Archive for children’s ministry

What about Students and Kids?

By Jay Barbier · Comments (0)
Saturday, April 25th, 2020

I was recently reading “It begins with Prayer” by Dwayne McCrary of LifeWay. It made me start wondering why students and kids have been left out of the equation when it comes to ministry. We include them in the group to reach and teach them but far too many times we as disciples of Jesus exclude them in the work of ministry. Is this a result of lack of trust or possibly the lack of intentional effort in making disciples? We as a church have made the Great Commission, Matthew 28:19, a classroom experience instead of practical application. You see, the thrust and the emphasis in this verse of scripture is MAKE and you do this AS YOU GO. One of the greatest ways to learn is by doing. This is what Jesus did! As He lived His life He brought along 12 others and taught them how to love God and love others. Jesus poured out His life into His disciples and He has called us to do the very same thing.

I’ve heard so many churches say the Youth are the future of the church, but we know the correct response is they are the church now if they have put their faith and trust in Christ. Maybe the reason so many teens stop coming to church after High School is because we have excluded them in the very thing that helps people build community and stay involved in church their entire life. I wholeheartedly believe serving is one of the main factors for people to build friendships, grow in discipleship, and actively become a part of the local community.

So what about students and kids? I’m glad you asked! We can involve our younger Christ followers by including them in almost every area of church ministry. Think of this, how about we teach our Youth how to be a part of evangelism by bringing them with us as we visit and lead others to Christ. We can teach them about caring by allowing them to make contacts through small groups. This list could go on for a long time. Serving matters, we must be intentional in involving students and kids in ministry as we go!

Written by Jay Barbier, Youth Specialist, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board

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Categories : Sunday School
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So What About Prayer Partners in Kids Ministry?

By Vicki Hulsey · Comments (0)
Saturday, April 18th, 2020

When asking adults to serve in kids ministry on Sunday mornings, the most common reason I’ve been given for not serving is that they don’t want to miss out on the personal connections with other adult class members. My initial response was to assure them that they would still be included in their adult class fellowships. Surprisingly, people often responded that the thing they would miss most from their adult class was the prayer time.

I’ve seen adult classes successfully bridge that gap in one or more of the following ways:

  • Create a Missionary Prayer Board. Each adult class posts pictures of those who would be a part of the group if they weren’t serving in preschool or children’s ministry. Adult class members agree to pray for a specific leader pictured on the board, committing to make regular contact with the leader, asking for specific prayer needs. Those could be personal prayer needs or needs specific to the children in their class and their families.
  • Provide a list of prayer needs. A prayer coordinator from the adult class records weekly prayer requests from adult class members and shares the list with those serving outside the class. This approach allows for a mutual partnership where the preschool/children’s leaders commit to pray for the adult Bible Study members.
  • Send monthly prayer cards. Members of the adult class sign prayer cards that are sent monthly to members in service.

As preschool and children’s leaders experience the joy of partnering with others in prayer, they can begin to teach out of the overflow by encouraging parents of the kids in their class to become prayer partners with their children. Leaders can offer simple ideas to parents of how they can begin to make prayer a regular part of each day. Parents can then progress to asking the child if there is anything specific they would like for them to pray about.  With this kind of partnership, preschool and children’s teachers are helping parents to be the spiritual leaders that God has called them to be.

Written by Vicki Hulsey, Childhood Education Specialist, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board

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What about kids?

By Donna Blaydes · Comments (0)
Friday, April 10th, 2020

Prayer is an important part of our faith, and teaching kids to pray can be so exciting. So, how do we do it? The best way to teach about prayer is frankly to pray.  Pray in front of your kids and pray with your kids. 

Let your kids see you pray.  When kids hear their parents and their teachers pray, they begin to develop their own understanding of its importance, and their belief in it.  As you pray, demonstrate for your kids how easy and natural it is to talk to God.  God isn’t concerned about the eloquence of our words, or the length of our prayers, what He wants is to communicate with us.

It is important that we teach kids how to pray, and not what to pray. Let them pray using their own words. Look for opportunities to teach your kids to pray.  Saying a quick prayer for a police officer when you hear a siren or thanking God that a child wasn’t hurt when he fell down, are ways to teach kids that God is interested in everything.

Make time for prayer. Let kids share prayer requests and bring them to God together. It takes time, but it is so worth it. If your kids are hesitant to pray out loud, let them finish a sentence.  For instance, say “Thank you God for friends.  Thank God for” – and let a child name a specific friend.  Using this format will help children become more comfortable praying aloud.

Create a prayer wall where kids can write down prayer requests and keep track of how God answers them. Pray specifically for these requests throughout the week. Take a prayer walk around the church praying for the teachers who are teaching God’s word. Pray for the Pastor as he preaches God’s word. Pray for the staff as they lead in their areas of ministry.

Encourage your children to talk to God about whatever is on their mind.  They can pray anytime and anywhere. There is no request that is too small, and no request that is too big.  God loves to hear them all.

Written by Donna Blaydes, Childhood Education Specialist, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board

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Categories : Sunday School
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What To Do With The Kids…

By Jenni Carter · Comments (0)
Sunday, August 16th, 2015

youth_smlOne of the advantages to Sunday morning groups that meet at the church building is that Preschool and Children’s age-graded Sunday School are offered at the same time.  For churches that choose to have groups in homes there are many options to consider for “what to do with the kids.”

Option 1 – Classes for children can be offered at the church building.  Parents drop off their kids at the building and then go to the home where their small group meets.  This option works well when all the small groups meet on the same evening and are in close proximity to the church.

Option 2 – Each family arranges their own child-care at their home while they go to small group.  Many churches reimburse families for this expense.  One of the advantages for this option is that families can choose their own “sitter” and the kids stay in their normal evening and bedtime routines.

Option 3 – A small group hires “sitters” to keep their children at the same home where the small group meets but in another room (think basement or playroom).

Option 4 – Members of the small group rotate and take turns taking care of the children each week.  One of the advantages to options 3 & 4 is that the children are onsite in case the parents are needed.

Option 5 – Small groups work together so that members of one group take care of kids from another small group and then they swap roles later in the week.  One of the advantages of this option is that there is no cost involved, just extra coordination between groups.

There are several other thoughts to remember when planning “what to do with the kids.”

1 – Remember that it’s not just young adult groups that may need these services as many grandparents are raising their grandchildren in their homes.  Therefore, they may need child-care.

2 – Remember to use safe and secure practices when considering children’s activities.  Whether or not children are at the church building, churches and small groups need to adhere to the two-adult rule, background checks, and other security measures the church has adopted in their Safety and Security Policies.

3 – Remember to make the children’s time an intentional part of the overall programming.  Rather than having just sitters or child-care, let it be an intentional time of Bible study or discipleship for the kids as well as the adults.  There are several different Children’s Bible Study plans that could be used.  For older children there are great bible skills activities the kids would enjoy.  At the very least families can download Bible study apps on their electronic devices so that the children can learn or build on what they have already learned.  When churches are intentional to meet the needs of the children through quality Bible study while the parents are meeting more families will be attracted to the small group.

One final thought – look around your community to find unchurched families.  It may be an ethnic group, a subdivision, an apartment complex, or mobile home area.  Why not start a Backyard Kids Club that meets once a week?  As you attract the children you may find the nucleus for a new Adult Small Group.

Whatever choice you make for the kids – be sure you are intentional in making sure their needs are met and that you are reaching out to your community.

Jenni Carter is a state Sunday School/Small Group missionary for the Georgia Baptist Convention, specializing in children’s ministry. www.gabaptistgroups.org

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