Using Puppets to Minister to Children
Christian children’s ministries are able to make excellent use of puppets to entertain children while educating them as well. There are plenty of challenges that children’s ministry workers will face on a constant basis, and using puppets in this way can help to meet the many of the challenges and come out successful.
If you are uncertain about using puppets in your ministry or if you are wondering how they can really benefit you and the children, here is a look at some reasons why you should consider using puppets in your ministry.
Entertainment
Although the priority of children’s ministry (or any type of ministry for that matter) is not to have fun, it is important to the children and it makes them more receptive to the messages that they are receiving.
While most ministry leaders like puppets because they make the messages more effective, kids see them as a fun activity and they may not even realize that they are learning a lot during the presentations because they are more interested in the fun factor. Finding ways to allow kids to have fun while learning is critical.
Educational
Yes, puppets are fun for the kids, but they also allow ministry leaders to teach and communicate in a more effective way. Because the kids are entertained and engaged they are more receptive to the messages that are being presented.
Retained Messages
Kids not only learn a lot through an effective puppet presentation, but they also remember that message very well. The lessons that are taught through puppet ministry are often remembered by the kids months and years down the road, in part because they are so open to what they are experiencing during the puppet show.
Gets People Involved
It takes many people to pull off a successful puppet ministry. While this can be a deterrent to getting started, it can actually be a blessing in disguise because it allows so many new people to get involved in the ministry and in the lives of the children.
In effort to find the needed volunteers, many churches turn to a youth group or teens. Teens are more than capable of working with the puppets and it can be an excellent way to involve them and encourage them to serve in the ministry.
Versatile
One of the great benefits to puppets is that they can be used to minister to children in just about any setting. Whether it is a formal church service or an informal gathering, puppets are appropriate, useful, and appreciated by the kids.
Financial Investment is not Necessary
Tight budgets are common for most ministries and churches. Fortunately, puppets can be made from just about anything (with a little creativity) and the need for financial investment is minimal. Pretty much everything you need can be made from things that you have lying around.
Of course, you can always spend the money on puppets, a stage and scripts if it is available, but this is not a requirement to get a puppet ministry off the ground.
Plenty of Scripts
If you have been hesitating to start a puppet ministry because you have no idea how you would write scripts or skits, don’t worry, there are plenty available. You can easily buy inexpensive scripts and books of skits, or you can find some that are freely available for your use.
CCES has produced a book of 15 quality puppet scripts that can be purchased and downloaded online. There are also some free scripts that are available on the site as well -Puppet skits from CCES
Related posts:
- Getting Started With Puppets As my friend and I put the finishing touches on...
- Come to Life, Little Puppet! As I looked at Eric and Joey, they did not...
- Children\’s Search Curriculum: Make Children Absorb God\’s Words Children's church curriculum is essential for over all development of...
- A Model for Christian Puppet Ministries Puppets capture the attention of children. Regardless of what you...
- How to Adapt a Puppet Skit for a Specific Audience At the start of my puppetry career, I bought a...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Leave a Reply