RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

In just a few more turns of the clock, it will be a new year - 2022.  

Praise God for everything He did last year, amen! Think about all the victories He helped you accomplish.  All the prayers He answered.  For the many lives that were changed in your ministry.  

But we can't dwell there too long - because it's about to be a new year and God has so much more for you in this coming year. 

How would you like to have your best ministry year ever in 2022?  Here are some things you can do to see it come to fruition.

Take a hard look at what you are doing.  Is there anything you are doing that you need to stop doing?  Is there anything that needs to be tweaked or adjusted?  Just because it worked in the past, doesn't mean it will work in 2022.  Hold everything with open hands.  Change is a good thing when done properly.  

Vision.  Have a simple, powerful, engaging vision that you are pointing people toward.  This will help them remember why they are serving.  And don't forget, vision leaks.  It's not a one and done. You have to constantly keep it in front of people. 

Plan out your ministry year.  If you haven't done so yet, get 2022 planned out.  Get your key dates on the church calendar.  Work with other ministries and plan your calendars together.  This will help you and the other ministries to not have conflicting events or programs.

Focus on building your volunteer team.   This must be a top priority.  2022 will rise or fall on the strength of your volunteer team.  Remember...your job is not to do the ministry.  Rather it is to equip volunteers to effectively do the work of the ministry.  It's not about what you can do, it's about what you can empower volunteers to do.

Make sure you have a board of directors.  What do I mean by "board of directors?"  I mean have 3-4 people that you will hold you accountable.  People who you can bounce ideas off of.  People that you can go to for advice in difficult situations.  People who will challenge you.  People who pray for you.  People who have your back.

Do something that is outside of your comfort zone.  What have you been thinking about trying, but you just haven't gotten the courage yet to try it?  Remember, nothing grows in your comfort zone. It's when  you think outside the box and push yourself, that you will see amazing things happen.  Are you fearful about trying it?  That's okay.  Try it,  even if you are afraid.  Have you gotten so comfortable that you have the ministry on "cruise control?"  

Remember...if you do what you've always done, you'll always get what you have gotten in the past.  If you want to see God do some new, fresh things in the ministry, then you must walk outside of your comfort zone.  Get out of the shallow waters and go to the deep waters.

Keep your focus on what Jesus is focused on.  Jesus is all about seeking and saving those who are lost. That's His number one passion and that means it should be our passion as well.  Who can you reach for Christ in 2022?  How many kids and families can you see follow Jesus in baptism in 2022?  When you make reaching people with the Gospel your top priority, then you are in sync with the heart of Jesus.

Minister in the power of the Holy Spirit.  At the end of the day, if 2022 is your best ministry year ever, it will be because you walked in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Nothing of eternal value will be accomplished in 2022, if you depend on your own flesh to accomplish it.  

Many of you have gotten good at this children's ministry thing.  You have a great team of volunteers.  You have great programs.  You have exciting events.  You pour into parents and equip them to lead their children spiritually.  

But all of that is in vain if you do not have the power of the Holy Spirit working in your ministry.  The power of the Holy Spirit is the "it factor" that is crucial for a ministry that sees miracles happen.  

It's like baking a cake. Your job is to put the right ingredients in the mix.  But the ingredients must have the power of heat to rise and make it complete.  So it is with the Holy Spirit.  We should prepare the batter and get everything ready.  And then we should ask the Holy Spirit to "bring the heat" that will make the ministry flourish and grow.  Without the "heat" nothing will happen. 

My prayers are with you as you prepare for 2022.  I'm believing with you that it will be your best ministry year ever!

Do the children in your ministry really know who Jesus is? 

A recent report by Ligonier Ministries says that 30% of Evangelicals do not believe that Jesus was God and 65% believe that Jesus was created by God.

Is this what we are passing down to the next generation? A faith that doesn't have a Biblical view of Jesus? 

Wake up call.  We need to teach the next generation who Jesus is.  It's a "must know" doctrine. 

We must teach kids that...

Jesus is God.  

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God."  John 1:1 

"Before Abraham was, I am."  John 8:58

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."   Isaiah 9:6 

"For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one."  I John 5:7

Jesus is the Creator.

"All things were made by Him."  John 1:3

"For by Him [Jesus] all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him."  Colossians 1:16

Jesus is the sustainer.  

"The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word."  Hebrews 1:3

Jesus is sinless.  

"Who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth."  1 Peter 2:22

"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."    2 Corinthians 5:21

"For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin."  Hebrews 4:15

Jesus was born of a virgin.  

"Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel."  Isaiah 7:14

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost." Luke 1:35

The humanity of Jesus. 

"Who (Jesus), being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond-servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."                      Philippians 2:6-8

"The Word became flesh."  John 1:14

Jesus died, was buried and rose again for our sins. 

"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He as raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."                                 1 Corinthians 15:1-4  

"But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  Romans 5:8 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."   John 3:16

Jesus is the only way to heaven.

"I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me".  John 14:6 

"There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”           Acts 4:12

Take a look at your curriculum.  Are you teaching kids about who Jesus is and what He has done for us?  Are you teaching kids fluff or a clear understanding of the doctrine of who Jesus is?

It is crucial that we teach the next generation the doctrine of who Jesus is and what that means for them.  It's our job to pass down to them a clear understanding of this.  

They will face critics, skeptics and unbelievers who will try to convince them that Jesus was just a man. 

We must get the teachings about Jesus into their life.  

I want to challenge you to do this.  Poll a few kids in your ministry and ask them some questions about Jesus. See how they do. I believe we need to spend more time teaching kids the doctrine of who Jesus is. 

Their eternal destiny depends on what they believe about Jesus. 

My grandmother passed away this past week.  She was 96 years old.  

In her last year or so, dementia had robbed her of many of her memories. 

Hit rewind and you will find a life marked by the power of God and His saving grace.

She married into a family that knew nothing about God.  Her father-in-law lived the life of a criminal, selling illegal substances.  And with that lifestyle came violence.  It led her father-in-law down the path to murder.  He killed a man in the front yard of their home.  He was sentenced to life in prison.  

My grandmother's husband followed his dad right into a lifestyle of drunkenness and violence.  He had his nose broken 5 times in fights that were fueled by the drunkenness and violence.  That was a way of life for our family.  No God.  No church.  No hope.  

That all changed one day when a man in our neighborhood saw how messed up and dysfunctional our family was.   He came to our house and asked if we would like to attend church with him and his family.  The response was no.  But the man didn't give up.  He kept asking and one day my grandmother said,"okay."  She told him if he would come by on Sunday, she and her son would go to church with him. 

And so for the first time, my grandmother and dad stepped in a church.  They heard how there was a better life with Jesus and that forgiveness and healing was available through Him.

My grandmother was the first one to say "yes" to Jesus.  My father was the next person to say "yes" to Jesus.  My mother and dad continued to attend church faithfully.  My grandfather wanted nothing to do with "church" or "God."  

My grandmother and father continued to pray for my grandfather's salvation.  When my dad reached his teen years, he was called to preach.  My grandfather agreed to come and hear his son speak.  People thought the roof would fall in if he walked in the door of a church.  But the roof didn't fall.  But what did fall was the love and grace of Jesus.  

At the end of the service, my grandfather walked to the front of the church, kneeled and ask Jesus to forgive him. His life was changed by the experience of being "born again."  He went on to serve the Lord as a deacon for over 33 years before going to Heaven. 

I go back to my grandmother.  For 7 years, she modeled the grace and love of God before her unsaved husband. That was a big factor in my grandfather coming to Jesus as well.

My grandmother was the first person in our family to say "yes" to Jesus.  And as a result of that, most of her family came to Jesus as well.  I am a part of her legacy of faith. 

Her last week on earth, my father stood by her bedside and quoted Psalm 23 with her.  Even in her weakened state, she began to quot the first verse over and over and over.  The words she kept repeating were "I shall not want.  I shall not want.  I shall not want."  

Those words have been on my mind since then.  What a great truth.  With Jesus as your shepherd, you don't have to want.  Even in our last days on earth, the Holy Spirit reminds us that He is with us.

I pray today that this will encourage you.  You may feel alone.  Going through something that is heartbreaking.  Facing what seem to be insurmountable odds.  Wondering if there is hope.  

Yes, there is hope and it is found in the Good Shepherd who will never leave you nor forsake you.  

Whisper even now the words "I shall not want" and you will find He can meet every one of your needs. Today and even one day when you are crossing over to the other side.