14 Tips For Using Technology For Children’s Ministry

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

The kids in your children’s ministry probably know just as much, if not more, about technology than you do. So, why not use what they’re familiar with to teach them about faith?

While some churches have reservations about using technology for kids, it can be completely safe when monitored by ministry leaders and parents.

Plus, it can sometimes get the message across and help kids feel closer together than more traditional teaching methods.

1. Create A Social Media Group For Parents

It might sound strange to talk about parents, but when it comes to children’s ministry, parents need to be involved. Plus, they need a place to come together to talk to each other, ask questions and get advice on how to continue growing their child’s faith when their child isn’t in church.

So, put technology to great use for the kids by creating a social media group just for parents. You can limit it to just members or include online followers too, especially if you have an online children’s ministry program.

It’s usually easiest to create the group on Facebook, as many of your parents are on there anyway. Or, if your church is looking for a more privacy-oriented network, MeWe might be a good option, though some features require a small fee.

2. Create A Social Media Group For Kids

Now that you’ve got a place for parents to connect, it’s time to use the same technology to create a social media group for kids. This is a place that’s carefully monitored and private. It’s just for kids, ministry leaders and moderators to socialize. Mainly, it’s for the kids, but ministry leaders can add content to help spark conversation or even host virtual events.

If you’re worried about privacy and online threats, create a special forum on your church website just for kids to connect. You can limit who’s allowed to join. This helps keep it safer.

Another option is Edmodo. It’s a platform designed originally for teachers and students, but all types of organizations can use it. Since it’s made with kids in mind, there are extra security protocols in place. Chat, host Zoom calls, add fun assignments and projects and so much more. Creating an account is free.

3. Make It Easy To Register For Events

An often overlooked way to use technology for children’s ministry is registering for events. Is keeping up with camp registrations a nightmare? Avoid the usual issues with turning in paper forms.

Instead, set up a form on your church website to allow parents to quickly register their child, pay any fees and download all the relevant details. You can even use this option to help register kids for VBS, field trips and various projects.

For parents, you can let them sign up for volunteer opportunities or commit to bringing supplies for certain events. Online giving tools like Tithe.ly often have event registration options built-in. So, you can combine online tithing and event registration into one tool that integrates with your church website.

4. Host Virtual Children’s Ministry Events

Why should children’s ministry just be once a week? Host virtual ministry events. You can tell stories, host trivia games, have conversations and do general Bible study. Everyone can join in from home throughout the week.

Use social media, such as Facebook Live, or use the same technology you use for live streaming your regular services. The best part is you can host ministry events with your members and then host other events just for kids joining you from other places throughout the world.

If parents agree, you can even combine your online followers and members for a large children’s ministry events. This can help kids make new friends and allows your church to reach more kids.

As an alternative to live streaming, create videos for kids to watch online. These make great resources for parents to help continue teaching their children even when they’re not in church.

5. Encourage A Kid-Friendly Bible App

Kids, especially smaller kids, get intimidated when trying to read the Bible. Plus, it’s hard for them to understand. Encourage kids, with their parents’ permission of course, to use a kid-friendly Bible app. You can choose a preferred option for your ministry so everyone’s using the same thing.

The thing that makes these apps better is they often use colorful visuals, simplify content, include explanations of scripture, games and more. Overall, they make the Bible much more accessible for kids.

Some of the most popular options include:

• YouVersion’s The Bible App For Kids
• CBN’s Superbook Kids Bible App
• NIV Adventure Bible App

While there are other Christian kids’ apps available, these offer a more comprehensive look at the Bible versus focusing just on a single story or trivia.

6. Create Engaging Visual Presentations

Simply talking or reading from the Bible or a lesson plan isn’t all that engaging. Kids get bored easily. Grab their attention with engaging visual presentations.

You’ve likely created or at least seen a few PowerPoint slideshows. You can create the same things using technology for children’s ministry. And yes, you can use PowerPoint. Or, try a free alternative, such as LibreOffice Impress, Google Slides or Zoho Show. A more interactive option is Prezi, which includes three different tools for visual presentations.

Add images, GIFs, animated text and much more. All this helps bring your message to life. You can even find plenty of images online, both free and premium, to use in your presentations.

7. Provide Online Safety Resources For Families

If you’re going to be using technology for children’s ministry, you need to have resources available to help families understand how to stay safer online. This can be a blog post or dedicated resource on your church website. You can also link to it from social media.

If any kids in your ministry group are using the Internet, you want them to use it safely. You can put together your own guidelines, which is ideal to provide specific safety tips for the specific technology you’re using.

You can also link to other online safety resources. Parents will be grateful for any help you can give them. They might even learn how to keep themselves safer online.

The National Children’s Advocacy Resource has a great collection of Internet safety resources. Parents.com is always updated with the latest online safety news, making it a valuable resource for families and churches. Of course, Norton, the popular anti-virus software, has its own list of tips.

8. Collaborate With Other Children’s Ministry Leaders

The great thing about being a Christian leader is you don’t have to do it alone. Not only can you pray for guidance, but you can connect with other Christian leaders. If you’re trying to improve your children’s ministry program, talk with other ministry leaders.

Find out what’s working for kids of different ages. Learn about new tools and techniques. Ask what types of technology are worth investing in and uncover some free options too.

Don’t think of other church leaders as competition. You’re all there to help each other. After all, by working together, you’re better able to grow your individual churches and reach far more people.

9. Gather Fun Videos To Teach With

We’ve talked about how much people love to watch videos. It’s not just adults who love videos, either. Kids enjoy fun videos too.

Put together Christian videos to help get your message across. Kids are more likely to pay attention to and understand a video better than if you just talked about it. Combine the two and you have kids are more engaged learners.

There are two ways to do this. First, you can create your own videos. This is the hardest method, but if you’re the creative type, it’s definitely fun and worthwhile. You can even get your kids involved. After all, they’ll love seeing themselves in a video. You can even show it during Sunday services to get kids really excited about participating.

The second method involves gathering videos online. If you got a headache just thinking about trying to find kid-friendly content on YouTube, you’re not alone.

However, there are other sources. GodTube is like YouTube, but for faith-based content. You’ll find comedy, inspiration, music, podcasts and more.

RightNow Media offers Bible study videos and content. Your church has to first subscribe and then provide access for kids and adults to watch. There’s content for all ages, including a kids’ section.

You can also treat your kids to a movie. Crossflix is like Netflix, but just for faith-based content. There are all kinds of movies available for all ages.

10. Encourage Kids To Do Research

How often do kids in your children’s ministry come to you to ask about scripture? Encourage kids to do a little research. You can have them use a Bible app or a kid-friendly search engine. The idea is to help teach them how to uncover information and explore their faith even outside of the ministry group.

You can also assign projects for kids to create presentations themselves. They’ll use the research tools you provide to create interactive presentations. Have them team up or let each child do one on their own.

This is a fun way to see how much kids have learned and where they still need guidance. Plus, they’ll just enjoy doing the project.

11. Help Bring Kids Together Online Safely

The Internet isn’t always the safest place, especially for kids. But, by using technology for children’s ministry, you can help bring kids together online safely.

Consider a ministry program specifically for kids and/or parents that follow your church online. You can create social media groups or invite them to join your church website’s members’ only area.

This allows kids from all over the world to meet kids that share the same interest – faith. Often, kids are afraid to say they believe in God simply because their friends don’t feel the same. This gives them a community of like-minded kids, which helps their faith remain strong.

The same holds true for kids attending your church in-person. They might not have many friends their age that are faithful. Providing them with an online haven to connect with others like them, they’re more likely to continue attending church and talking to their unchurched friends about God.

12. Find Craft Ideas

Are you tired of the same old crafts? The kids in your children’s ministry probably are too. Use technology to find creative new craft ideas that kids will love. You could finally stop relying on macaroni and paper plates!

YouTube and Pinterest are crafting goldmines. Plus, you’ll find tips for making the projects easier and more affordably.

You can even list project ideas on your church website so parents can keep their kids busy. Include some type of Bible-related lesson with each project. It’s even better if you list projects parents can help with to bring families closer together.

13. Put Together Interactive Stories

Many children’s Bibles are filled with stories. Often, stories help kids understand the Bible better. Plus, they have colorful illustrations.

Use the same idea to put together interactive stories. You can use a presentation tool like the ones mentioned above.

Use graphics, videos and more to make stories come alive. Create your own stories based on certain scripture or Bible stories. As long as they’re helping kids grow in their faith, be as creative as you want.

Leave spots for kids to get involved. Maybe kids need to get up and dance, answer a question, solve a puzzle or something else. By including interactive elements, kids pay more attention. They’ll also be eager for the next story.

14. Film Skits

Another option to use technology for children’s ministry is to film skits. Many kids love being in plays. Put together short skits that you’ll show during Sunday services. These can be simple 10-minute skits with basic costumes.

For kids who aren’t comfortable in front of the camera, let them help behind the scenes. They can help with costumes, props and even filming.

With so many ways to use technology to engage kids, you’ll have no shortage of ideas to keep your children’s ministry growing. Learn how a church website helps you grow all your ministry programs.

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