RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Do you have a program that you've been thinking about stopping?  

Should you stop it or continue it? 

That can be a challenging decision to make.  

Before you make the decision, take some time to think it through.

Here are 10 reasons why you should stop a program. This should be a help as you ponder stopping or continuing.

Lack of volunteers.

You obviously need volunteers to run a ministry program.  Is the program in question suffering from a lack of volunteers? If the program is causing volunteers to be spread thin across multiple programs, then it might be time to refocus your volunteers into less programs.

Lack of attendance.  

People vote with their feet. If attendance is in significant decline, it might be time to stop doing it. 

Doing a program just because you've always done it that way.

It can be hard to break away from the past. But you must if the past is hindering the future.  It's easy to get stuck in a rut and continuing to run a program just because you always have.  

Honor the past, but keep your eyes on the future.  If you keep doing what you've always done, you'll always get the same results.   

Is future growth and success being held back because you're more concerned about the past than you are the future?  

You are continuing to do the program just to keep a small group of people happy.

It is not always easy to stop a program.  Normally there will be a small group of people who are more invested in the specific program than they are in the overall vision of the ministry. 

But sometimes you have to make the tough decision to stop a program even though some people are going to get upset. 

Don't let the guardians of the past stop you from moving the ministry forward.

Lack of budget funding.

Are you spending money on a program that needs to be redirected into another ministry that has more potential?  

Being a good steward means using the money God has entrusted you with wisely.  The wise decision may be redirecting the funding to a ministry that has more potential.

Lack of fruit. 

I call this the blank piece of paper test.  Whatever the program or event is...a year later can you write down the names of families that have been reached and discipled because of it?  If you can't....then why are you continuing to try and perpetuate the program or event?

You often hear someone say, "Yeah...it wasn't what we expected...but if just one child comes to Jesus then it was worth it.  Yes...I believe that...but don't try to justify continuing a program that is not bearing fruit with that mindset.

Conflicts with other programs. 

Do you have multiple programs that are causing families to have to make choices?  Are you doing programs that are conflicting with other programs in the church?  Consider working with the other ministries in your church and streamlining your programs to fit the big picture.  Families will appreciate it.

The program is not helping disciple children. 

Does the program have discipleship components in it?  

Does it have steps kids can take to grow in their faith? 

If it's not helping kids come to Christ and grow in their faith, then why are you doing it?

The program is not helping fulfill the overall vision of the church.

What is the overall vision of your church?  

If a program is not helping fuel the overall vision, then consider stopping it. Alignment is so important.  

Kids are saying it is boring.

If children say a program is boring...guess what...it probably is.  Consider asking kids on a regular basis if they like your current programs.  They are your target audience and their feedback is important. 

So there you have it.  Many of you who are reading this are currently trying to decide about a program. Should you stop it? Should you keep doing it? Should you revamp it?  

Think through these 10 points as you make your decision.

One last thought...remember this...sometimes less is more. It might be more effective for you to do a few programs with excellence than doing a larger number of programs with mediocrity. 

It is a wonderful experience to see a child come to Jesus as their Savior and then follow Him in baptism.

It is vital for your children's ministry to have a clear strategy to share the Gospel with children and then to help them take the next step of baptism. 

I created two resources for this which hundreds of churches across the country use. 

Starting Point Salvation Class and Baptism for Kids Class. These two classes help children understand what it means to invite Jesus into their life and then follow Him in baptism.

I have been sharing the Gospel with kids for over 35 years and have seen thousands of kids come to Jesus and then follow Him in baptism.  

But for many of these years, I have been thinking about this question.

After a child comes to Jesus, how can I help them grow in their faith and get a solid foundation of discipleship?  

This lead me to create a new resource called "A Great Start."  A "Great Start" is a 30 day devotional for kids that will ground them in the faith and set them up for a lifetime of following Jesus.  It covers key topics of doctrine, spiritual disciplines, Biblical history, and much more.  You can order it here.

It is crucial that we take kids on a deeper faith journey.  I have shared in recent articles, how kids are growing up and walking away from the faith.  Over 75% of non-believers grew up in the church. I believe a big reason is because we don't have a strategy to help kids grow in their faith after they are baptized.

What ends up happening is kids grow up with a shallow faith that evaporates when they are questioned about why they believe what they believe.  They are faced with the hard questions and have no answer. We must teach them apologetics and help them get the right answers to the hard questions before they get the wrong answers from the world.

I talk about this in my book "Fertile Soil...See Kids' Faith Grow and Flourish for a Lifetime."  

If we are going to see kids have a faith that will last a lifetime, then we must give them a solid foundation to build upon. We must be ready to equip kids and give them a blue print that they can use to be grounded in the faith.  

We also know if kids are going to follow Jesus for a lifetime, they must have a growing relationship with Him. I was very intentional in this resource about doing this. A big emphasis is placed on how to grow closer to Jesus by spending time with Him. The more time you spend with someone, the better you will know them.  In this resource, kids are taught how to read their Bible and spend personal time with Jesus. This is the key that will help them follow Jesus long after the 30 days of devotions are finished. 

So...what should come after a child's baptism?  An intentional strategy to ground them in the faith and take them to deeper level of growth.  If that's what you are looking for, then I want to encourage you to connect them with this resource. 

Time is short.  The kids you are ministering to will be graduating from high school before you can blink. Make every week count as you invest in them and disciple them.

Once kids invite Jesus into their life, it is vital that we help disciple them.

 "A Great Start" is a great new discipleship tool to help kids grow and thrive in their faith. Can be used at home and at church.

A Great Start helps ground kids in their faith and learn crucial truths that will help them grow spiritually. Devos include teaching kids about these essential parts of the faith.

Lessons are ready to download and copy. The price includes a downloadable booklet so you can make unlimited copies for life.

A parent / teacher booklet is also included that will help you guide children through this discipleship tool.  

The devos are fun and interactive so kids love doing them.

Lessons come as a downloadable pdf and as a word document that allows you to edit lessons to fit your church if needed.

You can get more info. and order this resource at this link. 

I am a Disney fan.  I don't agree with all of their decisions. They don't claim to be a Christian company.  But they are experts at connecting with families. 

Over 38 million people will walk into a Disney park this year.  The vast majority will be kids and their parents. 

Disney has recently made a couple of adjustments in its film production that has me smiling. 

Disney is introducing an openly Christian character into its upcoming show Win or Lose.  This is shortly after they dropped a transgender story line.

Following raging culture wars over such issues as LGBTQ+ rights and diversity, equity and inclusion, Disney appears to be tempering its approach towards inclusion.

The Win or Lose series is Pixar's first-ever original long-form animated series. It follows the Pickles, a co-ed middle school softball team, throughout the week as they prepare for their upcoming championship game.

Each episode focuses on a different character and their life off the field, including "the insecure kids, their helicopter parents" and "even a lovesick umpire." It premiered on Disney+ on February 19, 2025.

Does this mean there will be more major shifts and adjustments toward more conservative content at Disney?  That remains to be seen, but this most recent adjustment is a good start.

Have you read my best selling book "If Disney Ran Your Children's Ministry?"  You can get your copy today at this link.

What are your thoughts about this recent adjustment by Disney?  Are you encouraged?  Cautious?  Excited?  Share your thoughts and insights in the comment section below.