Nearly every local church offers a children's ministry program. Recent survey data from the Barna Group (2/14/05) shows, though, that only 13% of senior pastors list "ministry to children" among their church's top three priorities. Is the importance of children's ministry on the rise, or in a state of decline? Bill Hybels shares a very clear perspective on what should be the answer to that question.

On a number of occasions you've said, "Senior pastors, if you have one ministry card to play, invest in your children's ministry." What do you mean?

Throughout the years, society offers the church just a certain number of entrance ramps into the "non-church" world. At times it's been sports. Then came marriage enrichment. Today I believe the single remaining common interest or entrance point for non-churched people into the life of the church is children. No matter how lost a guy is, he still usually loves his son. And no matter how off track a woman is, she still has a soft place in her heart ...