Category Archives: Encouragement For Children's Ministers

Teaching Biblical Foundations

Posted on October 24, 2011 | 2 Comments

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There is a current movement in children’s ministry that is all about life application. In this movement, children’s ministries may teach children Bible stories and scripture, but the main emphasis is teaching children what God wants them to do. Basically it’s teaching children to be good people.

I have no problem with teaching children what God expects out of His people. The problem is when we teach our children to be good instead of how to be Godly.

But this movement is nothing new. From the beginning of time, man-made religion has tried to create a system where we could be good enough to be right with God. Cain tried to offer a good enough sacrifice by his own merits. The Pharisees tried to be good enough to follow all the laws set down by Moses. But none of these things get us closer to God or even make us good. So why are we trying to impose this on our children.

There are many problems with teaching children life application with some Bible thrown in for good measure.

Children will not get saved or grow in a relationship with Jesus Christ but may think they’re saved because they’re good and go to church.

Even if these children do accept Christ as their saviour, they won’t know what it means to become a Christ follower because they won’t be discipled in their faith.

Children won’t know how to resist temptation and fight evil through the power of the Holy Spirit. They will try to do it in their own power and set themselves up for failure.

Children who are taught life application and not Biblical Foundations will not be able to have their faith stand when they are confront as teenagers and young adults with wrong doctrines and vain philosophies of the society we live in.

I have no problem with life application. Every Biblical truth we learn has a life application to it. The Word of God is meant to be applied to our lives. The problem comes with make the life application the main thing instead of the Biblical truth behind it.

So tell me what you think about this. Are you teaching your students to be good or are you disciplining them to be Christ followers?

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Posted in Encouragement For Children's Ministers, Leadership

A Children’s Pastor’s Most Important Mission

Posted on August 29, 2011 | Leave a comment

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Children’s pastors can get so involved in the creative and organizational aspects of children’s ministry than they can forget the most important part of children’s ministry. Paul summed it up best in 1st Corinthians 11:1 (ICB), “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” Our most important mission as children’s pastors is to follow Christ in such a way that we set an example for the students in our ministry to follow.

Here’s some things to examine about yourself to follow this mission:

God’s Word: How often do I read or study God’s Word, not to get a Bible story or lesson for children’s church, but to glean from God’s Word what I need for my daily walk with Him? If I stress the importance of God’s Word to children in my ministry, I need to follow through by making it an important part of my life.

Worship: Do I worship God only in children’s church? When I’m in the intergenerational service, do I only worship with my whole heart when I feel like it? Children watch everything I do all the time. When I don’t know I’m being watch, am I setting an example in my worship? Also do I worship God in my daily life when nobody’s watching? Worship assigns value to what we worship. A lifestyle of worship of God sets an example to children by assigning value to God.

Prayer: Do I pray for the students in my ministry? Do I call their names out every week? Do I pray for the prayer requests they bring before me? Do I write them down? Do I ask about them the following week? When I do this, I show children the importance of prayer and that I care enough about them to pray for them.

Church Attendance: Am I ever in church other than when I’m in children’s church? This should be a no-brainer, but if you’re not careful, because children’s ministry requires so much, you can get to the point where you let your church attendance slip unless there’s a children’s ministry function. You need fed before you can give to others.

Ministry: We want children to learn to minister unto God and in the church, but we need to set an example of excellence in ministry. Do I arrive early to children’s church? Am I prepared? Did I wait until Saturday evening to read over the curriculum or to get on the Internet and find a lesson for Sunday morning? Have I been seeking God for a word for this week’s children’s message? Have I applied the message to my life before I walk into the church doors?

If you lack any of these things, eventually the children in your ministry will notice. Stay strong in the Lord, and set an example in Christ for children to follow.

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Posted in Discipling Children, Encouragement For Children's Ministers, Leadership

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Is Your Children’s Ministry An Idol – One Thing

Posted on May 24, 2011 | Leave a comment

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Children’s pastors are devoted to Children’s Ministry. God has called them and given them an assignment of great importance. It’s a ministry that touches the heart of God.

But children’s ministry is also hard work. Children’s leaders are often misunderstood, mistreated, overlooked, and overworked. Many times this will keep the children’s leader from the one thing he or she needs more than anything else – the one thing that will keep the leader from being burned out in ministry.

Psalms 27:4(NRSV) One thing I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.

Psalms 16:8(NKJV) I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

Philippians 3:13-14(NRSV) Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

According to these verses, that one thing we should be devoted to is not a bigger or better children’s ministry. It’s not carrying out the vision God has given us for children’s ministry. It’s not even discipling children or carrying out our ministry assignment from God.

The one thing  God wants us to focus on above all else is our relationship with Him. He wants us to know Him, to seek after Him, to behold His beauty, and to press hard after Him.

Many times we get so involved with the ministry assignment God has given us spending much of our time working for God. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an important assignment. But when the ministry, even children’s ministry, becomes our one thing instead of seeking a relationship with God, then it becomes an idol before God.

If you’re only seeking God about children’s ministry, it might have become your god. If you’re only studying or reading God’s Word to get something to teach in children’s church, children’s ministry might have become your idol. If the only time you pray is before children’s classes or children’s events or at church services or staff meetings, you’re on dangerous ground.

We need to make our relationship with God the one thing that comes before everything else, even ministry. Our ministry assignment from God should come from the overflow of our relationship with him.

I confess that, at times, I’ve been guilty of this sin of putting my ministry assignment before my relationship with God. I learned the hard way that this leads to spiritual burnout and a crisis of faith. When I repented of this sin, God restored my relationship with Him to greater heights then I’ve ever known. But I had to recognise this as a sin before God, as idol worship.

You may be in this same situation. If that’s the case, go to God today and repent of your idol worship and ask Him to restore your relationship with Adonai, our Lord and our Master.

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Is Your Children’s Ministry An Idol?

Posted on May 18, 2011 | 1 Comment

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Children’s leaders and pastors work long hours and devote much time to serving God in children’s ministry. Most children’s leaders motives are pure. They are doing what they do because God has called them to one of the most important ministries in the Kingdom of God. How then could children’s ministry become an idol?

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll list some danger signs that you are putting your children’s ministry ahead of God. Here’s a list of questions that may show you have a problem in this area.

Do you only study the Bible to prepare a Children’s Sermon?

Is growth of your children’s ministry your measure in how much God loves or favors you?

Do you have downtime from children’s ministry?

Does you pray more or only when you have a children’s ministry event or service?

When you read “this one thing I do” in Scripture, do you immediately think of all you do for children’s ministry?

Is children’s ministry your vision, your passion, or your assignment from God?

Do you pray and fast to grow closer to God or to get God to grow the children’s ministry?

I’ll cover each of these questions over the next few weeks.

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Why Am I Doing This?

Posted on January 5, 2011 | 1 Comment

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This post was written by Eric Barnes from Real Perspective Ministry.

I have always had a nagging question regarding ministry to children. This question helps me refer to the scriptures in times of confusion or stress. This question keeps my spiritual compass always directed at God’s will and not just my own will for ministry. The big question? ………WHY?

  • Why do i feel the need to entertain?
  • Why do I need to speak differently to children than adults?
  • Why am I doing this crazy object lesson right now?
  • Why do I show videos or play games?
  • Why do I decorate the stage?
  • Why am I even doing this kind of ministry?

Please understand, I am not attacking anything that I question. I am simply establishing the foundation on which to build good ministry. If we don’t ask ourselves “why am I doing this?” We may find our ministry running down a rabbit trail without true results that God desires. I challenge you. Take a full day if you can and question ALL of the things you do in ministry. Offer your processes, plans, and curriculum on the altar of God like Abraham did with Isaac. Be willing to change everything in order to please the father and watch Him bring His glory like never before.

I know the answers to my questions. I have a strong conviction from the father about what we do and we see His hand in it. I will give up everything just to see God work in the life of a child. Will you?

This is my challenge to you.

I will offer a word of warning, You will not be popular. It will not be easy. You will be uncomfortable. Once you give total ownership of “your” ministry to God. He could start making changes without your consent.

Once I tried to go against what I knew Gods plan was for a service and God wiped out my computer on a Sunday morning in order to stop me from interfering with His plans. So I finally submitted, and God brought His presence in like a flood. Children were crying out in worship on the mic while others received the baptism of the Holy Spirit on their faces alone and unprompted during their time of worship. Since that time we have seen many children radically changed For the Lord.

I am not in any way the final authority on ministry, But I simply encourage you. Lay down your schedule, get alone, give it all to God. and Get out of His way. That is the beginning of something great.

Psalms 48:12-14

Revelations 12:11

Joshua 1:8-9 (New International Version)  8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

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Posted in Encouragement For Children's Ministers, Leadership