RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY: #coronaviruskids

Showing posts with label #coronaviruskids. Show all posts

Millennials and Online Church Attendance

8:30 AM Dale Hudson

We are definitely living in challenging times right now. In the midst of this national and international crisis, we must help parents keep their eyes on Jesus and His love.

And it is vital that we provide them with clear steps for staying connected to a local church.

It is extremely important to track how Millennials are responding spiritually to COVID-19. The reason - it's not just for their own personal spiritual health, but for their children's (Gen Z) as well.

Barna recently released a report that reveals that 50% of Millennial (young parents) churchgoers are not attending online services. 35% of Gen Xers and 26% of Boomers have also stopped attending online services.

When Millennial parents are not attending services, it means in all likelihood their Gen Z children are not either.

Yes, I know that attending church in person has been all over the board as churches try to navigate starting in person services back. Many churches are also providing great online programming for kids and students. But the truth is, at least half of parents are not watching the online services and I would say the same holds true with their children as well.

Barna has identified 3 groups during this COVID-19 world:

People who have continued to engage by watching their home church.
People who have started watching the online services of another church.
People who are not watching anything online.

One big thing to note is this - the younger people are, the more likely it is that they stopped attending church during this lock down.

Contrast that with this. People who have stopped attending church online during this time, report higher levels of anxiety and stress. While those who are staying in church (online or in person), report having a higher level of security.

We must remember that as parents, our children are watching us.

Where are we going for encouragement and Biblical teaching?

Are we modeling what it means to be faithful to our church, either online or in person?

Are we using the children's discipleship tools and resources that our church is providing for us?

Are we taking time to pray with and for our children?

Are we showing our children what it means to trust in God and let Him be our peace?

Encourage the parents in your ministry to be the spiritual leaders God is calling them to be.

Our kids will look back one day and remember how we handled this crisis. Let's leave a legacy of faith and trust in God.

Helping Parents Through the Coronavirus

11:00 AM Dale Hudson

It's a challenging time to be a parent. With everything that's going on with the Coronavirus, it can be difficult to navigate it with your children. As challenging as this can be to adults, imagine how children must feel.

We must remember that kids soak up and reflect the emotions of their parents in times like this. They will reflect the thoughts and feelings of their parents.

For those parents who are enabled and empowered to work from home during this season, this can be a blessing and challenge at the same time. Trying to work and watch the kids at the same time can be trying.

Yes, our world is at a current standstill. And parents are anxious to know when our lives will return to "normal" again.

It is definitely a challenge.

This is a great opportunity to come alongside parents and support them. It can be a challenge for parents to handle the current events. You can encourage them and give them practical steps to take with their kids. Here are some simple steps you can pass along to them.

Find out how much your child already knows. Ask them what they have heard about the virus. Your answers and deeper questions should be based on how much they already know. If your child is age 6 and under and they have not yet heard about the virus, you may not want to bring it up.

Be an example. The kids will reflect what they see in your demeanor. Process and deal with your issues and fears before you talk with the children. Stay calm and don't panic. It 's not just about what you say, but also how you say it.

Let the kids know this is going to give them more time together at home. They can use some of the time to play games, ready books, do art and crafts, etc.

Calm their fear. Let's say your child overhears someone at school talking about how many people have died because of the virus. This can materialize into a real fear for the child. Acknowledge their fear and share about a time when you were afraid and God comforted you. Let them know that God is watching over them. He will protect them.

Be age-appropriate. Talk differently to a 5-year-old than you talk to a 5th grader. The older the child is, the more likely they are to answer and engage in conversation.

Let them know that scientists and doctors are working on a cue. Assure them that they will find a cure soon.

Remind them to practice good hygiene. Washing their hands before and after a meal. Use hand sanitizer when you come in contact with objects that other people have touched. We don't want to pass on germs to others.

Here are a few more helpful things parents can do to help their children:

Pay close attention to your child's media consumption. Consider reducing some screen time with news reports, updates, etc. Too much of this can cause anxiety.

Be available to listen. Let kids ask questions. Provide clear and accurate information for them.

Avoid people who are coughing or sneezing.

Stay in close contact with school closings, delays, changes, etc.

Your turn. What are some other ways we can help parents? Share your thoughts and insight in the comment section below. Praying for you and other children's ministry leaders as you navigate through this with families.

Digital Church for Kids and Families?

6:21 AM Dale Hudson

The coronavirus has affected churches nationally and around the world. Many, or it might even be accurate to say, most churches are not having physical services at their church building.

Many of these churches are offering their services online. And with free tools like YouTube and Facebook Live, it has made it possible for all churches to stream or post their worship service, no matter the size or budget of the church.

From the reports that are coming out, churches may have to continue only offering digital, online worship for several months. This includes online worship for adults and many churches are also offering online worship services for kids.

Moving forward, it is undeniable that digital, online church is and will continue to play a key role in how many believer's worship. It is definitely, even if it's small percentage, competition for attending services in person at a church building.

And with on demand, people have almost unlimited choices when it comes to listening to a pastor. Before online services were a thing, sermon content was pretty much limited to a live church service. But not now. People can sit in the comfort of their home and listen to the top pastors in the world. On demand sermons and discipleship tools are available every day of the week.

George Barna recently released a report about this. He ask those he polled how often they use Christian materials and spiritual resources outside of of their local church. Tools include radio, ebooks, podcasts, social media, television and streaming / on demand video content. Here are some of the findings...

46% of believers listen to Christian music on the radio.

33% of believers use the radio for Bible teaching.

Faith-based books are part of the weekly routine for 39% of believers.

26% listen to podcasts.

26% use options provided by their own church.

38% use social media to read Bible verses and teachings.

32% watch Christian television.

Yes, it is amazing to have all the resources and content we can access today. But the big question is this.

"Can digital church take the place of being present for teaching and worship at a physical church building?"

When surveyed, half of believers who engage with digital content and online services, say they occasionally rely on this instead of attending church in person. 13% said they do this often.

Among Millennials, who are the parents of the kids in your ministry, the percentages of engaging in church online is higher. 34% say they often replace church attendance with other forms of spiritual content. Often they are seeking to deepen their faith and seek out additional resources outside of a local church. Some say these digital services and tools are a substitute for church attendance.

This trend may reflect the culture that young parents and their children have grown up in. They have always been fully immersed in a digital world. While previous generations had to learn and adapt to technology, this new generation of parents and their children have grown up with it. For them, it is as natural as breathing.

As we continue to engage with technology, younger believers will produce new tools for spiritual growth, faith deepening and sharing their faith with others.

The church must not only embrace some of these methods, but also jump in and help create them.

I often use the illustration of a McDonald's kid's meal. Kid's meals have been around since the 1960's. 60 or so years later, they are still used with great success.

Here's why. The food has pretty much stayed the same, but how the food is packaged changes to stay relevant with the current kids' culture. If Superman is hot in the culture, then they will use that theme on the box that holds the food. If Wonder-woman is popular, they will use that theme on the box.

This illustration gives us a comparable look at the church. Our food...our message...the Gospel...the Bible...never changes. But how we package it must change so we can continue to connect with the children and young families of today.

If we don't do this, it can become a barrier for reaching kids and families. Just as Jesus used current objects and themes from the culture He lived in, so we must also be willing to change and use current objects and themes from our day.

With the steady rise of digital, online services does it mean we should focus solely on that and forsake physically meeting together with other believers? Of course not.

God's Word still tells us 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.

Digital, online services are a great tool and should be used for specific purposes. But I do not believe it should become a substitute for meeting in person. There is something special about worshiping with other believers, encouraging and being encouraged by others and working together to make an impact for Christ in our world.

I believe balance is the key. We must manage the tension that comes between worshiping in person and worshiping online. I believe it is not an either or, but rather a both and.

I believe both methods can be used by God to make an impact and help believers grow spiritually. We must ask God for wisdom as we seek to get the Gospel out to the world and make disciples. There are some people we will only be able to reach and discipleship using digital, online tools. And there are also some people that will only be reached by them coming to a physical church building for an in person service.

I will say this as I wrap this up. We know that relationship is a big part of reaching and discipling people...especially children. Children grow best when there is a caring leader who knows their name, knows when they are absent, physically looks them in the eyes and prays for them in person It's hard to make that happen online.

Your turn.

What are your thoughts about digital, online worship and teaching?

Will this method continue to become a common way for churches to reach and disciple more people?

Do you think it's a substitute for gathering and worshiping and growing in a service at a physical building?

Do you have any ideas for engaging with children through online kids' worship services?

Share your thoughts, ideas and insight in the comment section below.