First in a series of three discussions
Over the years I have been asked many times by parents and church teachers about how to tell if a child is growing spiritually. Can we know if all the time spent in worship, Sunday school, midweek ministry programs, Vacation Bible school, and service projects is actually having a positive effect on the spiritual development of our children?
In my opinion, the answer is yes. While the growth of our faith is part of a life-long journey and certainly a unique personal experience, there are some measurable ways that we can use to test the general effectiveness of our ministry with children:
1. Children will increase in their understanding of God’s promise to always love us, to always forgive us and to always be with us. (Birth – 7 years)
2. Children will grow in their ability to pray. (Ages 1 – 7 years)
3. Children will participate in age appropriate worship experiences. (Ages 3 –7 years)
4. Children will increase in their knowledge of the stories of the people of God. (Ages 2 – 7 years)
5. Children will develop the ability to express kindness and to demonstrate generosity. (Ages 2 – 7 years)
6. Children will develop the ability to extend forgiveness and to make amends. (Ages 3- 7 years)
In his book “Talking to Your Child about God” David Heller says that like sexual or cognitive development, spiritual development is a natural process which unfolds spontaneously if a child is supported and encouraged. When development is suppressed or inhibited, however, a child is neither adequately equipped to confront religious questions healthily, nor sufficiently secure to get the most out of life.
How is your children’s ministry doing?
For a more evaluative and detailed tool to measure the effectiveness of your church’s ministry with children, use the free Children’s Ministry Effectiveness Model available at www.thelogosministry.org.
