RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

We only have a short window of time to teach children about God and His Word.  

From first to fifth grade there are only 260 weekends and with the attendance patterns of your average family, you are only left with 100 - 130 opportunities to help kids get a solid faith foundation.  

What are you going to focus on during those weeks?  

What will your teaching strategy be? 

What key passages of Scripture will you have kids memorize?

I have spent hundreds of hours talking about and brainstorming what we should teach children in their elementary years. With the help of other leaders, we were able to narrow it down to 12 key topics.  Here is what I recommend we teach children in their elementary years. 

Salvation

Identity in Christ

Worship

Spiritual Growth

Obedience to God

The Bible / Apologetics

Purpose

Relationships

Stewardship

Wisdom

Sharing Your Faith

Spiritual Leadership 

I have curriculum series for each of these.  Below is an overview. Each series is 4-5 weeks.  You can get more information about ordering these at these link. They are available monthly or yearly. 

Try out one of these series on a weekend or mid-week program.  There are highly interactive and capture kids' attention.  

More importantly, they teach kids key Biblical truths that they can use for the rest of their life.

I spent the last few days at my mother's bedside.  She had been battling cancer for several years. 

As she was ending her time here on earth, I watched as her breathing became less frequent. 10 seconds between breaths.  Then 20 seconds between breaths.  Then 30 seconds between breaths. After a few minutes, she breathed her last breath and she was gone.

I stood there weeping.  Even though I know she is in heaven, it still hurt deeply and will continue to hurt deeply in the years to come.   

All of us will one day be at the same place my mother was. We will breathe our last breath.  As we move toward that moment, everything else will fade away.  It will become apparent what really matters...our faith and our family and our friends.

My mother left a legacy in her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.  

How does this happen?  I believe it starts by living a life that acknowledges that what we do and how we live matters.  

It also happens when you live your life on purpose...pouring your life into those around you and those who are coming behind you.  

You see...it's not about what you leave for people...it's about what you leave in people.

It's okay to have "stuff."  But in the end, the "stuff" won't matter.

Our car will end up in the junkyard.

Our house will be lived in by someone else.

Our furnishings will be sold or given away.

In light of this...

Pour yourself into your family. 

Pour yourself into people.  

Pour yourself into the next generation.  

Pour yourself into what matters for eternity.  

Pour yourself into your relationship with God. 

Time moves quickly...so make every day count. 

Time moves quickly...so go all out in helping others. 

Time moves quickly...so treat those around you with kindness and thoughtfulness.

Time moves quickly...so help others know Jesus. 

Time moves quickly...so help others grow in their relationship with God.  

Every breath we have is precious.  Determine today that you are going to make every breath count.  

If you don't want to have regrets, then start today.  Now is the time. 

The cemetery where we buried my mother is right across the street from where the funeral was held.  After the service, we walked across the street to the graveside. As we walked through the different grave markers, I noticed the "dashes" between the years people were born and when they died. 

How are you going to live during the "dash?"  Make it count.  It will be all that matters when you take your last breath. 

I normally play short videos while we are waiting to start our children's worship service. 

Some of the most popular videos we play are the ones from a group called Dude Perfect.  

Dude Perfect is an American sports and comedy group with a YouTube channel. They are headquartered in Frisco, Texas.

The group consists of Tyler "The Beard" Toney, "The Twins" Cory and Coby Cotton, Garrett "The Purple Hoser" Hilbert, and Cody "The Tall Guy" Jones, all of whom are former college roommates at Texas A&M University.

Dude Perfect's content predominantly consists of videos depicting various trick shots, stereotypes, and stunts. The group also regularly uploads videos of "battles", in which the individual members of Dude Perfect compete against one another in a good-natured game or contest, often incorporating different sports and a unique set of rules. 

Dude Perfect also created the show Overtime, a series where they host several segments, such as "Wheel Unfortunate", in which a contestant spins a wheel and gets a random penalty, "Cool Not Cool", a show-and-tell-like segment, and "Absurd Recurds", in which the Dudes attempt to break the most absurd world records they can find.  

Dude Perfect currently (2025) has 482 videos on their channel.  They have amassed over 61 million subscribers and over 18.5 billion total views.

Kids like Dude Perfect because the content is entertaining, funny, and age-appropriate.  Their videos are filled with trick shots, challenges, and competitions that are highly entertaining. 

Dude Perfect emphasizes sportsmanship, friendship, and creativity.  Their content is free of violence, swearing, sex, or drugs.  Dude Perfect has built trust with its audience...especially with parents.  Most parents feel comfortable letting their kids watch Dude Perfect because of this.

We can learn a lot from Dude Perfect about connecting with kids.  

What elements of their content can we bring into our teaching and class room experiences? 

Is our programming entertaining?  

Do we bring laughter and giggles into our lessons?

Are our lessons age-appropriate?

Do we use competition in our teaching?

Your turn.

Are you a fan of Dude Perfect?

Do you play their videos for kids in your ministry?

Do you use some of their elements in your classroom experience?

Share your thoughts about Dude Perfect in the comment section below.

In a couple of weeks, our staff will be working on our ministry calendars. Here are 7 tips we will keep in mind as we plan. These are 7 tips you can use to create a strategic ministry calendar.

Plan your calendar with other ministries.  

Get in a room with all ministries represented. Mesh your calendars and make sure you are working together. This is not the time to be a silo.

Planning together will keep you from having two big events planned on the same week, over booking things, etc.  This will help each ministry maximize their calendar dates.

Team work is essential when planning your calendars.  

Prioritize.

What events or programs are essential for your ministry?  Prioritizing your events and programs will help you know what to keep and what to drop if needed.

Think steps. 

Each date on your calendar should be a step toward the ministry goals and vision.  

Ask yourself "what spiritual step will this event help kids take?"

"How is this program going to move the ministry toward the overall vision?" 

Be proactive, not just busy.  

It's easy to fill up your calendar with events and programs.  But your goal should be productivity...not just being busy.

Remember...less is more. 

Focus on doing a few things well. It is a better to do a few things with excellence rather than a long list of things mediocre.

Sometimes the best thing you can put on your calendar is eraser marks.  

Review everything you do before placing it on your calendar.

Ask these questions about what you do. 

Why are we doing this? 

Is this bearing fruit?

Is this helping kids take spiritual steps?

Is this program effective?

Is this a duplicate of something else we are doing?

Is this the best use of our ministry resources?

Consider local school calendars when you plan.

When does school start and end?

When are their sporting events?  

What will be the holiday weekends? 

Coordinating your events and programs with local school calendars will help you maximize the events and programs you do.

Work a year out.  

By July of this year (2025),  I will have all of my 2026 ministry calendar done.  I like to work at least a year out.  This is very helpful when you are inviting guest speakers, starting new programs, and setting timelines for big events.

Your turn. What are some other things to keep in mind when creating your calendar? Share your thoughts and insight with us in the comment section below.