RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Childhood has changed. Primarily because of technology and the shifts that have occurred. 

It has been over 30 years since the internet and digital technology came on the scene.  A lot has changed in those 30 years as technology has always been changing and expanding. 

Let's look at some of the changes and expansions and how it has affected kids and their families.

Some of the stats below can help you connect with today's kids as you see what their favorite games, apps, etc. are.  Bring these up in conversation with kids.  They will respond when they know you care enough to enter their world. 

I have shared this story in the past, but it is very relevant for this article.

I walked into one of our classrooms and noticed there was a boy sitting in the back of the room.  He was obviously not a happy camper.  I asked the leader in the room why he was back there. The leader explained that he wouldn't participate in any of the class activities and had a bad attitude. He was causing trouble in his small group and didn't want to listen to anything the teacher had to say. After repeated attempts to get him involved, they finally took him to the back of the room away from the children.

I told the leaders I would see what I could do. I went back and sat down on the floor beside him. He turned away from me when I tried to talk with him.  He wanted nothing to do with me.  I tried several times to to engage him in conversation, but to no avail.

Finally I decided to try a different approach.  I asked him what video game system he had at home. Suddenly, he turned toward me and told me he had a PlayStation.  We spent a few minutes talking about his favorite video games.  

After talking for a few minutes, I told him I was going to go up and join the kids in worship.  I told him he could stay there or he could join me up front.  I got up and walked up to start worshiping with the kids.  In a few minutes, I felt a tug on my shirt.  It was the boy from the back of the room.  He had a smile on his face and joined me in worship.  He got involved and behaved well for the rest of the classroom time.

Why? What changed? 

I had entered his world.  I had shown him that I cared enough to show interest in what he was interested in. 

In this article, I will share with you some interesting facts and insights. You can use these to enter into the world of today's kids. What do they like?  What do they play?  What do they watch?  What do they listen to?  Use what you learn to have conversations with kids. Use what you learn to connect with kids. Use what you learn to help families navigate through today's vulnerable world.

Here we go...

The average age a child receives their first smartphone is when they transition out of elementary school.

22% of parents believe 12 is the appropriate age for a child to have their own phone. 

16% of parents allow their child to have a smartphone at age 10 or younger.

17% of parents believe 13 is the right age, while 16% believe kids should be 14.

It can be challenging as a parent when deciding when their child will get their own smartphone. The pressure by peers to have a smartphone makes it difficult to say "not yet."  Parents don't want their child to be ostracized because they don't have a phone.

Then there is social media. When asked about social media, here's what parents had to say.

6% of parents say kids should be at least 12 before getting involved in social media.

10% said 13 is the appropriate age.

16% said 14 is the appropriate age.

14% say 15 is the appropriate age.

27% say 16 is the appropriate age.

3% say 17 is the appropriate age.

18% say 18 is the appropriate age.

What about today's kids and smartphones at school?

62% of parents say their child's school does not allow smartphones to be used during school hours.

6% are home-schooled.

7% of parents say their child is allowed to bring their smartphone to school and can use it in class.

25% of parents say their child is allowed to use their smartphone during breaks, but must be turned off during breaks.

Many of today's kids are growing up with devices that enhance their learning experience.

34% of kids do not use devices at school. 

67% of kids use a device at school to help with learning.

25% of kids bring their own devices to school.

How about kids and app usage?

TikTok - 132 minutes a day.

YouTube Kids - 108 minutes a day.

Instagram - 89 minutes a day. 

YouTube - 86 minutes a day.

NetFlix - 46 minutes a day.

Hulu - 37 minutes a day.

Disney+ - 34 minutes a day.

Amazon Prime - 34 minutes a day.

Facebook - 25 minutes a day.

Pinterest - 18 minutes a day.

X - 9 minutes a day.

Reddit - 8 minutes a day.

What about today's kids and gaming?

The mobile gaming market is booming.  In 2024, the mobile gaming market generated revenue of over $98 billion dollars.  

Here are the most popular gaming apps:

Roblox - 134 minutes day.

Minecraft - 40 minutes a day.

Brawl Stars - 25 minutes a day.

Clash Royale - 18 minutes day. 

Subway Surfers - 11 minutes a day.

Magic Tiles - 11 minutes a day.

Here are the most popular learning platforms. These are the most used platforms on school devices.

Clever

Google Classroom

CollegeBoard

Classlink

Beanstack

I-Ready

ABCYA

Powerschools Learning

Blooklet

Canvas

Here are the most popular educational apps in 2024:

IXL - kids spend 34 minutes a day on this app.

KHan Academy - kids spend 14 minutes a day on this app.

QuizLet - kids spend 10 minutes a day on this app.

Kahoot - kids spend 9 minutes a day on this app.

Duolingo - kids spend 8 minutes a day on this app.

Photomath - kids spend 6 minutes a day on this app.

I would encourage you to also make a copy of these lists and give them to your volunteers. It will help equip them as they seek to connect with today's kids. These stats can be great conversation starters and as I stated above, will open the door for your volunteers to show kids they really care about them.

Remember...we are missionaries to today's kids.  Get to know them and their world as you seek to reach and disciple them.

Millennials.  They are the parents of the Alpha generation. Gen Alpha are children born between 2010 - 2024.  

They are the young parents who have their children in your children's ministry.  They fall in the age range of 18 - 43 years old.

Here are some generational factors that you should keep in mind as you seek to minister to them. 

For today's young parents digital literacy is a core skill that every person needs in order to succeed in this digital age.  They know the good and the bad of living in a digital society. 

A recent survey found that children have more access to digital media than we realize.  They also spend a lot of time looking at content without their parents looking over their shoulder.

Parents were also asked about the devices that their children have access to...

• smartphones
• smart speakers
• handheld game consoles
• stationary game consoles
• e-readers

28% of all children ages 4 to 13 have access to all of these devices.  

59% of the families surveyed have a generic smart speaker in the home and 50% have a child-specific smart speaker.

Today's parents want their children to succeed and they clearly understand that technology is a huge factor in this.

They also see technology as a way to spend more time with their children.  Nearly 50% of parents surveyed co-view with their children. Digital parents see technology as an opportunity to watch, play and have fun together.  

Digital time = family time for Millennial parents.

This means you have an open door to connect with parents and families through digital communication and engagement.  

Think about it...

What are some ways you can influence parents and children in the digital world we now live in?

How can you extend the weekend lesson into the homes of Millennial parents?

How can you connect with and communicate with Millennial parents through digital methods?

What do you need to re-access and change to effectively influence today's digital parents? 

Share your thoughts and ideas in the comment section below.

There is a new generation of parents.  They are the first generation of parents who are truly digital natives.  

Digital native parents must be diligent to monitor what their children are consuming online. Never has there been so much online content available to children.  There is untold amounts of content that makes its way to today's children.

The 5,000 families were asked which of these devices their children had access to.

Smartphones

Tablets

Laptops / PC's 

Smart watches

Generic smart-speakers

Handheld game consoles

Stationary game consoles

E-readers

28% had access to and used all of these devices.

75% had access to and used 5 of these devices.

We must help parents embrace the responsibility they have to managing their children's online content consumption. 

We must also think about ways we can encourage parents to actively engage with their children when it comes to technology consumption.  Families want to spend time together.  Used wisely, today's parents can use technology to watch, teach, play and have fun with their children.

Digital native parents are looking for opportunities to spend time with their children.  They know their children are digitally engaged and see this as an opportunity for solid family time.

I believe we have a huge opportunity to engage digital native parents in the discipleship of their children.

We must shift our mindset to see technology in this light.  

What can you provide for parents and kids to have spiritual conversations through digital technology?

How can you use digital technology to help kids and parents explore the teachings of the Bible together?

How can we help parents use technology to disciple their children? 

We must remember that digital native parents and their children are immersed in technology.  We must find ways to leverage this platform to effectively minister to families.

Your turn.  

How do you engage digital native parents?

Do you have a strategy to see kids discipled by their digital native parents?

What tools and resources can you provide for digital native parents? 

Share your thoughts and ideas in the comment section below.