There are so many things that kidmin leaders want said about the ministries they lead. We want ministries that are safe, age-appropriate, growing, engaging, fun, innovative, all-inclusive, reaching families, healthy, dynamic, just to name a few.
Each week, we spend hours in the details – writing/editing curriculum, gathering supplies, emailing lessons, making sure volunteers are in place, and meeting with our teams to ensure we’re all on the same page. This can become second nature to us, almost something we could do with our eyes closed.
But what about the most important stuff? You know, like what we’re teaching the kids? Are we teaching them a list of ‘right things to do’ or are we teaching them how God wants them to live and the why behind it? Are we watering down the Gospel because we think kids aren’t ready for it?
Are kids encouraged to dig deep into Scripture on their own or do they just take our word for it because they aren’t opening up their bibles? Are we encouraging kids to memorize scripture and spend time with God each day? Are we teaching them that God’s Word is one big story vs just a collection of stories?
By teaching kids and showing them how the whole Bible is one entire story, we’re getting them to understand and love Jesus, coming to that place where they’re making decisions to be a Christ follower.
A few weeks ago, I was honored to be part of a round-table discussion with Ed Stetzer, Jeffrey Reed and five other kidmin leaders around the country to talk about this very important topic. Our conversation was converted into a transcript to be made available for Christianity Today readers. I’ve listed the links below for your convenience:
Part 1: The Importance of the Big Story
Part 2: The Importance of Leading Kids to Love Jesus
Part 3: The Importance of Teaching Kids the Hard Stuff of Scripture
Part 4: The Importance of Gospel-Centered Teaching in Children’s Ministry
My goal is to not give children in our ministry a faith that they would have to come back to, but a relationship that would keep them connected to him their whole life.
Keep the conversation going by leaving me a comment. What are your thoughts about this important issue?
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