Many people who are not involved in children's ministry have some assumptions about children's ministry that are simply not true.
Here are 10 myths that people looking in from the outside still believe.
Myth #1 - People don't want to serve in children' ministry.
Yes they do. You just haven't personally asked them to.
Will everyone say "yes?" No. But if you consistently ask people, you will find people who will say "yes." Often we have not, because we ask not. Don't listen to people who say otherwise. You can build a strong volunteer team if you want it bad enough and are willing to pay the price.
Myth #2 - Children can't serve until they get older.
They tell children to sit still and be quiet. So kids grow up with that mentality and then we wonder why as adults they sit still and are quiet at church. It's because we told them to.
Kids can serve. Kids can make an impact. Kids can be used by God.
Kids can help teach lessons. Kids can serve as greeters. Kids can lead worship. Kids can go on mission trips. Kids can run a/v during services. Kids can be part of a prayer team. There are so many ways kids can serve.
Think about how God used kids in the Bible. The boy who Jesus used to feed 5,000 people. The little maid who led Namaan to be healed.
Give kids the opportunity to serve and watch how God uses them.
Myth #3 - Kids have to be sitting still and quiet to learn.
This comes from a lecture-style model of learning. Kids are made to sit still while someone talks on and on and on.
But the truth is lecturing is the worst way to teach kids. Kids only remember about 5% of the information when someone lectures them. But when you teach them through active, hands on, learner based methods their retention rate can go up 95%.
Myth #4 - Parents won't prioritize their children's discipleship.
Yes. Families are busy. Yes. In many cases parents get their priorities wrong. They put other things before their child's discipleship. Sports. Activities. Entertainment.
But yes. Parents will respond when we encourage them to prioritize their child's discipleship. Parents are the biggest spiritual influence in their child's life. The influence will either be positive or negative. It is crucial to have a plan to influence the influencers.
One of the best ways to influence parents is through spiritual milestones. These are key times in the life of a family when you have the opportunity to influence them. You can get more details about spiritual milestones at this link.
Myth #5 - Kids can't have a relationship with Jesus until they are older.
There is no certain age of accountability. It will vary from child to child. But kids can accept Jesus as their Savior. Yes. It is vital that they understand the decision they are making. I created a class called Starting Point that kids attend with their parents. This class unpacks for kids what it means to know and follow Jesus. You can get more information about the Starting Point class at this link.
As Jesus said, "suffer the little children to come to Me and do not hinder them." The Bible says we must have the faith of a child to come to Christ.
Kids can know and follow Jesus.
Myth #6 - The best way to enlist new volunteers is by begging people to serve.
If we show people how desperate we are for volunteers, they will sign up to serve. Actually the opposite is true. People are not drawn to desperation. Rather they are drawn to vision and a purpose.
Stop using words like please, help, and need. No one wants to get on the Titanic. Start inviting people to join you to make an impact and leave a legacy through their serving.
Myth #7 - Kids should not have fun at church.
Listen as parents pick up their children after Sunday School or kids' church.
Most of the time you will hear parents ask their children this question:
Did you have fun today?
Fun at church. What exactly does that mean? What are parents really asking their children?
When they ask "Did you have fun today" what they are really asking is...
Did you have any friends there?
Was the teaching relevant to your life?
Did they get your attention?
Did anyone pray for you?
Fun means so much more than fun. If fun means solely that children are entertained, then we've fallen way short of what we should be seeking to accomplish during class time.
Fun means sharing God's Word with children in a way that captures their attention and engages their heart, mind, and soul. Fun means you teach children using the methods they learn best by.
The opposite of fun is boredom. Boredom happens when children's ministry leaders try to teach children using outdated methods. When boredom sets in, children will begin to squirm, talk, and disengage. If your teaching is boring, kids will invent their own interactive curriculum.
Myth #8 - Kids won't sit still long enough for extended times of prayer.
Several years ago I was invited to speak at a conference in Jakarta, Indonesia. The church where the conference was held was amazing. They had over 12,000 people attending in a country that is 98% Muslim.
Guess how many staff members they had? 2! The pastor and his administrative assistant. How were they doing this? What was the secret? I was soon to find out.
During one of the services, they took me down to a room. In the room, there were over 20 kids on their knees praying for God to move in the service. The children do this every week. Praying intensely for over an hour.
They challenged me when it comes to kids and prayer. If you will get kids on their knees and lead them to pray, they will respond.
Myth #9 - Put the youngest kids up front when you are teaching.
I did this for years. But then I read this quote from Walt Disney.
It was the first entertainment that Walt Disney had ever designed expressly for children. ‘But we’re not going to talk down to the kids…let’s aim for the twelve-year-old. The younger ones will watch…they’ll want to see what their older brothers and sisters are looking at.'
Before I saw this quote from Walt, I would put the youngest kids up front and the older kids in the back. That was a mistake. When older kids see "little" kids in front of them, they will disengage because it appears to be for the little kids.
Flip that. Put the oldest kids up front. This will help you engage all of the kids. Younger kids will look up front and see the older kids are engaging and it will cause everyone to engage.
If older kids are bored with your lessons or events or programs, try this simple idea from Walt and you will see immediate results.
#10 - The next generation doesn't care about following Jesus.
Yes they do. God is moving in the hearts and lives of the next generation. They want you to challenge them and inspire them. They want to know Jesus. They want to walk with Him. Yes...they are facing things we never faced as children but God is with them. He is doing something fresh and new in the next generation.
Do you believe any of these myths? Prayerfully reconsider. The next generation is looking to you. Show them what it means to love and follow Jesus passionately.
