The next few posts will cover signs of a thriving Children’s Ministry. All children’s ministries that truly succeed have certain things in common.
Vision
Where there is no vision, the people perish.
Vision is a word heard often in church meetings. It is a popular buzz word among ministry leaders. Many times, a committee will spend countless hours pouring over finding the vision statement that best typifies their ministries. But rarely does that vision statement have any power to it. Why isn’t a great vision statement enough?
God doesn’t just want us to have a great vision statement, He wants us to have a vision for the ministry He’s entrusted us with – His Vision. Writing down a vision statement is a good idea, but there are other things we need to do if we want vision to be an important part of our children’s ministries.
Pray: Ask God what He wants. Ask Him what His vision for the children’s ministry is. If He doesn’t answer right away, don’t rush through to come up with your own. Seek Him and His Will for your ministry. Spend time in prayer and fasting until you know what He wants your children’s ministry to be.
Your Identity: Your vision for your children’s ministry also speaks to your identity. What part do you have to play in the Kingdom of God? Location is one aspect of your identity. If your church is located in a large inner city, your emphasis may be different that if you have a church in a rural community or a suburban area. Evangelism will still be a part of your ministry, but you’ll reach different types of people. Culture also plays a part of it. A church set in the Deep South will have a different culture than a church on the West Coast. Your denomination or doctrine will also play a part. Pentecostal churches will emphasis aspects of worship in children’s church and Lutherans will emphasis other aspects based on their doctrine and style of worship. All of this has a part in the vision of your children’s ministry.
Core Elements: While your children’s ministry identity may be different, there are certain core elements that should be in every children’s ministry vision. Among them are evangelism, service, missions, worship, and discipleship. Consider how these elements are reflected in your vision.
Communication: If you think you’re a leader and no one is following, you’re just taking a walk. As a leader, you have a responsibility to communicate your children’s ministry vision to your pastor, your workers, the children in your ministry, and their parents. The more people understand where you are leading them, the more likely they are to follow.