RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY: "#kidmin #reachingchildren

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Want to See Kids Grow in Their Faith? Here is a Crucial Key

11:21 AM Dale Hudson

I believe we are not a Christian nation anymore. We are a nation that has a lot of Christians, but we are not a Christian nation.

A study from Family Research Council reveals that only 6% of America's adult population have a Biblical worldview.

As followers of Jesus this should challenge us. How can we turn this around and see more people come to Christ and follow Him?

George Barna recently shared that it starts with the children. We must instill a Biblical worldview in children that will stay with them for the rest of their life.

How is this going to happen?

What should be our focus?

Who should be our focus?

I believe it starts with parents.

You want to see kids come to Christ and grow in their faith? Then you must focus on equipping and empowering parents to raise their children with a Biblical worldview.

I often say that children are like wet cement. They are not set in their ways or belief system. You can mold them, shape them and see them become lifelong followers of Jesus.

But we must remember that wet cement soon turns into concrete. Once it becomes concrete it is very hard to mold or shape it. You have to have hammers, chisels, jack hammers, etc. We only have a short window of time to reach the next generation. We must reach and disciple children while they are still wet cement.

Research shows that a child's worldview is pretty must set by the age of 13. Don't miss this! We only have to the age of 13 to effectively instill God's ways, Word and wisdom into the lives of children.

Parents are the number one key in this.

before the pastor...

before the children's ministry director...

before the Sunday school teacher...

before the midweek volunteers...

before the VBS volunteers...

before the camp directors...

Parents are first and foremost the biggest key to seeing kids grow in their faith.

Parents... this is not something you can outsource. This is not something you can delegate to someone at the church. It's on you.

Look what it says in Deuteronomy 4.

“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children."

It's time we, as children's ministry leaders, focus on equipping parents to raise their children to follow Jesus.

Research shows that less than 10% of parents have any kind of spiritual growth plan for their children. Our role is to come alongside them and provide them with the resources and spiritual growth plans they need to disciple their children. I believe that the majority of parents will respond if we place the tools in their hands.

Barna says that parents must have everyday spiritual conversations with their children. Here's the strategy he encourages parents to follow.

"The conversations have to take place around real world events. Tell stories, get examples from your children of what they’re going through in life, and relate biblical principles to those stories, but do it not by beating them over the head with God’s Word, but by asking them questions about what they believe, why they believe it, what they did, why they did it, asking if they’re familiar with different biblical principles. Do they think that might have worked in the situation?”

I believe this and have seen that if we will follow this strategy, we will see our kids and grandkids grow up to follow Jesus for a lifetime. That's our end goal, right?

Do you have a copy of my book "Fertile Soil...see kids' faith grow and flourish for a lifetime?" In this book, I share the 3 biggest reasons why kids walk away from the faith. I show how we can counter this and see kids grow up to follow Jesus for a lifetime.

Get your copy today at this link.

5 Gen Z Trends You Need to Know About

10:48 AM Dale Hudson

Gen Z are people who were born between 1997 and 2012. This means they are between the ages of 8 and 23.

They are are growing up in challenging times. A world-wide pandemic, demonstrations against injustice, and an upcoming election that is polarizing. There is uncertainty, fear and challenges. This is the tumultuous world they are growing up in.

Ministry as "normal" may or may not return. It is definitely a time when we should be looking at our ministries and asking the hard questions about the best route to take for ministry in the days, months and years ahead.

Let's look at 5 important trends that you need to know about as you have these discussions and make your plans for the future.

These trends are from the Barna company and represent in-depth research and strategies that can help you navigate what's ahead for us.

1. Gen Z Navigating More Screen Time. The average Gen Z'er uses media for entertainment an average of 8 hours per week. And this was amplified once the pandemic came. Millennial parents and their Gen Z kids have increased their screen time significantly.

Barna's research shows that the majority of pastors (85%) are concerned about this increase of screen time but do not yet have a plan to help families have wise tech usage.

Much of this increase is from Millennial parents trying to keep their Gen Z kids occupied during the day at home. Media has become a handy babysitter for Gen Z kids.

Is this going to be the "norm" moving forward?

Will churches step up and help families decide how much screen time is the best for their family situation?

Once "normal" returns, will the viewing patterns from the pandemic continue?

2. Responding to Injustice.

Gen Z wants to hear the stories of injustice and wants the church to respond and answer the important questions regarding this.

Gen Z is more ethnically diverse and more politically progressive than their elders. Recent data shows that 38% of Gen Z believes we have a race problem and 68% want to address racial injustice in our country.

3. Loneliness and Anxiety.

Even though Gen Z is the most digitally connected generation of all time, they have feelings of loneliness, anxiety and stress. Mental health issues have grown since the pandemic disrupted their lives.

They are searching for connections and are looking to the church for help with this. The church must step up and give Gen Z lots of opportunities to make meaningful connections.

4. Continued Faith Growth.

Research shows that Gen Z is likely to not see church as important. 59% say that church is not relevant to their life. 48% say they find God elsewhere. 28% say they can teach themselves what they need to know.

While 22% have left the faith, 38% are faithful churchgoers.

We must help Gen Z see how important it is to be a consistent church-goer. This will help their faith continue to grow.

5. New forms of outreach and sharing their faith.

Gen Z kids are often hesitant to share their faith. Alarmingly, a poll revealed that 47% say evangelism is wrong.

What they may or may not realize is that sharing their faith is vital. If they will look around, they will see that unbelievers are curious about spiritual matters and are open to having discussions about it.

These 5 trends give us a glimpse into the ever-evolving myriad of ministry opportunities. A great starting point is to sit down with Gen Z kids and listen to understand what they are facing and talk with them about the best says to engage and disciple young people in this day.

Your turn.

Do you see these trends happening in your ministry?

What can we do to effectively minister in the context of these trends?

Share your thoughts with everyone in the comment section below.

Top 3 Reasons Parents Homeschool

10:29 AM Dale Hudson

This is the first time I have ever written about homeschooling. One thing that prompted me to write this article is the current situation we find ourselves in due to COVID-19.

As schools began closing due to the virus, it has caused millions of parents to take a closer look at homeschooling and to consider going that route.

Dr. Andrea Dennison is an assistant professor of school psychology at Texas State University. She has studied why some parents choose to homeschool and says the families are motivated by a desire for control over their children's education. Rather than waiting to hear what the local school district will be doing, they take matters into their own hands.

The percentage of homeschooled children in grades K-12th is 3.3% or 1.7 million students.

Why do parents choose homeschooling? Here are the top 3.

1. Concerns about the school environment (negative influences, drugs, exposure to COVID-19 and general safety).

One mom said, "There is absolutely no way I will be sending my child into a caldron of germs."

2. A dissatisfaction with the academics at their school.

3 A desire to provide religious instruction. They want to keep their children protected from the influences of the wider world for as long as they can and want a curriculum that includes the Bible.

With the ravages of C0VID-19, more parents are considering the effects the virus is having on education. This is leading to more families being interested in taking their children out of traditional schools this fall and beyond. In fact, two-thirds of parents with kids in elementary, middle or high school were concerned about their child falling behind.

The pandemic has also affected many homeschooling families as well. Many have been cut off from educational trips and other local homeschooling communities that they rely upon for sports and socializing.

So how are the new home-schooling families doing during this pandemic? In a survey of over 1,000 parents who started homeschooling due to the pandemic, it was found that their children seem to do better and were happier outside a traditional school environment. A few of the reasons were unchecked bullying and special needs that were not supported appropriately.

What is the makeup of families that homeschool? In many cases, parents who are able to homeschool effectively are two parent families who can live on one income. It is very hard for parents to work from home and homeschool.

The pandemic has definitely caused parents to be more intentional about the kind of school experience they want for their children.

Would love to hear your thoughts. Many of you reading this are homeschooling your children.

Did you start homeschooling after the virus came on the scene?

What are the positives that have come from homeschooling your kids?

What are the challenges of homeschooling your kids?

What would you say to someone who is considering homeschooling?

If your child attends a traditional school, why did you go that route?

What are the advantages you have found by having your child attend a traditional school?

Leave your comments, insight and ideas in the comment section below.

What's Your Cause?

11:39 AM Dale Hudson

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?

Building Kids Faith in the Bible

9:00 AM Dale Hudson

The B-I-B-L-E...yes that's the book for me. I stand alone on the Word of God...the B-I-B-L-E.

If you grew up in church, you remember that song. It was an attempt to instill the Word of God into the hearts of children.

We are living in a day when the Bible is under attack. Just this past week, protestors in Portland, Oregon made a spectacle out of burning a pile of Bibles. While that was a physical attack, it doesn't end there. All across the country and the world, the Word of God is under attack.

People who say it's just like any other book.

The removal of Bible verses from public monuments.

Professors who stand in their classroom and belittle the Bible.

Television shows and movies where the Bible and those who follow it are portrayed as nutcases.

Go ahead. Say the Bible isn't the Word of God. You have the right to be wrong.

I believe the Bible is the Word of God.

I believe it is true from cover to cover.

I believe it is historically accurate.

I believe it is error free.

Burning a few copies of God's Word won't stop it.

Have you ever read the story of the French philosopher Voltaire (1694-1778)? Voltaire, in his writings against Christianity and the Bible, predicted in 1776, “One hundred years from my day, there will not be a Bible on earth except one that is looked upon by an antiquarian curiosity-seeker.”

But within fifty years after his death, in an ironic twist of fate, the very house in which Voltaire once lived and wrote was used by the Evangelical Society of Geneva as a storehouse for Bibles and Gospel tracts and the printing presses he used to print his irreverent works was used to print Bibles.

You can't stop the Word of God and you can trust it.

It is crucial that we transfer this belief into the hearts of the next generation that is following us. Let's look at a few ways you can do this.

Tell the next generation the Bible is the Word of God over and over and over and over...

I know a well known pastor who took a strong stand on the Bible being God's Word. He traced his strong stand on the Bible all the way back to when he was a child. Every night before going to bed, his mom would come and tuck him in. She prayed with him and read a few Bible verses with him. And then she held up the Bible and had him say this phrase over and over and over...the Bible is the Word of God!

Show the next generation the proof that the Bible is God's Word.

Hundreds of prophecies fulfilled.

Endurance for thousands of years.

The Bible is self-authenticating.

People who gave up their life for saying the Bible is true. People don't give their life for something they know is not true.

Take a look at some of the verses that agnostics say are errors. Have kids work through those verses and come to the conclusion that the Bible is true. We did this with the Pranksters Series. We actually had kids look at verses and passages that atheists say are errors and find out for themselves why the verses are not errors. You can get this teaching series here - Pranksters.

You can also reinforce that the Bible is God's Word with music. When kids hear a song that emphasizes that the Bible is God's Word, then it helps impress this truth. Check out this song that teaches kids that the Bible is true and you can trust it through and through.

Teach kids to memorize key verses/passages that will help them defend their faith. The Bible tells us that we must be ready to give an answer when someone attacks the Word.

Get tools and resources into the hands of parents, so they can disciple their children with the Bible.

Our faith hinges on the fact that the Bible is God's Word and you can trust it. It must be a top priority to teach kids that they can trust it in all areas of life.

The Best Ability to Have in Ministry

12:18 PM Dale Hudson

What is the best ability to have in ministry? Is it the ability to lead people? Is it the ability to make good decisions? Is it the ability to build a solid volunteer team? Is it the ability to communicate well? Is it the ability to coordinate great events?

These are all great abilities to have. But there's one ability that catches God's eye more than anything else. What is it?

It's AVAILABILITY.

The Bible says this in 2 Chronicles 16:9.

The LORD's eyes keep on roaming throughout the earth,

looking for those whose hearts completely belong to Him,

so that He may strongly support them.

Above all else, God looks for people who will make themselves available to be used by Him.

Isaiah is a great example of this. Look what it says in Isaiah 9:6.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying:

"Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?"

And I said: “Here am I. Send me!”

If you want to make an impact, if you want to be used by God, then simply say to God what Isaiah said, "Here am I. Send me!"

God knows you. He knows where you are. He knows your heart. He knows that you want to be used for kingdom work. All you need to do is whisper those four words to Him and He will use you more than you could ever imagine.

When you do this, you will move from just natural abilities to supernatural abilities that will have people watching God do a great work through you.

Many of us have been told that we are not gifted enough to do ministry. That our personality is not good enough. That our leadership qualities are lacking. That we don't have what it takes. And to be honest, often it is coming from ourselves. We've been overlooked so many times that we begin to doubt if we are worthy enough to be used by God.

Turn those negative thoughts off. You have a God who can take your life and change the world.

Most of the people in the Bible were not able to be used by God if you look at their life through a natural lens.

Moses stuttered.

Jeremiah said he couldn't talk well.

Gideon said his family were the nobodys of the tribes.

Peter was a fisherman with a bad temper.

And Paul...look what he said.

"And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling.My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power."

Yes, you can be used of God in a great way. All He is waiting to hear is, "Here am I Lord, send me."

10 Things I Wish Churches Understood About Children's Ministry

7:53 AM Dale Hudson

As I travel and speak at churches about reaching the next generation, I come in contact with lots of different kinds of children's ministries.

It is always interesting how churches approach children's ministry. In just one weekend, you can usually tell how important children's ministry is in that church.

As I thought about the different churches and their approach to children's ministry, it nudged me to write this article.

Here are 10 things I pray every church that I minister in understands and embraces.

1. Children's ministry is not babysitting. Rather it is ministry at the most important time in a person's life. So many brain connections are being made. They are learning so many foundational things that will stick with them for the rest of their life.

2. Parental influence makes all the difference in the world. No one has more influence in a person's life than his or her parents. If you want to influence children, then you must first influence their biggest influencers...THEIR PARENTS. Once you being influencing parents, you will see a huge impact in the child's life as well.

3. Kids were made to move. They are wired with lots of energy that is busting at the seams. Rather than telling them to sit still and be quiet, we should use games and activities that get kids moving while teaching them spiritual truths at the same time.

4. Relationships matter. Nothing can take the place of a caring adult investing in the lives of kids at church. No video game can replace this. No app can replace this. No video can replace this. This is why keeping ratios is so important. It gives the group leader an opportunity to personally invest in each child.

5. Kids influence giving. According to a report by NRF, 87% of parents surveyed say their children influence their purchase decisions. If you want to see the adults in your church giving their tithes and offerings, then first get their children on board for giving.

6. Kids can serve now. Look into God's Word and you will see God using lots of kids to accomplish His purpose. David. The little maid. The boy with the lunch. The children who praised God in the temple. Give kids the opportunity to serve and make a difference and they will respond.

7. Children are a major growth engine for churches. Want to reach young families? Show them you care about their child and they will come. The best way to reach a parent's heart is through their children. Growing, thriving churches normally have growing, thriving children's ministries.

8. Today's kids will one day be the top leaders of your church. What do you want them to know, believe and act like? Start now teaching them those things. You have the opportunity to leave a legacy when you do this.

9. Kids are the greatest mission field. The vast majority of people who come to Jesus do so when they are children. Kids can enter a relationship with Jesus just like adults. There is no "Jr. Holy Spirit." If we don't reach them before they turn 19, their chances of ever knowing Jesus are significantly reduced.

10. Children are the church of today and tomorrow. Invest in them now and you will see fruit come from it now and later.

If you are in a church where children's ministry is not high on the list of important ministries, then I would encourage you to share this article with those who oversee your church ministries. Time is short. If we are going to reach the next generation and see them become leaders in God's army, it will start in the nursery.

Kids' Characteristics by Age

9:02 AM Dale Hudson

God makes every child special and unique. Our role is to find the abilities God has placed within them and then call them up to walk in His ways and fulfill their special destiny.

We are to help children discover who they are in Christ and how He can work through them to further God's kingdom.

This is very clear in Psalm 139:14-16. Look what it says.

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be."

While every child is unique, there are some general attributes that all kids experience as they grow up. Let's look at a few of these. These are from a research company called Cengage learning.

Ages 3-5 (3 through kindergarten)

extremely active
need frequent rest periods
large muscles are more developed than those that control fingers and hands
eye-hand coordination is still developing
bodies are flexible and resilient
most have one or two friends, but those friendships change quickly
play activities contributes to their social, emotional and cognitive development
show preferences for gender of play peers
awareness of gender roles is evidence
tend to express their emotions freely and openly with frequent anger bursts
jealousy among peers is common
tend to have much affection for their teacher and actively seek approval
begin to develop a theory of mind
becoming skillful with language
competence is encouraged by interaction, interests, opportunities and more

Grades 1-3

extremely active so need breaks like recess
may have difficulty focusing on small print or objects
tend to be extreme in their physical activities
bone growth not complete
more selective in their choice of friends
likely to have a best friend
like organized games
sensitive to criticism
begin to understand that there are different ways to know things and that some ways are better than others
being to understand that learning and recall are caused by cognitive processes that they can control

Grades 4-5

boys and girls become leaner and stronger
obesity can become a problem for some kids at this age
gender differences in motor skill performance are apparent
relative calm and predictability in physical development
peer groups become powerful and begin to replace adults as the major source of behavior
friendships are more selective and gender based
organized play continues to contribute to social, emotional and cognitive development
develop a more global, integrated and complex self-image
self-image composed of self-description, self-esteem and self-concept
disruptive family relationships, social rejection and school failure may lead to delinquent behavior
can think logically, although such thinking is constrained and inconsistent
simple memory tasks - children can perform as well as adults
performance is limited with complex memory tasks

These insights can be very helpful as you minister to children. Remember these when you are preparing lessons, activities, games, etc. Every stage of a child's life is an opportunity to share with them how much Jesus loves them and how they were created for a special mission from God.

Are You Consistently Sharing the Gospel?

10:44 AM Dale Hudson

The most important thing we do in children's ministry is sharing the Gospel.

Children are the greatest mission field in the world. Their hearts are open and receptive to the Gospel. We must get the Gospel to them and the Holy Spirit will draw them.

If sharing the Gospel is the most important thing we do, then we should consistently share it with the kids.

Consistently meaning a bare minimum of once a month with every week being the best scenario. You can take any lesson and tie it into the Gospel if you are intentional.

Romans 1:16 says, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes."

This verse makes it very clear that the Gospel is the key in seeing kids and parents come to Christ. If the curriculum you are using or writing doesn't consistently share the Gospel, then it's time to make a change or adjustment.

How many children came to Christ last year in your ministry? I can promise you the number of kids who came to Christ last year is in direct correlation with how often you shared the Gospel.

I see many churches today that spend more time teaching kids to be good over teaching kids to accept the Gospel and become a follower of Jesus. We don't just need "good" kids, we need "Gospel" kids.

We only have a short window of time to share the Gospel with kids. Stats show that the vast majority of people who come to Christ, do so when they are children.

So what is a good strategy for sharing the Gospel with kids? I am going to share with you a few resources that can help you reach kids with the Gospel. And it's not based on just theory, but on proof. We saw 460 kids accept Jesus and follow Him in baptism in one year by using these tools.

These are great resources that you can also use to see more kids and parents enter a relationship with Jesus through your ministry. Check them out below.

Teaching series that focuses on the Gospel for 4 weeks.

Click here for more info.

Teaching series that shows kids how to share the
Gospel using creative tools.

Click here for more info.

Salvation class for kids and their parents.

Click here for more info.

Video that shares the Gospel.

Click here for more info.

You can do this. God is with you. Together we can fulfill the last command of our Savior.

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."

Mark 16:15

You Are More Valuable Than You Know

1:28 PM Dale Hudson

One of my wife's hobbies is buying items locally and then selling it on Ebay for a profit.

She especially likes to find items that are discounted. Last week she found a small statue of two horses. It was $5. She took it home and listed it for sale on Ebay. Just a few hours later, it sold for $75.

The people who sold it to her didn't realize how valuable it really was. They looked at it as a cheap item to get rid of.

But it was worth far much more.

I say that to tell you this. I have a message for you.

YOU ARE MORE VALUABLE THAN YOU KNOW!

Perhaps you heard the words "You are dumb!" No, you aren't dumb - you are more valuable than you know.

Perhaps you were belittled by someone at school as a kid and after all these years, it still haunts you. You are nothing like what that person said. You are more valuable than you know.

Perhaps you have felt unworthy...unable to accomplish anything...feeling like a failure. No you aren't - you are more valuable than you know.

Perhaps your self-esteem has been shattered. You are more valuable than you know.

Perhaps you have pulled back from Jesus. You don't spend time with Him like you used to. You don't read this Word consistently. He's wants to draw you back close to His side. Why? Because you are more valuable than you know.

Or maybe you were fired from a job. It was humiliating and it cut you deeply. Wait a minute. You don't need to feel like that. You are more valuable than you know.

God values you so much that He gave His Son to die on the cross for you.

You could put all the riches, cars, houses, bank accounts and fame on one side of God's scales and on the other side put you - and God says you are more valuable than all the riches and fame of the world.

In Matthew 10, Jesus says this...

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny.And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."

Walk in this promise today. You are more valuable than you know. Don't let anyone or anything convince you otherwise.

God said it and that settles it. You are more valuable than you know.

Even though the person who sold us the horse only saw $5, we saw that is more valuable than that.

People will put cheap "values" on you at times. Ignore it. You are more valuable than that...far more valuable.

7 Reasons Why Online Church Can't Replace In Person Church

9:54 AM Dale Hudson

On March 11, 2020 the Coronavirus Disease, COVID-19, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. On March 13, 2020 a national emergency was declared in the United States concerning the COVID-19 Outbreak.

With this has come many changes that have effected the church.

In my opinion, the biggest change has been not being able to meet together in person.

The vast majority of churches have went online and it has forced so many of us to rethink how we do church services. Before the pandemic arrived, I could count on one hand the number of churches who offered online children's ministry services. Now every church I know of has online services and experiences for kids. It has been amazing watching churches respond with online engaging, relevant content for kids and parents.

And most of the churches I talk with are going to continue offering both adult and children's services online. I believe we will look back one day and see that this pandemic caused a majority of churches to go online and stay online.

Online offers so many ways to connect with today's families and it makes sense. We are living in an increasingly digital world where doing and attending online is a viable option. And offering the services "on demand" fits right into our culture of instant gratification. Will "church" become a "Netflix" church where people can choose from week to week what they want to watch?

Yes. The Gospel can be spread online.

Yes. People can grow spiritually using online materials.

Yes. You can pray together with other believers online.

But, with that being said, here are 7 reasons why church online will never completely be able to replace meeting together in person.

Reason One - personal discipleship happens most effectively when you are with other believers.

We are called to...

"Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28: 19-20

These are all things that need to happen in person. Baptism happens publicly. Obeying and living out the commandments of Jesus happens publicly.

Reason Two - Corporate Worship. We need to worship in person with other believers. Worship online is a good thing, but it can't compare to being surrounded by a group of other believers who are worshiping. Jesus inhabits the praise of His people. We were meant to worship together.

Solo no.

Choir yes.

This is a warm up activity to prepare us for the day when we will all meet together to worship Jesus.

One area that does concern me is parents won't feel the "good pressure" to attend church in person. One father said before the children's online services started happening, he would often go to church because it was the only way he saw his child learn about the Bible. But with the addition of online services for kids, the pressure to attend in person has lightened. Now when he doesn't feel like attending in person, he can hand his child a tablet to watch the online children's services.

Don't get me wrong, I am so thankful for all the churches that have dedicated the time and money it takes to create online services for kids. Any most of the churches I consult with say they will continue to provide online services for kids after the pandemic has been controlled.

It will be interested in seeing how this plays out. Will some families switch over to all online services? Maybe. Will online services be enough to keep kids' attention? Will churches have the fiances, people and bandwidth to continue offering online services?

Reason Three - Relationships. It is through relationships that discipleship happens. It is through relationships that spiritual growth happens. It is through relationships that people are able to grasp the unending love of Jesus.

Every child needs someone who will look them in the eyes and say their name. Someone who can pray with them. Someone who can challenge them. Someone they feel comfortable enough with to share what 's going on in their life.

Reason Four - Accountability. We were not meant to walk alone. We need other believers who can look us in the eyes and hold us accountable. We need other believers that will ask us the hard questions and help us stay on course.

Reason Five - Serving together. The biggest impact happens when believers serve with other believers. Serving Jesus wasn't meant to be done solo. When you lock arms with other believers, you become so much stronger.

Reason Six - Giving together. Great things happen when believers gather their funds together. A single tithe can make an impact. But when you gather your tithes together toward a project it can make a huge impact.

Here's an example of this - Many churches are doing a $1 challenge. Everyone is challenged to give $1 dollar toward making an impact in someone's life. When you put all of the dollars together, it gives you the finances you need to help change someone's life.

Reason Seven - The presence of Jesus. Look what He says about worshiping and serving together.

"For where 2 or 3 are gathered together in My name, I am in the midst of them."

Hebrews 10:25

Notice that it says you should gather with a minimum of 2 people. And I believe when He's referring to gathering, He is talking about gathering in person.

"There's something special that happens when you gather

with other believers. Jesus shows up."

Maybe that's why the author of Hebrews said this.

"And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another,

especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."

Hebrews 10:25

And when Jesus shows up, it changes everything.

Your turn. Do you think online church can or can't replace in person church? I realize that most of the points I mentioned above could also happen online. But the bigger question is "Can it be as effective as in person church? What can and cannot be transferred to online? Share your thoughts and insight in the comment section below.

Unlikely Friends (Great Curriculum Series Shows Kids How to Grow in Their Faith)

9:51 AM Dale Hudson

This curriculum series follows the story of a kid named Dave who has just moved into the neighborhood.

He's tries to fit in with the other kids but they want nothing to do with him.

Until a kid named Johnny steps in and offers his friendship.

The narrative leads kids into the story of David and Jonathon in the Bible and teaches them how to have a growing friendship with Jesus.

The series includes videos that feature the art work of a world-renowned artist who also draws for Sports Illustrated for Kids. Lessons are...

Week 1 - I Promise to Love and Follow My Friend
Week 2 - I Put My Friend First
Week 3 - I Share My Heart With My Friend
Week 4 - I Stand Up For My Friend

Delivered Electronically - Instant Download

Includes...

graphics for posters, social media, promotions
graphics for slides for Power Point, Pro Presenter, Media Shout, Keynote
4 weeks of lesson videos
5-minute video countdown
4 weeks of lessons that can be used in large group format, small group format, traditional classroom format, mid-week format
lessons are editable and flexible to fit your specific ministry context
small group leader guide that's easy-to-use and requires little prep
hands-on, experiential, interactive learning
connects with all learning styles
games that bring fun and learning together
take home pages for each week

and much more

You can order the curriculum at this link.

Click here to see a lesson sample.

Click here to see a small group leader sample.

Below is a video sample from a lesson (click arrows to expand & watch full screen).