RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY: #God

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.

The ultimate parenting book is the Bible. It can help you raise your kids to love Jesus for a lifetime.

Recently, I was doing a study about parenting in the Bible. Out of this, came these 20 tips for parenting.

1. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4

2. Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

3. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. I Peter 4:8

4. But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. I Timothy 5:8

5. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. Psalm 103:13

6. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:6-9

7. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. I Timothy 4:8

8. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Ephesians 5:25

9. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deuteronomy 11:19

10. Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart. Proverbs 29:17

11. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Colossians 3:21

12. And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” Joshua 4:20-24

13. For it is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 7:4-11

14. But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. I Timothy 5:8

15. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. Psalm 127: 3-5

16. I will open my mouth with a parable. I will utter hidden things, things from of old—things we have heard and known things our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done. Psalm 78

17. And how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:15

18. For the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:12

19. He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them. Mark 10:16

20. Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15

There is a whole bunch of parenting wisdom found in these verses. I would challenge you to take time to go through them and write down some action steps you can take and how you can share them with the parents in your ministry.

Remember, as a parent, it's not about what you leave for your kids. It's about what you leave in your kids.