RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY: #MarkYarhouse

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Your Role in Leading Kids to Christ

10:55 AM Dale Hudson

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.

What to Do When Your Volunteers Don't Want to Come Back Because of the Pandemic

10:33 AM Dale Hudson

As we continue to search for a vaccine and cure for the Corona Virus, many people are still hesitant to go out and mingle with others. And rightfully so.

The virus is reshaping the daily routines of millions of Americans.

It is also causing many churches and other non-profits to struggle with a lack of volunteers. This could impact crucial service for the most vulnerable people.

I have been listening to what church leaders are saying as they work through opening their physical campuses back up.

They are asking some great questions. One of the questions is "What will we do when older volunteers are hesitant to come back to serve - because of the virus?" Many of the older volunteers are saying they will not be back to serve until there is a vaccine available to cure the fast spreading virus.

This can really have an impact on children's ministries because in many ministries we depend on Boomers to serve and fill key roles.

Here are some key points that can help you navigate what to do when your older volunteers are hesitant to serve during this time.

People come first. Older adults are more likely to have serious health issues when they catch the virus. With the virus reshaping the daily routines of millions of Americans, many nonprofits are struggling with those age 65 or older,” says Dr. Natasha Bhuyan, a family physician in Phoenix, Arizona.

“The reason why is because our immune system is less effective at fighting infections as we get older. Also, having multiple other chronic diseases can complicate this virus.”

This means we should put our senior adults first. Especially those who already have an underlying

condition. Don't place your senior adults in serving situations where they are likely to catch the virus or spread the virus.

"Use the ministry to build people, not the people to build the ministry,"

The quote above should be often considered. Don't bring risk to senior adults just because you have some vacant volunteer roles open. There may be other roles they can fill for the time being that don't require contact with people.

Enlist new volunteers. This is a great opportunity to share the vision of your ministry and how people can make a difference in the lives of other people. People are tuned in to helping other people in this season. Remember to emphasize the "why" of the ministry. You can get many more great ideas for building a volunteer team in my book "The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams." It's available at this link.

Realize some volunteers were looking for a way out. The virus is the exit door they have been looking for. Thank them for their service and lovingly let them walk away. You want people on your team that want to be on your team.

Consider doing children's ministry differently until you can ramp back up to full speed. You may need to adjust some classrooms. Drop some activities you were going to do. Move to doing a lot more things online. Think about some games you can play online with the kids (make sure you have parents' permission). You can share a devotion each week online. Perhaps it means sending the lesson plans and activities to parents and having them do the lesson with their child.

Make sure your volunteers know all the steps you are taking to keep them safe from the virus. Share with them that people are wearing masks, everything is being sanitized, no one is allowed to come into a the classroom if they have a fever, etc. These steps may be the difference between someone who chooses to serve and someone who doesn't.

Some of the best volunteers I have had the privilege to serve with were senior adults. While I want to see them be able to serve, I first and foremost want to protect their health. That's why it's so important to have a serving plan that will protect them.

Your turn. The floor is yours. What are you doing to encourage volunteers to continue serving? What safety measures are you putting in place?

Share your ideas and insight in the comment section below.

Schools Enable Kids to "Change Gender" Without Parental Approval

9:16 AM Dale Hudson

Lifesite news is reporting that the Madison Metropolitan School District in Wisconsin is enabling children to transition to a member of the opposite at school without even getting parental consent.

“The policy enables children, of any age, to socially transition to a different gender identity at school without parental notice or consent. It requires all teachers to enable this transition, and then prohibits teachers from communicating with parents about this potentially life-altering choice.

Rick Esenberg, President and General Counsel of the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty says, “Madison schools have adopted policies that violate constitutionally recognized parental rights. A public school district should not, and cannot, make decisions reserved for parents.”

LGBTQ groups continue to push their homosexual and transgender agenda. They won't stop until the next generation bows to their policies and lifestyles.

As parents and leaders, we must not shy away from the difficult conversations that must happen because of the blatant push by groups who are echoing that same sex relationships or being transgender is a good thing.

If you haven't had conversations about this with your Pastor or other church leaders, you need to do so. If you haven't faced LGBTQ issues, you will. It's just a matter of time. Now is the time to decide what your policies and procedures will be.

One great resource I recommend is the book "Understanding Gender Dysphoria: Navigating Transgender Issues in a Changing Culture."

The author is Dr. Mark Yarhouse. Mark is one of the leading Christian voices in this issue and the book is very helpful. It not only does a deep dive into the roots of transgenderism, but also provides simple steps you can take when you are faced with someone who has or is dealing with this issue.

Dr. Yarhouse says there are 3 lens you can look through when you are talking with a transgender person.

1 - The Truth Lens. The trust lens says it is wrong. It is sinful. It is a choice that someone makes in rebellion to God's plan for relationships. It takes a hard stand against being transgender.

2 - The Grace Lens. The grace lens also says it is wrong. But it takes a quieter approach for those who are dealing with this issue.

"Yes, it is wrong. But we are not going to condemn you. We are going to come alongside you and walk with you through this."

We are going to call you by whatever name you want to be called by. We are going to wrap our arms around you in love. God does the work. We are going to show grace and love as He works in your life and draws you to His truth.

3. The Celebration Lens. This lens celebrates and promotes the lifestyle. It marches down the street in pride. Anyone who speaks against the lifestyle is a bigot, homophobic, intolerant, prejudice person.

Dr. Yarhouse champions the grace lens as the best option. It is through this lens that people can find redemption and transformation. I agree with Him. When a person truly encounters the grace and forgiveness that Christ offers, he or she will have the opportunity to accept Jesus and have their lifestyle radically changed by the grace of God.

We must also be very aware, as stated at the beginning of this article, that we are in a race for the heart of the next generation. We must get their first and help kids develop a Biblical worldview.

The heart and soul of the next generation is at stake.