RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Kids don't automatically give you their attention these days.  Even when you ask for it, it is not a guarantee that they will hand it to you.

In this day of modern entertainment and technology, kids have literally hundreds of companies and individuals vying for their attention.

And consider the fact that today's kids often split their attention between multiple triggers.

Recent research from eMarketer, reveals that kids are splitting their attention between internet and television at the same time.  71% of people surf the internet while watching television simultaneously.

Add that to the fact that the attention you are asking kids for, is very limited.  5 minutes tops.  And it's a challenge to hold their attention span for even 5 minutes.

It's not kids' fault their attention span is so short.  They are living in a culture that programs their attention span to be very, very short.  The end result is kids who skim the info. coming their way and decide who or what they are going to direct their attention toward.

The days of walking into a classroom and declaring that you are the teacher, doesn't mean kids will automatically give you their attention.

The good news is - there are some strategic steps you can take, so that when you ask for their attention, they will temporarily focus on what you are saying and quickly decide if what you are offering is worth turning their attention to.

Kids give their attention to people that they know love and care for them.  When they know you care about them and want the best for them, they will tune in to what you are saying. We've heard the saying "people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

That statement is so true, isn't it?  If you want kids to listen to your lesson during the service, then spend time hanging out with them before the lesson begins.

Don't ask them to give you more than 5 minutes at a time.  The attention span you are asking them for is very, very brief.  So, what can you do if your lesson has you talking more than 5 minutes at a time? 

All you have to do is split your lesson into 5 minute segments.  Here's an example.

• Opening song (5 minutes)
• Ice breaker (5 minutes)
• Song (5 minutes)
• Game (5 minutes)
• Song (5 minutes)
• Lesson (5 minutes)
• Activity or discussion of lesson point (5 minutes)
• Lesson continues (5 minutes)
• Activity or discussion of lesson point (5 minutes) 
• Lesson continues (5 minutes)
• Prayer time (5 minutes)
• Hands on activity (5 minutes)
• Review game (5 minutes)
• Dismissal 

If you are asking for kids' attention, then you must look at your lesson, not as a 60-70 minute lesson, but rather as 12-15 five minute asks for their attention.

When asking kids for their attention, be sure you are offering something worthy of their attention.  If you offer them a half-baked, last minute prep, leftover kind of lesson, they will tune you out.  Kids know when we are prepared and when we are not.

Use teaching methods that actually hold their attention for 5 minutes.  Hands on.  Interactive.  Conversational.  Learner based.  Active learning.

If you ask kids to sit still and be quiet while you lecture, you'll have a tough go of it, even for 5 minutes,

Get kids involved in your teaching time.  Have them help act out the Bible story.  Example - If you are talking about the wind blowing - ask all the kids to make a sound effect of the wind blowing.

Tell stories.  One of the best ways to grab a kids' attention and hold it is by telling stories.  If you look at the way the Master Teacher (Jesus) taught, you will see that He always brought stories into the mix. 

If you are looking for a curriculum that will result in kids giving you their attention, check out Connect 12 curriculum.  Each lesson is set up with 5 minute segments that help you honor kids' attention span, while giving them solid Bible lessons written to honor today's attention spans.  

The curriculum takes kids on a one year journey, where they dive deep into the Word and find a solid faith foundation that will prepare them to follow Jesus for a lifetime. 

You can see samples at this link.

Kids, may I have your attention please?

Maybe, if you have something worth sharing and will use relevant methods that I can connect with.

Your turn.  How do you capture and hold the attention of today's kids?  Share your thoughts, insights and strategy in the comment section below.

Do you want to teach like Jesus, the master teacher? 

Then you should include lots of object lessons in your teaching. 

Think about all the times Jesus referred to objects in His teaching. 

He used...

Birds
Gates
Coins
Fish
Sheep
Wolves
Rocks
Sand
Pigs
Shepherds
Vines
Seeds

Just to name a few.

Object lessons help you capture kids' attention and helps them grasp the Biblical truth you are sharing.

One important thing to remember - as much as you can, use objects that are part of children's every day life.  Why?  Because it will help them remember the truth each time they see the object.  This helps the truth make the jump from short-term memory into long-term memory.  

Here are 10 great object lessons you can use.

One way street sign. Make a one way street sign.  Use it to explain that Jesus is the one and only way to eternal life.  Read John 14:6 with the kids.  Afterwards every time kids see a one way street sign, they will be reminded of the truth.

Video game system.  Show a game that requires kids to go to a next level.   Read 2 Peter 3:18 and remind kids that God wants us to continue to grow and get to new levels in our journey with Him.  Tell them to think about this each time they are playing a game that has them go to a new level.

Lunch box.  Show the kids a lunch box.  Share with the children about the story of the boy who gave his lunch to Jesus and watched Him do a miracle with it.  Tell them that Jesus can do miracles with their life as well when they give themselves to Him.  The story of the boy and the lunch is found in John 6:5-13.  Encourage kids to remember this truth each time they open their lunch box.  Tell them they can whisper a prayer to Jesus and tell Him everything they have, they place in His hands.

Cell phone.  Read Mark 11:24 with the kids.  Talk about prayer and how God loves to spend time with us.  Remind them that God will answer their prayers.   Encourage them to whisper a prayer to Jesus each time they use a cell phone.

Bird.  If possible, bring a live bird in a cage.  If not available, bring a large picture of a bird.  Read Mathew 6:26-27.  Share with the kids that God has promised to take care of them.  If He takes care of the birds, how much more does He take care of us?

Banana.  Did you know you can use a banana to teach kids about the trinity?  Peel the banana and break off the top part so the banana is even.  Take your thumb and gently push down on the top of the banana.  It will break into 3 parts.  Explain how it's a reminder of the trinity.  Tie it in with 1 John 5:7.  Each time the kids eat a banana, they can be reminded that God is three in one.

Candy Cane.  This is a popular object lesson - especially at Christmas.  Pass out candy canes.  The white presents Jesus was sinless.  It also represents how Jesus sees us when we accept His forgiveness.

The red stripes represent the stripes Jesus received when He was being beaten for our sins.  The hardness of the candy represents Jesus being our rock.  The hook shape reminds us that Jesus is the good shepherd.  Turn it upside down and you'll see it forms the letter "J" which stands for Jesus.

Each time the kids see a candy cane, they can be reminded of what Jesus did for us. 

Tooth paste.  Take a tube of tooth paste.  Have the kids squeeze all the tooth paste out of the container.  Ask how hard it would be to put the toothpaste back in the container?  Remind them to use their words wisely.  Once you say something, you can't take it back.  Use Ephesians 4:29 with this and tell the kids each time they brush their teeth to remember this.

Skateboard or bicycle.  You can use this to teach the kids what it means to repent.  Repentance is like when you are riding your bike or skateboard and you decide to turn around and go the opposite direction.  That's what you do when you repent.  You are going your own way, doing your own thing and then you turn away from sin and you follow Jesus instead.  Ask kids to remember this each time they make a turn on their skateboard or bike.  You can use Acts 3:19 with this.

Pencils.  Take one pencil and have a child break it.  Next take a big bundle of pencils and see if the kids can break it now.  They won't be able to.  Explain that this is a reminder that God gave us the church so we could be stronger together and work together to do great things for Him.  Read Hebrews 10:25 together.

Your turn.  What are some of your favorite object lessons?  Share them with everyone in the comment section below.

Kids aren't meant to sit still all day and take in information.  Adults aren't wired that way either. Steve Boyle, Co-Founder of National Association of Physical Literacy

I believe if churches will take this to heart and make some changes in how they teach kids God's Word, we can see behavior problems basically disappear.  I believe most "behavior problems" are simply "lack of movement" problems.  

Take a look at your lesson plans.  How much are you allowing kids to move?  Are you expecting them to sit still and be quiet while you talk for 20-30 minutes?  Even if you do get them to sit still, they are probably enduring it more than they are enjoying it.

I believe the more kids move, the more they learn.  I believe the more kids move, the more they enjoy coming to church.  I believe the more kids move, the better they will retain what you've taught them.

Here are some questions to think through with this in mind...

• What are some ways I can give the kids more opportunities to move during class?

• How can I get the kids involved in the lesson rather than just listening the lesson?

• What is stopping me from letting kids move more?  Am I afraid I'll lose control of the class?  Am I uncomfortable with trying a different approach?  Am I equating stillness with learning and engagement?

Here are some ideas to get kids moving...

• Give kids the freedom to move, jump and praise God with all their energy during worship.  Remember...David danced before the Lord. 

• Have kids act out the Bible story while you are telling it.  Example - if you're telling them about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, divide them up in groups and act it out.  One person could be Lazarus by the other kids wrapping him or her in toilet paper.  Two kids could make the tomb entrance by holding their arms out.  One person could be Jesus.  Other kids could be the disciples, etc.  Another example is the story of the walls of Jericho falling.  Have the kids get up and march around the room 7 times.

• Have kids make up motions for Bible verses you want them to memorize.

• Use active review games that let kids move rather than just sitting and saying answers. 

• Don't make kids sit down for more than 5 minutes at a time.

• Have pre-service activities that allows kids to move. 

Does this mean there shouldn't be any quiet, still time during a class or worship experience?  No.  I believe there is great value in kids spending some time in quiet prayer and contemplation.  But it should be a short period of time and should be guided.

Here's an example.  I love taking 1-2 minutes each class for elementary kids to spend time with Jesus in quiet prayer.  For the first 30 seconds to 1 minute, I will give them some things to talk to God about.  Then, for the last  30 seconds to 1 minute, I will have them simply listen to what God is saying to them through the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit. 

And here's what I've found.  The moving, active times greatly enhance the quiet times of prayer and worship.  It makes it even more special and impactful.

Ever have trouble getting adults to volunteer?  Maybe it's because we told them when they were children to sit still and be quiet in church.  And so that's what they did then...and now.  We trained them that way. 

It's time we allow kids to be kids and worship God with all the passion of their youthful energy. 

Your turn.  The floor is yours.  Do you think it's important for kids to move at church?  What are some things you do to get kids moving in your ministry?  How do you balance movement with the quiet times?  Share your thoughts, insights and ideas in the comment section below.

There is a new trend on YouTube that is mesmerizing kids.  One of the channels that features this trend is getting over 100 million views a week.  And a family of channels that feature this trend has attracted over 5 million subscribers and over 4 billion views to date.  What is this trend that has captured the attention of so many kids?  Maybe not what you'd expect.

The trend is adults dressed up in superhero costumes acting out skits that play out like a silent movie.  Nothing fancy or spectacular.  There are a few special effects, but they are simple...almost to the point of being shoddy.

So why are kids mesmerized by these videos?   A studio executive says kids love these videos because of...

• silent film - kids internationally appreciate that there are no spoken words / this also forces the characters to represent the story physically and broadly

• surreal story lines

• using superheroes that kids already know and like

• using elements that kids like including candy, fun music, squirt guns, lasers and flying.  

He says when you wrap all these things together, it captivates the attention of children.

Davey Orgill, a Christian father who makes YouTube videos with his wife and kids, came across this trend last year and was blown away by the number of views it was getting.  So he ordered some costumes for his family, opened the YouTube channel SuperHero Reality TV and started making videos using this format.  In just 3 weeks, the channel was clocking 20 million views within 48-hour periods.

Children's ministry leaders who want to grab the attention of kids and get their message to them should take note of the success of this trend.   

What if you used this format to tell Bible stories and share Biblical truth?   This could be done live or by video.

Do you have shared experiences for kids and parents together?  The format the Orgills are using with kids and parents being in the video together would no doubt be a big hit for this.

Are you looking for ways to extend the weekend lesson into the home during the week.  What if you had a contest for families to make videos in this format about the lesson and then post them on a YouTube channel you create?

Below are some examples of this video trend that kids are loving.  What do you think about this trend?  Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.