RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

This past weekend, I was sitting at a table with some families in our church.

Two of the families shared with me that they are at our church because of the children's ministry. Their children had a great experience and waned to come back.

I have seen this happen hundreds of times. A family is reached through their children.  

We see this in Scripture as well. Think with me about how many parents came to Jesus because of their children. Their connection with Jesus was because they needed something for their children. Healing? Brought back to life? A blessing and prayer from Jesus?

Growing, vibrant churches have growing, vibrant children's ministries...without exception. Take a look the fastest growing churches in America and you will see they have great children's ministries.

We know the top two reasons why people come to a church and stay. People are friendly and their children like the church. 

If children's ministry is not a priority at your church, I would encourage you to share this article with your pastor. This might be the tipping point for your Pastor to get on board with making children's ministry a priority.

If children's ministry is a priority at your church, this article can be a reminder of the investment you are making in the next generation.

Here are a few things we are doing to reach parents through our children's ministry.  

Milestone Experiences.  

These are shared experiences where you celebrate with families. An example would be parent and child dedication. You can see more about at this link.

Salvation and baptism. 

Instead of praying with kids for salvation apart from their parents, involve parents and let them lead their child to Christ.  You can see more at this link. 

Extending the lessons to the home.

This can be done with take home papers, texting, and social media platforms.

VBS Family night. 

Make the last night of your VBS a family night. Have a large group time where you share the Gospel with kids and their parents. Give parents the opportunity to respond to the Gospel message.

Remember this...

When you reach a child, you change a life. When you reach parents, you change an entire family.

2027 is fast approaching and it presents an opportunity for your KidMin to make a difference in the lives of kids and families. But it won't happen without strategic focus. What should you focus on in 2027? What should you do with the resources God has entrusted your ministry with? 

If you want to make an impact, here are 5 things to focus on in 2027. Focus on these and you will experience growth personally and in the ministry.

If you haven't done so, it's time to plan out your 2027 calendar. 

Your ministry calendar shows what is important to you. 

Your ministry calendar reveals your strategy.

Your ministry calendar makes your priorities clear. 

Your ministry calendar shows what you spend your time focusing on. 

Here's an inside look at the children's ministry calendar at the church where I serve as director.

January 

• 6 - First Wednesday Worship for Kids 
• 12 - Children's Ministry Staff Retreat
• 23 - Volunteer Training Event
• 31 - Bring a Friend to Church Sunday

February

• 3 - Parenting Seminar
• First Wednesday Worship for Kids  
• 7 - Starting Point Salvation Class
• 21 - Baptism Milestone Class
• 28 - Parent & Child Dedication Class 

March 

• 3 - First Wednesday Worship for Kids 
• 7 - Parent & Child Dedication Milestone
• 16 - VBS Preview Day
• 28 - Easter (stand alone Easter Lesson)

April 

• 4 - VBS Soft Launch
• 4 - Starting Point Salvation Class
• 7 - First Wednesday Worship for Kids  
• 18 - Bible Celebration Milestone
• 25 - Baptism Milestone Class

May 

• 4 - First Wednesday Worship for Kids 
• 16 - 5th Grade Graduation Milestone
• 30 - Bring a Friend to Church Sunday 

June

• 2 - First Wednesday Worship for Kids  
• 6 to 9th VBS (9th is Family Night)
• 13 - Starting Point Salvation Class
• 27 - Baptism Milestone Class

July 

• 7 - First Wednesday Worship for Kids  
• 11 - Parent & Child Dedication Class 
• 13-14 - Summer Children's Ministry Staff Retreat
• 18 - Parent & Child Dedication Milestone 

August

• 1 - Volunteer Team Training Event
• 4 - First Wednesday Worship for Kids  
• 8 - Promotion weekend 
• 15 - Starting Point Salvation Class
• 22 - Baptism Milestone Class
• 29 - Bring a Friend to Church Sunday

September

• 1 - First Wednesday Worship for Kids  

October 

• 3 - Starting Point Salvation Class
• 6 - First Wednesday Worship for Kids  
• 10 - Baptism Milestone Class
• 28-31 - Fall Outreach Events at Campuses

November 

• 3 - First Wednesday Worship for Kids  
• 3 - Parenting Seminar
• 7 - Starting Point Salvation Class 
• 7 - Parent  & Child Dedication Milestone Class 
• 14 - Parent & Child Dedication Milestone 
• 21 - Baptism Milestone Class

December 

• 1 - First Wednesday Worship for Kids 
• 4 - Children's Ministry Staff Christmas Party
• 19 - Christmas Lesson
• 24 - Candlelight Service 

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. This means families will be spending extended amounts of time together. 

This is a great time to put resources in their hands that they can use in their time together at Thanksgiving. 

I send out a monthly email newsletter to all the families who have kids in our church. This month, I included several of these activities in the newsletter. 

Here are 10 Thanksgiving activities that are great to share with families. This will equip them to have spiritual conversations with their children centered on being grateful to God. 

Gratitude Jar

Give everyone a few slips of paper and have them write down what they are thankful for. Place the slips of paper in a jar or other container. Take turns drawing out a slip of paper and reading what everyone is thankful for. Remind everyone to give thanks to the Lord for Who He is and for His goodness.

Gratitude Table Cloth

Get a white table cloth and put it over the table you will be eating at. Give everyone a cloth marker. Have everyone draw the outline of one of their hands. Then have them write some things they are thankful for inside the hand drawing. Let everyone go around and share what they wrote. 

Keep the table cloth and bring it out each year and add to it. This is especially memorable as you see the kids' hands grow in size each year. 

Story Circle 

Invite each generation to share a favorite Thanksgiving memory. 

Pumpkin Bowling

Turn an ordinary pumpkin into a fun family game. Set up six to ten empty water bottles or cans as pins, then roll a small pumpkin to knock them down.

Family Photo Booth

Set up a small photo area with simple props like pilgrim hats, fake mustaches, or cardboard turkeys. Hang a plain sheet or fall-themed blanket as a backdrop. Use your phone or camera.  Everyone can take turns posing and making funny faces. It’s an easy way to capture memories while everyone is waiting for dinner.

Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt

Create a short scavenger list of fall items like pine cones, acorns, orange leaves or a feather. Split into teams and explore your yard, porch or nearby park. The first team to find everything wins.

Handprint Turkeys

Trace each child’s hand on colored paper to create the shape of a turkey. Use the fingers as feathers and the thumb as the head. Let kids decorate with crayons, markers or bits of paper for eyes and beaks.

Thankful Place Mats

Give each child a blank sheet of paper and let them design their own place mat. Encourage them to draw or write what they’re thankful for, using crayons, stickers or markers.

Gratitude Bracelets  

Give kids beads in different colors and have each one represent something they’re thankful for. Thread the beads onto the elastic string, saying what each color means as you add it. Once finished, tie the ends into a loop. This activity teaches gratitude in a hands-on way.

Volunteer Activity 

Spend part of the day helping at a local food pantry, soup kitchen or community event. Volunteering as a family gives everyone a sense of purpose and gratitude. Kids can hand out meals or pack boxes while adults help serve or clean up.

It’s a powerful way to teach empathy and show what giving truly means. Afterward, talk about the experience and how it felt to help others. Volunteering creates warm memories.