RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

A recent poll by Gallup says that 89% of Americans believe in God.

While this is a high percentage, it is down from past decades.  In 1944, 96% of Americans said they believed in God and in 1976 the percentage was still 94 to 96%.  In 2001, the percentage was 90%.  

Some other interesting findings about what Americans believe are these.

• 72% believe in angels.

• 71% believe in heaven.

• 64% believe in hell.

• 61% believe in the devil.  

So does this mean 96% of people are in a relationship with God?  Obviously not.  When you truly "believe" in God, it means you enter a relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus.  And that changes you.

We are surrounded by people who "believe" in God, but don't know Him as their personal Savior.  As long as there is one person who doesn't know God, we must continue to share the love and message of Jesus Christ...everyone...
everyday...everywhere. 

Did you know that if you did the following things this past weekend the kids have already forgotten 90% of what you taught?

You didn't let them talk.
Kids learn best not by being lectured to, but by talking, asking questions and interacting.  If you did all the talking, they've forgotten most of what you said. 

You didn't use any pictures.
Half of the brain is dedicated to visual function.  65% of kids are visual learners.  A picture truly is worth a thousand words.

You tried to teach too many things. 
You tried to cram too much information in their head.  If you tried to teach them five truths instead of one key truth, they probably don't remember any of them.  Less is more. 

You didn't use repetition.
If you only said it one time, they've forgotten it.  If you repeated it 6 or more times, their retention rate went up to 90%.  Repetition truly is the key to learning.

You didn't hit all learning styles.
You had kids with lots of different learning styles in the room.  If you only tapped into one or two, you missed many of the kids.

You didn't honor their attention span.
If you talked over 5 minutes without switching to something else, they zoned out.  Honor their attention span and you will keep it.

You didn't use an object they will see this week.
If you didn't use something they will see this week as an example or object lesson, you missed a great opportunity to remind them of what you taught.  The one way street sign they will see many times this week could have been a reminder that Jesus is the one way to heaven.

You didn't show them how to apply it to their life and challenge them to live it out.
If you didn't teach beyond the facts and show them how to apply it to their life this week, you shortchanged them.  Information without application doesn't lead to life change.

You didn't engage all their senses.
If you only engaged their ears and eyes, you missed other key senses that help move truth into long-term memory.  Touch, smell and taste help kids remember.

You didn't engage their emotions.
Emotion is a glue of learning.  If you didn't create experiences that help them feel the tension of the truth, then you missed a golden opportunity.

So...what's the answer?  Simply incorporate the things you missed and watch kids remember what you teach them for a lifetime.

If you grew up in church, you can probably relate to some of these.  Welcome to memory lane. 

1. One of your heroes was Bibleman.
2. You know who Larry and Bob are.
3. You didn't get to watch The Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday night because you were at church.
4. You were taught Bible lessons with flannel-graph.
5. You flipped through the pages of the song book or looked at all the pictures in your Bible multiple times to survive a boring sermon.
6. You had a cover on your Bible...and it was stylish.
7. You have competed in a contest called "Sword Drill."
8. You have owned a WWJD bracelet.
9. You've had to keep yourself from laughing at someone who thinks they can sing a "special" but are way off tune.
10. You're familiar with the poem "Footprints."
11. The song "Father Abraham" was your weekly workout.
12. You've been in a singing contest where the winner sang, "Hallelujah,  Hallelujah,  Hallelujah" or "Praise ye the Lord" the loudest.
13. Potluck. 
14. You ate out on Sundays after church.
15. You went to summer camp.
16. You know the song, "Deep and Wide."
17. You have attended Vacation Bible School.
18. You've sang, "The B-I-B-L-E...yes that's the book for me."
19. You spent Halloween at a church fall festival instead of collecting candy in your neighborhood.
20. You've heard the words, "Slow down and walk in church."
21. You've had the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in your heart, down in your heart to stay.
22. You saw Thief in the Night and had nightmares afterwards.
23. You've collected quarters in a little bank.
24. You memorized the books of the Bible.
25. You've asked to go to the bathroom to get out of a boring lesson.
26. You played games around an Awana circle.
27. You participated in an offering contest.
28. You've sang a hymn while looking down at a songbook.                                                              
29. "Just as I am" was sang over and over until someone came forward at the end of service.
30. You've attended a church "lock-in."
31. You sang in a children's choir.
32. You attended a "school" that meet on Sunday.
33. You've watched a slide show presentation by a missionary.
34. You've listened to puppets communicate God's Word.
35. You sat through a sermon that felt like it would last for an eternity.
36. You've used a church bulletin as a coloring page during a service.
37. You've watched a song leader wave his arms in sync with the music.
38. You know the words to "Deep and Wide."
39. You know Zacchaues was a wee little man and a wee little man was he.
40. You know the B-I-B-L-E, yes that's the book for me.
41. You've sang, "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world..."
42. You've sat through a "business meeting" and you weren't inside an office building.
43. You know what the word "rapture" means.
44. The radio station in your car was always set to a Christian station.
45. You gathered around a school pole once a year.
46. You played hide and seek at church after the service...until you got caught.
47. You sang about being in the army...the Lord's Army.
48. Your dad went to Promise Keepers.
49. You listened to the music of Carman or Steve Green or Petra
50. You know, "you can't get to heaven on roller skates 'cause you might roll right past those pearly gates."

What are some other signs you grew up in church?  Share your memories with us in the comment section below.

I grew up in church hearing about hell.  As a child, I listened as preachers passionately described it's horrors and urged me to avoid going there.

I was even taken to see a movie called "The Burning Hell" that imprinted images of people burning in hell into my memory.  That was over 40 years ago.

Fast forward to today.  Do I still believe hell is a literal place?  Yes.  Do I teach kids about it?  Yes...but with a different approach.

Here's how I communicate it to kids in our new believer's class...

• Romans 6:23 says the penalty for sin is death. 
• Spiritual death means being separated from God.
• Instead of a person living with God forever in heaven, they would be separated from God forever. 

And that's it.  I don't go into "weeping and wailing" or "gnashing of teeth" or "a fire that is never quenched."  At that stage in life, I don't think it's necessary.

How and when you communicate the truth is important.  I believe some truth in the Bible is better communicated at later stages in life.  The Beast of Revelation is in the Bible, but that's probably not the best subject for next week's preschool lesson.

What do you think?  Should we teach kids about hell?  How much detail should we go into?  What is your approach?

Share your thoughts with us below.