RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Recently a child was visiting London's Tate Modern Museum with his family.

One of the exhibits was a Donald Judd sculpture...a piece worth millions of dollars.

The child decided it looked more like a playground toy than artwork and as you can see in the picture, climbed up on it.

The incident was captured with someone's cell phone.  People reacted in shock.  How could the child do something like this?  How could his family not pay attention and let it happen?   

Personally...I think it's a great reminder of some things.

1. Keep your imagination alive. 
Artwork?  The child saw a playground toy...a giant shelf...a place to explore.  We get so caught up in life that we forget to see the simple, fun, adventurous side of life.

2. Don't take things so seriously.
As we grow up, we become more and more serious.  Bills to pay...deadlines to meet...doctors appointments to keep...jobs to work at...all of these things and more begin to replace our smiles with worried looks...our laughter with stress filled words...our fun with intense work.  And we forget to laugh...smile...and enjoy life.

3. Remember what really matters.
I'm not diminishing the artist's work.  I know it's an important piece of art.  But...at the same time...it's not what matters most.  At the end of life, a piece of artwork that looks like a shelf won't be what's important.  Relationships...Jesus...family...friends...that's what matters most. 

I love hearing kids laugh.  There's nothing more precious than the laughter of a child...especially at church.  Over the years, I've found ways to get kids laughing.  Here's 20...

1. Tell a joke. (they love knock-knock jokes)

2. Ask their name and then start saying it back to them wrong. (example - if it's Jake, say, "Nice to meet you Justin") The more times they correct you, the more they'll get tickled.

3. Get something dumped on you like water, slime, pudding, etc.

4. Fake a fall, trip, run into something, etc.

5. Sing a funny song.

6. Talk in a funny voice.

7. Whoopee cushion app on your phone. (make sure it's the app...not you)

8. Sing way off key. (that's easy for me)

9. Wear a crazy costume.

10. Make a funny face.

11. Have a burping contest.

12. Guess their age outrageously high. (example - if they're 6, ask them if they're 60, then keep saying it back to them wrong as they correct you - 36? 16?)

13. Show a picture or video of an animal doing something funny.

14. Boogers and snot. (they love to laugh at gross stuff)

15. Say a word or state a fact wrong and let them correct you.  Say it wrong several times before you finally "get" it.  (examples - everyone sit down in your "bears" instead of "chairs",  Noah built a motorcycle to put all the animals in)

16. Have someone pull a prank on you in front of the kids.

17. Impersonate an animal or well-known person.  The worse you do, the better.

18. Tell them something really funny that happened to you.

19. Put a big mark or smudge on your face ahead of time and when they start pointing at it, act like you don't know it's there.

20. Laugh uncontrollably.  It's contagious.

If kids laughed more at church, maybe they wouldn't grow up to say it was boring and they were "made" to go.  You don't have to "make" someone go where they enjoy being.

We tell kids to sit still and be quiet and then wander why they grow up and are sitting still and being quiet...if they even come at all.

Your turn.  How do you make kids laugh at church?  Share with us in the comment section below.

Look at them not past them.

Listen to them.

Know their name.

Ask them questions about their life.

Just show up.

Brag on them.

Remember their birthday.

Go to their sports game.

Write them a handwritten note and mail it to them.

Forgive them when they mess up.

Spend time with them.

Giggle with them.

Notice when they are absent.

Laugh at their jokes.

Be excited when you see them.

Notice when they grow.

Love them...no matter what.

What are some other ways you can let kids know they matter?  Share with us in the comment section below.