RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

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. 

There are a lot of things we can do in children's ministry.  Classes.  Small groups. Fall festivals. Events. Camps. VBS. Mid-week programming. Children's Choir.  

All of these are good things. But at the end it all comes down to this...

Are we sharing the Gospel with kids and families?  Are we telling them about the greatest thing that has ever happened here on earth?  

If this is true...let me ask you a few questions.

Do you regularly share the Gospel with kids and parents?

What steps do you have in place for a child to take when they understand they need a Savior?

Is the Gospel woven into the curriculum you are using?

Do you see the baptism waters stirring on a regular basis for kids who have made a decision for Christ and are now being baptized? 

Look what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:2.

For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

Paul goes on to say this in Romans 9:3. 

For I could wish that I myself were accursed and separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kin according to the flesh.

Paul was basically saying that he would be willing to trade places in eternity with those who are lost. I don't know if I could truthfully say that. Now that is a passion for people who don't know Jesus. 

In the end, it all comes down to this.  Saved or lost?  Condemned or forgiven?  Redeemed or perished?

It's easy to get sidetracked. 

We start using a curriculum that doesn't clearly share the Gospel.  

We get so busy with our "lesson plans" that we neglect what is most important.  

We are not intentional about sharing the Gospel with the kids.  Weeks and even months go by where we don't share the Gospel with the next generation.

We start teaching character traits instead of teaching the kids about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. 

We teach the kids about Jesus, but don't help them understand it's about personally knowing Jesus not just knowing about Jesus.

When was the last time you shared the Gospel with the kids and parents God has called you to reach?

We know that 85% of people who come to Jesus do so by the age 18.  

Children truly are the greatest mission field in the world.  

We must reach them now...while their hearts are open and receptive the Gospel. 

Do you have a plan in place to share the Gospel with kids and their parents?

Starting Point is a class that is designed to share the Gospel with kids and their parents.  It gives a clear presentation of what it means to follow Jesus. Below are a couple of video examples from the class.  This is the class I used to see over 430 kids come to Christ and get baptized in one year.  And yes...every single child who was baptized had been through this class with their parents. 

Hundreds of churches are using this class to reach kids and their parents. It is available as an instant download at this link.

It is very interactive.   Here is an example.  Kids draw this out. 

You will notice that there are two other men that day being crucified with Jesus. The other two men deserved to be there. They were criminals.  One of the men made fun of Jesus and said "no" to Him.  The other man said "yes" to Jesus and Jesus told him he would be with him in heaven. These two men represent the entire world. These two men represent the children in your community.  Every one has to make a decision about Jesus.

It all comes down to this.

There are a lot of important lessons you can teach in 2024. 

The 10 commandments.

Prayer.

Bible reading.

Worshiping God.

Relationships.

Godly character.

Major prophets.

Fruit of the Spirit.

The great stories of the Bible like David and Goliath.

These are all good topics to teach about.  But they are not the most important lesson you will teach in 2024. 

The biggest, most important lesson you will teach is the GOSPEL.

The Gospel is the heart of God.  It shines brightly as it makes its way from the pages of the Bible and into the heart of the next generation. 

The Gospel is the hope for the next generation.

The Gospel changes lives for eternity.

The Gospel is the central theme of Scripture.

The Gospel is the power of God for salvation.  Paul said this about the Gospel.

For I am not ashamed of the GOSPEL for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  Romans 1:16

The Gospel can shift the entire trajectory of families.

The Gospel can penetrate the darkness and shine a ray of hope into a family.

The Gospel is the road to eternal life. 

What will you be teaching this year?  Will you be following a scope and sequence?  

Whatever curriculum you are using, make sure it is centered on the Gospel.  Make sure you are regularly sharing the Gospel with the children you are called to minister to.  You can teach a lot of things, but if you don't share the Gospel with the kids, you are missing the most important component of children's ministry.

Remember...most people come to Christ when they are young.  We must share the Gospel with children before their hearts get hardened by sin and the culture they are growing up in.

Let me testify about the Gospel.

My family was far from God...a dysfunctional family with major issues to say the least.  We knew nothing about God. We were criminals.  In fact, my great grandfather was sentenced to life in prison for murdering someone with a knife.

The generational curses were passed down to my grandfather. He was a drunkard and violent man as well. He ran a bar and often got into fights.  His nose was broken five times in bar fights.

Church and God were no where on our radar.  We had no hope.

Until one day a man came to our house with the Gospel.  He invited us to ride to church with him to hear the Gospel.  At first, we said "no way."  But the man wouldn't give up.  He kept coming back with the Gospel.  Finally, my grandmother told him if he would come by tomorrow, she and my dad would go with him to church.  For the first time, our family walked into a church.  My father was 9-years-old at the time. 

The Gospel penetrated our heart and my grandmother and father entered a relationship with God.  7 years later, my father was called to preach the Gospel.  My grandfather came to hear my father share the Gospel.  The Gospel was shared and my grandfather responded.  His life was changed.  He went from being a mean drunkard to one of the sweetest people you would ever meet.  He never got drunk again and served as a deacon for over 30 years.

I am here today...typing this...because of the Gospel.  

What a great opportunity you have to teach the Gospel in 2024.  You have the opportunity to share the Gospel with people at the most important time in their life.  When kids graduate out of your ministry in a few years, will they have encountered the Gospel?

Road Trip. This series takes the kids on a road trip as they discover that Jesus is the one and only road to heaven.  You can get it at this link.

You can get Starting Point at this link.

I pray that the major theme you will share with the kids and parents this year is the Gospel.  It is the only hope for the next generation. 
 

Did you know that children can add great value and insight in building and growing a children's ministry?

Let's talk about how you can get children to participate in building the ministry.

Gather information by directly asking children what they like and don't like.   

The Lego company does a great job with this. They have a four-step process that they use with children.  Here are the steps:

Step One - Observation.  Observe children's reactions when they are introduced to a new prototype or model. Watch for how children respond to a new video.  See how they engage with a new worship song.  See how well they participate in a small group discussion.  Does the lesson keep their attention?

Blue's Clues is considered by many to be the top interactive show ever produced for kids.  How did they accomplish this?  They would bring in a group of children and have them watch a pilot of the show. Anytime during the show, when kids got restless or started looking around, they made a note of it.  Then they went back and tweaked those parts of the show so it held kids' attention.

Step Two - Feedback and Insight.  Give kids the opportunity to voice their concerns about new elements and resources. This will help you produce better content for children and will help children and their families better connect with you.  It will also help you if understand what their needs are and how you can produce content to meet those needs.  

A practical way to do this is to have a round table discussion with a group of 8-10 kids.  Get their honest feedback.  The truth is this.  If a child says something is boring...they are usually correct.

Step Three - Value their ideas and insights.  In many cultures, children have little or no opportunities to contribute. This is a big miss. Children need to be seen and heard.  They have much to bring to the table. They are today's kids and have insights and ideas that previous generations do not have. Encourage them to use their insights and ideas to help build the ministry.  Recognize that their knowledge and perspective can be a valuable asset.  Gen Z and Gen Alpha can give you valuable information about how to connect with today's kids.

The Committee on the Rights of Children recommends including the following elements when you are involving children in building something.

• transparent
• voluntary
• respectful
• relevant
• child-friendly
• inclusive
• supported by training
• safe 
• sensitive to risk
• accountable

When these attributes are in place and done well, children will open up their hearts and help you build a ministry that can reach and disciple today's kids. 

May it be so! 

There are a lot of things in the Bible that you can teach kids.  

The Bible is a big book that is full of captivating stories, wisdom and guidance for life.

There are tons of curriculum available that cover a wide variety of topics.  

But keep this in mind as you are developing your teaching plan.

The most important thing you will ever teach kids is the Gospel.  

The entire Bible points to the Gospel.  

Kids can know every single story in the Bible, but without the Gospel they can't know Jesus. 

Kids can memorize entire chapters of the Bible, but without the Gospel they will not inherit eternal life. 

Kids can explore the deeper teachings of the Bible, but without the Gospel their studying will be invalid.

How often do you share the Gospel with the children in your ministry?   

Do you see kids come to Christ on a regular basis?

Can the kids in your ministry explain the Gospel?

Here are some key verses that clarify how important it is that you share the Gospel with kids. 

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile."                  Romans 1:16

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

"Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures."                       I Corinthians 15

"How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?"   Romans 10:14

We know that the vast majority of people who come to Jesus do so before the age of 18.  It is critical that we share the Gospel on a regular basis with the children God has placed in our care.  It is the most important thing you will ever teach children.

Think about these questions.

Does our current curriculum share the Gospel on a regular basis?

Are we intentional about sharing the Gospel?

How many children have come to Christ in the past year?

How many children will be baptized after coming to Christ in your ministry this year?  

If you need some resources to help you share the Gospel with the kids and parents in your ministry, then check out these proven resources that can help you. 

Starting Point Salvation Class  (I used this class to see over 430 kids accept Christ and follow Him in baptism in one year)

Connect12 curriculum - shares the Gospel each month.

Baptism for Kids - teaches kids what baptism is and why we should be baptized.

The Gospel is the centrality of the entire Bible.  It is the hope for the next generation.

Share it frequently.  Share it with passion.  Share it with clarity.  

It is the most important thing you will ever teach kids.