children’s ministry | More Than Dodgeball

Josh GriffinMore Posts POLL: Do you like your children’s ministry leader?

I was watching a children’s ministry podcast this past week and heard a great question – as a youth worker, do you like your children’s pastor/leader? Thought it was an interesting question, watch their podcast for lots more on the subject but first vote in today’s poll!

JG

2 View Comments January 21, 2013

Chris WesleyMore Posts Use Children To Better Your Ministry

I used to be jealous of our children’s ministry because I thought they were getting all the attention. Space in our church needs to be shared; therefore, everything needs to lean towards “CHILD FRIENDLY”. Just like the teenagers I serve I would grow embarrassed by the “KID-LIKE” décor that filled the walls. I would wonder, “Do teens want to come back after seeing that?”

I eventually matured and realized that as a youth minister I need the children’s ministry in order to succeed. They are the future teens you will mentor. They are laying the foundation for what you do, and if they fail your job will be that much harder. So, what does that mean?

YOU NEED TO INVEST IN THE CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

How are you supposed to invest in the children’s ministry in order to create a better student ministry?

GROW WITH THE CHILDREN’S PASTOR
Not sure what the relationship you have with your children’s pastor looks like but it needs to be healthy. This means getting to know them as a coworker and a person. Schedule a weekly or biweekly meeting where you can discuss obstacles, share stories of success and challenge one another. The more you get to know them the more you begin to trust them.

SPEND TIME IN THE MINISTRY
I found that much of my frustration with the children’s ministry was due to old expectations. I always compared it to the misconceptions I had about children’s ministry. All this did was create suspicion. By observing the children’s ministry you will see how it is serving your student ministry. You will also be able to give your children’s pastor an outsider’s perspective.

ENCOURAGE YOUR TEENS TO SERVE
Just as you need multiples of volunteers, so does the children’s ministry. One thing you can offer them that they can’t offer you is a teenage workforce. Encourage your teens to give what they have been given. Your teens will not only be youthful and energetic, but a positive role model for the kids.

PUT THEM FIRST
While you may want a bigger budget, make sure it doesn’t come at the expense of the children’s programs. On top of finances, help them recruit leaders and help them communicate to parents about what they are doing. By serving the children’s ministry in your church, you are building the foundation of your future teens.

It’s easy to grow jealous of others if you are only focused on yourself. The way that your ministry will grow is if you learn how to grow with others on staff. After your pastor the best place to start is with the person running the children’s ministry. It’s not only your future but also your foundation. Help them succeed.

What are you doing to invest in the children’s ministry at your church?

Chris (Twitter)

5 View Comments November 13, 2012

Josh GriffinMore Posts Fun Backwards Countdown Video

Our student ministry band kids (Cluster of Students) made a fun backwards countdown video for our children’s ministry Sector 5 Summer Event. Pretty clever stuff, especially the beginning and ending. If you notice, most people are walking backwards (because everything is reversed) but a few people are in on the joke and do things in reverse. So simple yet creative and fun – love it!

JG

Add Comment August 22, 2012

Josh GriffinMore Posts Saddleback Church New Year’s Message: Part 1

Steve Adams New Year’s Message from Saddleback Church on Vimeo.

Here’s part 1 of the video message we created for the family services at Saddleback Church on New Year’s Weekend. This was the first of 3 parts to the talk that weekend – this is Steve Adams, the children’s pastor at Saddleback Church.

JG

Add Comment January 4, 2012

Josh GriffinMore Posts The 10 Reasons People Attend Church: #4

Each day this week I’ve been posting the results of a new member survey from our church. Here’s reason #4 from a Top Ten list of why people join our church … and the one I’m most excited about:

#4 — Children’s and Youth Ministry
Children’s and youth ministry are VERY important to the church. Actually, that isn’t exactly what the research is saying. Children’s and youth ministry are VERY important to a family deciding which church to attend. Yup, that’s more accurate. Know this – when someone walks through the door on a Sunday morning they are looking for a safe environment for their children. They’re looking for a vibrant youth ministry. They’re looking for spiritual partners in helping raise their kids. If you don’t have one or give it a low priority/visibility, it will show up in who does or doesn’t stick.

One aside: this was #4 on the list of “most important when choosing a church” including plenty of people who didn’t have kids/teenagers at all and those with children long out of the house. Makes me think this one would be even MORE important for those specifically in this life stage.

Youth ministry application: You are an incredibly important part of your church. It might not show up in a ton of affirmation, perks or even understanding, but you are. Youth ministry is one of the key reasons that people choose your church. So make it great. Stick it out through the tough times. Make it better. Always remember the importance of what you do and your calling.

JG