RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Hey, my friend.  I was thinking this morning about the benefits of serving in children's ministry.  There are lots of blessings that come your way when you invest in the next generation.  Here are five of them.

You'll see some fruit now and lots of fruit later.  The seeds you are sowing right now will grow tenfold, a hundredfold and even a thousand fold.

You see, kids grow up and the time you invested in their life will blossom for years to come.

Look what John 15:16 says. 

"You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you."

When you serve in children's ministry don't every forget that you will have lasting fruit.  It will impact the kids' lives now and will still be impacting them years from now, when they are all grown up.  Here's a personal example of this. 
God's Word never returns void.  You know those times when you wonder if the kids heard anything you said?  Well they did hear it.  And it made a difference in their life.  God's Word is moving and working in their lives, even when you can't see it.

The Word you share with the kids is powerful.  They are the very words of God.  Rest assured that it is being heard and the Holy Spirit's anointing is at work every time you share it.

Parents need Jesus, too.  I often say "when you reach a child, you change a life, but when you reach parents,  you change an entire family."  Always be thinking about the children's parents.  Because you are ministering to their child, you have direct access to their heart.  God wants to use you to influence entire families.

Think with me about all the parents in the Bible who came to Jesus for one reason.  Their child.  Their connection to Jesus was because of their child.  Their child was sick.  Their child was possessed.  Their child was dead.  Their child was blind.

When you minister to children, you have a big opportunity to minister to entire families. 

There is no Jr. Holy Spirit.  God works in the lives of children just He does with adults.  Kids can give their life to Christ as the Holy Spirit draws them.  Kids can have a strong prayer life.  Kids can learn and memorize God's Word.      

Kids can make an impact now.  Kids can serve.  Kids can make a difference.  Kids can go on mission trips with their parents.  Kids can lead worship.  Kids can be greeters.  Kids can help out in classrooms with their parents.  Kids can impact kids, students and adults.

A few Easters ago, a lady walked in the door of our church for the very first time.  When asked how she heard about the church, she told us that she was a school crossing guard.  That week, one of the kids who she was helping cross, handed her an Easter invite card and asked her to come.  Kids can do great things now if we will equip them and empower them.

I trust these 5 reminders will be an encouragement to you today.  What a privilege we've been given to help raise up the next generation of world changing believers.

Yesterday, I shared this quote through my social media connections.  I've been thinking about this quote a lot lately and wanted to share some of those thoughts with you. 

The church that doesn't make children's ministry a priority does so at the peril of their future.  

Passing on our faith to the next generation is a big deal in Scripture.  Verse after verse addresses the importance of sharing our faith, by words and actions, with the next generation.  

Here are three examples. 

"We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord."  Psalm 78:4 

“Do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.”   Deuteronomy 4:9

"For generations to come, we are called to lovingly and courageously do whatever we can to pass along the 'praises of Him who called [us] out of darkness into His wonderful light'.”  1 Peter 2:9

Why must we be so intentional about passing on our faith?  Because when we do not pass on our faith, here is what happens.

"After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the LORD or remember the mighty things He had done for Israel."  Judges 2:10

What a sad commentary.  Fathers did not lead their families spiritually.  Mothers did not pray with their children at bedtime.  Grandparents didn't tell their grandchildren about the miraculous events they had experienced from the hand of God.

A few months ago, I walked into a church that had no children.  No babies.  No preschoolers.  No elementary kids.  No middle schoolers.  No high school children.  As I sat through the service, my thoughts kept going back to that church's future.

If things don't turn around, the church will die a slow death as the elderly members pass away. The simple fact is without children, the church is terminal and will have to eventually close its doors.

Churches that have a future always have a deep investment in the next generation.  They care more about reaching the next generation than they do about their personal tastes, worship styles and current status.

If a church is serious about their future, they will make children's ministry a PRIORITY.

If a church wants to reach the next generation, they will PRAY for God to help them reach out and share the Gospel with young families.

If a church wants to still be functioning in 40 years, they will POUR into their children and grandchildren.

If a church wants to thrive, they will heavily PROMOTE next gen ministry.  The children won't be placed in the basement.  The church's best facilities will be for kids.  The church will be known as "the place for kids." 

No matter how far gone your church may be, there is still hope.  Shift your focus to effectively reaching young parents and their children.  The future of your church rests upon it.