If you’re in kids’ ministry, you’ve probably asked yourself what kind of lasting impact your ministry will have after the kids leave your care. Children’s ministry leaders have an incredible privilege, responsibility, and opportunity to influence lives for more years than any other ministry in the church. The ministry received as a child will impact the rest of their lives.
What kids learn during childhood not only makes a difference when they’re young, but it stays with them for the rest of their lives. The role you play in ministry shapes their future.
If you ask most children’s leaders about their role in discipleship, they might respond with comments about recruiting and training leaders, influencing families, providing fun and safe environments, and providing quality programming whenever the church doors are open.
While these are important tactical aspects of ministry to children, there are roles that often get overlooked in cradle-to-grave discipleship.
1. Role of Strategist: Any children’s ministry leader that looks beyond the week-to-week programming into lifelong spiritual outcomes must take on the role of strategist. It’s critical that a well-defined strategy exists between leaders of different age groups in the local church. There should be agreement on what a Spirit-empowered adult man and woman look like, what behaviors they exhibit, and how their hearts are inclined to follow the Lord. This is the starting point. The strategist then begins to work backwards to get to the point where there are clearly defined benchmarks. This does not happen overnight. It must be bathed in prayer—and at some point—translated into a written plan. Similar strategies should also be developed between departmental and program leaders.
2. Role of Educator: In many ways our ministries are what they are today because of the questions that parents and leaders ask to determine health and success. To truly capture a cradle-to-grave approach to discipleship, children’s leaders must educate others toward the kinds of questions they ask and what measures of success are important.
This is not to suggest that kids having fun and learning something is not important—it is. However, that must not be the primary measure of success.
What if parents were to ask their child how they contributed in ministry to others during the service? How would our ministry change if pastors asked for stories about kids who “got it” this week instead of just a numbers report?
3. Role of Master Chef: Just like a master chef knows the perfect way to draw out specific flavors of an entrée, children’s leaders must know how to combine activities, illustrations, and Bible components to draw out what the Holy Spirit would desire for the heart of the child.
A cook may simply prepare meals for guests and call it a day. But a master chef is not satisfied with only preparing nutritional meals; instead they also ensure that others have the same ability to create amazing meals on their own. To achieve a cradle-to-grave approach to discipleship, we must help the followers of Christ value their time in church, but also know how to study Scripture and follow the Holy Spirit on their own.
In what ways can viewing your role in children’s ministry as a strategist, educator, and master chef impact your approach to ministry preparation this week?
