We dont perform in our childrens ministry were not here to entertain the kids!

Ive heard statements like this made many times over the years. Some leaders are adamant that they dont put on shows for their kids.

Thats too bad.

You see, the purpose of a show is entertainment. The purpose of entertainment is to have fun. If the kids in your church arent having fun, I can pretty well assure you they arent learning what you want them to learn. If they arent learning what you want them to learn, youre not accomplishing your purpose.

Now let me clarify: if your sole purpose is to put on a show for entertainments sake, then I agree that isnt good enough. But if your intention is to put on a show for the accomplishment of the greater purpose involving spiritual formation, then I believe its absolutely essential to put on the best show you possibly can.

Jesus did.

Look at John 20:30-31:

The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs…but these are written so that you may continue to believe…and that by believing in Him you will have life…

The purpose of Jesus miracles was to demonstrate who He was and why He had come. These verses say that these miracles are recorded in order to help us believe and that, in that belief, we might have life (spiritual formation).

So in essence, Jesus did something to get peoples attention to show them something spiritual. John records these events and says that they are for the purpose of spiritual formation.

Isnt that what we are trying to do? Our childrens ministry needs to be presented in a manner that gets kids attention, and in that presentation, we need to communicate spiritual truth.

We need to put on a show with purpose.

Jesus did it in spectacular fashion! In fact, throughout Scripture, the real-life stories designed to teach us spiritual truth are pretty much always spectacular (think about it)! We cant duplicate the way God communicates, but I do believe we have an obligation to do our best to capture attention as we teach spiritual truth.

Here are a few thoughts in regards to this:

• Do your best.We arent all Willow Creek or North Point. In fact, 99.9% of us arent at churches like that. I love what they do, and yes, there are great ideas we can take away from them, but rarely can anyone duplicate what churches of this size can do. Thats okdo your best.
• Keep stretching.Sometimes, doing your best is taken as permission to settle for whats comfortable. Its not. Keep stretching and thinking outside the box for using the resources you have (money, space, talent, supplies, etc.).
• Take on new talent.Creativity isnt really a strength of mine. But bringing teams together, equipping them, and releasing them to do their thing is. Ive always tried to surround myself with people far more talented than me, and the results can be astonishing. Dont be afraid to surround yourself with gifted people who can put on a great show.
• Always keep the main thing the main thing.As you create engaging ministry, the tendency will be to focus more on the performance than the purpose. Dont. This is where you as a leader must keep the vision before everyone in everything they do. The purpose is the why of the performancekeep it that way.

So what do you think about putting on a show?

Greg is a Childrens Ministry veteran with over 20 years ministry experience. Greg has had the privilege of serving in four San Diego area churches, including under the leadership of both John Maxwell and David Jeremiah. He continues to fulfill his life calling through the ministry of Kidmin360, offering an experienced voice in equipping and connecting Childrens Ministry leaders around the country and around the world.visit Greg at kidmin360.com