RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Today’s kids are growing up in an experience-driven culture. They eat in restaurants such as The Rainforest Café and Chuck E. Cheese, where a meal is not just about food, it’s about the whole themed experience. 

They experience rides at amusement parks that put them right in the middle of an unfolding, experiential story. 

They play video games that let them experience new worlds and adventures. The computer and smart phone have become a portal to unlimited experiences through virtual worlds, games, and online communities.

Let’s be real. We can’t compete. We’ll never have the resources to match what kids experience on a daily basis outside of church. But we can still create service experiences where kids encounter God and his truth in memorable ways.

How? It’s not as hard as you may think. Let’s start from scratch.

Get a creative team together. 

It can be made up of anywhere from three to six people.

Decide what Scripture / Biblical truth you are going to teach. 

Decide how you’re going to “package” or “theme” the Scripture.  The packaging or theme should be something culturally relevant to a child’s world.

Begin tossing out ideas and writing them down. 

Even if an idea is not used, it will spark other ideas. Many times the craziest idea will be the seed that brings a great plan to fruition. Normally, when you hit gold everyone will know it. Everyone’s eyes will light up when the idea is mentioned. It will just click.

Create your large-group experience. We use the large-group/small-group model. Here are the steps we follow to create a large-group experience.

Choose a worship song that reinforces the truth. Worship is a key element in helping kids experience God’s presence. The Bible tells us that God inhabits the praises of his people.

Use skits to reinforce the truth. Use skits that involve real-life scenarios that kids face so they can see the truth lived out. Skits can be done live or by video.

Use games that illustrate the truth. The first game should be high-energy, fun, and even messy. The second game can be more tame and can be a review tool.

Use a large-group lesson based on the truth or Bible story. 

Make it fun and interactive. 

Use stories to illustrate the truth. 

Personal stories from your own life are great. Also be sure to use lots of visuals such as pictures and video clips.

Create your small-group experience. 

The kids have been sitting in large-group time. They have been participating, but maybe in a limited way. Small-group time makes the whole experience complete. Here are some tips for small-group time.

Make it interactive. 

Kids want to talk. They want to be heard and known. So let them talk away. Use icebreaker questions and activities to get kids talking. Ask guided, open-ended questions that will get kids interacting.

Involve kids in the learning process. 

Use crafts, activities, and games that get kids moving, participating, and having fun as they learn.

Include Scripture. 

Go over the key Bible verse with kids. 

Use fun games and methods to help them remember it and understand its meaning.

Make it applicable. 

Talk about real-life situations kids might face where they could apply what they’ve learned. Then create a specific challenge for the coming week where they can live out that truth.

Pray. 

Let kids share prayer requests and spend a few minutes praying with them for those needs. Rely on the Holy Spirit to move in kids’ hearts so they can enjoy the greatest experience of all—God’s presence.

You can get more great ideas to grow your children's ministry in the book "100 Best Ways to Grow Your Children's Ministry. It is available at this link.

Need more volunteers for your ministry? 

I do. 

I'm sure you do as well. 

So...where are you going to find them?

Here are 5 key places where you can find new volunteers.

In the back of the auditorium /worship center.

Often people who are not connected will set in the back of the auditorium by themselves.

This past weekend, I went into the auditorium between services.  I noticed a young man sitting by himself in the back. I felt the gentle whisper of the Holy Spirit say, "go talk with him...he wants to serve."

I went up to him and introduced myself.  I found out he is a bio-chemist. After making small talk for a few minutes, I asked him if he was serving anywhere. 

"No....but I've been thinking about it."

"I'd love to have you serve alongside me in children's ministry."

"Yes...that would be amazing...I'd like to serve with you."

He is joining our team and will start serving in the next week or so.

New Member's Class 

If your church has a class that people go through to join the church, it's a great place to find new volunteers.  Ask the people who lead the class, if you can come in and share about opportunities to serve in children's ministry.

Guest Reception

Does your church have a place where guests can go to meet the pastor, staff, etc. after their first visit? This is a great place to meet new people and share the vision of children's ministry. 

Here's a real life example of this. One Sunday, I went to the guest reception that was held after the worship service. When I walked into the guest reception, I saw a young lady sitting by herself. The Holy Spirit nudged me to go and talk with her. I did so.  Long story short, she started serving in our children''s ministry at that campus. She is now the children''s pastor at the church's largest campus. 

Bible study classes for adults.

Does your church have traditional Sunday School classes for adults?  Or maybe you have small groups for adults that meet during the week? 

These classes and groups are another great place to find volunteers. Connect with the leaders and ask if you can come in and share the vision of serving in children's ministry. 

Student ministry. 

Do you have students serving in your children's ministry?

Students make great children's ministry volunteers.  While you need adults serving in your children's ministry, it is also beneficial to have students serving alongside of them. Kids look up to students and so students can make a big impact in the life of kids. 

Connect with your student pastor and ask to get in front of the students to share the vision of serving in children's ministry. Students are normally enthusiastic about serving in children's ministry. 

All of these places have something in common.  Do you know what it is?  

All of these places are outside of children's ministry. This means you need to get freed up so you can go to these places. It is hard to build a volunteer team if you are stuck there and can't get out to meet people. 

Do you have a copy of "The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams?" It is packed full of proven ideas that you can use to build your children's ministry.  You can get your copy at this link. 

I believe building your volunteer team is the most important thing you do in children's ministry. Get out there and see what God does. 

We often complain about a lack of volunteers. But the Bible reminds us that "we have not because we ask not."  How many people are you asking to serve each week?  Don't complain about a lack volunteers, if you are not asking people to serve.  

You got this. Get to these 5 places and you will see God begin to grow your volunteer team. 

Communicating well is very important in children's ministry. Here are a few tips that can help you become a pro at talking with kids. 

Get on their eye level.

We forget as adults what it's like to be a child looking up at this tall, big person staring down at you.

Kneel down so they can see you face to face. Making eye contact is very important. 

One of the best preschool leaders I have known would get down on her knees at the entrance of her classroom and would greet each child by name when they entered and would say "I'm so glad you are here! I've been waiting all week to see you!"

Be positive when you are redirecting children. 

Here's an example. Instead of saying, "no running" try saying, "inside we walk...outside we we run."

Speak encouraging words.

Your words hold so much power when it comes to children. You can make a huge impact by encouraging them with your words. 

Call them up instead of calling them out.

Kids hear all the time what they can done wrong. Instead of putting them down, call them up to the behavior you'd like to see. 

Here's an example. If a child is picking on another child, instead of saying "Stop picking on so-and-so. That's not a nice thing to do.  I am very disappointed in you." Instead, call them up by saying "God wants us to treat each other with kindness and I want to call you up to God's best. He is a kind and merciful God when He deals with us, and as His children, He wants us to do the same. So follow His ways by being nice to the other children in the room."

Talk about their interest and show that you care about them.

"Hey...what video game system do you have?"

"What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?"

"What's your favorite movie?"

"How's school going?"

"What's something really cool that happened to you this week?"

When you do this, kids will open up their hearts to listen to what you have to say.

Don't talk down to them.

Make sure you are age appropriate. 

A fifth grader doesn't want to be talked to like they are a kindergartner.  

Ask open-ended questions.

That is, questions that are not answered with a simple yes or no answer.

This questioning style provides invitations to say more and share their heart, ideas, and feelings. 

Here's an example.

Instead of saying, "Did you enjoy John's birthday party?," say "What was the best part of John's birthday party?"

Show them you are interested in hearing what they have to say and that they are important to you. 

I hope these tips have been a help to you as you talk with kids and impact their lives for eternity.

I believe kids are key to a church's success. Here's why...

Jesus made children's ministry a priority.  

In the midst of busy ministry, the disciples tried to divert children away from Jesus. 

But Jesus quickly made known His priority in the situation. He told the disciples to let the children come to Him. 

When a church makes children's ministry a top priority, it is inviting Jesus' presence and blessings upon it. 

Jesus reminds us of this in Matthew 9. 

“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes not only me but the One who sent me.” 

Welcoming children is about valuing them. If you want to see Jesus' blessings fall upon your church, make children's ministry a priority.

Many people come to Christ because of their children.

Think about this with me. Think about the many instances in Scripture where people came to Jesus for one reason. They needed something for their children. Healing. Deliverance. Raised back to life from death. 

Their introduction...their compelling need...their draw was because of their children. 

I have personally seen this happen thousands of times.  Parents bring their children to church because their child is starting to ask questions about what it means to follow Jesus or about baptism. 

Parents also bring their children to church because they want their children to get a good life foundation to build upon. 

In the process, the parents end up coming to Christ as well. One of the primary ways I have seen this happen is through parents bringing their child to a salvation class / milestone.  The parents get in the class with their child, hear the Gospel clearly, and realize they need to come to Christ as well. 

I have a class / milestone I use for this. It's called Starting Point.  You can get it at this link.  Use this class and I promise you that you will see kids and parents come to Christ. 

Children's ministry is a big reason why families pick a church. 

Here are the top 2 reasons why families pick a church.

How friendly are you?  

What do you have to offer my kids?

Tonight there will be a family who decides to go out to eat. They will drive past steak houses, nice Italian restaurants, and other high-end places to eat. 

They will end up going to McDonalds. Why? Because that's where the kids want to go. The kids want to get a kid's meal and they want to play on the playground. 

A church that is really serious about reaching families will make note of this phenomenon and will tailor their ministry after this. They will spend money on building an indoor playground. They will create spaces designed with kids in mind. They will make children's ministry a significant amount of their budget. They will hire quality staff for children's ministry. 

How many children's ministry staff members should you have?  I created a chart that can help you with this. It tells you what positions you should hire and when you should hire them.  Send me an email and I will send it to you free of charge.

Children are the greatest mission field in the world.

There are nearly 2 billion Gen Alpha kids in the world...most of them don't know Jesus. We know that about 80% of people who come to Christ do so before the age of 18. 

Children are the greatest mission field and we must reach them while we can. We must share Jesus with them while their hearts are young and tender to the things of God. 

Churches that focus on reaching children with the Gospel will be blessed.

Churches that consistently share the Gospel with children will have the anointing of God on their ministry.  

Churches that reflect the heart of God for children's salvation will be aligned with His heart.  

The next generation is the future of every church. 

I often drive by an empty, decaying church building. There is a for sale sign on the property. When I see this I am reminded that at one time they were babies crying in the nursery. At one time there were kids laughing in the hallways. At one time there were teenagers giggling in a classroom. 

But the church wasn't able to pass along the faith to them.  The baton got dropped.  Perhaps it was dropped because of tradition. Perhaps it was dropped because the older generation wasn't willing to change to reach the next generation. Perhaps it was dropped because of a lack of strategy to reach young families. Perhaps it was dropped because the church put rules before relationships. Perhaps it was dropped because children's ministry wasn't a priority. Perhaps it was dropped because of a lack of vision to pass along the faith to the generation that was coming behind them. 

Remember...without succession there is no success. 

Here's what I know.  If you look at the largest, fastest growing churches in the country, you will see children's ministry is a top priority for them.  Without exception. 

Bottom line...if you want your church to succeed you must make children's ministry a top priority. Kids are a key part of a church's success.

I remember as a child there was a prize inside the cereal box. As soon as we got back from the grocery store, my brother and I would be digging in the cereal box to find the toy. We chose the cereal we would eat based on which box had the coolest toy. 

Today, breakfast cereal sales have gone down. Sales have fallen more than 15% in the last five years, from 2.47 billion boxes sold in 2021 to 2.14 billion boxes sold in 2025. 

So companies like Kellogs are reviving their cereal box prizes for the first time in over a decade. Kelloggs is putting collectible spoon figurines from Toy Story 5 characters in their cereal boxes.

General Mills is partnering with the Jim Henson company to put textured puppets in their cereal. In October, they will include characters like Count Chocula, Franken Berry, and Boo Berry.

Consumer demand is bringing the prizes back. Parents remember finding toys in their cereal boxes and now they want to share that experience with their kids.  Today's parents are increasingly looking for simple, screen free moments of play with their children. Something as simple as the toy in a cereal box is something they can do with their child.

So...think about this with me. 

What's the "cereal box prize" you can offer kids and families?

Remember...they are looking for simple, screen free moments to share together. 

One thing I have done is to send children home with a small "prize" or toy that ties into the lesson.  Here's an example. If I share a lesson about Daniel and lion's den, I might send home a small, plastic lion figurine and encourage the kids and their parents to use it to talk about the story and lesson learned. They can even act out the lesson at home using the lion and then talk about some key questions together.

Another idea is to give first-time guests a small toy or other gift on their second visit.  Send them a postcard after their first visit and tell them what they will get when they return. I have personally seen this work very well. It actually helped us go from 7% of families returning for a second visit to 38% of families returning.

You can also give families a small craft or activity they can do together.  Hands on activities are a big hit for kids and parents to do together. 

Another factor...kids have great buying influence when families are at the grocery store picking out food.  

Who is going to make the final decision on which cereal to buy?  Most likely, it will be the children. 

The same can be said about picking a church. Children carry great influence in deciding which church the family will attend. In most cases, they are the final decision maker. 

Remember...it's the small things that make a big difference.  

You wouldn't think a small toy in a cereal box would be such a big, determining factor in choices.  It's a great reminder that excellence comes from doing the small things well. The small things add up to excellence. 

Excellence is the whisper that comes from doing the small things well. 

As cereal box toys return, I believe sales for these companies will go back up. Kids love to discover prizes...even when it's just a simple toy in a cereal box.   

I believe if you follow this pattern, your ministry can also grow and retain more new families.

Your turn.  Did you love cereal box toys when you were a kid?  What are some more ways we can implement this into reaching and discipling families?  Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

This post is going to be short and simple. But implement it and you will see kids beaming with smiles when they enter your building. 

Here it is. Have your greeters, check-in people, etc. wear these. 

Kids love seeing and interacting with greeters who are wearing these. You'll see lots of high 5's, fist bumps, etc. when your greeters are wearing these. 

We know that people decide if they are going to return to our church in the first 8 minutes. This simple step of greeters wearing these will help you create a great first impression.  When they see these, kids and parents will think "This is a fun place to be for my kids."  

Reach the kids and you will reach the entire family. 

I believe this one simple step of greeters bringing the fun factor will immediately help your children's ministry get to the next level.  

You can order the hands at Amazon at this link.

Here's another great resource for you to bring the fun factor.  It's the best selling book "If Disney Ran Your Children's Ministry."  It's filled with tons of ideas that will help you create irresistible environments for kids and families. You can order it at this link. 

 

Do you ever wonder how effective your communication is with parents?

Parents, like all of us, live in a data heavy world. We constantly have messages coming our way. 

It is easy for our communication with parents to get lost in the avalanche. 

But effectively communicating with parents is crucial if you want to help them disciple their children. 

Let's look at some methods and strategies to communicate with parents effectively.

Text messages

Text messages do get noticed - 95% of text messages get read - 93% within the first minute. Hard to beat that percentage. 

There are several ways you can use text messages to communicate with parents. 

Send a text message to new families after they visit for the first time. Keep it short and simple. Thanks for coming. Trust you had a great experience. Hope to see you again soon. Let us know how we can pray for your family. 

Send a text message to parents about what their child learned at church. Include a couple of follow-up questions they can ask their child.  I would send this out on Tuesday. 

Send a text message about an upcoming event or program.  It may have dropped off their radar. A quick reminder is helpful.

Facebook

I know what you are thinking. Facebook is outdated. Actually when it comes to mothers, 94% of Millennial mothers use Facebook on a regular basis.  Data shows that Facebook remains a leading social platform for mothers.

Create a Facebook page for the parents in your ministry. Post memory verses, parenting tips, lesson review questions, announcements, etc. 

Email

At the church where I serve as children's director, we send out a monthly email newsletter. We include lesson review questions, memory verse of the month, parenting tips, and upcoming teaching series information. 

Instagram

47-65% of young mothers (ages 18 to 39) use Instagram.  

Create an Instagram account for your ministry. Regularly post pictures, updates, reviews, etc. 

TikTok

Younger mothers show a high preference for TikTok compared to older mothers. Mothers use TikTok more frequently than fathers do. 42% of mothers active on TikTok are first-time mothers seeking peer advice and community.

Create short training videos and parenting tip videos to post on TikTok. 

Pinterest

Young mothers use Pinterest extensively as a visual search engine and community hub for parenting ideas, inspiration, and peer connection. 

Create an account and host active communities centered around early motherhood. Share practical child-rearing tips.

Old school take home papers

Take home papers can still be effective. The key is handing them to parents and encouraging them to use the tool during the week to help disciple their kiddos.  

Make sure you hand them to the parents and not the children. If you hand them to the children, they will end up in the parking lot. 

Your turn. What are some other effective ways to communicate with parents? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

One of my wife's favorite shows is 48 hours. Have you watched it?  Police and crime scene investigators have 48 hours to identify the suspect. After 48 hours, their chance of catching the criminal goes down dramatically. 

48 hours is an important time frame in the children's ministry world as well. 

Guests who receive a follow-up within 24 hours are 85% likely to return.

Following up with first-time guest families within 48 hours of their first visit dramatically increases the chance of a second visit and retention.

If you're waiting until Thursday or Friday to follow up with guests, you might want to consider bumping up your follow up time frame to 48 hours. Here are some tips and a timeline to use when following up with guests.

Day 1: Sunday

• Collect data: gather filled-out cards and digital check-ins on Sunday after the last service. 

• Send a text message: send out a welcoming text. Thank them for coming and offer to pray for any needs they may have.  

• Offer to meet them for coffee or a meal that week. Believe it or not, most of the time they will accept your invitation. I have found that if you can get them to meet you for a coffee or meal, you will be able to connect with them at a high level and they will return the next Sunday. I have personally seen this work time and time again. 

The clock is ticking. Keep going. 

Day 2: Monday 

• Enter contact information into your data base. 

• Send an email with basic church information and a link to plan their next visit.  

• Assign a staff member or high level volunteer to make a personal call to the family. 

• Send a handwritten post card to the children. 

• Offer the kids a free gift on their second visit. I have found from personal experience if you will make the gift a t-shirt with your kids' ministry logo on it, your return rate will go up to 38%. 

You've got 24 hours left. Keep pursuing them.

Day 3: Tuesday 

• Call them. Have a pastor or connect-team member call the family to say hello and answer any questions they may have. Keep this call casual and not high-pressure. 

• Leave a message. Chances are you will get sent to voicemail. Leave a friendly voicemail if they do not answer.

Follow this 48 hours plan and you will see more guests return and get plugged in.  

Your turn. What do you do to follow-up with guests? Share your thoughts and insight in the comment section below. 

Do you need more volunteers? Of course you do. Every church in the world needs more volunteers. 

But how do you get them?  What can you do to enlist more people to serve in your ministry? 

I've got some answers for you. The good news is these are steps you can take to enlist more volunteers starting today. 

This past week, the ministry I lead enlisted 7 new volunteers. How did we do it?  Here's what happened.

I went to a hot spot. 

What is a hot spot?  A hot spot is a program, event, class or gathering where people will be there who are prospects to serve in your ministry. 

This particular hot spot was our young adults ministry. They meet on Thursday nights. I went to their meeting and enlisted 5 new people to serve. 

There is a lady who leads the children's ministry at a campus of 12,000 people. I first met her at the church's guest services reception after one of the weekend services.  After the reception, I invited her to see our chlidren's ministry environments. Long story short, she started volunteering then came on staff then was given the opportunity to lead at the largest campus of that ministry. 

Remember this...for most hot spots you are going to need to get outside of your children's ministry area and out in the other events or programs or gatherings. 

Where are the hotspots in your church?  Go there and you can enlist new volunteers for your children's ministry.

We made personal asks.  

This is the best way to add volunteers to your team. 

Personal....1-1 asks. 

This is how Jesus built His team.  He went to the disciples and personally invited them to follow Him.

Will everyone say "yes."  No.  Last night after the service, I personally talked with 3 people about serving with us.  I didn't get any yeses. But that is not going to deter me. I will continue to make personal asks every single week....52 weeks a year.  I have gotten several "yeses" in the past 3 weeks because I ask every single week.  

Here's a big factor when it comes to asking people to serve. Pray for divine appointments. There are people in your ministry that God has already been prodding to serve. Ask Him to lead you to those people.

Here's an example. Two weeks ago, I went into the auditorium and asked God to give me a divine appointment. He directed my attention to a lady who was sitting in the back of the auditorium.  I felt the Holy Spirit say, "there is a divine appointment."

p.s. A great place to meet people you want to ask to serve is in the back of the adult service auditorium. Here you will find some people who are not connected yet and might be looking for ways to get connected. 

I approached her and found out she has been attending our church for a year. She moved here a year ago from California.  I introduced myself, ask her some questions about her family, spiritual journey, etc. 

Then I asked the big question.  I asked her if she were serving anywhere. She replied "no." I shared with her that I was looking for someone to serve in the nursery. Her eyes lit up. She said "yes...I can serve there. I love little ones."  

She is now on our volunteer team. Why?  Because of a personal ask that was a divine appointment.   

93% of people who start volunteering do so because someone personally invited them. 

Make inviting people to serve a top priority on your work calendar. The biggest amount of your time should be spend enlisting and equipping new volunteers.

That's how we enlisted 7 new volunteers this past week. 

Be encouraged. If you are like the majority of churches, you have some gaps on your children's ministry volunteer team.  Don't give up. 

Keep asking people to join your serve team. Week in and week out. Enlisting volunteers is a 52 weeks a year journey. 

As I am typing this out, I am praying for you and your ministry. You got this. God is with you. He told us to ask for laborers for the harvest fields.  May He send people into your ministry even this day. 

p.s. If you haven't read my book "The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams" it has lots more ideas and insight on building volunteer teams.  It is available at this link.  

The most important part of your children's ministry is your volunteers. 

You don't have a children's ministry without them. 

It's important to take care of them, shepherd them, make them feel appreciated, and invest in them. 

What does that look like practically? Let's talk about 5 things you should do for your volunteers every Sunday.  

Say thank you. 

Walk around and personally say thank you to every volunteer. I use the words "thank you for serving and making a difference."

65% of volunteers say they have never been thanked. Don't be that kind of leader. Regularly thank your volunteers for serving. 

Provide them with a drink and snack. 

One of the best children's ministry leaders I know has a list of her volunteers' favorite snacks and desserts. Every week she makes one of the snacks and brings it for all of her volunteers. Needless to say, they love her.  

Turn the lights on in the rooms and pray over the leader and kids who will be in that room.

Get to church early. Take time to go into every room where the kids and volunteers will be. Turn the light on and pray for them. It means a lot when your volunteers come into their room and the lights are already on and they know it means you stepped into their room to pray for them. 

Have a huddle. 

Meet with your volunteers for a few minutes before they start serving. Encourage them. Share a short devotion or training with them. Pray for them. Share any highlights or announcements they need to know.  

Brag on them.

Look for opportunities to brag on volunteers to parents and people in the church. Anytime the Pastor is around our volunteers, I brag on them to him. This helps volunteers feel appreciated and increases their confidence as a children's ministry volunteer. 

Do these 5 things and your volunteer retention rate will increase.  

Are you having a hard time getting older kids to engage with your lessons? Are older kids saying your lessons are "boring?"

Let me help you fix that. Take a look at this quote from the master of helping kids engage with you.  None other than the man himself...Walt Disney. Here is what he said about this. 

It was the first entertainment that Walt Disney had ever designed expressly for children. ‘But we’re not going to talk down to the kids…let’s aim for the twelve-year-old. The younger ones will watch…
they’ll want to see what their older brothers and sisters are looking at.'

Walt knew that you have to aim high. In other words, if you’re trying to connect with kids of various ages in a large-group setting, always target the oldest kids in the group. If you connect with the older kids, you’ll grab the attention of all the kids.

Marketing experts know and practice this principle. I took their advice and created these guidelines for children’s programming. 

Target the oldest boy in the group. In other words, appeal to your oldest boys and you will appeal to everyone.

Choose music that will appeal to the oldest kids in the group. Know what style of music the oldest kids in your group are listening to. Nothing will turn off your group quicker than playing songs that sound too “babyish.”

Feature older kids in your graphics and videos. Our elementary print pieces contain pictures of the oldest kids in the age group. If we do a video or skit involving kids, we normally use fifth-and sixth-graders as actors.

Use the oldest kids in the room on the praise team. If the oldest boys in your group are standing around with their hands in their pockets during worship, check who’s leading. Our praise team is comprised of the oldest kids in the room, junior and senior high school students, plus adults.

Use clips from movies that upper elementary kids think are “cool.” If your clips are from movies aimed at upper elementary kids, you’ll engage all grades.

Bring in upper elementary kids, and ask them to rate the “coolness” of your programming. They can quickly help you identify what needs to be adjusted.

Take cues from pre-teen marketers. They can give you valuable ideas on how to connect with today’s older kids.

Have the oldest kids sit up front. Before I saw this quote from Walt, I would put the youngest kids up front and the older kids in the back. That was a mistake. When older kids see "little" kids in front of them, they will disengage because it appears to be for the little kids. 

Flip that. Put the oldest kids up front. This will help you engage all of the kids. Younger kids will look up front and see the older kids are engaging and it will cause everyone to engage. 

If older kids are bored with your lessons or events or programs, try this simple idea from Walt and you will see immediate results.

Have you read the best selling book "If Disney Ran Your Children's Ministry?" It has lots of great tips for engaging kids with your lessons. You can get it at this link. 

This past weekend, I had a meeting with all of the kids who are going to our summer camp and their parents. 

When we mentioned that there will be no game systems or cell phones allowed, a collective "uhhhh" sound was heard. 

The thought of not having their cell phone or gaming device for a week made them very uncomfortable. 

Today's kids...especially pre-teens...feel lost without their screens. 

But there are great benefits that come from having kids go "no screen" for a period of time.  

They get away from the constant pressure to answer a call or text.  With technology, we are now wired to respond immediately when our phone dings.  But at camp this urgency is removed which helps kids be more relaxed after the initial shock of not having their device.

Nearly half of the next generation spends every waking moment with screens. Playing games. Texting. Streaming. Watching. 

But let's be honest. It's not just the next generation struggling with this.  Adults also face the same challenge. Think about it. When you wake up in the morning, what do you immediately do? When you fall asleep at night, what are you doing? When you are sitting in a parking lot waiting for the kiddos, what are you doing? 

This is everyone's world today. Our phones and tablets and laptops keep us connected, help us with driving directions, let us order food on the go, listen to music, and a host of other apps and programs that help us navigate life in 2026. 

Did you know there are 6.92 billion smartphone users in the world? That's 86.29% of the global population. The average person in America spends 4 hours and 37 minutes every day on their smartphone.

The younger the generation, the more time they are spending with screens. Gen Z spends the most time with 9 hours per day. Millennials spend around 3.7 hours daily, while Gen X and Baby Boomers spend less time overall. 

Americans check their phones 96 times a day. That's once every ten minutes.  

Here is some more interesting facts about this... 

• 74% of Americans feel uneasy leaving their phone at home.

• 71% of say they check their phones within the first 10 minutes of waking up.

• 53% say that they have never gone more than 24 hours without their cell phone.

• 47% consider themselves “addicted” to their phones

• 70% check their phones within five minutes of receiving a notification.

• 64% use their phone on the toilet.

• 61% have texted someone in the same room as them

• 48% of people say they feel a sense of panic or anxiety when their cell phone battery goes below 20%.

• 45% say that their phone is their most valuable possession. 

Let's jump back and talk about kids now.

The average child ages 8 to 12 spends about 4.5 hours a day with screens. 

The first iPod came out in 2001 and the first iPhone in 2007. Today's kids have never known life without cell phone screens.  They've never used payphones or a physical map to drive somewhere. They've never been bound with a phone cord.  

Today's kids (and adults) are addicted to their screens. They use their smartphones or devices to socialize, learn, play, communicate, and search for information.   

Studies show that excessive screen time can lead to social isolation, negative impact on mental health, and reduced physical activity. It can also lead to anxiety, depression, and sleep deprivation.

In the book "The Anxious Generation" Jonathan Haidt says that phones began rewiring kids' brains in the the early 2010's. 

The shift has gone from "play-based childhood to "phone-based childhood."  Children have less access to outdoor play and just playing as kids do.

What's the solution? Haidt says we should make sure kids are getting time to play, delaying smartphone access to high school and limiting social media use until kids are at least 16 years old.

As I closed out the meeting with the campers and their parents this past weekend, I shared with them the spiritual benefits of being screen free at camp. This will allow their attention to be on God and what He wants to do in their life. Away from the screens, they will be more able to hear God more clearly and let Him draw them closer to Him. 

Digital detox!

Disconnecting to connect with God and other kids in a fresh way!

Here are some tips to pass along to parents not just for camp but in the flow of everyday life.

• Set up a time every day when devices are put away.  
• Spend more time outside.  Play outside. 
• Put phones away during meal time.
• Turn off notifications. 

Help kids see that screens are not bad...the devices just need to be managed properly.  I am believing that God is going to speak to our kids in a fresh way at camp and that with the absence of screens it will be easier for them to hear His voice and respond. 

Everything rises and falls on leadership...and that includes children's ministry.

Here are 10 leadership tips for leading in children's ministry. 

Cast vision...continuously.

Have a clear vision for the ministry and point people toward it. 

This brings unity to the team and helps align the ministry to a common, God-sized vision. 

Don't forget that vision leaks. As I said, cast it all the time. 

Use the majority of your time pouring into others.

Remember this...it's not about what you can do...it's about what you can empower other people to do.  The biggest part of your week should be investing in your leaders.

Lead with integrity. 

Make sure your private life lines up with your public life.  In the last few years, we have seen many church leaders have to step down from ministry because of secret sin.  

Walk the talk.  Don't get taken down by secret sins. What is behind the curtain will eventually be known in front of the curtain. 

Have people who hold you accountable.  

Remember...the best way to be successful in ministry is to stay in ministry. 

Spend time with Jesus every day.  

Your first calling is to spend time with Jesus each day. Walk with Him. Read His Word each day. Ask Him to speak to your heart each day as you stay in close fellowship with Him. 

Don't get so busy working for Jesus that you don't have time to spend with Jesus. 

Time spent with Jesus is never wasted.  Out of your time spent with Him will come your anointing and the power of God working through you.  

Be good with kids...be great with leaders of kids.

Grow as a leader of adults. 

Read leadership books. Read emotional intelligence books.  Work on your people skills. Uncover your blind spots and work on them.

Take your days off and use your vacation time.

This will help you avoid burnout. It is crucial to take time off if you want to go the distance in ministry.  

I have an electric razor that is not working right now. Can't find the power cord that it plugs into. Hence when I turn it on nothing happens. Why? Because I haven't been able to recharge it. The same goes with your ministry. You must take time each day to plug into God and get recharged. 

Guard your heart above all else.

The Bible clearly states that your job as a leader is to guard your heart.

Guard your heart against bitterness.

Guard your heart against jealously.

Guard your heart against anger.

Guard your heart against disappointment.

Guard your heart against sin. 

Never arrive..always be learning.

No matter how long you've been leading...you should always be learning and seeking to grow.  Be very intentional about this.  

When you stop learning, you stop growing. Don't fall into the trap of complacency.

Don't use people to build the ministry...use the ministry to build people.

It's not about what you want from people.  It should be about what you want for people. 

Show by your words and actions that you care about your team members.  

You've heard this before...it's so true. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. 

Lead by relationships instead of trying to lead by title.  People don't follow a title...they follow someone they love and respect.

Be the children and family ministry champion in your church.

You should be the person who keeps children's ministry on senior leadership's radar...whether it's the pastor or someone else you report to. 

Don't be shy about communicating the needs and vision of children's ministry. 

You must be the squeaky wheel for children's ministry. It's your job. That's what they are expecting you to do. 

Yes...use wisdom and balance...but make sure you are the champion for children and family ministry. 

So...there you go. Those are my 10 tips.

What are some other tips you have for children's ministry leaders? Share in the comment section below.

p.s. Have you read my book "Lead Well in Children's Ministry?"  You can gets tons of more leadership tips in this book. It's available at this link. 

Did you know the number 6 is a key part of effectively teaching kids?

Here's why. 

Studies show that if a child hears something one time in a month, they will only remember about 5% of it.

But...if a child hears something 6 times in a month, their retention rate goes up to 95%!

Here is a practical way to put this into practice. 

Each month, make sure you have the kids repeat your key teaching verse and truth at least 6 times.  If you will do this, you will see the verse and truth go into their long-term memory. 

When the verse and truth is transferred into their long-term memory, they will remember it when they are in college one day and are faced with temptations and attacks on the Word of God.   

Personally, I have kids repeat the key truth at least 6 times each week. I want to make sure they get it for life.  

Here's the cool thing...when I do this, it is amazing that kids can repeat the key truths and verses years later when I ask them to share what they've learned.

If you haven't checked out my curriculum series called Connect12, you should take a look at it. Connect12 teaches kids 12 critical truths over the course of a year...one truth each month. Take them through this curriculum and it will be embedded into their memory for life. 

You can see the curriculum and get a preview at this link.  It is great for small groups, large groups, and mid-week Bible study.  Try a month and watch the kids get it for life. 

6...remember this number...it can be a game-changer for the kids in your ministry.

Are you struggling with an event or program that you feel may have seen its better days?

Are you considering quitting a program or event?

Do you feel the passion for a particular event or program is slipping away? 

Here are 5 questions to ask yourself.

Is this a sacred cow?

Over the years, churches tend to get attached to certain events and programs.  It becomes a part of the church's DNA...whether it's still working or not. 

Use wisdom when you start talking about getting rid of a sacred cow. There is a method to getting rid of a sacred cow. I talk more about this in my coaching program. 

Are we doing this just because it's something we've always done?

Sister so and so started the ministry or program in 1965. We've been doing this ever since then. A few families in the church are heavily invested in this program or event. They will get upset if you try to change or drop the said ministry or program.  They may even quit the church if you try to change this. 

What worked in 1965 may not be working today. But they continue to prop it up because they value tradition over effectiveness. 

Does this ministry or event pass the blank piece of paper test?

What is the blank piece of paper test?  Here it is.

A year after the event or program, can you write down the names of people who have been reached and have become a part of your church family? 

I know a church that is going through this now.  They have a program that they have been doing for 9 years. The program is well attended each year, but families are not being reached through it. In fact, 9 years into the program, they can only write down the name of one family that has been reached. They are having some hard conversations about whether they should continue to do this program.

If you can't write down the names of people who have been reached and discipled, then maybe you should try something else that will help you reach kids and families.

How are people voting with their feet? 

Is the program or event well attended?  Is attendance declining?  Are you only continuing because of a small group of people who value it? 

People vote with their feet.  If they are voting "no," then why would you continue to perpetuate it. 

Is this program or event causing us to be busy but not effective?

There is a difference between being busy and being effective. Just because you are busy doesn't mean you are effective. 

Sometimes the best thing you can put on your calendar is eraser marks. 

Less truly is more. You can do a lot of things mediocre or you can do a few things with excellence. 

Every year, I challenge you to sit down and take a hard look at all of your programs and events. Ask yourself these five questions. Make changes where changes need to be made.  Remember...the Gospel is unchanging...but methods are ever-changing. 

Don't get stuck in the past. Have the courage to make changes that need to be made. Be willing for a few people to get upset so that the ministry as a whole can move forward. 

We are on an urgent mission...to reach kids and families with the Gospel and to see them discipled.  We can't afford to waste time and resources on unproductive ministry. 

Dare to ask these 5 questions about everything you are currently doing and be willing to change as needed. Remember...the last 3 letters of trend is end.  

End what is not working. It might just be what you need to do to see God move in a new and fresh way.

Do you have constant turnover in your children's ministry volunteers?

Do you want to see your volunteers go the distance with you?

Do you get tired of having to replace volunteers who have quit? 

Do you want to strengthen your volunteer team? 

Here are seven keys to keeping your volunteers long-term.

Build relationships.

How long volunteers stay is directly related to the depth of the relationships they form with you and other volunteers. 

At one of the churches where I served, I oversaw nine campuses. I would regularly go and visit the campuses during weekend services. At one of the campuses, I noticed that every time I went to visit, there were lots of volunteers and the volunteers were smiling and happy. 

I ask the director of that campus what she was doing to keep her volunteers happy and serving with joy. Whatever she was doing was working and I wanted to pass it along to the other campuses. 

Here was her response. She said, "I don't have volunteers...I have friends."

In that moment it became crystal clear. Her volunteers were happy and committed because she had built a friendship...a relationship with them.  

Let me say this one more time. If you want to keep your volunteers...build relationships with them.  

Put them where they need to be.

Have you ever asked a new volunteer where they wanted to serve and they said "wherever you need me." 

The temptation is to place them where you need them. But that often doesn't work out. 

Here's the answer. 

Instead of placing volunteers where you need them, place them where they need to be. 

Where they need to be is in a role that aligns with their gifts, talents, and interest.  Sit down with them and find out where they really want to serve.  One month after they start serving, connect with them and find out if they are enjoying where they are serving. If they are not enjoying it, then help them find another role that is a better fit. 

Put them in their dream job. 

This ties in to the previous point. You want to help people find a role that they are passionate about. A simple way to help them uncover this is to ask them this question.

What is your dream job in children's ministry?  

Once they tell you, place them in that role. When a volunteer gets in their sweet spot, they will enjoy serving.  When a volunteer gets in their sweet spot, they will thrive. When a volunteer gets in their sweet spot, you will see smiles instead of frustration.

Shepherd them well.  

If you lead well, you will become a shepherd for your volunteers. They will look to you for spiritual support, care and prayers. They will come to you with prayer requests, and spiritual needs. 

Embrace this. 

Pray with them. Cry with them. Go to the hospital to visit them. Support them. Remember...volunteers don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Empower them.

Invest in them. Train them. Trust them. Give them responsibility and let them run with it. Don't micromanage them. Believe in them.

Remember this - Don't use volunteers to build the ministry. Instead, use the ministry to build volunteers. 

Challenge them.

Volunteers want to grow. Give them opportunities to do so. As they grow, give them more responsibilities and provide them with feedback that will give them clear steps to get to the next level. 

Here's an example. 

A volunteer starts out as an assistant in a preschool room. 

As they prove themselves, challenge them to become the leader in a preschool room. 

As they continue to grow, place them in a leadership role that oversees other volunteers.

A next step would then be to place them over an entire hallway of classes. 

When a staff position comes open, offer to bring them on board.

At one of the churches were I served, we had 72 children's ministry staff members. Out of the 72, only 5 came from the outside. 67 of them started out as volunteers. As we challenged them and saw them grow, we placed them into staff roles. 

I first met Tracy at a guest reception after a church service. I saw potential in her so after the reception I invited her to see our children's ministry facilities. Long story short, she started volunteering. Then she moved into a part-time role in our preschool ministry. As she continued to grow, I gave her more responsibilities.  Today she is the children's director at a church campus of 12,000 people.  

I believe when you invest in people and challenge them to grow, they will respond and God will use them in a great way.  

Communicate well with them. 

I often say this. 

Don't expect your volunteers to shine on Sunday if you've keep them in the dark all week.  

It is important to keep your volunteers in the know. Don't catch them by surprise when it comes to making big changes, dates and plans for events, and weekly need-to-knows. I communicate with my volunteers every week through email, text messages, and phone calls. 

p.s Here's a bonus tip.

Appreciate your volunteers. Say thank you on a weekly basis. Write them a handwritten thank you note. Give them gift cards to Starbucks. Brag on them. 

Stats show that 65% of volunteers have never heard the words "thank you."  This is not the way to keep volunteers long-term. 

As you put these keys into place, you will begin to see less volunteer turn around and they will stick around. 

Your turn. What are some keys you have found to keep volunteers long-term? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

p.s. Have you read my book "The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams?"  In this book you will get lots of more tips on leading and keeping volunteers. It is available at this link.  

When kids transition to a new ministry environment, it can be a nervous time for them and their parents. But a strategic plan can turn transition into a time of anticipation, excitement, and spiritual growth for the kids and families in your ministry. Here are some ways to build an effective bridge for transition.

Create a partnership between environments. Helping
environments work together is key to building the bridge.

Have key staff from the new environment come and meet the transitioning kids. Have them hang out before a service, greet the kids from the stage, or even teach a lesson. We start this process three months before transition. The key staff members come at least twice a month.

Communicate. Send out communication pieces to parents. Start communicating about transition at least two months out.

Send a welcome packet to parents of transitioning kids. Include a welcome letter, sample lessons, sample take-home papers, a calendar with important dates, sign-up forms, and any other pertinent information parents will want to know.

Announce the transition to the kids. Make it fun and exciting. Tell them about cool things that will be coming up in the new environment.

Take the kids to their new environment and give them a preview before they transition. This will relieve a lot of anxiety as kids see the environment and get a feel for what it will be like.

Have an open house. It’s a great way for kids and parents to visit the new environment, ask questions, get information, and meet their new leaders. Have key staff in the room to meet the new kids and their parents. Have information packets available and consider families’ busy schedules. Consider offering several options for families to attend.

Have a graduation ceremony. Offer families a spiritual milestone they will never forget.

Ask volunteers who have worked with the kids to share memories.

Ask graduating kids to share what they’ve learned, memories, and thanks to their leaders.

Ask parents to publicly bless their kids with Scripture, thoughts, and prayer. (Ask everyone ahead of time so they have time to prepare.)

Provide graduation certificates or maybe even gifts.

Have kids walk across the stage. This is visual confirmation that they are transitioning to a new environment.

Give a brief devotion or challenge to the kids and parents. Then close with prayer. Have parents and leaders gather around the children and pray for them.

Have a party, cookout, or reception after the ceremony. This is a great time for staff, volunteers, and students from the new ministry environment to connect with transitioning kids and parents.

I have created a graduation celebration milestone kit for kids who are transitioning up to middle school ministry. It includes everything you need for a great transition strategy and ceremony. It is available at this link. 

Keep kids grouped together as much as possible. Keeping groups together will provide security for kids and help them continue to deepen relationships.

Have volunteers move up with kids. We love it when volunteers want to move up with their kids! It helps calm kids’ fears, but more important, when a leader invests in a child’s life over the years, the spiritual impact is multiplied. 

Make yourself available for kids or families who are struggling during transition. I have found over the years that transition has a way of revealing kids and families who need an extra ministry touch. Perhaps it brings out the anxiety a child may still be feeling from a divorce; perhaps it shows parenting challenges a mom or dad is facing. How will you know who they are? Don’t worry…usually they will come to you. Whatever the need, be there to encourage them and walk with them through this time.

One of the great joys of being in children’s ministry for the long haul is seeing kids grow up and become fully devoted followers of Christ. It reminds you that all the time you spent building bridges for them was well worth it. 

The kids in your ministry will grow up fast. Be there to build bridges across the transitions.

As I look at the trends and pathways of children's ministry, there are some things that concern me. 

These are things that I believe we must address and search for ways to correct them.

Below are the 12 things. Take a few minutes to think about these. 

Lack of Biblical knowledge.

Biblical knowledge alone will not help kids be discipled. But it is crucial that kids know God's Word if they are going to apply it to their lives.  You can't apply what you don't know. 

Kids not knowing why we believe what we believe.

The number one reason why kids grow up and leave the faith is because they simply don't believe anymore. 

We must teach kids apologetics.  We must help them work through the tough questions and find the correct answers. 

If we don't, when kids are exposed to the wrong answers, they will not be able to stand against the doubt and confusion that will be brought their way. 

Like the seed that fell into shallow soil, they will wilt away when the pressure from unbelievers comes.  

Shallow faith greatly concerns me. 

Lack of prayer.

I see a lack of prayer in our ministries. Children who make an impact even at an early age are kids who are taught how to pray. 

A few months ago, I decided to try something bold when it comes to prayer. I started blocking out 10 minutes of time during class to pray. 

I have the kids get down on their knees. I wondered how this would go. Surprisingly, the kids got down on their knees...even the kids who are normally a little "rowdy."  A hush came over the room and we began to pray. We have a list of needs in our church and we pray though that. We also pray for God's forgiveness in areas we have sinned and spend time thanking and praising God for who He is.  

It has been a game changer for many of the kids. 

If we are going to the see the next generation move forward for God and serve Him for a lifetime, it will happen when they spend time with God in prayer. 

Inconsistent church attendance.

As I talk with and interact with churches across the country, the same attendance pattern emerges.  Families with children are attending church once or twice a month or even less. 

This means children are missing 50-75% of the lessons. What would happen if children missed 50-75% of their school lessons. It would be difficult for them to master the subjects they are studying. 

The same can be said of church attendance. It concerns me that a big majority of the children who attend our churches are only getting 25-50% of the teaching.  It's hard to get a solid faith foundation when you are not there consistently. 

Priorities and choices of parents.

All too often, I see parents who make the choice to put sports before church attendance and discipleship. Traveling ball participation that causes kids to miss weeks and weeks of Biblical teaching. 

Too busy to attend church faithfully?  I am afraid that this will catch up to families spiritually and is setting a precedent that is going to cause kids to not put God first in their priorities and choices. This can eventually cause children to drop out of church completely when they grow up.

God wants first place in our lives and choices. We must help parents understand that the choices they make will greatly affect their children's relationship with Jesus now and in the years to come.

Volunteers who only serve once a month.

A big part of discipleship happens through relationship.  For discipleship to happen in children's ministry (especially in the elementary years) you need volunteers who serve consistently.  The best scenario is for volunteers to serve every week. This helps them build influence with the children and obviously makes the opportunity for relationship to be much higher.

It's hard to build relationship with someone you only see for an hour each month.  

Temporary prizes for eternal endeavors.

Many churches give kids rewards for bringing their Bible to church, attendance, bringing a friend, good behavior, etc. 

I believe we should reward kids for spiritual disciplines...but I believe we should reward them with far more than a cheap toy.   

Think about this with me.  What if you rewarded kids with the opportunity to make an eternal impact.  

Examples:

Earn 50 points and you can purchase a goat for a family in India.

Earn 10 points and you can purchase a paint brush that will be used to paint a widow's house.

Earn 100 points and purchase a well for a family in Uganda. 

I have found that kids respond even more if you give them the opportunity to make an impact with their points.

This also helps kids grow in their faith as they invest in eternal matters. 

You can read more about this strategy at this link. 

Churches that are not willing to change to reach the next generation. 

Churches that are unwilling to change are losing the next generation.  As I drive by churches that are closed down, I am reminded that at one time they had kids crying in the nursery. They had elementary kids giggling and playing in the classrooms. But not now.  There is a for sale sign in the yard. Why? Because they were unwilling to change and stay relevant. 

Often it's generational. The older generation has a worship style they grew up with and want to continue with it until their dying days.  They have methods that they are comfortable with and they refuse to go outside the box they have created. 

Remember...the last three letters in trend spells "end."  

Not reaching children and families with the Gospel.

The most important thing children's ministries do is reaching kids and families with the Gospel. We only have a short window of time to reach the next generation. Churches can do a lot of things, but the primary passion and heartbeat must be reaching and discipling kids and families. 

Online church without personal connections.

I'm not against online church. But when it comes to kids, I believe they need personal connections with caring volunteers.  Discipleship happens through relationships. Kids need a consistent person pouring into their lives and helping them grow in their faith. 

Churches that don't make children ministry a top priority.

You hear many churches say that children's ministry is a priority. But their budget, staffing, volunteer base, and facilities say something different. 

Children are the greatest mission field in the world. It concerns me when a church can't see that and doesn't take action about it. 

Children's ministries that don't have a salvation and discipleship pathway for children. 

They don't have a clear next step when kids express an interest in beginning a relationship with Jesus. They don't have a curriculum plan in place that teaches kids the "musts knows" of following Jesus.  

I believe we have to focus on what we are going to teach kids from God's Word. We must create intentional teaching pathways that will help kids know God's Word.  It's time we adjust and rather than teaching kids "character traits" we must teach kids the key doctrines, principles, and truths that are found in God's Word. Biblical truth must be the foundation of what we teach. 

Those are 12 things that concern me. 

What concerns you about children's ministry? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.