RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

We often talk about the big elements that will help you win at leading a children's ministry.  Things like a big Fall Festival.  A summer camp.  A new children's ministry facility.  An exciting Sunday morning program.  A mid-week discipleship strategy.

These type of elements are very important.

But just as important are the hundreds of little things that happen that don't get noticed as much.  Jesus said it like this.

“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants^[a] and entrusted to them his property. ¹⁵ To one he gave five talents,^[b] to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. ¹⁶ He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. ¹⁷ So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. ¹⁸ But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. ¹⁹ Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ ²¹ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.^[c] You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ ²² And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ ²³ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ ²⁴ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, ²⁵ so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ ²⁶ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? ²⁷ Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. ²⁸ So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. ²⁹ For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
Matthew 25

In the context of this story, the man who missed his opportunity was not the man who had five talents.  Nor was it the man who had two talents.  It was the man who only had one talent and was given the opportunity to increase it.  But the man simply couldn't see the value of the one talent and so he buried it and obviously didn't use it to gain increase.  

If you want to win at leading a children's ministry, then you've got to not only get the big wins, but the little wins as well.  Often the culmination of the little things is what brings the biggest win when compiled. 

The compound effect of doing little things well over the course of time may just be the answer to effectively leading a children's ministry.  

Let's take a look at 30 of those "little things" you can start doing. 

1. Thank your volunteers for serving each week. 

2. Keep your ministry areas clean and clear of clutter. 

3. Send a miss you note to kids who miss a weekend.

4. Send at least one thank you card to a volunteer each week.

5. Coffee ready for volunteers.

6. Return phone calls within 24 hours. 

7. Send volunteers a birthday card on their birthday.

8. Smile.

9. Invite students to serve in your ministry.

10. Donuts for volunteers.

11. Walk guests to their room instead of giving them directions and pointing.

12. Send a handwritten postcard to new guests. 

13. Explain your security process to first-time guest families. 

14. Start a Facebook group for the parents in your ministry.

15. Bring a volunteer their favorite kind of candy. 

16. Have agenda items ready when you come to a meeting. 

17. When you promise a volunteer you will do something, actually follow it up and do it. 

18. Keep track of what you are working on and cross off items as they are completed.

19. Thank your Pastor (or other person you report to) for the privilege to be on their team.

20. Share praise reports of what God is doing in your ministry with the person you report to.

21. Be on time for meetings.

22. Be engaged and listen during meetings. 

23. Read a book related to your area of ministry.

24. Carry breath minds with you and use them.

25. Have an umbrella ready and help people into the church when it's raining.

26. Have some volunteers over to your house for a meal.

27. Send birthday cards to children in your ministry.

28. Stand at the exit door and greet each child and their parents as they are leaving. 

29. When someone asks you to pray for them, stop what you are doing and pray for them right then.

30. Send your teachers their lessons a minimum of a month in advance so they have plenty of time to prepare.

How many of these are you doing already?  Which ones do you need to add to your list?  What are some other little wins you can have?  Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Time to close the books on 2019.  2020 is suddenly here and brings to you the opportunity to have your best ministry year ever.

Here are some things to remember in 2020 that will take you to a new level of leadership and ministry.

Take a deep breath and make yourself available to God. He'll take you to places you never thought you'd get to.

Growth and change may be hard, but nothing is as hard as staying stuck where you don’t belong.

Tradition doesn't like disruption. Shaking up what has been in place for years takes wisdom and guts.

Clinging to the past? Your ministry won't last.

It's not always about the best happening to you. Rather it's about making the best of what happened to you.

You don't make yourself bigger by trying to make others smaller.  
   
Someday you will understand the why. For now, keep trusting God and moving forward.

Start today. If you wait until you're 100% ready, you'll never begin.

True success comes from helping others succeed.

Stop waiting for someone to tell you how important you are. Jesus showed how important you are on the cross.

Serve not for the applause, but rather for the cause.

God can take the shattered pieces of your life and construct a masterpiece.

Change and the discomfort that comes with it is the doorway to your next success.

Your dream without action will one day be your biggest regret. Take a step today and start the process of turning it into reality.

You can't go forward if you keep going back to your past.

Don't waste your energy fighting against where you are. Spend your energy getting to where you want to go.

There is a lesson in the let-downs if you look.

You never get bigger by making other people smaller.

Loosen your grip on what's behind you, so you can grasp what's before you.

God's going to write a great story in your life in 2020!   

Praying and believing that God will show Himself strong through your life and ministry in 2020!  Let the adventure begin!          

As you enter a new year, it's important to set some goals for your children's ministry. 

Here are 10 key goals to set and then measure throughout the coming  year.

Attendance
How many kids do you want to see attend your services and programs?

Set a goal and track the attendance through the year. 

I believe it is important to track attendance.  Why?  Because the "numbers" represent real people whom Jesus died for and wants to redeem.  Behind every number is a person.

How much growth do you want to see this year?  How many new kids and families do you want to reach?  

Set a goal and then pray and work toward that goal.

Parental engagement
One of your top goals should be to engage parents in their child's spiritual growth.  I believe the best way to do this is to have milestone classes that include parents.  These milestones are key times when you can engage parents and empower them to help their child take major spiritual steps.  

You can get classes for this at this link.

Guests
Growth comes through new kids and families that you reach.  Tract how many guest families are attending your services.  Create a culture where the families in your church have a heart for their neighbors, friends, family, co-workers, school mates, etc.  Encourage them to invest in people and then invite them to church. 
 
Guests return
How many guests are returning for a second visit?  The national average is 7%.  Work toward increasing that percentage in your ministry.  Think through some additional follow up steps you can take that will see more guests return. 

Here is a strategy I have used that caused the guest return rate to jump to 30%. 

Volunteers
Volunteers are the life blood of your ministry.  How many volunteers do you currently have?  If you are like most churches, you need more volunteers.  Your goal should be to raise the number of volunteers serving in your ministry.  As your volunteers grow, your ministry will grow.  In my book "The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams" I share a proven formula for building a great volunteer team. It's available at this link.

Salvations
Of course, salvation comes from the Lord.  He is the one who saves people, not us.  But we can set some goals for seeing kids and families to come to Christ.  And then be faithful to share the Gospel.

When Jesus is lifted up, He draws people to himself.  

One strategy that works great is to have a salvation class that kids and parents attend together.  You can get more information about this at this link.

Baptisms
Baptism is the first major step of obedience that Christ asks believers to take.  Coming out of the salvation class there should be a baptism class that helps kids and parents have a clear understanding of what baptism means.  Here's more information about a great baptism class that is geared for kids and parents to attend together.

Ratios
It is vital that you keep tract of your ratios...especially in early childhood.  Set a goal to have your ratios get better in 2020.  And then work toward that goal through volunteer recruitment and retention. 

Here is more info. on what ratios should be.

Special Events and Programs
Set a goal for events and programs like VBS, Fall Festival, Camp, etc.  How many kids do you want to engage in these events and programs?  How many kids and parents do you want to connect with through these?  How will you do this? 

Number of Kids Serving
One of the best steps you can take is to move kids into serving roles.  We know that kids who serve are much more likely to follow Jesus as an adult. 

Create serving roles for children and then work to fill those roles.  It might be running the sound system, greeting at the door, helping clean up after class, etc.

The more kids you move into serving roles, the more you will see kids follow Jesus for a lifetime.

I would encourage you to take these 10 areas and focus on growing in these areas.  Keep track on a spread sheet so you can see how things are progressing. 

I remember at one church where I served, we set a goal  to see 1,000 people baptized in one year. Week in and week out we did our best to share the Gospel and then explain what it means to be baptized.  When December 31 rolled around, we had baptized over 1,200 people. 

Yes, God gives the increase and He does this when we pray, share the Gospel and give God the glory.

So...as you enter 2020, I would encourage you to set some goals.

Set a goal for parental engagement.

Set a goal for service attendance. 

Set a goal for how many guests you want to see come.

Set a goal to see guests return and get connected into the church.

Set a goal to build your volunteer team to the next level.

Set a goal for how many kids and parents you want to see come to Christ. 

Set a goal for how many kids and parents you want to see follow Jesus in baptism.

Set a goal to improve your volunteer-to-child ratio.
  
Set a goal for how many kids and parents you want to see attend special events and programs.

Set a goal for how many kids and parents you want to see serving.  

Do this and you will have a great 2020 in ministry!  

I know what your biggest ministry need is for 2020.

MORE VOLUNTEERS.

No matter what size your ministry is...you need more volunteers.

The largest church in the country needs more volunteers.

The mega church down the street needs more volunteers.

The neighborhood church needs more volunteers.

The church plant that meets in a school needs more volunteers.

The city church and the country church both need more volunteers.

The multi-site church needs more volunteers at their locations.

And here's the deal...the greatest need is the greatest challenge.

But you can meet the challenge and build your volunteer team to a new level in 2020.

I'm going to share with you 8 proven ways to build your volunteer team.  These are the same 8 steps I took to build a team of 2,600 volunteers in a local church.  These steps will work in any size church.

So...let's get started.

See the big picture.  If we are honest, we usually see volunteers first and foremost as someone who can help us build the ministry.  The bigger picture is this.  When you enlist someone to serve, you are giving them an opportunity to grow their faith.  

There is something about serving that propels you to a new level spiritually.  When you begin to understand this, it will free you up from feeling like you are bothering someone when you ask them to serve.  When in reality, you are giving them a tremendous opportunity to be like Jesus. 

Instead of using people to build the ministry, use the ministry to build people.

1-on-1 asks.  The most effective way to build your volunteer team is 1-1 personal asks.  I didn't build a volunteer team of 2,600 overnight.  It took years.  Years of personally asking people to serve one at a time.  We personally asked people week after week.  After doing this for years, one day we looked up and there were 2,600 of those ones. 

How many volunteers do you need for 2020?  5?  50?  500?  Make a list of all the volunteers you need.  Then begin asking people one at a time to serve in those roles.  Eat, breathe and sleep personally asking people to join your volunteer team.
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Hot Spots.  There are hot spots that are great places to meet potential volunteers.  Get out of the kids' area and go meet people who are potential volunteers for your ministry.  

Where are the volunteer hot spots in your church?  A new member's class?  A group of senior adults?  In the student ministry?  A guest reception after the service? 
 
1 time = full time.  There are times in the life of your church when you have big events or special Sundays.  And church-wide you ask for volunteers.  This is a great time to enlist new volunteers to serve one time at the big event or special Sunday. 

Once the big day or special event is over, go back and invite those people to join your team on a regular basis.  I have seen up to 85% of people say "yes" to joining the team full-time by doing this.

Cast vision.  People don't respond to desperation.  They respond to vision.  No one wants to get on a sinking sheep.  So when you invite people to serve, show them the difference they can make by serving.  Everyone wants to be part of something bigger than themselves.  Serving in children's ministry gives them an opportunity to make an impact with their life.                                            

Start with the why.  Instead of inviting people to the what, start by inviting them to the why.  The why is your vision...your mission...it's why you do what you do. 

People won't line up to change a diaper...but they will line up to change a life.

Instead of "inviting someone to lead a 3rd grade boys' small group," invite them first to "influencing the next generation to follow Jesus."

The what will come later, but first start with the why. 

Set high expectations.  When you invite people to serve, let them know serving is one of the most important things a person can do to live out their faith.  It is not something to be flippant about.  Rather it deserves your very best effort.  Set the bar high.  The importance you place on volunteering will help volunteers see how important it is to serve.

Create more serving opportunities.  Sit down and make a list of every volunteer role you currently have open.  Expand the list by adding all the roles you want if you had an unlimited number of volunteers.  

Now take that list and begin filling in the roles one person at a time.  With hard work, you can fill it up with volunteers. 

And of course, pray, pray, pray for God to send volunteers.  He told us in Matthew 9:38 to pray for volunteers.  He wouldn't ask you to pray for something that He wasn't going to give you. 

Follow this strategy and you will be able to build a great volunteer team in 2020.  

If you haven't read my book "The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams" it's a must read for anyone who works with volunteers.  In this book, I share how to enlist, equip, engage, encourage and empower your volunteers. 

You can purchase the book at this link. 

Every leader needs a board of directors.  By board of directors, I mean a few people whom you love and trust, that you allow to speak into your life.

When I counsel with children's and family ministry leaders, I often ask them who is on their board of directors.

I recommend having 3 people on your board.

First, have a board member who is younger in ministry than you.   This will help you stay in touch with what's new on the horizon and give you a pulse on what the next generation of leaders are thinking about the subject.

This is especially true as you get older.  You need to surround yourself with younger leaders.  Staying relevant in ministry is made possible by doing this.  

Secondly, have a board member who has been in ministry about the same time as you.  This will give you another perspective about things you are both facing or trying to figure out at your current stage.

Thirdly, have a board member who has been in ministry longer than you.  They can provide you with wisdom, insight and experience since they are farther along on the journey. 

Can you currently fill this in?

My younger mentor is _____________.

My same season of life mentor is _____________.

My mentor who has been in ministry longer than me is _______________.

Choose who you will bring into your circle of influence very carefully.   You want to get great advice from all three angles. 

Your board of directors should be able to...

• give you a warning signal if you start heading off course

• provide you with feedback on your leadership

• ask you the hard questions when needed

• encourage you when you are down

• challenge you and draw you out of your comfort zone

• pray with you and for you

• help you grow spiritually 

• give you advice when you are faced with an important decision

One of the best things you can do for your leadership this coming year is to enlist these 3 mentors.  They will help you get to a new level of leadership. 

Christmas is such a great time to make memories with your children.

Here are 10 family activities you can use to deepen your relationship with your children at Christmas.

Some of these can also be used in a church setting and are great add-ins for a Christmas lesson.  Enjoy.

Use construction paper to make decorations.  You can make ornaments, Christmas cards and much
 more.  This gives kids the opportunity to use their creativity.

Make Christmas cookies.  What a fun thing to do with your kids.  And you can enjoy eating your delicious treat.

Watch a Christmas movie together.  Movies like A Christmas Carol, Elf, It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street,  Santa Claus, etc.  And don't forget the popcorn and snacks.

Decorate your Christmas tree together.  Kids will love hanging ornaments on the tree.

Put together a gift basket for a family in need and deliver it to them.  This is a great way to teach your kids that true joy doesn't come from what you get at Christmas.  Rather it comes from what you give.

Take a family drive and look at the Christmas lights in your area.  

Go Christmas caroling.  

Pull out the sleeping bags and have a slumber party under your Christmas tree.  Kids love looking up at the lights while snuggled in their sleeping bag. 

Play board games.   Gather around a table and have fun playing games.

Attend a family Christmas service at your local church.  The songs and candle light service will become something the kids look forward to each year. 

What are some other fun Christmas activities for famlies that you do or have thought about?  Share your ideas in the comment section below.

The list of the current top 10 YouTube kids' videos was recently released.

This is a great way to get an inside look at what today's kids like.  Watch the videos and then make a list of the elements in the videos that you believe make them so popular with kids.

You can then implement some of the approaches and strategies found in the videos to connect with today's kids.

Remember, our message never changes, but our methods must change to connect with today's kids.  One interesting note to start out, most of the top 10 kids' videos are music videos.  I find that interesting.  Music plays a big role in getting today's kids involved.  Notice what kind of songs appeal to today's kids.  Notice the graphics that are used to appeal to today's kids.  What if you find Christian songs that have the same type elements?  Perhaps more kids would join in worship songs then?

So...without further ado, I present to you the top 10 kids' videos. FYI - many of these videos are geared for nursery to preschool, so if you oversee early childhood, play close attention. 

1. CocoMelon - This is the Way + More Nursery Rhymes & Kids' Songs

2. Ryan's World - ABC Song Learn English Alphabet for Children with Ryan

3. Peppa Pig - Peppa Pig Goes to Digger World! Parents' Day

4. Nick Jr. - Junior Dress Up Party! PAW Patrol & Shimmer & Shine Episode 6

5. BabyBus - "No No Potty Song / Play Safe Song / Nursery Rhymes / Kids Songs / Toddler Songs

6. Sesame Street Nursery Ryhmes Songs Compilation with Elmo and Friends

7. Mother Goose Club Playhouse - Dinosaur Stomp and More / Pretend Animal Dance Song

8. Disney Junior - PJ Masks / The Easter Egg Hunt

9. Super Simple Songs: If You’re Happy And You Know It | Kids Songs

10. Little Angel: Baby's Visit to the Doctor

I was at Disney World this past weekend and noticed they had some of their cast members walking around and asking people for feedback.  Their excellent customer doesn't happen by accident.  It is intentionally thought out and constantly refined. 

One key is the cast members who ask for feedback.  They take the information they gather by listening and analyze it to make their customer service even better.

When an organization takes time to really listen to their customers, great things can happen. 

So the big question is "Are You Listening?" 

Are you listening to the kids in your ministry?

Are you listening to your volunteers?

Are you listening to parents?

Are you listening to the person(s) you report to?

Listening is not always easy.  Especially when you are in a tense situation and the person in front of you is angry and maybe even yelling.  Our impulse is to react and yell back at them...but that will only escalate the situation.

But listening is a skill that can be learned.  And this skill will help you be a better leader.

Let's look at some listening tips...

Devote your full attention to the person who is talking to you.  Maintain eye contact.  Don't be looking around while the person is talking.  This can be a challenge for me at times, since I have ADHD.  After a few minutes of conversation, I start looking around and soon wander off to my next duty or assignment rather than continuing to engage with the person talking with me.  In order to not do this, I have to be very intentional about staying focused on the person talking with me. 

A good listener resists the urge to look around or get distracted.  They stay focused on the person they are listening to. 

Realize that people just want to be heard and know you care about their thoughts and input.  We've heard the quote, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."  It's true.

Recap what the person said.  A good listener will repeat back to the person what they said to make sure they have clarity. 

Take the initiative in listening.  One of the best ways to do this is to host a parent focus group.  Gather a group of parents and ask them questions like...

"What is working well in the ministry?"

"What needs to be changed or improved or dropped?"

"How can we serve you better?"

"What is your greatest  parenting challenge?"

"What do you want your child to know and believe?"

As you do the focus group, don't get defensive.  Simply listen with an open mind.

You can get more info. on how to lead a parent and children's focus group at this links.

Children's Focus Group

Parent Focus Group

Respond to the feedback and take action.  This doesn't mean you implement every idea, thought or request.  But it does mean you loop back around and let people know the changes that will be made or an explanation why some changes will not be made.  People just don't want to be left in the dark. 

Here's a challenge.  Watch yourself this week.  See how well you listen.  Seek to improve your listening abilities.  Start working toward becoming an expert listener.  This will result in you being a better listener and leader.

All I can say is "Wow!"  If you teach kids, this video is a must see.

It reinforces what I have been saying for years and presents the best way to teach kids.

This applies if you are a school teacher or you teach kids in a church setting.

If you are reading this in an email, you can find the video at this link.

Watch and be challenged to teach today's kids in new, effective, creative ways.

Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below after you watch it.  What stood out to you?  What do we need to change?  How can we more effectively teach today's kids?

Across the U.S. there are many children's ministries that are in decline.  

This article is not meant to be negative.  There are some children's ministries that are growing and we would do well to take a close look at what they are doing.

What we do know is for every growing children's ministry, there are hundreds of ministries that are in decline.

As we take an honest look at what is happening in churches, we can identify some of the reasons why ministries are in decline and seek to find answers that will turn things around.  Let's start the discussion.

Reason #1 - Families are attending less often.  Families that used to attend every week are now attending 2-3 times a month.  Families that used to attend 2 times a month are now attending once a month or even less.

Reason #2 - Families have different priorities.  Church used to be a top priority.  Families used to wake up on Sunday morning and it was a given they were going to church.  No discussion.  Church was their top priority.

Not anymore.  Families wake up on Sunday morning and if nothing else is going on, they decide to come to church.  If there's not a ballgame or an event or a trip to the lake or a new movie to see or dinner with grandparents or something else, they will show up.  Many times church doesn't make it to the top of the list.

Reason #3 - Work schedules.  The number of people who work on weekends has increased.  This causes parents to not be able to take their children to church.  And many times both parents are working this schedule to make ends meet. 

Reason #4 - The pace of life for today's families.  Life is busier than ever.  Families rush to work.  Rush to the ball game.  Practices for sports can take up several nights a week and then games on Saturday and Sunday.  Sit down dinners have been replaced by running through the drive through for dinner.  Families finally get home exhausted and start the pace against the next morning.

Sunday has become a catch up day.  Sunday rolls around and if they don't have a ball game or other event on the schedule, they use Sunday as a catch up day.  Catch up on the laundry.  Catch up with cleaning the house.  Catch up on rest.  Catch up on spending time together.

They weigh the time it will take out of their Sunday to go to church and many come to the conclusion that they need to stay home or run errands.  They deem that having to get the kids up and dressed, driving to the church and getting home after lunch is not worth it.

Reason #5 - They watch online.  The convenience of watching the service from home is just too tempting.  Why spend the time getting dressed and driving to church, when you can watch online in the comfort of your own home, sitting in your pj's and sipping a cup of coffee.

Now that we've identified some of the big reasons why children's ministries are in decline, let's discuss some strategies we can take to help families attend more frequently.

Offer services other than just Sunday morning.  Sunday night service?  Wednesday night service?  Saturday service?  This will enable parents who work on Sunday morning, more options to bring their family to a service.

Teach parents the importance of making church a top priority in their family's life.  One great opportunity you have to do this is when young parents are bringing their baby for child dedication. 

Attach a class to the dedication and in the class share the importance of making church a top priority.  If you need a child dedication class, then check out this one.  It is being used by many churches across the country and is making a big difference. 

Get families involved in serving together at church.  Families who serve, attend church more often.  Growth comes from engaging people in serving others.  Kids can take the lead in this, by asking their parents to serve with them. 

I remember the Sunday we announced that the next Sunday, we would have tents set up so after the service, families would have the opportunity to put together food supplies for families that were hurting.  The next weekend came and attendance spiked.  Why?  Because we gave families the opportunity to serve together. 

Make a list of serving opportunities that families can get involved in together.  Families who serve together are faithful and consistent in their attendance.

Get kids and parents in a small group where they will be missed if they are not at church.  They should be known by name.  They should be prayed for by name each week.  They should be missed when they are not at church and contacted by their small group.  Relationships are a key to seeing families come to church more often. 

Each week should be like a family reunion that families don't want to miss.

Get kids excited about coming to church.  When kids love coming to church, they will drag their parents with them.  I was recently talking with a father and he said, "Yeah...I didn't want to come today.  I was going to stay home and watch it online.  But my daughter kept begging me to bring her, so here we are." 

Today's kids have lots of input and influence when it comes to family decisions.  Get kids dragging their parents to church and you will see your attendance start to grow.

Your turn?  Why do you think many children's ministries are in decline?  What can we do to help families become more active?  Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of being interviewed by my friend, Tom Bump.

Tom is a veteran children's ministry leader who champions children's ministry and is making a big impact in so many people's life.

In the interview, I share some truths from my newest book - Lead Well in Children's Ministry.  You can get the book at this link. 

Enjoy the interview and help spread the word about Tom's podcast and ministry.  You can get more information about Tom's ministry at this link - https://kidministrycollective.podbean.com/.

Tom also has a great Facebook group where kidmin and familymin leaders can share and get great support for their ministry. The Facebook group can be found here.

A recent study from George Barna reveals that nearly half of all people who come to Christ do so before reaching the age of 13.
 
The report also says people who accept Christ before their teen years are for more likely to remain committed to Christianity. 

If you work with pre-teens in your church or ministry, I can't emphasize enough the importance of what you are doing. 

Look what Barna says about this.

Families, churches and parachurch ministries must recognize that primary window of opportunity for effectively reaching people with the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection is during the pre-teen years. It is during those years that people develop their frames of reference for the remainder of their life – especially theologically and morally. Consistently explaining and modeling truth principles for young people is the most critical factor in their spiritual development.

I believe people who work with pre-teens are serving in one of the most important times in a person's life.  The battlefield for the next generation is in the pre-teen years and earlier. 

We must help pre-teens see that they must own their faith as they head into their teen years.  We must help them develop a solid faith foundation.  Without it, they will struggle in their teen years.

PRAY daily for the pre-teens in your ministry. 

Pray that they will walk closely with Jesus. 

Pray that they will rely upon Jesus as they face temptations and pitfalls.

Pray that their parents will have wisdom, understanding and patience as they seek to influence their pre-teen children spiritually. 

Pray for the volunteers and leaders who work with pre-teens.  Pray that God will use them in the kids' lives and that the kids will receive what they have to say.

POINT pre-teens toward Jesus.  He is the answer to every struggle and trial they will face in their teen years.  Remind them that people will let them down.  People will be hypocritical at times.  People's talk will not always match their walk. 

But Jesus is faithful, trustworthy, loving and caring.  He will never let them down.  He will never leave them nor forsake them.  Show them the commands and promises found in passages of Scripture like Hebrews 12:2.

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.  Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 

PREPARE them for their teen years.   Teach them apologetics.  Trust me, they will need it in the culture they are growing up in.  Help them see Jesus is the one and only way to God.  Show them the proof that the Bible is the Word of God and you can trust it.  Help them grasp a spiritual foundation that they can build their lives on. 

PLACE pre-teens in serving roles.  We know that pre-teens who serve are more likely to also serve in their teen and adult years.  Create opportunities for them to serve in roles such as greeting, running AV, helping teach the lesson, helping in preschool, cleaning up after class, leading worship, etc.  

Actively go after pre-teens to serve.  If they can develop the heart of a servant during those formative years, it will be a part of their DNA for the rest of their lives. 

PARTNER with parents of pre-teens.  The pre-teen years can be challenging for parents.  Pre-teens go through a lot of changes as they are moving out of their adolescence years.  Pre-teens begin to go through physical and emotional changes.  Their moods can be unpredictable.  They are very self-conscious.  They will sometimes act without thinking as they are developing their decision-making skills. 

It's not easy parenting a pre-teen.  Parents are looking for help and resources.  Be there for them and help them navigate the pre-teen years.

Consider offering parenting classes for parents of pre-teens.  Especially as they prepare to enter their teen years.  Share helpful articles and insight with them.  Be their biggest fan and supporter.

p.s. If you are looking for an apologetics series for pre-teens, check out this series.

If you are looking for a high impact resource for parents of pre-teens as they move into their teen years, check out this resource.

I'm thankful for children's ministry leaders who lead children to Christ.  It is exciting to see a child come to Christ, isn't it.

But, for me, it's even more exciting when parents lead their children to Christ.

Somewhere along the way, many ministries decided to take that privilege out of the hands of parents.

It kinda' looks like this - when parents come to pick up their children at the end of a service or class, they are informed that their child invited Jesus into his or her life.  I've been there and seen this happen many, many times.  And to be honest, when I first started in ministry, that was my mode of operation.

But over the years, I gradually swung back to the mode of operation being coming alongside parents and encouraging and equipping them to led their child to Jesus.  As you think about this, it is interesting when you see these stats...

According to Barna research, among people who embraced Christ before their teen years...

• 50% were led to Christ by their parents
• 20% were led to Christ by some other friend or relative
• 7% were led to Christ by a minster's personal prompting
• 1 in 8 cite a special event as the time they accepted Jesus (50% of the 1 in 8 said the "special event" was a church service)
• 1% were led to Christ through media evangelism or other special situations

Notice that half of the children who have accepted Christ were lead to Him by their parents.  In a local church setting, this tells me that we need to turn our focus to equipping parents to lead their children to Jesus.  

Here's what that can look like inside a local church.  Instead of trying to lead children to Christ in a Bible study or kids' worship service, share the Gospel with kids and then give parents the responsibility of leading their children to Christ.

One of the most effective ways to do this is to share the Gospel and have kids who want to accept Jesus to let you know.  Next, invite those children and their parents to a class where you have time to clearly explain to both what it means to become a follower of Jesus.  At the end of the class, give parents the opportunity to pray a prayer of salvation with their children.  Or if the child is not ready at that moment, then give parents the tools they need to continue the conversation at home. 

Do this and you will see God move in an incredible way in the hearts of children and their parents.  Because here is what happens, when parents hear the clear Gospel presentation, many of them will come to Christ as well.   

I created a class for this ministry approach.  It is called Starting Point and I have personally seen hundreds of children and their parents come to Christ through this.  In fact, in one year, I saw over 460 children come to Christ and dozens of their parents as well.  Every one of them went through this class together.  Every one of them took the next step after salvation and were baptized.

If you'd like more information about the Starting Point class, you can get it at this link.  It comes with a complete follow-up guide for parents whose children are ready to make a commitment to follow Jesus.  It also comes with student booklets, parent booklets, media elements and lots of hands on experiences and activities that helps kids and their parents understand the Gospel.

It is a powerful class that can change the entire direction of kids and their parents.  Why is it powerful?  Because it is centered on the Gospel. 

Paul said this in Romans 1:16...

Do you feel like you have plateaued as a leader?

That the ministry has outgrown you?

Or perhaps you want to see the ministry grow, but you don't know what the next step is?

Maybe you feel paralyzed as a leader?

Are you looking to add more skills and tools to your leadership tool box? 

When you hear the quote - "Everything rises and falls on leadership,"  you cringe because you feel the weight of that statement.

You are not alone.  We have all been there.

But the good news is this - You don't have to stay at your current leadership level.  You can grow to the next level.  2020 can be the best year of ministry you've ever seen.

How can this happen?  The best way to grow as a leader is by having a coach.  Someone who has been where you are.  Someone who knows what you are facing because they have faced the same things.

I can be that person for you.  I would be honored to serve as your children's ministry coach.  I have served in churches with 50 people to churches that ministered to tens of thousands of people.  I can help you avoid critical mistakes because I have made them.

Advance Children's Ministry coaching includes...

• 6 months of coaching.  Next available session runs January to June 2020.

• Monthly group coaching call.  Live, one-hour sessions on the important topics listed below.  Each session includes teaching and group discussions.  You will have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the topics with Dale and the other leaders in the group.  Sessions are also recorded so you have access to them later. 

• January - Self Leadership 

• February - Leading Staff and Volunteers 

• March - Leading through Change and Challenges 

• April - Keys to Growing a Ministry 

• May - Creating a Dynamic Children's Ministry Culture in Your Church 

• June - Staying Relevant in Children's Ministry

• Personalized growth plan:

Personal one hour phone session with Dale to help you identify areas of growth and development. From this, Dale will help you create a one year growth plan in those areas. Includes identifying your personality traits, strengths, weaknesses and blind spots. Plan includes developing a personal mission statement, key books to read, guided growth conversations to have with key people in your life, action steps, setting goals and help measuring progress. There is also an one hour follow-up phone session at the end of the program to access and celebrate your growth.

• Copy of three of Dale's books: ($46 value)

The Formula for Building a Great Volunteer Team

Lead Well in Children's Ministry

If Disney ran your Children's Ministry  ​

• Online support. Each member of Advance will have access to a special online forum where they can ask questions about children’s ministry and leadership directly to Dale and the other members throughout the session. This gives you an experienced team available whenever you need them. You also retain access to this forum after the 6 months so you have ongoing support and encouragement.
  

  Access to the notes from the Kidmin GIG round table. In 2016, Dale founded a gathering of the leaders of the 30 largest children's ministries in the country. Each year they meet for two days to discuss and share their latest ideas, insights, ministry wins and challenges. As part of the Advance group, you will receive a copy of the latest discussions from this gathering.

  FAQ's  

  How much does the Advance six-month coaching experience cost? For a limited time, the cost is only $499. Upon acceptance into the program, a non-refundable deposit of $99 is due to hold your spot. Then $100 is due on the first of each month until your remaining balance is paid in full. If you pay the entire amount before the program begins, you receive a $50 discount.
  

   How can I be selected to be a part of Advance? 

  • Complete an application (click here to access).

  • Upon acceptance, make your deposit or complete payment at this link. 

  • Session will run from January 1 to June 30, 2020.

  • Deadline to apply is December 15, 2019. Only 20 people will be accepted.  Spots are filling up fast. Apply today.

  More questions? Email us at dale@buildingchildrensministry.com