What are we doing?
That’s the question we challenged ourselves to answer. Seems like a simple question. After all, this is church.
Okay, not so simple.
We all know that the possibility exists to become so caught up in church work—in new programs, creative techniques, recruiting volunteers, the list seems endless—that we can lose focus on what matters most. And whatever matters most should provide the primary drive for what we do. Key word: should.
So that’s where our search began.
The Bible shows the desire of Jesus’ heart centers on people, definitely including children, placing their trust in Him for life on earth and life eternal. To that end, our ministry believes that we exist to help kids become Christ followers and then help them learn how to follow Christ for the rest of their lives—right up into heaven.
Sure, there are a variety of approaches to get this done. But let’s forget about mission, vision, and values stuff for a moment. The question remains: What are we doing?
Kids becoming Christ followers, and then following Christ.
Determining the manner(s) in which this actually happens in our ministry stands as possibly our greatest challenge. And it should emerge from what we seek to accomplish age-by-age, room-by-room, in pursuit of what matters most.
The journey to become a Christ follower and then follow Christ becomes complicated when you consider we’re talking about kids of different ages (one variable among many). That said; the steps of the journey will look different when you’re three as opposed to when you’re in third grade.
Sure, curriculum products will show you the lessons to teach at every age. Yes, I know that plenty of academic materials exist to explain kids’ educational developmental levels. But I also know that someone can read all that stuff and still not clearly know what to do—at least I can.
In a real pragmatic way, we want the ability to clearly describe what we hope to accomplish with children in every ministry room, and to simply state how all those rooms work together to help kids on their journeys. We need the ability to articulate this in such a way that any volunteer who hears about it will understand the journey, and how their unique contribution in our children’s ministry plays an important role.
To do all this requires logic profound as a proverb, yet simple as a song. When that happens, the answer to what we’re doing with children will be so obvious that even people outside the ministry can understand, especially parents.
And, of course, for many months we did all we could to overcomplicate everything. Here’s why we spent so much time off course: We tried to define a program to push kids along on, instead of a developmental path that focuses on a child’s personal journey.
Focus on the kids—what a great idea!
Soon after this perspective change, a simple response began to emerge for our complicated question emerged. What are we doing? Here’s the answer:
Jesus Loves Me This I know Yes, Jesus Loves Me!
Jesus (Infants, Toddlers, Two-year olds)
Children in these ages need to know that Jesus, and God, really exist. So we ask our volunteers and teachers apply deliberate efforts to share the names Jesus and God with kids. The intent at this age is to introduce little ones to the reality that God and Jesus really exist. They’re at an age where they need to hear that repeated over and over again.
One of my favorite songs from North Point Church’s (Atlanta, GA) children’s program contains the lyrics: “Just the sound of Your name is a beautiful thing…” And what a great thing to share.
Loves (Three-, four-, and five-year olds)
Kids in this age range become fascinated to hear, see, and learn about all God and Jesus have done that makes them great—with “love” as most important. Lessons emphasize the exciting Bible stories that show God or Jesus in action. While kids earlier learned that Jesus exists, now they learn what He’s done that makes Him so wonderful—which sets the foundation for what happens next.
Me (Kindergarten and first grade)
This is a great age to tell kids that this Jesus that they’ve heard so much about wants to have a personal relationship with them. Their little hearts leap at the chance to be a forever friend with Jesus—because the world has yet to taint their views of Him.
If you’re a kindergartener or first-grader, this will blow your mind! “This God and Jesus I’ve been hearing about for the past couple of years wants to be in a relationship with me? He wants to be my best friend. He also wants to take all the punishment for all the wrong things that I do. He’ll even help me make right decisions for the rest of my life. Wow, that’s a great friend!
This I Know (Second and third grades)
As cognitive abilities increase, we continue to offer kids the opportunity to begin a relationship with Jesus. And in this age span, kids learn more about what that relationship involves, and that the Bible is a reliable place they can turn to with full confidence when they want to know more about Jesus, a relationship with Him, and life as a Christian. Critical to this step in the journey is kids’ growing abilities to read.
Yes, Jesus Loves Me! (Fourth and fifth grades)
While the opportunity continues for children to begin a relationship with Jesus, in these ages we prepare kids to have boldness in their faith and beliefs; strength that will carry them through the challenges and temptations that await them in years to come. Because those situations will certainly come, we want truth ringing in their ears: “I can say, no to wrong stuff because Yes, Jesus loves me; When I feel peer pressure from all my friends, I can say no to them because Yes, Jesus loves me; When I’m being threatened, pushed around, or lonely, I remember Yes, Jesus loves me!”
Isn’t that how we want all kids to leave our ministries?
Our ability to help kids along their journeys requires significant diligence and deliberateness, but yields great satisfaction for all involved in helping kids become Christ followers and then follow Christ. All along the way, each group cheers the other on.
If you’re in the infant, toddler, or age two rooms, you know that for the next area of our ministry relies on you to introduce kids to God and Jesus by name.
When you’re in age three, four, and five rooms, you know that the kids are going to be offered the opportunity to say yes to Jesus in just a year or two. So you realize you need to paint a compelling picture for these kids to see why Jesus is so fantastic.
If you work in the kindergarten and first grade rooms, you’ll hope they’ve done their job in the earlier years, because you will offer the opportunity for kids to start a personal relationship with Jesus.
Anyone working in the second and third grade room counts on the Kindergarten and first grade team and says, “We’re going to solidify this. We’re going to help these young disciples, these young followers to really grasp hold of their faith and learn what it means to follow Jesus.”
Finally, the fourth and fifth grade leaders cheer on the whole team. They’re saying, “Team, do a great job, and as we sit with these kids for the last two years they spend in our ministry, we’ll strengthen them and give them solid legs of faith to walk out of here believing “Yes, Jesus loves me!”
Over the next few months, we’ll dive deeper into each of the five components. Along the way, you’ll have tools to help you determine how your ministry supports kids on their journeys—as opposed to merely participating in a program.
For now, challenge yourself to step back from your ministry and refresh your understanding of what matters most in children’s ministry. Then picture your ministry—whether you have one room or multiple rooms. Finally, if you dare, ask yourself this question: What are we doing?
Your response should sound as profound as a proverb and as simple as a song.
David Staal, senior editor of Today’s Children’s Ministry, serves as the president of Kids Hope USA, a national non-profit organization that partners local churches with elementary schools to provide mentors for at-risk students. Prior to this assignment, David led Promiseland, the children’s ministry at Willow Creek Community Church in Barrington, Illinois. David is the author of Words Kids Need to Hear (2008) and lives in Grand Haven, MI, with his wife Becky, son Scott, and daughter Erin.
Copyright © 2007 Promiseland.
