What’s so great about Kids Ministry?
I’ll be honest. This blog is a little bit biased. Every Sunday I have the privilege to lead in a significant and healthy kids ministry at a local church (one house many rooms!). I love what I get to be a part of and I hope to inspire you to come on the journey with me (either with me personally or where ever your location may be).
A BIBLICAL REASON
Jesus loved the children who came to him and corrected the disciples who tried to steer the children away from him whilst thinking they were not important enough (Matthew 19:14).
Matthew 19:14 (ESV) ‘But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.’
“[God] not only loves [children] with a love we cannot begin to understand, but he respects and believes in them…Jesus uttered a powerful and terrifying warning to protect little ones from the kind of stumbling and abuse that humanity can impose upon them if they are not treasured, nurtured, and respected enough. His disciples never got a more enraged tongue-lashing than when they tried to keep children away from the Master” (Wes Stafford).
If Jesus made time for children, we should too. Childlike faith is how to inherit the kingdom of God and as kids’ leaders we should grow that faith and not hinder it. Teaching scripture to children is vital! We have the responsibility to children to make the realities of God and his word known. Timothy was reminded by Paul in 2 Timothy 3 to remain faithful to the things he was taught as a child. Paul also reminds him that through the scriptures being taught to him as a child he gained wisdom to receive salvation. We must place the highest priority on teaching children the Scriptures and make known to them the authority, necessity and sufficiency of the Bible by teaching them to read, understand, delight and submit to the Word of God.
2 Timothy 3:14–15 (NLT) ‘But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.’
A SOCIOLOGICAL REASON (3 KEY ISSUES)
1. Family Instability (Separation and Divorce)
“Separation and divorce affect a significant portion of Australian children. In 2009, there were close to 50,000 divorces granted, with nearly 25,000 of those divorces involving children under 18 years of age. With research showing that 50 percent of children still fantasise about their parents reuniting 10 years after separation, the effects of separation and divorce are clearly felt on kids in the short and long term.” There are a lot of kids in Australia and in our programs that are affected by the instability of home. A family with two biological parents is increasingly becoming atypical which comes with many disadvantages. “Socio-economically, single-parent families are among the most disadvantaged population groups in Australia. The median income for single-parent families in 2016 was $974 per week, compared to $1,734 for all households — so around half.” Resource stress and emotional stress leads to oppositional behaviour, grief and sadness, and/or isolation.
As a kids ministry we can have the opportunity to bring some stability into kids lives. We are also able to reach the wider family and connect, resource and walk with them.
2. Disconnection and Miss-Connection
We live in an age of connection. We are connected to work, to school, to church, to anywhere and anyone we could imagine. Although we a connected technologically, we are becoming increasingly disconnected with each other, and it is hurting kids from birth. The research shows that parents have fewer conversations with their children and are often more hostile when their kids try to get their attention when on their phones. ‘Heavy parent digital technology use has been associated with suboptimal parent–child interactions and internalizing/externalizing child behaviour.’ Due to digital distraction — by parents, teachers, peers etc., children are missing out from meaningful interaction and relationships.
The current generation of kids, Gen Alpha, will increasingly be disconnected as they ‘will primarily shop online and have less human contact than previous generations.’ Although digital intrusion is a large contributor to disconnection and miss-connection, many other factors are present such as the lack of the neighbourhood and parent unavailability due to work pressures.
As I wrote in a previous blog- Connection - “there are 2 main goals we should strive to achieve in Kids Ministry that are centred around one word; connection. The first is goal is to connect children to us and to other children but the second and most important goal is to connect children to Jesus. We need to make this connection authentic and deep.”
Key Issue 3: Stress and Anxiety (Limited to No Down Time)
Children’s lives are becoming increasingly scheduled and structured with a push on performance, whether in sport or academics. It is common for many children to have extra-curricular activities every day after school with competition sport on weekends. With little to no “down time” between these activities, “kids whose time is overly organised don’t have time to be kids, and their family doesn’t have time to be a family. They typically don’t eat well, sleep well or make friends properly.” Clinical Psychologist Michael Thompson suggests that “As a general principle, there is a line between a highly enriched, interesting, growth-promoting childhood and an overscheduled childhood, and nobody knows where that line is.” The problem is not with the activities themselves but with ‘parents who make choices about after-school activities out of anxiety instead of interest in their child’s well-being.’ This anxiety and stress of keeping up weighs down on children.
We are able to bring the peace of God into kids lives by pointing them towards Jesus and sharing the promises of God with them.
“There’s a peace far beyond all understanding
May it ever set my heart at ease
Dare anxiety come, I’ll remember that peace is a promise You keep
Peace is a promise You keep”(PEACE // HILLSONG YOUNG & FREE)
MY REASON
As a Kids Creative Oversight I get the opportunity to speak life over both the kids in the program and the youth that are part of the Kids Creative team. I get to encourage them and build the next generation of leaders, pastors, worship leaders, musicians, politicians etc.
Additionally, I love the analogy based on Joseph Malins poem The Ambulance Down In The Valley.
Twas a dangerous cliff, as they freely confessed, Though to walk near its crest was so pleasant; But over its terrible edge there had slipped
A duke, and full many a peasant.The people said something would have to be done, But their projects did not at all tally.
Some said, “Put a fence ‘round the edge of the cliff,” Some, “An ambulance down in the valley.” — Joseph Malins
As Kids Leaders we get the opportunity to build a fence before the “edge of the cliff” so they don’t fall and keep them on the right path.
But ultimately I could think of anything else that I would want to do. I Love it!
WHY SHOULD YOU DO IT?
In his book Too Small to Ignore: Why the Least of These Matters Most, Wes Stafford states, “Every major movement in world history has recognized the strategic importance of mobilizing children. The Nazis had their Hitler Youth bands. The Chinese Communists had their Red Guards. The Taliban in Afghanistan had their madrasah schools to instill extremism in young. The great omission seems to be unique to Christians.” You have the opportunity to not just be a hero but create heroes and mobilize them in following Jesus.
Practically, you will also develop new skills while being apart of children’s ministry. These skills include but are not limited to:
- Public speaking
- Group facilitation
- Time management
- Delegation
- Conflict management
- Inspiring others
- Communication
- Team bulding
- Mentoring
- Collaboration
- People skills
- Organization
- Vision Casting
David Wakerley, Kids Pastor and the Creative Director of Hillsong Kids, in his new book If Only You Knew outlines what YOU can be apart of in Kids ministry:
- A ministry with a holy calling and influence thats eternal
2. A ministry with the clear mission to vital to be ignored
3. A ministry where we are to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves
4. Your Senior Pastor has entrusted the children of the church community to you.
5. You have committed yourself to see a generation grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ Jesus.
6. You’re a part of the team that the families of a church trust.
7. They trust you to reinforce and underpinned the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ today kids.
8. You make church is safe place.
9. You make church meaningful
10. You make church fun
11. You create the space every child to experience God and participate in his kingdom.
12. Let the church to get the blessing in God get the glory
13. You are a minister. You minister to largest mission field in the world. You minister to children.
