RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Children's ministry leader - one thing I am thankful for today is you.

I am thankful for your heart to see the next generation know Jesus and live for Him.

I am thankful for your vision that helps you see the potential of the next generation.

I am thankful for your faithfulness.  You lean in when others pull back.

I am thankful for how you choose to live for others instead of for yourself.

Some of you reading this haven't heard those two words (thank you) in a long time.  If that's your situation, I want you to know that you matter and your ministry matters.  You might not get many thank you's here on earth, but one day you will hear the words...

"Well done, good and faithful servant.  Great is your reward in heaven."

Thank you for faithfully showing up.

Thank you for nurturing and caring for the little ones.

Thank for helping kids get connected through small groups.

Thank you for giving your most precious possession to children - your time.

Thank you for loving and nurturing children with special needs.

Thank you for leading kids into the presence of God through worship.

Thank you for understanding that it's about passing on the faith to the next generation.  

Thank you for praying for the children you minister to.

Thank you for living for others.

Thank you for seeing what really matters.

Thank you for discipling children and preparing them to spiritually lead their generation.

One day in heaven, you'll hear those words from your Heavenly Father and every investment you made in the next generation will be worth it a thousand times over.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Dear Children's Ministry Leader, on this Thanksgiving Day, I am thankful for you.

Thank you for taking care of the 1000 little details during the week that make weekends, programs and events run smoothly.  Most people don't know how hard you work.  But you and I know that weekend services, events and programs don't happen magically.  It takes a lot of work.  Thank you for going the second mile week in and week out to make it happen.

Thank you for looking beyond yourself and focusing on the next generation.  I know children's ministry doesn't always get the attention, recognition, budget and promotion that other ministries do.  But thank you for not letting that stop you from serving the least of these.  You and I know that the least of these will one day do the most for the kingdom.  And you are preparing them for that day.  You are investing in leaders who will lead strong in God's kingdom long after you are gone.

Thank you for loving.  Loving children.  Loving parents.  Loving grandparents.  Loving volunteers.  Loving students.  Your heart is synced with the heart of Jesus.

Thank you for not giving up.  For continuing when you aren't appreciated.  For continuing when you are misunderstood.  For continuing when you make mistakes.  For continuing when the pay is little to none.  For continuing when you are discouraged.  For continuing when the needs are great, but the budget is small.  For continuing when you are short on help.  For continuing when someone you've poured yourself into walks away.  For continuing when your motives are questioned.  For continuing when the kids don't want to listen and seem to do the opposite of what you've taught them.  For continuing when people resist the change you know is so desperately needed.  Thank you for fighting on...for keeping your faith...for staying on course.

Thank you for loving the kid that everyone else is down on.  Thank you for looking beyond what he appears to be and seeing what he can be.  Thank you for believing in him when no one else does.  Thank you for not turning your back on him when he disrupts your lessons and acts out the turmoil he is experiencing outside of church.  Thank you for looking beyond the symptoms and doing everything you can to help him overcome the cause of his actions.

Thank you for embracing the messiness of ministry.  You didn't know it would be this messy when you started.  But now you know...because you're right in the middle of it.  Thank you for embracing families who are dysfunctional.  Thank you for walking toward messy conversations rather than avoiding them.  Thank you for being the friend of sinners.  Thank you for reaching out to kids and families that no one else wants to embrace because of the time and attention that will be required to help them out of the mess they have gotten themselves into.  Thank you joining Jesus in the mess.

Thank you for being a good shepherd.  Thank you for the prayers you've prayed for volunteers who are going through a difficult time.  Thank you for helping hold up a mother and father who have lost a child.  Thank you for the hospital visits...for the minor ones like "tonsils out" to the major ones like someone who is battling cancer.  Thank you for gathering some people with you to help a single mom who needed help moving.   When you got into children's ministry, you didn't realize that you would become a shepherd to the kids, parents and volunteers.  But now you are.  Thanks for shepherding well.

Thank you for who you are.  A servant.  A friend.  A counselor.  A prayer warrior.  A protector of children.  An encourager.   A dreamer.  A planner.  An organizer.  An innovator.  A mentor.  A role model.  A vision caster.  A communicator.  A motivator.  You are all this and more.

I thank God for you my friend.  Your best days of ministry are ahead.  You are anointed and appointed by God for such a time as this.  You are going to be amazed by what God is going to do in you and through you over the next few years.

God keeps great records and great is your reward in heaven.  One day you will see the totality of what God has done through your life and it will be worth everything you have given of yourself to reach and disciple kids and families.

Have a great Thanksgiving!  You are loved!  I thank God for you!

There's much I'm thankful for today.  One of the big ones on my list is you...children's ministry leader.

In case you haven't heard it in awhile...thank you.

Thank you...for your heart for the next generation.

Thank you...for changing diapers so a mom can sit in a service and have her life changed.

Thank you...for serving even when you've had a rough week.

Thank you...for living for much more than just yourself.

Thank you...for speaking words of encouragement to the child who receives little anywhere else.

Thank you...for making church a place where kids want to be.

Thank you...for listening to prayer requests that include healing for goldfish, dogs and cats.

Thank you...for your patience when there's a full moon out and the kids are extra "excited."

Thank you...for doing the "worship motions" with the kids...even when you know you'll be sore the next day from it.

Thank you...helping kids see how much God loves them.

Thank you...for faithfully serving when others are sitting.

Thank you...for helping kids find a verse in the Bible.

Thank you...for being a living example of a Christ-follower for the kids.

Thank you...for seeing the gifts God has placed in kids and helping them discover that God can use them for His glory.

Thank you...for syncing your heartbeat with the heartbeat of Jesus.

Thank you...for staying in children's ministry when others have moved on to "bigger opportunities" (we know children's ministry is the greatest mission field and opportunity in the world).

Thank you...for being willing to laugh, be silly and act like a big kid.

Thank you...for staying committed to what really matters.

Thank you...for every goldfish cracker you've passed out in Jesus' name, every craft you've prepared, every juice spill you've wiped up and every take home paper you've handed to a parent.

Thank you...for helping kids and parents step across the line of faith and become lifelong followers of Jesus.

Have a great Thanksgiving and know that you are loved and appreciated.  You matter...what you does matters...a lot!

Each year at Christmas we encourage the kids to give a special offering.  Here is our strategy.

We give each child an offering box (pictured above) the weekend after Thanksgiving.

We announce a Happy Birthday Jesus party that will take place right before Christmas (during weekend services).

We prepare the kids by teaching one or more lessons about the true meaning of Christmas.  We share with them that it is Jesus' birthday and we should give our best gift to Him.

We show the kids what their offering will go towards.  Kids are visual and showing them how their offering will make an impact will get them excited about giving.  You can do this through pictures or videos or in person.  An example - this year the offering was going to the Watoto Orphanage in Uganda.  We were able to have some of the kids from the orphanage come and sing live for the kids. 

On the day of the offering, we have a special place that kids can bring their offering to.  Here are a couple of examples.

















After the offering, we report back and let the kids know how much they gave and how their gift is being used to make an impact.

Our kids have responded by giving thousands of dollars.  Coin by coin, dollar by dollar, they are impacting the world with the love and message of Jesus Christ.

What is your Christmas offering strategy for kids?  Share with us in the comment section below.

Today I give thanks for children's ministry leaders everywhere.

Thank you...for your heart for serving.  You are an extension of the heart of Jesus who came not to be served but to serve.

Thank you...for working behind the scenes to prepare crafts, clean toys, buy goldfish crackers and put together curriculum.  Children's Ministry wouldn't happen without you.

Thank you...for seeing into the future of the church and investing in it's leaders.

Thank you...for loving kids even when they are having a bad day and are being difficult.  They feel your unconditional love and it marks their hearts forever.

Thank you...for being the arms of Jesus hugging a child whose parents are going through a divorce.

Thank you...for leading kids in worship.  You help them connect with their Heavenly Father.

Thank you...for making new families feel welcome.  Your smile is a big reason why they return.

Thank you...for serving when you've had a crazy week and are tired.  That's the weekend God uses you the most.

Thank you...for listening to prayer requests for dogs, cats, and goldfish.  You're showing kids that God cares about even the smallest details of our lives.

Thank you...for encouraging the single mom who's having a hard time balancing everything by herself.  Your encouragement means more than you know.

Thank you...for your passion to teach kids God's Word at the most critical time in their life.

Thank you...for choosing to teach the kid's class over sitting comfortably in an adult class.

Thank you...for changing diapers so a parent's life can be changed as he listens to the Gospel in the adult service for the first time.

Thank you...for staying 30 minutes longer than normal with a child after the service so his parents can talk with the pastor about struggles they are facing.

Thank you...for helping kids memorize God's Word.  It will pop back into their mind one day when they are in college and are about to make a moral decision.

Thank you...for your faithfulness to teach even when it seems the kids aren't listening.  God's Word never returns void.

Thank you...for investing in my kid's lives.  You are one of the reasons why they love Jesus now as adults.

Thank you...for speaking purpose and life into the child's life who is being bullied at school and feels worthless.

Thank you...for whispering a prayer over the baby you are holding in the nursery.  Your prayer makes an eternal difference.

Thank you...for reading my posts, sharing your wisdom through your comments and being my friend in ministry.  I am thankful for you!

May your Thanksgiving Day be filled with joy, good memories and love.