks, coffee pods, and bottled beverages for our beverage center.

FREE DOWNLOAD – “Supply/Resource Closet Must-Haves”

I always find preparation for Promotion Sunday is easier with checklists that can be updated and printed each year. One of the checklists I use includes a supply/resource closet inventory sheet. If you’d find that helpful, you can download mine here. It’s definitely not an exhaustive list, but it’ll help you make sure essentials are covered.

Be sure you’re following my Facebook Group. There I share #mondayinspiration and Friday Favorites weekly. This Friday, I’ll share an Amazon link to some of my favorite supply/resource closet items!

Praying for a great year for all of my ministry friends! Let me know in the comments how your ministry prepares for Promotion Sunday.

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