RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

I am a big fan of Disney.  I had season passes to Disney World when I lived in Florida and I even wrote a book entitled "If Disney Ran Your Children's Ministry."

Over the years, I have gleaned much from Disney's approach to engaging kids and families.  

Walt built Disney on the values of faith, family, and virtue. An example of this is the movie "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."  He released the movie in 1937. It contained themes about good triumphing over evil, love, and redemption.  It was a huge success and helped launch the Disney empire.

Walt said this - "The important thing is the family. If you can keep the family together—that’s the backbone of our whole business, catering to families—that’s what we hope to do."

But over the years, Disney has drifted away from their primary focus of families and family values. Here are a few of the articles I have written about this.

Disney Night of Joy was cancelled while Pride Nite was invited in

Same Sex Kiss in Disney Movie

Disney Intros Gay Character in Beauty and the Beast 

But it seems the ship may be turning. For the first time in 20 years, Disney has introduced an openly Christian character in their new animated series "Win or Lose" on Disney+. Her name is Laurie, and in one scene, she prays: "Dear Heavenly Father, please give me strength. I have faith, but sometimes the doubt creeps in." 

The entrance of Josh D'Amaro as Disney's new CEO also seems to bring hope of a return to family values.  He is leading Disney to distance itself from corporate policies tied to inclusive language and identity-related debates. 

Over the years, several of the experiences inside Disney parks had began replacing traditional expressions like "ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls" with neutral expressions such as "dreamers of all ages" or "friends." D'Amaro is leading the way back to the traditional expressions.

For years, Disney has produced progressive content and diversity-focused messaging. But there appears to be a clear effort to reduce the perception that Disney operates as a politically activist company.

Here are some more examples of moving back toward family values.

Disney branded television has been rebranded as Disney Kids & Family, streamlining its identity to better reflect its focus on children and families. The division now oversees Disney+, Disney Junior, Disney Channel, and other family-targeted content Inside the Magic.

They have shelved DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) initiatives linked to “inclusion” and “diversity” roles, eliminating around 1,000 positions. This includes stopping the deconstruction of classic fairy tales for “correct” identity politics messaging.

Disney has also begun reinstating traditional values in its parks and studios, reversing some of the more controversial changes made after 2020. This includes restoring classic attractions, addressing backlash over perceived political overreach, and aiming to rebuild trust with long-time fans.

What do you think about this shift? Are you a fan of Disney? Why or why not?  Would like to hear your thoughts in the comment section below. 

Today’s kids are growing up in an experience-driven culture. They eat in restaurants such as The Rainforest Café and Chuck E. Cheese, where a meal is not just about food, it’s about the whole themed experience. 

They experience rides at amusement parks that put them right in the middle of an unfolding, experiential story. 

They play video games that let them experience new worlds and adventures. The computer and smart phone have become a portal to unlimited experiences through virtual worlds, games, and online communities.

Let’s be real. We can’t compete. We’ll never have the resources to match what kids experience on a daily basis outside of church. But we can still create service experiences where kids encounter God and his truth in memorable ways.

How? It’s not as hard as you may think. Let’s start from scratch.

Get a creative team together. 

It can be made up of anywhere from three to six people.

Decide what Scripture / Biblical truth you are going to teach. 

Decide how you’re going to “package” or “theme” the Scripture.  The packaging or theme should be something culturally relevant to a child’s world.

Begin tossing out ideas and writing them down. 

Even if an idea is not used, it will spark other ideas. Many times the craziest idea will be the seed that brings a great plan to fruition. Normally, when you hit gold everyone will know it. Everyone’s eyes will light up when the idea is mentioned. It will just click.

Create your large-group experience. We use the large-group/small-group model. Here are the steps we follow to create a large-group experience.

Choose a worship song that reinforces the truth. Worship is a key element in helping kids experience God’s presence. The Bible tells us that God inhabits the praises of his people.

Use skits to reinforce the truth. Use skits that involve real-life scenarios that kids face so they can see the truth lived out. Skits can be done live or by video.

Use games that illustrate the truth. The first game should be high-energy, fun, and even messy. The second game can be more tame and can be a review tool.

Use a large-group lesson based on the truth or Bible story. 

Make it fun and interactive. 

Use stories to illustrate the truth. 

Personal stories from your own life are great. Also be sure to use lots of visuals such as pictures and video clips.

Create your small-group experience. 

The kids have been sitting in large-group time. They have been participating, but maybe in a limited way. Small-group time makes the whole experience complete. Here are some tips for small-group time.

Make it interactive. 

Kids want to talk. They want to be heard and known. So let them talk away. Use icebreaker questions and activities to get kids talking. Ask guided, open-ended questions that will get kids interacting.

Involve kids in the learning process. 

Use crafts, activities, and games that get kids moving, participating, and having fun as they learn.

Include Scripture. 

Go over the key Bible verse with kids. 

Use fun games and methods to help them remember it and understand its meaning.

Make it applicable. 

Talk about real-life situations kids might face where they could apply what they’ve learned. Then create a specific challenge for the coming week where they can live out that truth.

Pray. 

Let kids share prayer requests and spend a few minutes praying with them for those needs. Rely on the Holy Spirit to move in kids’ hearts so they can enjoy the greatest experience of all—God’s presence.

You can get more great ideas to grow your children's ministry in the book "100 Best Ways to Grow Your Children's Ministry. It is available at this link.

There is something I do at the conclusion of every volunteer huddle that I lead. 

p.s. When I say huddle, I am referring to a brief meeting with your team right before they start serving. 

Here it is. I have everyone stack hands and we break it out with a cheer. 

Here are some of the breakout cheers that we do. 

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit...Jesus! 

1...2...3...Rock Bridge Kids! (sub the name of your ministry there)

1...2...3...Jesus!

1...2...3...Reaching Kids and Families! 

This simple little step is very valuable. Here's why. 

It brings unity to your team. 

There is something that doing a cheer together does...it binds you together as a team. Unity is key to having a successful ministry. Breaking it out with a cheer says we are one unified team.

It brings energy and enthusiasm to your team.

Energy and enthusiasm are important in children's ministry. I have found that when you don't break it out at the end of a team meeting that you risk ending the meeting with a blah.  That's not what you want them feeling as they start serving. 

Here's the deal. As the leader...you must be a thermostat and not a thermometer. The difference...a thermometer measures the temperature...a thermostat controls the temperature.  One of the most important times you need to be a thermostat is at the end of your team meeting. 

Breaking out your meeting with a cheer will immediately bring a spark of enthusiasm. You will see smiles and you will feel the temperature rise. 

It helps everyone focus on the mission and reminds them of why we do what we do.

It's easy for volunteers to forget why they are serving. You can't just rely on casting vision once in awhile. Why?  Because vision leaks...and quickly I might add. 

Breaking it out with a cheer each week will help everyone focus on the mission and the part they play in fulfilling the mission.

So there you have it. One very important thing I do at the end of every volunteer meeting. 

If you're not doing this...give it a try. You will be amazed at what it does for your team.  

Need more volunteers for your ministry? 

I do. 

I'm sure you do as well. 

So...where are you going to find them?

Here are 5 key places where you can find new volunteers.

In the back of the auditorium /worship center.

Often people who are not connected will set in the back of the auditorium by themselves.

This past weekend, I went into the auditorium between services.  I noticed a young man sitting by himself in the back. I felt the gentle whisper of the Holy Spirit say, "go talk with him...he wants to serve."

I went up to him and introduced myself.  I found out he is a bio-chemist. After making small talk for a few minutes, I asked him if he was serving anywhere. 

"No....but I've been thinking about it."

"I'd love to have you serve alongside me in children's ministry."

"Yes...that would be amazing...I'd like to serve with you."

He is joining our team and will start serving in the next week or so.

New Member's Class 

If your church has a class that people go through to join the church, it's a great place to find new volunteers.  Ask the people who lead the class, if you can come in and share about opportunities to serve in children's ministry.

Guest Reception

Does your church have a place where guests can go to meet the pastor, staff, etc. after their first visit? This is a great place to meet new people and share the vision of children's ministry. 

Here's a real life example of this. One Sunday, I went to the guest reception that was held after the worship service. When I walked into the guest reception, I saw a young lady sitting by herself. The Holy Spirit nudged me to go and talk with her. I did so.  Long story short, she started serving in our children''s ministry at that campus. She is now the children''s pastor at the church's largest campus. 

Bible study classes for adults.

Does your church have traditional Sunday School classes for adults?  Or maybe you have small groups for adults that meet during the week? 

These classes and groups are another great place to find volunteers. Connect with the leaders and ask if you can come in and share the vision of serving in children's ministry. 

Student ministry. 

Do you have students serving in your children's ministry?

Students make great children's ministry volunteers.  While you need adults serving in your children's ministry, it is also beneficial to have students serving alongside of them. Kids look up to students and so students can make a big impact in the life of kids. 

Connect with your student pastor and ask to get in front of the students to share the vision of serving in children's ministry. Students are normally enthusiastic about serving in children's ministry. 

All of these places have something in common.  Do you know what it is?  

All of these places are outside of children's ministry. This means you need to get freed up so you can go to these places. It is hard to build a volunteer team if you are stuck there and can't get out to meet people. 

Do you have a copy of "The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams?" It is packed full of proven ideas that you can use to build your children's ministry.  You can get your copy at this link. 

I believe building your volunteer team is the most important thing you do in children's ministry. Get out there and see what God does. 

We often complain about a lack of volunteers. But the Bible reminds us that "we have not because we ask not."  How many people are you asking to serve each week?  Don't complain about a lack volunteers, if you are not asking people to serve.  

You got this. Get to these 5 places and you will see God begin to grow your volunteer team.