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Sing, For Heaven's Sake! - KidsWorks Kronicle issue no. 001
"...I believe singing is a medium that transports us out of our mundane existence. Remember Disney’s Cinderella, singing at the top of her lovely lungs while going about her tedious chores? When you sing, you can worship the Lord with your mind, body and spirit even while you are scrubbing a filthy kitchen floor. How many things can you say that about...?" click to download
Praise Vs. Performance - KidsWorks Kronicle issue no. 002
"...Performing has the connotation of bringing attention to ones self, not giving full glory & honor to God, the Giver of the talent, ability, and music itself. Many churches must grapple with this issue, as much of what we do on the platform has a “show-like” quality: rehearsals, sound checks, selecting the best singers... Where does the performance end... and the praise begin...?" click to download
Where Seldom Is Heard An Encouraging Word - KidsWorks Kronicle issue no. 003
"...We are ambassadors of Jesus Christ, and we are to be filled with the Holy Spirit, who is also called the “encourager.” Paul says in his first letter to the Thessalonians, “And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.” Admonish, encourage, help & be patient... Convicting stuff..." click to download
The Accidental Psalmist - KidsWorks Kronicle issue no. 004
"...my journal has become one of my most prized possessions. Not that I’m religious about writing in it... unlike my daily need for chocolate... mostly pouring out my troubles into words. I usually start with my current laments & prayer requests, laced with a little whining. By the end of the entry, however, something miraculous happens: it turns into praise & thanksgiving..." click to download
The Significance Of Sparrows - KidsWorks Kronicle issue no. 005
"...Look at Jesus, pressed on all sides by people all vying for His attention, including children. What did His disciples say? “Hey, kids, get out of here! the Master has more important business to attend to!” (my paraphrase). But what did Jesus say? “Let the children come, don’t keep them away from me! God’s kingdom is made up of people like these.” Then He laid hands on them, and blessed them... and I bet they played a little hide-n-seek..." click to download
W. O. R. S. H. I. P. - KidsWorks Kronicle issue no. 006
"...Think about the God of the universe, the one who gave us our very lives, our families, good food, shelter, puppies, and on and on and on... How do we respond to Him? Any way that we tell Him “thank you! thank you! thank you! you’re the best!” is an act of worship, whether it’s obedience, witnessing, singing, dancing... Just about anything..." click to download
Target Practice - KidsWorks Kronicle issue no. 007
"...Every church, every ministry needs a focus, a target if you will. Without a statement of purpose and clear vision, ministries can get bogged down and disorganized... a frustrating mess! The early church was a well-oiled machine. People who were in need had their needs met, and there was peace and harmony. Their purpose was simple and clear: To know Christ and make Him known to the world. They had their target smack-dab in the middle of the CROSS-hairs (pun intended)..." click to download
Scattering Seeds - KidsWorks Kronicle issue no. 008
"...Psalm 62:5 says: “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him.” We can really get wrapped up in our own idea of how things “should” be done for the Lord, but sometimes He has other plans in mind. We may never know why stuff doesn’t work; maybe simply to keep us humble and fully relying on God. But as I’ve quoted before: plan like things depend on you, but pray knowing things really depend on Him..." click to download
Pain's Perfect Purpose - KidsWorks Kronicle issue no. 009
"...I have learned through my journey of faith, which is one step forward and two steps back at times, that the answer is always in the hands of our loving and awesome God, who knows the plans He has for us, plans for a hope and a future... (do I hear an AMEN?). He has the ability to heal me with a lift of His little finger, but at this point He has chosen not to... God will use this, as He uses all things, to bring about His perfect plan for me, my ministry, and all those around me..." click to download
Time Marches Crunches On - KidsWorks Kronicle issue no. 010
"...Our God, though unfettered by the boundaries of time, understands when it’s crunch time for us, and often makes us wait until the 11th hour, bringing us to our knees. When it’s 11:59 and we think it’s hopeless, help arrives in the nick of time. A phone call cancels that one thing we could never have fit in... out of the blue someone takes something off of our heaping plate... a co-worker walks in and asks if we could use a little help. ..." click to download
Children's Choir 101 - KidsWorks Kronicle issue no. 011
"...I ask you this: How many other opportunities are there for kids to BE MINISTERS? How many relatives and friends would never darken the door of a church but would come to hear little Johnny or Suzy sing? What better way for children learn to worship our awesome God than through music? With all the programs available to kids, shouldn’t they have one which enriches them spiritually and gives them the chance to praise God as a team, training them for a lifetime of worship...?" click to download
This Year's Theme: "God Esteem" - KidsWorks Kronicle issue no. 014
"...If we realize that we can have God-Esteem, and this ministry is for the glory of our audience of ONE, the Almighty, Trustworthy, Unfailing, Perfect, Unfathomably Wonderful God, then worrying is just silly. God will be glorified through our efforts, and that, my friends, is something to get excited about...!" click to download
How Do You Do Choir? - KidsWorks Kronicle issue no. 015
"...it’s important in ministry (especially children’s ministry) to be growing, learning and forever teachable. Status quo should never be enough! Now here’s a thought: what if we help each other out? Iron sharpening iron, as it were. We are all one body, all on the same team, and it would be great to do something mutually beneficial for each other...!" click to download
A Change Would Do You Good - KidsWorks Kronicle issue no. 016
"...we feel the need to constantly revamp and pump out fresh ideas to retain the children’s interest. The truth is, the interests of children have changed drastically over the decades, so when you finally find a teaching method that works, you’d better head back to the “drawing board,” because the kids will soon be just that: BORED....!" click to download
Spiritual Renewal
& Resources
for children’s ministers
& kid’s choir directors
Notes of encouragement written by Sharon K. Turney. Click on a title below to read the entire Kronicle.
Deck The Malls - KidsWorks Kronicle issue no. 012
"...For ten years of my early adulthood, I worked at JCPenney, creating displays and dressing mannequins. Oh, the stories I could tell! Retail can be a zoo, but there are three important lessons that JCPenney taught me: 1. There are no problems, only opportunities; 2. Management status can make the nicest people into tyrants; 3. Christmas starts in October..." click to download
Red Light, “Stop.” Green Light, “Go.” Yellow Light, "Go Very Fast?” - KidsWorks Kronicle issue no. 013
"...There are seasons, especially in ministry, where we truly jump the gun, bite off more than we can chew, and move forward when we really should wait. We have misplaced expectations of what God is going to do, so we forge ahead before He gives us the green light. This can lead to discouragement, disillusionment, disappointment, and lots of other “dis” words..." click to download
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