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Bounce houses and candy and dance parties, oh my! It’s no secret that kids and fun go hand-in-hand. Learning should absolutely be fun! But that’s the key: there needs to be some learning. Too many kids’ ministries have slipped into focusing on only fun to the exclusion of spiritual growth, or as I like to call it, all sugar and no substance. Learn how to strengthen your children’s ministry.
All Sugar & No Substance Isn’t Effective
The truth is, many children and families have gotten their fill of frivolous fun. Their spiritual stomachs are yearning for something more sustaining. If your Sunday morning is as saccharine as a pixie stick but also about as filling, read on to firm up your small church kids’ ministry with these four basic steps.
Looking for a step-by-step guide to starting or restarting your children’s ministry?
Check out the Children’s Ministry Bundle For Small Churches!
Do 4 Things For Stronger Children’s Ministry
1. Make Sure You Know Your Purpose & Vision Of Kids Ministry
I wish everyone knew kids ministry is not the same as babysitting, but unfortunately, it’s not universally accepted!
That’s why YOU need to know your purpose. Is it training children to follow Christ? Could it be imparting the Word of God into their hearts and minds? Maybe teaching them spiritual warfare? Is it helping them mature in the knowledge of God? Is it guiding them to be true worshippers? Probably a combination of several goals.
What about vision? How do you see the children individually and as a group? Are they world-changers? Do they impact their homes and schools with the power of God?
When leaders are serious about their purpose and vision, parents and other church folks begin to notice. There is less of a chance of having your time and space devolve into daycare when you lead with intention. Having your purpose and vision constantly before you is not only biblical, but it’s practical! Write it out for yourself, your team, and your families. Post it on huge canvases in your hallways. Make it known so others can run with it.
2. Money Does Not Equal Ministry
Know that money does not equal ministry. Hey small church leader, when is the last time you hopped on social media and compared your own situation to the church across town with a seemingly unlimited supply of funds, the coolest space, up-to-date (and apparently easy to use) technology, game systems, toys, bounce houses, waterslides, and ice cream carts?
God is a God of provision, and we should desire quality programming for our kid’s ministries, but it’s time to stop throwing money at kids and expecting life change!
There is nothing wrong with using fun tools and creative avenues to draw in children and families, but have we learned yet that having the latest and greatest inventions have not produced the strongest Christians? There is absolutely nothing wrong with having fun, but remember that whatever it takes to get them there is what it takes to keep them there. Free bread, anyone?
3. Create A Plan For Every Service
It is very unsettling when a teacher says they “just wing it.” There are some emergencies when that has to happen –– like the regular teacher woke up sick, and you agreed to teach 10 minutes before the service. But otherwise, I don’t know why children’s ministry would ever need to be “wung.”
No matter who you are or what your church, there should be a plan, a rhythm, and a routine. Will there be worship? Prayer? Teaching? Response? Extension/life application? Will there be a snack or craft, or free play? Notice that the free play should still be planned in. Write it down! Have a schedule.
Solid schedules are key for not only you as the teacher but also your students. The younger the group of children, the more important the schedule becomes.
For preschoolers, make a giant visual schedule with pictures of kids doing each of the parts of your service. Have a magnet or some sort of visual marker to help them move through the morning so they know how close they are to playtime or snack time or how soon mom will be back.
Elementary-aged kids might not need a visual schedule, but they need to know that every service we start with worship, and they can expect a review game at the end, or however you have structured your morning.
It’s also true that if you do not have a plan, the strongest personality in your room will come up with one! Routine brings peace, even when the parts of the service themselves look different; knowing the basic structure helps everyone breathe easier.
As you create each segment of service, take time to reflect on whether or how it ties into your purpose and vision of your kid’s ministry. We don’t want to be so rigid that we don’t allow any freedom, but we also need to make sure that the tiny amount of time allotted to us each week is well-spent.
4. Remember To Do Fun Things
Remember when I said kids and fun go hand-in-hand? Absolutely have fun with your kids! One of the very best attributes of a small church is relationship-building!
Take into account what fun looks like for your personality, your current group of children, and your church’s funds! Your lesson should have so many fun components, whether a relay race during the review or pop-up prayer. Barbie Bible Theater is such a hit in our church, and when we have many more boys than girls, GI Joe Gospel is just as fun. Sometimes the Bible story is drawn in chalk. There are thousands of techniques for adding fun with a purpose.
Spontaneous fun is when you surprise your students with popsicles at the end of service or, on a lovely day, take them outside for an impromptu game of kickball. Maybe it does include that giant inflatable slide or a firetruck hose on the last day of VBS. Sometimes we just have fun for the sake of fun because that’s the nature of kids!
Include Fun But Don’t Neglect Spiritual Growth
However, as much as kids want sugar and love it, we’d never feed them ONLY a sugar diet. Make sure your time is silly and sweet, but plan for your purpose, adding plenty of substance for their spiritual growth.
Looking for a step-by-step guide to starting or restarting your children’s ministry?
Check out the Children’s Ministry Bundle For Small Churches!
Read More:
4 Steps To Create A Visual Schedule For Sunday School & Why You Need One
7 Events For Children’s Or Youth Ministry
4 Easy Sunday School Father’s Day Crafts
Children’s Ministry Summer Arts Camp
Jackie Swanson is honored to have been serving in kids’ ministry for over 30 years. She has a passion to see small churches thrive and value the beauty in their uniqueness. After several years of teaching first graders, she became a stay-at-home mom to her 3 beautiful children. She and her husband are still excited to work together in the trenches of kids’ ministry each Sunday, where her dry humor is generally underappreciated.
