Your Role in Leading Kids to Christ

The most important thing we do is leading kids to Jesus.  It should be our #1 priority.  

We should not take this lightly.  Eternity is at stake.     

As children's ministry leaders, there are some key roles you should be in with regards to leading kids to Christ.  

Role #1 - faithfully and consistently share the Gospel with kids.  In classrooms.  In chapel.  In children's services.  At retreats.  In small groups.  In prayer time and devotionals.  

John 3:16 encapsulates the entire Bible.  "For God so loved the world" should weave its way into every lesson you teach.

#2 role - Host a class about salvation for kids and their parents.  When a child asks about inviting Jesus into their life, ask them to attend a salvation class with their parents.  This strategy can be very effective. In my last year of ministry at a local church, we baptized over 460 kids in one year.  Every single child had been through our salvation class for kids.  The class is available to you at this link.

#3 role - Partner with parents.  When possible, place tools in parents' hands that they can use to lead their child to Jesus.  One of parents' greatest joys is to lead their children to Jesus.  Don't take this role away from them (this applies to children and their parents who attend church faithfully).  The class we mentioned above can be one of the biggest ways you can partner with parents when God is at work in their child's life.  

#4 role - Be a guide.  We must remember that our role is to be a guide.  We cannot save anyone.  That job has already been taken by Jesus.  As a guide, our role is not to be pushing a child from behind into making a decision.  While there is no certain age for a child to accept Jesus, we can know certain signs to watch for.  If a child continues to come to you about making a decision for Christ, that is a sign that God is working in their life.  But let God do the work...don't force it.  

As a guide, our role is also not to hold kids back.  I have seen leaders and parents tell kids they are not ready to enter a relationship with Jesus because they are "too young."  I would say this...most of the time kids begin to be ready at the age of 7-8 years old.  At this age, they begin to understand abstract concepts.  But again, each child is different.  

Our role is not to push a child into a decision nor is it to hold them back.  Our role is to simply walk beside them, so to speak.  As we walk with them, we share the Gospel with them.  As we do this, God will draw them to Himself. 

This is your role.  Step into it and let God use you to reach many, many kids and parents with the Gospel.

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What's Your Cause?

I was thinking about David this week.  Here's this young kid, taking care of the family sheep herds.  The last person you would think about sending to battle against a huge man named Goliath. 

The reason David was willing to go to battle against Goliath was one simple thing:  HE HAD A CAUSE.  

Look what he says in I Samuel 17:29.

"David said, "What have I now done? Is there not a cause?"

David had a cause.  He wanted to silence the mouths of those who constantly ridiculed his heavenly Father.  He wanted to bring honor and glory to God.  

His cause was greater than his fear.  He appears to be fear free, but I can promise you that he was nervous.  

You know the rush that comes when a football team runs onto the field at game time?  That's probably the feeling he had as he walked toward the battle field.  If your cause is not big enough to make your knees shake, then you need to get a bigger cause.

Your cause may seem unattainable.  It may seem overwhelming at times.  It may leave you thinking, 

"Why did I start doing this?" 

"I feel overwhelmed.  It's too big a task for me."

"There's no way I can meet that goal?"

All of these doubts and fears can be overcome when you have Jesus guiding you.  He will work through you to accomplish the cause if you invite Him to help.  

Especially when your cause lines up His cause.  What is His biggest cause?  It tells us in Luke 19:10.

 "The Son of man came to see and save that which was lost."

When your cause becomes reaching people far from God, you can be sure that this is Jesus' cause as well.

"As ministers, we shouldn’t talk because we have to say something but because we have something to say."

Remember to praise God for what He has done in the past.  David reminded them that God had helped him kill a lion and a bear while watching over the sheep.  God had been faithful and the same God would be with Him that day.

If you want to live in victory, you too must have a divine cause. You must discover God's high purpose for your life and pursue it with a fervency of heart that inspires you to value the things of God even more than your own self-interest.   

Do you have a cause?

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Free Giveaway - New Worship Album for Kids

Yes,  you read the title correctly.  We are giving away a full album of our new worship music songs for kids. ($39.00 value).

12 songs total 

lyric videos for each song

with and without vocals

song motions.

written with today's kids' music styles

Below are a few songs from the album. If you can't see the songs in your email, you can click here to access them. 

All you need to do to enter the drawing is to email me at dale@buildingchildrensministry.com.

I'll randomly pick someone (close eyes and draw a name - ha) and then announce the winner here, next Tuesday.

Or if you don't want to wait - here is the link where you can get all of the songs now.  When you buy the entire album,  you are getting the video worship songs for only a little over $3.00 each.  Compare that to most worship videos for kids that cost anywhere from $10-15 dollars each.

But I've got to warn you.  These songs are written to get stuck in your head.  After listening to them, I find myself humming the songs all during the day.  And that's a good thing. We want the truths of these songs to get stuck in kids' heads so they'll remember them for the rest of their lives.

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10 Questions To Ask When Hiring a Children's Ministry Director

This past weekend I was consulting with a church that is hiring a children's director. 

I was helping them conduct interviews with the people who had applied for the position. 

I have a list of questions that I asked the candidates.  Thought I would share the questions with you.  

These questions can also be used with a volunteer who is stepping up to assume more leadership responsibility as a volunteer. 

 1. Can you tell me about your relationship with Jesus?  When did you enter a relationship with Him?  What do you do to grow in your faith?

 2. Why are you applying for this position?  What drew you to this?  Why do you want to be a children's director?

 3. What are your strengths?  What comes easy for you?

 4. What are some things you are working on to get better at?

 5. What are 3 goals you would set and try to accomplish in your first year?

6.  Can you tell me about a time when there was conflict in a previous job and how you handled it?

7. Children's ministry is about the volunteers who make the ministry happen just as much as about the kids who are part of it. How would you build and equip a volunteer team?  What experience do you have leading adults?

8. How would you partner with parents and equip them to disciple their children?

9. Have you taken a personality test?  If yes, what were the results?  If you haven't would you be willing to take one?

10. What have I not asked you that I should ask you?  

The children's ministry director is one of the most critical hires you can make.  Get the right person and they can help the children's ministry become a major growth engine for the church.  

And think about this.  No one, besides the Pastor, has more contact and influence with the people in your church.  The children's director ministers to babies, preschoolers, elementary, pre-teens, students who serve, adults who serve, parents and grandparents.

This is not an exhaustive list of questions.  What are some other questions you ask potential hires?  Share your thoughts and insight with us in the comment section below.

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