RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

We know that if kids are going to grow up to love and follow Jesus, we must help them develop a strong faith foundation.  The kind of faith that can withstand humanism, attacks on the validity of God's Word, evolution, secularism and postmodernism.

So how are we doing with passing down a tested, proven faith?

The term "Relaxed Religious" describes the shallow faith and commitment parents and churches are handing to the next generation.

• 29% believe spiritual energy can be found in physical objects.

• 25% believe in reincarnation.

• 16% believe in astrology.

• 68% believe in the God of the Bible.

• 39% pray daily.

• 17% attend church regularly.

• 54% think Hunger Games is in the Bible. 

• 34% think Harry Potter might be in the Bible.

• 24% believe the Bible is the Word of God. 

• 26% view the Bible as a book of fables, legends and history.

Take a closer look at these findings and you'll see the main reason the next generation is not developing a strong faith foundation, is because we aren't giving them what they need to build one. 

Jesus talks about this type of shallow, surface faith in Matthew 13.  Here's what He says..."

Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.

I believe WHAT we teach kids is more crucial than ever.  We only have a limited number of weeks to help kids develop a strong foundation.  And we have a limited number of weeks to influence parents to grab hold of their role as the primary spiritual influence.  We must move beyond teaching kids to be good and begin teaching them solid doctrine, while helping them apply and live out that doctrine in their every day lives.   

I've developed a solid curriculum that teaches kids 12 great Bible truths in a year.  You can see some samples at this link.  The lessons use fun, games,  interactive teaching, discussions, etc. to bring the doctrine in ways kids will engage and be excited about.

I believe we must help kids develop a deep faith that won't disintegrate when the pressure is on.  Matthew 13 shows us that a shallow faith will wilt when the heat is applied.  In many ministries, kids are being handed a shallow faith that simply won't survive a college classroom,  secular room mate or a debate in a coffee shop. 

If we are going to see kids' faith last, then we must teach them why we believe what we believe. 

Why do we believe the Bible is God's Word?

Why do we believe Jesus is the Son of God?

Why does God allow bad things to happen?

Why do we believe God created everything?

Again, the curriculum lessons I've created cover these and other key questions that will help children know the doctrine and why it is true. 

We must also set parents up for success and give them the tools they need to help their children develop a deep faith.   A big opportunity to do this is engaging with families in spiritual milestones.  These are key times in a family's life when you can equip parents and help them catch the vision for leading their children spiritually.  See more at this link.

At the end of the day, we must remember that while we may teach what we know, we produce what we are.  This means first foremost, we must have a deep, growing faith ourselves if we are going to see our kids have the same.

Did you see the television special a few weeks ago about the movement that is changing the way kids are taught?  It was on all 3 major networks at prime time.  It's big, exciting news!  Let's take a closer look.

The movement is called XQ: The Super School Project.  The movement is working to overcome the complacency of high schools and other institutions of learning that are outmoded and ill-equipped to prepare kids to thrive in today's world.

The movement reveals that while the world has rapidly changed, our methods of learning have barely changed at all.  The United States, who was once first in the world in high school completion, now ranks 23rd.

It's time we make the changes needed to once again become a leader in education and provide state-of-the-art learning for every child.  And that's what the movement is about.  It's bringing together students, parents, educators, entrepreneurs and other leaders to re-imagine and re-think how we teach kids.  It's about creating the schools of the future.

The movement focuses on collaborating to help kids move beyond just memorization and abstract concepts to becoming self-directed learners who can apply what they've learned and use it to solve the problems they will face in a rapidly-changing world.

Here are some examples...

Old Paradigm                New Paradigm
-follows orders               -co-creates plans to achieve goals
-product driven               -customer driven
-climbs corp. ladder       -seeks leadership opportunities
-change takes time         -team responds quickly
-9 to 5                             -flexible
-lifelong job                    -change jobs often
-completes tasks            -pursues goals

How kids learn best:

1. Caring, trusting, supportive relationships with adults.

2. Kids respond best when high expectations are set.

3. Kids need opportunities to contribute.  Provide them with a choice and a voice.

4. Learning experiences that are engaging, related to their interests, offer opportunities to succeed and provide feedback.

Essentials for effective learning:

1. Students need opportunities to learn deeply, so they can gain knowledge and the ability to apply what they know, make inferences and solve problems.

2. Learning is most effective when students are able to relate what they've learned to their real lives.

3. Students need meaningful, student-centered, learning experiences, that enable them to build toward mastery.

4. Stop rote memorizing and start applying knowledge.

5. Depth of learning is achieved when teachers integrate new learning methods and tools into their curriculum thoughtfully and mindfully to meet students' needs and interests.

6. Students learn best when teaching is personalized and varied.

7. Inspiring teaching connects to the real world.

8. We have to make learning something kids want to do.

Here's what children's ministries have to understand.  These principles and philosophies of learning are the same when it comes to children learning God's Word.  It translates directly into how we teach and communicate God's Word to kids.

We also have to understand this.  Normally the church lags behind the education world when it comes to making changes in teaching methodology.  This means the necessary changes in the church will probably happen several years after schools make the shift.  That's scary, because the result could be another generation of kids who grow up in church without gaining the spiritual knowledge, instruction and passion they need to follow Jesus for a lifetime.

But it doesn't have to be that way.  The church can learn from this movement and make the necessary shifts needed to raise kids who follow Jesus in today's world.  It's time we stopped doing children's ministry like it's still 1950 or 1980 or even 2010.  It's time we make the changes needed so we can be effective.

In fact, rather than lagging behind, we should be leading the way in making the changes needed to effectively help today's kids learn and apply God's Word.

It's time we replace lecturing with learner-based activities.  

It's time we replaced rows of chairs with circles where kids learn from each other just as much as from a teacher up front. 

It's time we made church relevant to the lives of today's kids.  

It's time we teach application just as much as we teach information. 

It's time we teach kids to think critically and walk with them through the hard questions they will face about God and His Word. 

It's time we shift the focus from the teacher to the kids. 

It's time we stop having kids memorize scripture without helping them understand what it means. 

It's time we embrace the fact that kids are wired to move and learn best through interaction, activity and movement.

This is just a small overview of the many great insights you can gain from this movement.  I want to encourage you to check out their website and watch this video below for more information.

So much is at stake.  We must be willing to change if we are going to help kids gain a faith foundation that will stand the test of time and see them develop a Jesus-centered worldview.

Let the children's ministry movement begin!  Let's start teaching today's kids with relevant methods and effective philosophies.



Your turn.  The floor is yours. Share your thoughts and insight about this in the comment section below.