RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

If you are the average church, you have new children visit your church on a regular basis.  Perhaps a friend invited them. Maybe they came to an event like a Fall Festival.  Or it could be they came because someone invited their parents to attend. Sometimes their family just moved to the area and they come to check out your church.

That being said, children's ministries that grow, not only have first-time guests, but they also see a good percentage of those first-time guests return and get plugged in.

So what is it that draws a kid back to a church?  What is it that causes some churches to grow because they see first-time guests become regular attendees?

As I work with churches across the nation and internationally, I have identified, what I believe, are the key factors for drawing kids back to church.  Let's talk about it.

Great first experience.   I believe this is where it begins.  If the child walks out of his or her classroom or worship environment and is asked the famous question "Did you have fun today?" and the response is - "It was boring," then if the child is the decision maker about this, (and the child usually is) the family will likely not be back.

If you want kids to come back to your ministry, then it needs to be a fun, exciting place.  A place where kids can laugh.  A place where kids can move around.  A place were kids can talk.  A place where kids can jump up and down while praising Jesus.  A place where the decor is decorated with kid-friendly colors.  A place where the lesson is engaging, relevant and meaningful.

If you expect kids to return, it is crucial that you get this right.  If a child has a bad first experience, the family will probably not be back.  It won't matter how many times you call, send a letter or text. 

So start with looking at the experience you are offering children.  If guests are not returning, work on their first experience.

Personal connection.  The bells and whistles are important.  But it also takes having the right people in place.   The child needs to hear their name spoken.  The child needs to be asked questions like "Where do you go to school?" and "What's your favorite movie?" and "What do you like to do for fun?" and "Do you have a pet?" and "When is your birthday?"

When a child feels loved and cared for they will come back to experience more of it. 

For this to happen, you need to have kids in small groups.  Whether it's in a traditional Sunday School classroom or in a large group/small group format, emphasize to your volunteers the importance of helping guests establish a personal connection to them and to other children in the room.

Personal follow-up.  Once you've provided a great first experience for a guest, the next step is to make a personal follow-up contact.  What does this look like?  Showing up on their doorstep?  Calling the parents on the phone?  Sending the parents a text message?  Sending the kid a follow up letter?

You have to determine what works best for your ministry.  It might be one of these follow up methods or a combination of two.  Whatever you decide, just make sure it fits the culture where you live.  Just showing up at someone's door might not work in a city, but might work in a rural setting in the south. 

Personally, what I have seen work the best is a follow up postcard.  Make it handwritten and make it personal.  Put something in the note that is unique to that guest.  An example would be a guest that just moved to your community and came to try out your church.  The note could mention that you are glad they came to your community and that the move from (former location) went well.  If the guests say they like playing soccer, you can mention that in the note. 

It's a big deal for a child to get a note in the mail.  For us, as adults, we get mail (junk mail) nearly every day and toss it.  But for a child to get a note makes their day. 

Incentive to come back.  One thing that I have personally seen work well is an incentive to return.  At one church I served at, we decided to put a coupon on the follow-up postcard that we sent.  The coupon said "Bring this back with you on your next visit and you get a free t-shirt."  When we did this, we saw the number of guests who returned go up significantly.  And the t-shirt had our ministry logo on it, which was a good way to advertise our ministry as kids wore them to school, sports practices and other times when they were out in their community.

One of the most strategic things you can do is close the back door.  Your ministry will grow as you are able to draw kids back to your church and get them connected. 

Your turn.  What are your thoughts, ideas and insight into seeing kids return?  Is there anything else you are doing to bring kids back?  Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Each year, Outreach magazine puts out a list of the largest and fastest growing churches in the nation.  Without exception, the churches always have a great children's ministry.  We know that children's ministry makes a big impact not only in the children's area, but on the entire church.  Children's ministry can be a major growth factor for a church.

If a large church is missing from the list, it's because they decided not to report their attendance this year. 

I personally know many of the leaders on this list and trust me, their passion is to reach the next generation.  The size of their church is simply a by-product of that passion.  They know that behind every number is a name of a person that Jesus loves and died for.  And they want people to experience the love of Jesus as they have. 

The current size of your church should not be your main focus.  Your main focus should be the people outside the walls of your church who need Jesus.  That's what should keep us up at night - the people in our community who are far from God.

Transfer growth shouldn't be our goal.  Growth by reaching lost people is what we should be about. 

Some of you reading this are serving in small towns where you don't have millions of people around you to reach.  But percentage wise, you may be larger than some of the churches on this list.  I have a friend that pastors a church in a town of 7,000 people. He reaches over 500 people each weekend.  He is reaching a great percentage of the people in his community.  So be encouraged, no matter where God has placed you, you can reach people for Christ and grow. 

Here is the list.  I have put links for the children's ministry for each of these so you can click and lean more about their ministry.  There is something we can learn from every church on this list. 

1. North Point - Waumba Land and Upstreet and Kidstuf
2. Christ Church of the Valley Kids' Ministry
3. Gateway Kids
4. Southeast Christian Kids' Ministry
5. Saddleback Kids 
6. Eagle Brook Kids' Ministry
7. Bayside Kids' Ministry
8. Second Baptist Kids' Ministry
9. Mount Zion Kid's Ministry
10. New Life Kids'
11. Flat Irons Kids'
12. KidVenture Island
13. Community Bible Church Kids' Ministry
14. Red Rocks Church - Kids' Rock
15. World Overcomers Church / Kids' Extreme Team
16. Lutheran Church of Hope Kids
17. Rock Kids
18. North Coast Kids' Ministry
19. Lake Pointe Kids
20. Northview Kids 
21. Valley Bible Fellowship Kids
22. Pinelake Kids
23. Shepherd Kids
24. Summit Kids
25. Mariner's Kids

A few years ago, I started a round table with the leaders of many of these children's ministries.  We get in a room together and share what's working, what's not working, current trends, challenges, new ministry ideas, how to continue to grow, etc. 

We will be meeting again in February 2020.  I take notes during the discussions.  If you would like a copy of the notes, I can send them to you.  Just drop me an email at dale@buildingchildrensministry.com and I'll be glad to email it to you after it's over.

Go to any of the premiere church staffing agencies and you will find dozens of open positions for children's pastors / directors.  There is a void of leaders who are giving their entire ministry to reaching and discipling children and equipping parents.

Like never before, we need to pray that God will raise up people to help churches reach and disciple the next generation.

I believe children's ministry leaders are one of the most important staff members in a church.

Why?

1.  Children are the greatest mission field.  We know that up to 85% of people who come to Christ, do so before they turn 18.  There are over 74 million children in the U.S. and over 2 billion worldwide.  Why would we not support "missionaries" who are called to reach them?

Investing in people who can help a church or ministry lead the charge in reaching children just makes sense.  A lot of sense.

We know Timothy was a great leader in the early church.  How did this happen?  What caused Timothy to grow up to be a church leader?   The answer is found in 2 Timothy 3:15.

2. Children will bring God's blessings to a church.  Check out the truth coming out of this verse in Mark 9:37.


When a church makes children's ministry a top priority, the church is ushering in the blessings of God.  When a church hires a children's pastor/leader, they are making one of the best hires they can make. 

3. Children are crucial for the growth of a church.   Here's the cool thing.  When you hire a children's pastor/director, you are setting your ministry up for growth.  As the children's pastor/director sets up the ministry to reach children and families, the church will experience growth.  We know families go to church where their children enjoy being.  A growing church will have children dragging their parents to church.  A declining church will have parents having to drag their children to church.

The difference in the above two situations?  A children's ministry leader who leads the charge to reach the next generation.

4. Children's ministry leaders can help equip and encourage parents to lead their children spiritually.  We know parents are the greatest influence in a child's spiritual life.  When you hire a children's / family pastor, you are emphasizing this and encouraging parents to disciple their children.  A children's pastor/director can help with strategies and planning for this. 

5. Children must be reached and discipled if a church is going to have a future.  A church without children is terminal.  This being said, one of the most important roles in the church is a children's pastor/director who knows this and leads the church to make children's ministry a top priority.  When you hire a children's pastor/director, you are making on the best investments you can make for the future of the church.

Would you pray with me that many more people will hear the call of God and invest their lives in reaching children and families?  Would you pray with me that churches will see the vital importance of having someone who can lead the church to reach and disciple children and their families.

Perhaps God is calling you to give your life to reaching the next generation.

Look what D.L. Moody, the great evangelist of years gone by said about this.

Let me ask you a simple question.

IS YOUR CHILDREN'S MINISTRY GROWING?

How many kids are attending your ministry compared to the same time last year?

I often share stats about Millennial parents and how they are attending church less often than their Gen X and Baby Boomer parents.  Since fewer Millennial parents are attending church, that means fewer of their Gen Z children are attending as well.  This is a contributing factor to the 13% of Gen Z kids who say they are atheists.   Yes, you read that correctly.  13% of Gen Z kids are atheists.  This is double the amount of adults who are atheists. 

Bottom line.  We've got to start reaching more Gen Z kids and their parents so God's kingdom can be expanded and exalted.

So how can you grow your ministry?  How can you get out of the rut you are in?  How can you reach unchurched kids and their families?

The good news...it can be done.  No matter where you live or what the culture is, you can still reach kids and families.  God is still at work.  He wants to use you to make a difference in your community.

We saw a church in Las Vegas, where I was the children's pastor, grow by hundreds of kids of each year.  The people we reached were not from other churches in the area (it's Vegas - remember), but were unchurched people, many of whom were far from God before we reached out to them.

What you don't need is transfer growth.  Instead, you need growth that comes from reaching kids and families who are far from God.

I can help you with this.  Together, we can grow your children's ministry.  Here are a few things I do to help churches and children's ministries kick start their growth.

A Coaching Program for children's ministry leaders.  6 months of coaching with monthly growth lessons and key strategies you can use to get growing. You can see more about this here at this link.

On-Site ministry evaluation.  I'll help you identify key factors that are standing in the way of you growing and how to overcome them.

Phone / Skype consultation.  We can spend an hour examining key elements of your strategy and current status and use this to help you get to a healthy place of growth. You can see more about that here at this link. 

Curriculum.  I offer curriculum that is designed to lead children and parents to Jesus.  Using the Starting Point (new believers' class) and Baptism for kids (baptism class for kids), we have seen thousands of kids come to Jesus and hundreds of their parents as well.  More info. here. Using this strategy we saw over 460 kids accept Jesus into their live and follow Him in baptism in one year. 

We also offer weekly curriculum.  Each curriculum series clearly shares the Gospel and points kids to faith in Christ.

The goal of growth should not be to grow your ministry to be the biggest and coolest ministry in town.  Rather it should be to reach every man, woman and child in your city with the Gospel.  The numbers simply represent people who far from God coming to Him.  

I pray this article will stir up within you a fresh, holy hunger to reach more people for Jesus.  Let's partner together in this endeavor.  Contact me and let's get started. God is able to do more than you could ever imagine.

Do you want to leave a legacy for the effort you are putting into children's ministry?

Do you want to see the kids you are ministering to grow up to love Jesus because of the investment you made in their life?

I believe we all want to move beyond just "serving our time in children's ministry."  I believe you are reading this because you want to know your investment is making an eternal difference.

Plain and simple...you want to leave a legacy.

There is a lady in the Bible who left a legacy that is still being talked about to this day.  Let's take a look at what she did to leave such a long-lasting legacy.

"Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy.  While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over His head.  The disciples were indignant when they saw this. "What a waste!" they said.  "It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor."

But Jesus, aware of this, replied, "Why criticize this woman for doing such a thing to me?  You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have Me."  She has poured this perfume me to prepare my body for burial.  I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman's deed will be remembered and discussed."
Matthew 26

This lady left a legacy that is still remembered and talked about today.  There are 3 keys things she did to leave a legacy.  Let's look at them.

#1 - Pour Out Your Time.  It took time to earn the perfume.  It was very expensive and the woman must have worked many days or even months to obtain it.

One of the most valuable things you have is your time.  It is precious.  When you invest your time in serving others, you will see the spiritual rewards now and later.

Have you heard of Don Ritchie?  Don lived across the road from a place called "The Gap" (no - not the store) in Australia.  The Gap is a well-known cliff area.  It is infamous for being a place where people go to commit suicide.  Don could see the cliff from his house.  After seeing several people jump to their death, Don decided he would step in and offer hope to the desperate people who came there to commit suicide.

Don kept watch and when he saw someone getting close to the edge of the cliff, he would rush over and talk the person back away from the edge of the cliff.  He would then bring them to his house and sit down for a meal with them.  He would talk with them - offering them hope and encouragement.

At his funeral, hundreds of people showed up and said Don had saved their life.

It took lots of time for Don to watch and save people from suicide.  If you want to leave a legacy, then follow the example of Don and invest your time in helping others.

#2 - Pour Out Your Treasure.  The perfume the lady poured on Jesus was very, very expensive.  It was a huge investment for her.  It probably took months or even years to save enough money to purchase it.

What do you invest your treasure in?  Temporal things?  I believe we must remember that everything we have will one day end up in the junkyard.  That new car you just bought, will one day be rusting in a car salvage yard.  That new 60 inch TV you just got, will soon be replaced with a 80 inch one.  The house you have spent years paying off, will one day be flattened.

But there is something you can pour your treasure into that will last.  When you invest your treasure into reaching and discipling children, the results are eternal.  There is nothing more valuable than the soul of a child.  God says this about it...

"What does it benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul."  Mark 8:36

Take all the riches of the world - houses, money, gold, diamonds, cars, land and bank accounts.  Put all of that on one side of God's scale.  On the other side of God's scale put one child that you minister to...and God says the child is worth more than all of those possessions and riches.

#3 - Pour Out Your Talent.  You have talents that the Lord has given you just as He had given the lady talents.  God gave us talents so we could use them to help reach the next generation.  Invest in what will outlive you.  When you invest in the next generation,  you are sending a message to a day you will never see.  Long after we are gone, the children you invested in will still be sharing the Gospel with others.

Matthew 10:42 says, "And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will not lose their reward."

As you pour out your talent, you will see God begin to use your life to His glory.  Ministry doors will open for you.

You are dropping pebbles into water.  And as you do this, ripples will begin to spread across the lives of children.

In Matthew 1, we see the story of the farmer planting seeds.  Some seeds don't grow and last, but many do.  And the seeds that make it, blossom into a harvest of 30, 60 and even 100 times as much as you planted.

Remember, a legacy is not what you leave for the next generation, rather it's what you leave in the lives of the next generation.  

Pour out your time, treasure and talents, and you will leave a legacy that will last for generations to come.

Yesterday I spoke at a church and shared a talk about "MORE."  As a children's ministry leader, I thought it would helpful for you as well, so let's look at the main points.

We find the word "More" in Ephesians 4:20. 

"Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely MORE than we might ask or think."

Paul was writing back to the church at Ephesus.  They had seen God do great things when Paul was with them a few years earlier.  Ephesus was a major center of false gods in that day.  People came there from all over the world to indulge themselves in the temples and sinful practices associated with that. Inspite of all of the false religions and sin, God had worked mightily through Paul and the other believers who ministered there.  The Word of God grew and people's lives were being changed through the power of the Holy Spirit.  

This did not set well with the people who were making money at the false temples.  As people turned to Christ, they had no further interest in the trinkets and souvenirs that were being sold at the temples. The people who where making bank off the sale of the false idols, started a riot and ran Paul out of town.  

Paul is writing back to the church at Ephesus and encouraging them to stay faithful.  Even as they had seen God do great things in the past, the best was yet to come.  They could see God do even more if they followed His will. 

Paul shared with them 4 keys to seeing God do even more and they are found in verse 20.  

If they wanted to see God do more, it would start by Him doing more WITHIN THEM.

 "Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work WITHIN US to accomplish infinitely MORE than we might ask or think."  vs. 20

• If we want to see God do more, we must be willing to surrender to His will.

• If we want to see God do more, we must be willing to sacrifice what He asks for.

• If we want to see God do more, we must be willing to serve others.

You see before God does something through you, He must first do a work within you.  Full things fill things.  As you allow Him to do more within you, it will spill out to those around you. 

The second thing is this.  If they wanted to see God do more, they needed to rely upon His POWER. 

"Now all glory to God, who is able, through HIS MIGHTY POWER at work within us to accomplish infinitely MORE than we might ask or think."  

God has the power to make more happen.  The word power there is from the Greek word "dunamis" which means powerful or "dynamite."

Paul is an example of this.  Check this verse out. 

"For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with POWER,  for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. 
I Thessalonians 1:5  

Paul saw MORE happen because He spent time asking the Holy Spirit to anoint him and fill Him with supernatural power. 

The good news is this - the same power that was available to Paul, is available to you and I.

The third thing is this.  If they wanted to see God do more, they needed to PRAY more.

"Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely MORE than we might ASK or think."

You see, nothing of eternal value happens without prayer.  We don't have more because we don't ask for more. All mighty works of God start with prayer. 

• Find a special time you will meet with God in prayer. 

• Find a special place where you will meet with God in prayer. 

• Have a special plan when you talk with God.  

Many times we don't see God do more because we didn't spend enough time praying to Him and asking Him to move in a powerful and life-changing way. 

Pray, pray, pray and you will see God do more. 
  
And the fourth thing we must do if we want to see God do more, is to get a big VISION.

"Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely MORE than we might ask or THINK."

Great things happen when you get a big vision from God and you pursue that vision.

What is the dream God has placed in your heart?

What is the step of faith you've been hesitant to take?

What call of God have you pushed down because of fear?  
Joseph is a great example of this.  God placed a vision in his heart to be a powerful leader.  He was misunderstood.  He was ridiculed.  He faced opposition, but He didn't let that stop him from pursuing the vision. 

Jealousy didn't stop him.  Being betrayed by his family didn't stop him.  Being thrown in a pit didn't stop him.  Being sold as a slave didn't stop him.  Being lied about and put in prison didn't stop Him.

Don't give up on your dream.  Pursue it.  Believe in it.  Ask God to make it a reality.  

I believe God has so much more for you and your ministry.  Now is not the time to be complacent.  Now is not the time to give up.  Now is not the time to get discouraged.  Now is not the time to "retire."

God is at work.  He has more waiting for you.  

Let Him do more within you.  

Ask Him to do more through you. 

Walk in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Get a vision from God and pursue it.  

When you do these things you will see God do MORE than you could ever think of.

Show me a church that loves the next generation and I'll show you a church where the Senior Pastor cares about the next generation.

I had the privilege of serving with a Pastor who was a great example of this.

Dr. Ronnie Floyd pastored Cross Church for over 32 years. Yes, you read that correctly.  32 years at the same church.  It is highly unusual to see a pastor stay that long at the same church.

For 7 of those years, I served with Dr. Floyd as his children's pastor.  Time and time again he showed that he deeply cared about reaching and discipling the next generation.

The finances he invested in reaching the next generation were above and beyond the norm.  He led the church to invest significant resources for children's ministry including several building projects, a church-wide children's day each year,  staffing, a significant yearly budget and more.

His heart for the next generation shone bright as he led the church to reach and disciple children and their families.  I remember one year, we reached and baptized over 220 children.  Our heart for reaching kids and families came from His leadership.

Recently, Pastor Floyd, stepped down as the senior pastor of the church.  After 32 years of faithful service, God asked him to go on a new journey as president and chief executive officer of the SBC’s Executive Committee.

Pastor's Floyd's last service as Pastor of Cross Church was a few weeks ago.  As part of the service, he called all the children to come to the front so he could speak with them.  It was another statement that displayed his heart for the next generation.

Below is a video clip from that service that shows him sharing with the next generation that day.  Watch it and be encouraged as you see a great example of being passionate about passing the faith to the next generation.
If your church is not passionate about reaching the next generation, I would encourage you to show them this video.  It will challenge them to invest more of their time, talents and treasure into passing the baton to those who are following us.

Spiritual healthy parents are a big predictor of their child's spiritual health. 

Now this is not a blanket statement, but it is true in many, many cases. 

Yes, children must make their own decision to follow Jesus.  God doesn't have any grandchildren...only children. 

But parents normally play the biggest role in their child deciding to follow Jesus. 

We also know that many kids' view of God the Father comes from their view of their earthly father.  If their father has rules with no relationship, the child may grow up to view God as a distant Father who is ready to render wrath upon them when they sin. 

If the child's father walked out on the family, the child may be reluctant to trust God.

If the child's father is too busy to spend much time with him or her, the child may grow up to view God as someone who is too busy to listen to their prayers or get involved in their life.

If the child's relationship with their father was distant, they may grow up believing that God is distant and doesn't care about them.

I've often said, "We need more parenting ministries than we do children's ministries."  Parents are the biggest influence in a child's life.  This means if you want to influence children, you should begin trying to influence their parents. 

If you want to impact a child's life, then start by impacting the life of their biggest influence...their parents.  Seek to influence the influencers.

Praying parents raise praying children.

Tithing parents raise tithing children.

Faith sharing parents raise faith sharing children.

Parents who make church a priority raise kids who make church attendance a priority.

Bible reading parents raise Bible reading children.

We must also remember that while kids don't always do what we say, they never fail to imitate what we do.  You teach what you know, but you reproduce who you are. 

Mothers play just as an important role, or perhaps an even bigger role, in their child's spiritual health.  Couple of examples that come to mind.   Hannah influenced her son, Samuel, who became a great prophet of God.  Timothy was influenced by his mother and grandmother.  Throughout Scripture we see examples of parents influencing their children to follow God.

What if...just what if...we helped parents catch the vision of bringing up spiritually healthy children by first modeling spiritual health themselves?

What if we helped parents grow in their faith so they, in return, could help their children grow in their faith as well?

I'm afraid that many times, we get so busy trying to influence children's spiritual growth, that we neglect giving ourselves to the work of influencing parents' spiritual growth as well.  We get ourselves off the hook by saying "that's the adult ministries job."  And yes, it is part of their job, but I also know that you, as a children's ministry leader, can bring so much relevant material to the table.  So partner with adult ministries.  Work together to build some spiritual bridges for both children and their parents. 

Yes, there are exceptions.  There are children who grew up in terrible situations, but grew up to love God and do amazing things for Him.  But for most kids, as the spiritual health of their parents goes, so goes theirs as well.

I want to challenge you to sit down and begin to work through how you can invest in the spiritual health of the parents in your church.  And then out of that, the overflow will be children who are spiritually healthy.

Our children are watching us.  They are taking their cues from us as parents.  Oh, they won't admit it, especially if they are teenagers.  But don't be fooled.  They are watching their parents and following their lead. 

Be committed to helping parents lead well and help them set a solid foundation of spiritual health that their children and grandchildren will follow. 

At the recent D6 conference, I was asked to share in a general session about parents leading their children spiritually.

Thankfully, in the last 20 years, the church has made great strides in helping parents grasp and understand their role as the biggest spiritual influence in their children's lives.

Numerous tools and resources have been developed to equip parents to be the spiritual leader of their child.  From take home papers to apps to videos to devotionals, there are lots of great resources available.

But let's be realistic.  All of us, at times, have wondered if the tools and resources we are placing in parents' hands are being used.  Take home papers end up in the parking lot or floorboard of the van where they remain until it's time to clean the vehicle.  Text messages ding parents' phones, but how often do parents follow through with the questions you sent them?  You wonder if the apps are actually being used.  Facebook posts for parents where you see some views and likes, but far less than you had hoped for.

In my talk at the D6 conference, I compared the tools and resources we give parents to helping them get a hit for their children.  If you want to make the comparison, you could say these tools and resources are singles, maybe even a double at times.  And they do make a difference when they are used.  Over time, singles and doubles can add up to parents scoring points for their children's spiritual journey.

But one of the challenges the church faces is not being able to fully see what happens in the home.  So we end up hoping and praying the tools and resources are being used. 
 
But what if we could help parents hit a home run with their kids' discipleship?  What if we could give parents the opportunity to add some big, high-impact, game changing home runs with their children?  Singles are good.  Doubles are good.  But there's nothing that can impact a game like a home run.

I believe there are a few key times in a family's life when you can sit them up to hit a home run with their children.  Let's look at some of these high-profile, big impact opportunities that can change a family's life.  All of these are designed for parents and children to go through together.

Home run opportunity #1 - Parent and Child Dedication.  Have parents go through a class before the dedication.  In the class, share not only the significance and meaning of the dedication, but also teach parents how to be their child's spiritual leader on a day-to-day basis. 

Home run opportunity #2 - Bible Presentation.  When children are entering elementary school, host a Bible presentation.  Include a class where you teach kids and parents how we got the Bible, how to read it and how to apply it.  Show parents how to make the Bible an every day part of their family's journey.  At the end of the class, have parents present a Bible to their child and pray over them.

Home run opportunity #3 - Accepting Jesus as Savior.  Parents should be involved in their child's most important life decision.  Rather than praying a salvation prayer with kids when their parents are not present, move to a class format that parents and their children attend together.  In this class, explain what it means to follow Jesus.  Give parents the opportunity to lead their children in a prayer of salvation.  Also provide them with follow-up tools to go back over the content at home.

Home run opportunity #4 - Baptism.  After completing home run #3, kids and parents can attend a baptism class.  Baptism is carefully explained and you will see many parents make a decision to be baptized as well.  I remember a baptism where 3 generations were baptized together.  Grandfather, father and son were all baptized at the same time.  Talk about a home run, there's nothing like seeing a child and parent take this step together.  I've seen it happen hundreds of times.

Home run opportunity #5 - Elementary Graduation Celebration.  When children are moving from elementary into middle school, parents get nervous.  How do we parent a teenager?  How can I prepare my child for life as a teenager?  What new challenges or temptations will they face?  How can I help my child make wise decisions?

Bring children and parents together for a class that teaches parents and children how to navigate the middle school years.  Trust me, parents will welcome the Biblical advice you will provide.  Close out the class with a time of parental blessing.  Parents write out a note to their child, read it to them and pray over them. 

How do I know these 4 milestones are home runs?  First, you can see it in the parent's demeanor and hear it in their voices.  Secondly, there are tears.  Lots of tears as parents and children pray together.  You can hear the impact in their prayers.  You can sense it as parents read a blessing over their child.

You can see and hear the home runs unfold right before your eyes.

Does this mean we should stop trying to hit singles and doubles each week through take home papers, apps, etc.?  No, again, these can have a compound effect for parents and children.  But if really want to see life-changing discipleship, add in the home run steps listed above and you will see major life change in families.

I believe a great example of a home run experience for a child and parent is found in Abraham and his son, Isaac.  God set it up by telling Abraham to take his son, Isaac, to the mountain and sacrifice him.  Wow...talk about setting up a home run experience!  As you know, at the last minute, God told Abraham not to sacrifice Isaac.   It was a life-changing moment for Abraham and Isaac.  They never forgot that day, I am sure.  It was a catalyst in their faith journey and relationship with each other.

If you'd like more information about the experiences I talked about in this article, you can see samples, video clips and more at the link below.

Click here to see home run samples and ordering options.  

Help the parents in your ministry hit a home run with their kids.

It's only 55 days until Christmas.  Today is Oct. 31 and many are busy with Fall Festivals.  But it's also time to start thinking about Christmas services. You only have 8 weeks to get ready to share with kids the true meaning of Christmas.

Many children's ministries pause whatever teaching series they are using at the time and do a stand alone Christmas lesson.

If that's you, now is the time to start preparing.  I have a great Christmas lesson that you can use to make a big impact this Christmas.

The Christmas Gift lesson follows the heart-warming story of a boy named Andrew who discovers the true meaning of Christmas and receives the greatest Christmas gift ever...Jesus.  Because Jesus came, our sins can be forgiven and we can have eternal life when we ask Him to be our Forgiver, Leader and Friend.

You can get the lesson now at this link.

We often talk about what an important influence parents are in their child's life.  And it's true.  Parents are the biggest influence in a child's life. 

But...hang onto that thought for a minute.  There may be someone else who we are overlooking when it comes to influencing children. 

In fact, some researchers say this person welds even more influence than parents in a child's life.  

Who is it?  Their pastor?  No.  Their grandparents?  No.  Their teacher?  No.  A sports coach?  No.

Okay...here's the big reveal.  It's their siblings.  Yes, you read it correctly.  When it comes to our development, brothers and sisters can be even more influential than parents.  This includes when the sibling is "older and cooler" or "younger and bothersome."

82% of kids live with a sibling.  That's a higher number than kids who live with their father.  Think about it.  Our sibling will be in our life longer than even our parents.  Siblings affect a child's life as they are growing up together. This is true in both positive and negative relationships.  

When a child's relationship with their sibling is harmful, it can lead to increased use of drugs and alcohol.  And when a sibling bullies his or her brother or sister, it can cause the child to become depressed, anxious and even engage in self-harm.

However, when the relationship is good, the sibling benefits greatly.  Research suggests that as kids' relationship with their parents grows different over time, their relationship with their brothers and sisters becomes stronger. 

Older siblings can also influence younger siblings to engage in risky behavior.  Younger children want to be like their older siblings and usually admire them.  This makes them more susceptible to trying things that are harmful.  Why?  Because their older brother or sister is doing it.    

An example is pregnancies. Girls are more likely to get pregnant outside of wedlock if an older sibling did so first.  

Sibling influence is for a life-time.  A survey was done of more than 1 million Swedes and the results found that the risk of having a heart attack spikes after a sibling dies from having a heart attack.  

We spend the majority of our time, resources and strategy trying to help parents be the primary spiritual influence in their children's lives.  And we should. 

But...this may fall short if we don't also influence siblings.  

I believe we need to go to the drawing board and come up with a new strategy that includes influencing siblings and helping them discover how they can make a positive difference in the lives of their younger brothers and sisters.  
I don't know of anyone who is including a strategy to influence siblings.  And that means we are missing a key element in raising kids to love Jesus.  

What if...

• We taught pre-teens how to influence their younger siblings for Christ? 

• We showed elementary children how to read Bible stories to their younger siblings?

• We encouraged teenagers to be intentional about helping disciple their younger brothers and sisters?  

•  We had teens participate in their brother's and/or sister's milestones.

Your turn.  The floor is yours.  How much influence do you think a sibling has?  What are some ways we an influence and partner with brothers and sisters?

My nephew is 2 years old and knows how to work his way around the iPhone and the iPad.

He is part of a generation that has never known anything else.  Immersing himself in technology is as natural as breathing for him. 

He's not alone.  In fact, his interaction with technology and the part it will play in his life as he grows up is the norm for today's kids. 

Childhood is definitely changing.  Even toddlers are able to make their own media choices.  In many cases, toddlers are more tech savvy than their grandparents.  Many of today's toddlers would choose a tablet over their favorite plastic toy or stuffed animal. 

YouTube is a fun destination for many toddlers.  They can find videos with Elmo, unboxing toy videos and games to play.  All things that capture their attention.

Many parents use tablets to keep their toddler occupied while they do work or engage in other responsibilities. 

Parents should monitor their child's online destinations to protect them from harmful content.  

Tablets are a good thing when used correctly and with guidelines.  They help kids get in touch with modern technology and keep par with other toddlers their age.

As Christ-followers, it's time we start spending more time creating good content for tablets than we do condemning the use of tablets by children in their early years.  We need developers to create content that will engage kids while teaching them God's Word. 

We often talk about bringing faith conversations into the home where parents can disciple and influence their children.  A good starting point is to do so through Biblical interactive games, puzzles, challenges and stories that are hosted on tablets.

Remember.  Our message never changes.  We stay anchored to the truth.  But that doesn't mean we don't use relevant methods and speak through the tech language of a digital generation.  The message stays the same, but methods must change to reach a digital generation.

And we can't afford to drag our feet on this.  The world is full steam ahead in connecting with children in their most formative years.  Brands are using tablets to get their advertising in front of toddlers and are seeking to establish lifelong brand loyalty. 

Remember...in the race to a child's heart, the first one there wins.

Content developers.  Game creators.  App makers.  You can make an impact with your products.  Help us lead the charge by engaging children with great, Biblically-based tablet content.

Your turn.  Are there any games or apps for tablets that you recommend for reaching and discipling children?   

What content do you recommend for tablets to teach them how to follow and love Jesus?  

What content do you recommend parents use to disciple their children?  

Are you currently using tablets to help disciple children?

Share your thoughts, ideas and info. in the comment section below. 

You may think you are not creative.  You may feel like you can't come up with any great ideas.  You may struggle to produce ideas that will help the ministry succeed.

I've got some good news for you.  You are creative.  You just need some people around you who can help you bring it out.  More good news...you've got some great ideas.  You just need to be in an environment that will enable you to discover them.

Let's talk about how you can generate great ideas that will help your ministry move forward.  

Bring people around you.  I know this seems obvious, but it can be a struggle for a leader who is used to doing everything himself or herself.  But remember, the smartest person in the room is the room.  It may be quicker to come up with an idea by yourself, but if you involve other people in helping you come up with ideas, the better the ideas will be.

 Value people's input.  When team members know you will listen to their ideas and value their input, they will open up and help you create great ideas.  But if you belittle ideas team members bring to the table, they will shut down and stop trying to help.  This doesn't mean you always have to go with ideas from team members, but they should know that their ideas will be received and considered for usage.  

Stay approachable.  Team members will be reluctant to share their ideas with you if they feel intimidated or that you won't care. 

Team members will be more motivated and energized when you include them in the flow of generating new ideas.  It's a big lift when team members get to share their ideas and see them implemented.

Learn to listen more than you talk.  When you gather to brainstorm, give team members your undivided attention as they share.  When they see you are really interested in what they are saying, they will open up and share on a deeper level.

Relax.  You might be prone to think that brainstorming sessions need to be serious...too serious to include laughter, fun and craziness.  Actually, the opposite is true.  The more relaxed your brainstorming is, the better ideas you will generate. 
 
Create a culture where ideas belong to no one.   Once you lay down an idea on the table, it belongs to no one.  When people detach from their ideas and move ownership to the entire group, there is more freedom to brainstorm about the idea.
   
Thank people for their input.  When team members know you appreciate and value their input, they will become more confident in sharing.

The best ideas come from relationships.  I remember years ago, I brought in a few team members for a brainstorming session.  One of them, sat quietly with a look of "I hate being here."  He never contributed during the session.  After the session was over, I asked him privately why he didn't get involved in the brainstorming. 

He shared with me that he was upset with me about something that happened a few weeks earlier.  That's why he sat there and didn't give any input.  I learned that day that you must have a good relationship with your team members if you want them to open up and share freely.

There are lots of game-changing ideas that your team can generate if you'll simply brainstorm with them.  So...let the brainstorming begin.  The best ideas your ministry has ever come up with are waiting to be uncovered.

I am deeply concerned about where the big C church is leading children.

We are spending more time teaching children how to be good than we are teaching children about the Gospel.

Teaching kids about positive character traits is a good thing, but I don't believe it is the best thing to teach kids at church.

I believe we must keep the Gospel at the center of everything we teach kids.  It's the transforming power of the Gospel that enables kids to live out the fruits of the Spirit.

We have such a small window of time to teach kids.  The average family is only in church 1-2 times a month.  We must make every Sunday count.  What will you focus on for those weeks?  Being good?  Being kind?  Being cooperative?  Being thoughtful?  These are good things for kids to learn about, but with a limited number of weeks, I don't believe they are the best things for kids to learn.

The church must focus on the centrality of our message.  The Gospel.

And so I would encourage you to take a hard look at what you are teaching.  Does it take kids to the cross?  Does it show kids that all our righteousness is like a dirty rag without the cleansing blood of Jesus?

Being good points kids toward themselves, while the cross points kids to Jesus and what He did to redeem us.

When we point kids toward themselves, we will produce good kids.  When we point kids to the cross, we will raise kids who love Jesus and depend upon Him. 

The danger of focusing kids on being good puts them at the center of the story.  God becomes a divine therapist whose chief goal is to make them happy.  They become the center of the story, rather than Jesus being the central focus of everything they are involved in.

We know that 85% of people who come to Jesus, do so before the age of 18.  If we are going to reach the next generation, then we must share the Gospel on a regular basis and make it the centrality of everything we teach.

If we don't, we will produce a generation that is good, but are void of the power of the cross to change lives.

Want a new curriculum that will put the Gospel at the center of the lessons?  Then Connect 12 is just what you are looking for.  Each month, the Gospel is clearly explained.  A clearly explained pathway for kids to accept the message of the cross is woven throughout the lessons.  You can get more info. and see lesson samples at this link. 

Starting Point is a class that kids attend with their parents to learn what it means to follow Jesus.  In one year, the class was used to see 480 kids and many parents come to Christ and follow Him in baptism.

Yes, we need kids to be good.  But more than anything, we need kids who have been born again through the Gospel and are prepared to go and share it with others.

Good kids?  Gospel kids?  Which do you want?  Remember...being good will not change kids' lives.
But accepting the Message of the Gospel will enable kids to live for Christ.

Paul put it like this...

"For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified."  1 Corinthians 2:2

Your turn.  The floor is yours.  Do you think churches must focus more on the Gospel?  Does your curriculum take kids to the cross?  Share your thoughts and ideas in the comment section below.  

Leading change in a church is never easy.  You have multiple generations speaking into what you do.

Just as a healthy family is made up of multiple generations, a healthy church is made up of multiple generations.

Each generation has its own unique expressions of worship.  And this can sometimes lead to division as multiple generations bring their preferences to the table. 

In the last few years, I have watched several churches transition from an older generational emphasis to a younger one.  Through watching and observing these churches, I have found the churches that successfully make these transitions have something in common. 

And that is this.  They are able to get the older generations to focus on reaching the next generation. 

The older generations buy into the fact that they must be willing to change, if they want to see their children and grandchildren engaged in the church.

I am reminded of a true story that shows how the heart of God for people must be the deciding factor in this. 

The church was stagnate.  They were not reaching young families and were headed for extinction.  The pastor saw this and knew he had to make some changes if he was going to reach the next generation.  

One of the first things he did, was to start introducing some new songs for worship.  With these new songs, the decible levels began to rise.  How would the older generation respond?  

At one service, the pastor was sitting beside the lead elder.  The man was older - in his 70's.  As he listened to this new music blaring out of the sound system, he turned to the pastor and said....

"This music is not what I am used to and I probably wouldn't use these songs if I was the worship pastor, but...I'm looking beside me and my kids and grand-kids are singing and engaging with the songs.  That's what matters most, so I will lay aside my preferences so we can reach the next generation."

Out of that, I learned a big key to helping senior adults embrace change. 

If you can effectively articulate to senior adults that they can reach their kids and grand-kids by embracing change, they will lay aside their preferences. 

Help them see that they can resist change and new styles of worship and try to keep things just like there were when they were growing up.  And they may lose their kids and grand-kids because of it.

Or they can focus on helping their children and grandchildren be engaged and actively serving Jesus by embracing their style of worship, fellowship, teaching, communicating, etc.

Show senior adults that they have the opportunity to leave a legacy, if they will embrace change. 

Across our country, are examples of churches that weren't willing to embrace the changes necessary to reach young adults.  And because of it, their nurseries are empty.  There are very few, if any children attending.  As the older people pass away, eventually they will have a for sale sign sitting in front of the church.

So, if and when you are trying to make changes in worship, programming, emphasis, etc., first talk with the older adults and help them buy into the vision of reaching their children and grandchildren. 

This week, I've been sharing some short videos that I made in partnership with Child Evangelism Fellowship.

The first video was about reaching families.  You can watch it here.

The second video was about reaching Gen Z kids.  You can watch it here. 

Here's the final video in the series.  In this video, I share the importance of investing in people at the most important time in their life...when they are children.

Feel free to share this video with your ministry team.  It will be an encouragement to them and remind of how important their ministry is.

Recently, I partnered with Child Evangelism Fellowship, and created a short video that shares how when you reach children, you can see entire families come to Christ.

Below is the video.  Feel free to share it with your ministry team.  It will be an encouragement and inspiration to your volunteers.

And if you aren't involved with CEF, they are a great ministry to support.