One of my favorite books is Children's Letters to God by Stuart Hample and Eric Marshall. One letter is a request from Ginny, who asks God to create a new holiday to fill the void between Christmas and Easter. Her reason is simple: "There is nothing good in there now." Anyone who lives in Chicago from January to April whole-heartedly shares that sentiment. It's generally cold, windy, and gray—and that's on the nice days.

To add some heat to this meteorologically challenged stretch on the calendar, Promiseland (our children's ministry) lavishes special thanks on our volunteers one weekend each February or March. The kids throw parties for their small group leaders, we bring in food for each service, and we even ask parents to join the festivities. Although this happens at our church during winter months, November's reputation as a month with focus on thanks makes it a very viable option, too. One year we alerted the whole church about the festivities through an article in the weekend printed program, describing reasons why children appreciate volunteers. Here's a copy:

Sometimes it can be so refreshing to hear a child's perspective! Can you imagine how honored the people felt who put the "Goldfishies" in cups each week? And they thought no one noticed!

This month, show your volunteers that what they do is indeed noticed—and makes a difference in kids' lives. Using children's words is just one way to tell people you appreciate them. Regardless of how you say it, you might provide the most meaningful "thanks" they receive.

Adapted from Making Your Children's Ministry the Best Hour of Every Kid's Week by Sue Miller with David Staal, Zondervan Publishing, 2004.

Copyright © 2005 Promiseland.

Read more from 'Leadership'

Words Kids Need to Hear To Help Them Be Who God Made Them to Be by David Staal If you could choose just seven statements to share with children, what would they be? Each chapter in this compelling book focuses on a single statement elementary-age kids need to hear from parents, children's workers, and other close adults. These seven statements are simple to share, yet guaranteed to profoundly impact children. They are: I believe in you. You can count on me. I treasure you. I'm sorry, please forgive me. Because. No. I love you. will educate, equip, and motivate parents and children's ministry teams to carefully choose words that building up kids' hearts, to say them frequently, and to do so in creative ways. What children hear from trusted adults significantly influences their self-image, their current relationships, and future relationships—including that all-important relationship with God.