Achieve Balance…Be More Effective
Children’s ministry must address the whole child to really work.
Is your ministry with children narrowly focused…maybe a little Bible study and some arts and crafts? In order to have a sustained, positive impact on kids, we have found that churches must address the whole child with an approach that is balanced along two key dimensions…and that involves more than just an hour each Sunday.
First, an effective ministry approach should educate and train young learners while offering them opportunities to practice what they are learning. Obviously, we are always educating and training in many of the things we do with kids, but at LOGOS we also intentionally reinforce the application of “child of God” and “kingdom of God living” concepts in everything we do with children…and we are always seeking opportunities for them to practice their growing faith!
Second, your children’s ministry must nurture the body, stimulate the mind, and uplift the soul in order to fully engage kids. At LOGOS, we typically nurture with a family-style meal and all kinds of recreation and play activities. We stimulate with Bible study. And we uplift by introducing various forms of worship leadership that connect kids to the church’s worship. And we recommend doing all of these on a consistent, weekly basis. This approach provides a safe place for putting learning into practice and for energizing the young to live daily as disciples. It also helps children to understand that we are meant to come into church so that we can be equipped to go back out again and bring others to Christ.
By focusing on these two perspectives on balanced ministry, you will be more likely to deliver a dynamic experience for kids that is interesting and engaging enough to keep them coming back for more.
April 9, 2007 at 3:51 pm
It’s easy enough to learn ABOUT the Bible, but we certainly don’t provide enough experiences for them to practice, and we know that practice makes perfect! I am reminded of the practice arenas that churches routinely promote - camps and conferences, and mission trips. Imagine what would happen to children’s lives (and ours!) if they all had the opportunity to practice Kingdom living every week right in their own church! Thanks, Tom, for the reminder about the importance of balanced ministry for our children!
April 9, 2007 at 7:32 pm
Good point. It makes me also think of “arenas” as you say that help others without involving God, such as food drives, helping someone move, fundraising… the list goes on. I think things like this could be strengthened by a connection to helping others as the Bible tells us.
However, I also think there is a little bit of God’s love in these tasks whether we purposefully do things as Christians or we’re lending a hand for no particular reason. Not to get off topic, though.
April 10, 2008 at 8:27 pm
[...] news, it certainly isn’t a surprise to us at The LOGOS Ministry. It is why we believe that a balanced ministry that ministers to the whole child is critical for the church today. Over and over again, we can see [...]