The latest research from Barna confirms once again that the majority of people who invite Jesus into their life do so by the age of 18.

Pre-teens really stood out to me in this survey.  43% of people come to Christ in their pre-teen years.  The hand off from pre-teen into middle school ministry is a critical time.  We must renew our efforts to see pre-teens owning their faith and building solid relationships with other believers.

Another big question is this - Who is responsible for influencing others to Christ before their teen years? 

• 50% were led to Christ by their parents

• 20% were lead to Christ by a friend

• 7% accepted Jesus because of a pastor's sermon 

• 1% accepted Christ because of media like Christian television

We see that the majority of people are lead to Jesus by an existing relationship in their life.  The two relationships?  Parents and friends.

This means, as children's ministry leaders, we should be equipping parents and kids with tools they can use to effectively share their faith.

For parents - one of the best strategies is to host a class for kids who are indicating they want to become a Christ-follower.  Parents must attend the class with their child.  The class is called Starting Point and has been used by God to lead thousands of kids and parents to Jesus.  You can get more info. at this link.

As we place this tool in the hands of parents, they will be much more likely to follow through with confidence and share their faith with their children.

For children - it's important to teach them about sharing their faith with others.  I have found that when kids share their faith, it takes their own faith to a deeper level.

If you want kids to share their faith, then you should emphasis this and place tools in their hands that they can use to share the Gospel.  That's why I created a 4-week series called "The Blab Lab" that focuses on placing evangelism tools in the hands  of children.

Each week, kids get another tool they can use to share their faith at home, in their neighborhood, on their sports team, during lunch break at school, etc.

The series features a quirky professor who, along his sidekick, Crum, invents tools and gadgets that kids can use to share their faith that week.

Kids respond to this and begin sharing their faith.  I had one girl who took one of the inventions to school and shared it with her entire public school class (including her teacher).

Below is a sample of a lesson and video clip from the series.

You can get the Blab Lab series at this link.

Click here to see a lesson sample.

Click here to see one of the inventions that kids can use to share their faith.

Below is a video clip from the series.
Place these tools in the hands of your young evangelists and watch how God uses them to share the Gospel.

Acts 1:8 says, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

This promise was written to children just as much as it was written to adults.  And if we can lay a foundation of evangelism in their life, we can see them become bold and confident in sharing their faith, now as kids and later as adults.

The word "Family" no longer just means a husband, wife and two kids.  With the cultural shifts that have transpired over the last two decades, when you say "family," the general public links the word to a variety of meanings.  Single dads.  Single moms.  Husband and wife.  Husband and husband.  Wife and wife.  Grandparents and grandchildren.  

The bottom line is families are much more diverse than they were in previous decades.  And families continue to change in different ways across the communities of the USA.  

Here are some more things you want to be aware of as you seek to minister effectively to families. 

-People are marrying later in life.

-Many adults are forgoing marriage.

-US births outside of marriage has increased.

-More children are living with an unmarried parent.

-There are differences between urban adults and suburban adults.  36% of urban adults ages 25 to 34 are married.  In comparison, 44% of those living in suburban areas are married and 46% of those living in rural areas are married. 

-Single moms.  35% of births to women age 15 to 50 are to unmarried women. 

-In the suburbs, 71% of children live with two married parents.  In urban areas, 66% of children live with two married parents.

It's important to stay in touch with the demographics of the area where you are ministering.  This will help you as you plan your outreach, discipleship, events, classes, etc.

A big part of "serving" your community is meeting them where they are.

This starts by knowing where you are.

What type of community are you in?

What are the specific needs your community has?

How can you best reach out to the people in your community?

When more people from your community do start coming to your church, are you prepared to minister to them effectively?

These are questions you should be talking about with your ministry team.

Families are changing.  And the big question is "Are you willing to change to reach the families in the area where God has called you?

Themed t-shirts are standard clothing when you serve in children's ministry.

What you put on the t-shrt is very important because it sends a message to all who read it.

Recently, I came across a ministry t-shirt that is one of the best ideas I have seen.

Take a look at the t-shirt and then I'll tell you what the names represent.

If you look closely, you will see the t-shirt is full of names.  In fact, if you want to count them, there are 373 names that together make up the word "Lives."

The 373 names are the names of each child they reached last year with the Gospel.  373 kids who invited Jesus to come into their life.

Each year, they create a new t-shirt that has the names of the children they reached with the Gospel.

What a powerful way to show volunteers that they are making a difference in the lives of children.  It says behind every name there is a person.  A person whose life was impacted by the investment they made in the lives of children.

This is what it's all about my friend.  Reaching children and their parents with the Gospel. That is why we do what we do.  We know that most people come to Christ before the age of 18.  You are serving in the greatest mission field in the world...the hearts of children.

And the cool thing about this t-shirt is this - it's a great reminder of your mission and the fruit that is coming from your mission.  It reminds volunteers that they are making a big difference.

But the starting point is having a passion to reach kids for Christ.  If you need some tools to help you reach more kids and parents, then check out Starting Point.

Starting Point is a class that kids and their parents attend when they express an interest in beginning a relationship with Jesus.  It is a powerful class that will enable you to see many kids and parents come to Christ.  Using this strategy, in one year I saw over 460 kids and dozens of parents accept Christ as their Savior and then follow Him in baptism.  Every single one of them had been through the classes.

There is a 2nd class about baptism that kids and parents go through once they have made the decision to follow Jesus.  The baptism class clearly explains what baptism means and when you should follow Jesus in baptism.

Over 100 churches are currently using these classes to reach kids and parents.  You can see samples and get more info. at this link.

My prayer is that each of you who are reading this, will be motivated and empowered to fill up your own t-shirt with lots of names of kids and parents you reach.

Many churches use October 31st as an outreach event.  If you're one of them, you're probably asking yourself...

"How can we get unchurched families to attend?"

"How can we reach families with this event?"

"How can we get families who come to return on Sunday?"

These are great questions and it's why you do the event.  But the answers can often be hard to figure out.

Here's are some answers to these questions that will help you reach and keep families through your Fall Festival.

Get the word out in your community.  Families are looking for a safe place for their kids and will come if they know about your event.   Here's some ways you can spread the word.

• Cast vision to the families in your church that this is a great opportunity to reach families.  Encourage them to invite people to come.  
• Provide invite cards that they can use to invite friends, family members, co-workers, schoolmates, and neighbors.
• Provide posters that people can put up at places of business.
• Do a mail out to your community that advertises the event.
• Use social media to promote the event and have people in your church promote it to their social media contacts.
• Advertise on free local outlets such as the news, community channel advertising, etc.

Give families a great experience at the event.  It is vital that families have a great experience.  If they don't, they simply won't come back.  If people are rude to them, if their kids don't get enough candy, or if the festival doesn't match what was advertised...it doesn't matter how much you follow up.  They won't come back.  The first impression truly is a lasting impression.

Collect families' basic contact information.  You can't follow up without it.  Here's some ways you can collect it.

• Let them know up front that you are not going to show up on their door step the next week.  People will be hesitant to give you their information if they think you are going to show up at their house unannounced.
• Have people register for a free gift that they receive right on the spot.  It might be something as simple as a full-size candy bar for their kids.  With all the mini-candy bars being passed out, you'd be surprised how many people will give you their contact info. just to get a large candy bar for their child. 
• Have a drawing for some large prizes like a bike, family meal certificate to a local restaurant, movie tickets, etc.  Ask people to register for the drawing.
• Have a grand prize drawing on the following Sunday.  You must be present on Sunday to win.  This prize should be something significant enough that it would bring a family back on Sunday. (example - 4 tickets to Disney World or a major family attraction in your area) 
• Have a free photo spot with a professional photographer.  Offer to email them the picture. 
  

Have a table or booth set up with church information, brochures, etc.  Staff it with friendly volunteers who can answer questions.

Provide a family show during the event.  It can include music, puppets, games, and family fun.  Make it a soft touch to give kids and parents a feel of what weekends are like.

Follow up after the event. 

• Follow up as quickly as possible.  If you follow up within 48 hours, the likelihood of them returning goes up. 
• Send them an email thanking them for coming.  Include information about weekend services or other upcoming events.  Keep it short and simple.  If they had their picture taken per above, you can attach it to this email.  Here's a sample email.

Dear Parent,

Thank you for being our guest at the Family Fall Festival.  We hope you had a great time.  your church's name is a family made up of people just like you and me, who come together to encourage and support each other on this journey called life.

One of the most exciting and challenging parts of life is being a parent.  At your church's name, we want to help your kids learn more about God and discover the purpose He has for their lives.  We also desire to come alongside parents to provide parenting tools, resources, encouragement and support.

You can get more information about your church's name by visiting our website at your church's website or by calling phone number.  We also invite you to be our guest at any of our weekend services.  We're here for you and your family.

Hope to see you this weekend!

• Send them a handwritten note.  Include a coupon that they can redeem for a free gift the next time they attend the church.  It might be a drink for the parents and a small toy or t-shirt for the kids. 
• Invite them to your next big event.  Add them to your mailing list and invite them to your next event.  Even if they don't show up for a church service the next weekend, you may see them return for another event.  Keep planting seeds...God will bring the fruit.
• Call them.  A short...thank you for coming...if we can be of any service to you...phone call is appropriate.  I would encourage you to keep it light and not come across as pushy.

Fall Festival is one of your best opportunities to reach families.  I'm thinking of a family who came to our Fall Festival last year.  It was their first contact with our church.  They came back on the weekend, gave their lives to Christ and are now growing in their faith and serving in the ministry.

What a great opportunity you have this year.  Whether you're hosting a Fall Festival on your church property, participating in a community event off-site, or being a witness in your neighborhood, I'm praying with you for many families to come to Christ.

Each year over 4,000 churches close their doors.  There are 1/3 fewer churches today than 1950.  Each day over 3,500 people leave churches.

Why does a church go extinct?  Here are 10 key factors why I believe a church is forced to close it's doors.

They become comfortable and content.  They talk more about the past than the present.  There are more plaques celebrating the "glory days" than there are Sundays where the "glory" comes down now. 

They go into defense mode instead of offense mode.  They develop the attitude "let's just hold out til Jesus comes."  Instead of reaching out to their community, they pull back and stay inside the safety of their four walls.

They don't reach young families.  While the congregation becomes greyer and greyer, the nursery gets quieter and quieter.  There are no kids laughing and giggling in the hallway.  When you walk in, you think you've entered a retirement home.

They aren't willing to change.  Even though their ministry and programs are no longer effective, they continue doing the same things.  They've lost touch with the culture.

They aren't willing to meet people where they are.  The neighborhood the church is located in is in decline.  Instead of moving to a new location in a growing area, they stay put.  Or the demographics around them change, but the make up of their congregation does not. 

A few families control the church.  There is one family or a few families that control the church.  They've been in the church for years.  They influence everything and do whatever it takes to maintain control.  They'd rather see the church die than give up control.

They turn their focus inward.  They form a holy huddle.  There is no outreach.  The baptistry has cobwebs. 

They lose their kids and grandkids.  The kids who grow up in the church leave and don't return.  They either drop out of church completely or start attending a more relevant church.

Lack of leadership.  Everything rises and falls on leadership.  There is no strong, visionary leadership to move the church forward.  There is no compelling vision that people rally behind.  Leaders are not developed in the church.

Disunity.  Arguments over petty issues dominate church business meetings.  Ministries are silos that compete for resources.  Church splits render the church powerless. 

The floor is yours.  What are some other reasons why a church goes extinct?  Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

"The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, "Praise God for the Son of David."  But the leaders were indignant."   Matthew 21:15

Guess who led worship last weekend in our adult service?  Kids.













Guess who helps greet people as they walk in our church doors each weekend?  Kids

Guess who does outreach in our community?  Kids



Guess who helps feed families during our Thanksgiving meal distribution?  Kids

Guess who helps run sound and tech each weekend in our church?  Kids

Guess who raises thousands of dollars for mission projects each year in our church?  Kids

Guess who shares the Gospel with others?  Kids



Guess who invites people to our church?  Kids.  Last year a lady came to our church for the very first time.  When asked how she heard about the church, she told us she's a crossing guard at a local elementary school.  One of our kids invited her to come while waiting to cross the street.

Guess who serves alongside their parents in various ministries in our church?  Kids

Kids are eager and ready to serve.  Are you giving them the opportunity?  

What's the best way to grow a children's ministry?

Direct mail with great print pieces?

Television ads?

Vacation Bible school?

Outreach events?

Fall Festivals?

Bringing in a big-name special guest?

These are all different ways you can see families brought into your children's ministry.  But...there's one thing that is not listed above.  And it's the #1 way to grow your children's ministry.

Wait for it...wait for it...

Here it is...word of mouth.

People talk about a children's ministry that has impacted their lives.  And those people talk to other people...and those people talk to other people...and...etc.

Before long, you've got guest families walking through the door every single week.  And the majority are coming because someone told them about the ministry or brought them.

When this happens, you will experience the "big mo."  Momentum.  And when momentum kicks in, you will experience exponential growth.

The big question...how do you get people talking?

Give them something that's worth talking about.  
Create environments for kids that will get them excited about coming to church.  When that happens, parents will take notice and begin to talk.

Encourage them to talk. 
Message how important it is to invest in relationships with people who don't attend church and invite them to come.

Give them tools they can use to talk.
Create invite cards that people can use to invite their friends and connections.  Doing a really cool series?  Make invite cards for the series.

This past Easter, we had a lady that came to our church for the very first time and accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior.  When asked how she heard about the church, she told this story.  She is a crossing guard at one of our local elementary schools.  One of our kids talked with her and invited her to come to church while he was waiting to cross for school.

When people start talking...great things happen.  

I have noticed a trend over the years.  When kids move into their pre-teen years, a notable percentage of them disengage from Children's Ministry.

Why?  Here's eight reasons.

1. Placing them with younger children.
Pre-teens are very conscious they are "growing up."  Their eyes are on their approaching middle school years.  The last place they want to be is with "little kids."

• Provide them with their own environment (class).  Give it a name that is unique to them.  We call our pre-teen environment "Nitro."  It has a very different feel and look from our other environments.  It looks more like a youth ministry environment than it does a children's ministry environment.  That is on purpose.

• In situations where you can't give them a separate environment, place them in the front of the room.  At some of our campuses, we have all of elementary together due to lack of room availability.  When this is the case, we are intentional about placing the pre-teens in the front.  This gives them a sense of leadership instead of sitting in the back of the room looking at the "little kids" in front of them. 
  

• Provide events and activities just for them.  An example would be a summer outreach trip which is just for pre-teens.    

2. Programming for younger children.
One of the biggest factors in keeping pre-teens engaged in your ministry is to program for them.  If pre-teens sense the lesson, music, or activities are "babyish," they will check out.

• When you have multiple ages in the same room, always target the pre-teen boy.  If you hit him, you will catch everyone.  Cool rolls down hill.  Gene Del Vecchio talks about this in his book "Creating Ever Cool."  It's a must read for children's ministry leaders.

3. Personal connection with a leader is missing.
A personal connection with a caring leader is essential.  When pre-teens are known and loved, they will stay engaged.

• Make sure your pre-teens spend a good percentage of their time at church in a small group environment where they are known by name, prayed for, and are contacted when absent.  Cool buildings and programming alone doesn't keep pre-teens.  Relationships is the glue.

4. Preparing them for middle school is not a priority.
As kids move into their pre-teen years, our focus should begin to shift toward preparing them for their middle school years.  

• Work closely with your youth ministry to bridge the gap between children's ministry and youth ministry.  In this post, I share a strategy for transitioning pre-teens into youth ministry.

5. Passive discipleship.
Pre-teens are ready to serve and make a difference.  When they are confined to passive discipleship where they just "sit and soak", they will disengage.  A huge part of discipleship is serving.  Active faith leads to spiritual growth.

• Let them own their ministry.  Give them opportunities to serve in their ministry.  Praise team, running sound and tech, greeting, distributing handouts, etc.  Ownership = engagement.

• Take them on more "outreach" trips than "play" trips.  A few years ago, we moved away from taking our pre-teens on "play" trips such as waterparks, skating, etc.  They can do this anytime.  We decided what they wanted more than this was the opportunity to make a difference.  We now take them on outreach and serving trips instead.  They love it. 

6. Parents are not involved.
In the pre-teen years, kids begin the early stages of becoming independent of their parents.  Parents become nervous as their "baby"  begins to grow up.  It is one of the key times when they will come looking for help.

• Equip parents to be the spiritual leader of their pre-teen.  No one has more influence in a pre-teen's life than his or her parents.

• Provide parents with the tools and resources they need to parent their pre-teen.

• Prepare parents for the middle school years. 

• Have a retreat or event for pre-teens and their parents.  This fall we will be holding our first-ever pre-teen/parent retreat.  They will spend a day together being equipped and prepared for their upcoming middle school years as well as deepening their relationship with each other.

7. Priorities are misplaced.
As kids move into their pre-teen years, more opportunities to be involved in programs, sports, and other outside activities become available.  These can pull kids away from being consistently involved in church and discipleship opportunities.

How many pre-teens miss church for weeks on end because of traveling sport's teams or other activities?

• Teach pre-teens the importance of making worship and discipleship a priority.  This must be messaged to parents as well.  Many times it's a parent's misplaced priorities that cause their pre-teen's priorities to become misplaced. 

8. Prayer and other spiritual disciplines are not in place.
By the pre-teen years, kids should be transitioning from being spiritually spoon feed to feeding themselves as well.  Can you imagine an 11-12 year old still sitting in a highchair and being fed by his or her parents?

• Teach pre-teens the spiritual disciplines. 

• Give pre-teens the tools they need to feed themselves spiritually.

• Equip them to know why they believe what they believe.  Their faith must be their own.

Okay.  The floor is yours.  Have you noticed pre-teens disengaging from children's ministry?  If so, what are some things you have done to keep them engaged?  Share your ideas with us below.

This past week, I had the joy of being a part of the ICM Conference.  This is the Church of God of Prophecy's National Children's Ministry Conference. 

Their commitment and passion to reach kids and families inspired me.  Here are the notes from the sessions I taught.