Its More Than Just About the Kids
Ive been in childrens ministry for 17 years, 8 of those most recent years as a full time childrens pastor at two different churches in two different countries. When I first started out in CM, it was all about the kids. I remember being a large group communicator when I was 15 for a group of 200+ kids at the church I was at. My focus was the children and teaching them about who God was, how much God loved them, how God wanted them to live and how they could change the world around them. At 17, I was put in charge of the preschool version of kids church 80 preschoolers! Fun! Again, it was all about the kids. While in college, I was in charge of the elementary Kids Church at the church I was at again, all about the kids. It continued to be all about the kids in the various churches I volunteered at and even when I first came on staff as a childrens pastor.
I read articles, go to workshops and conferences, and talk with many other people in childrens ministry. Most everything is all about the kids. Even when we talk about parents and volunteers its always in relation to the kids.
What is wrong with childrens ministry being just about the kids? Isnt that why its called childrens ministry? Isnt that what were supposed to do?
Childrens ministry does have a target a focus and that is children. Childrens ministry exists so that there are people championing children within the church and making sure children are a part of the spiritual community: learning, growing, and participating. Childrens ministry wouldnt exist without children. I guess you could say that ministering to children is what fuels childrens ministry.
But ministering to children isnt the support structure framework skeleton that childrens ministry is built on.
Which brings me to lichen Im obsessed with lichen. Ever since learning about it in my biology class at university, Ive always pointed it out on hikes and walks and wherever I see it. My wife just rolls her eyes and placates me by listening to my explanation of what lichen is (shes a great wife). My friends think Im weird about it. And my kids well, they are young enough to still think Im cool and all-knowing. Lichen is actually two organisms that live together in a symbiotic relationship. The two organisms mutually help each other without harming the other. It is made of a fungus and algae. The fungus provides the skeleton for lichen and the algae lives on the fungus and makes food via photosynthesis for both the fungus and itself. A perfect relationship. Lichen exists only because both the fungus and the algae exist.
What does that have to do with childrens ministry? There are two components to childrens ministry, and those two components must benefit each other. We know that ministry to children is one of those components. The other component is ministry to adults. Now, Im not talking about volunteer training or even leadership training. Im talking about spiritual development of adults for the sake of them growing as an image-bearer of God, regardless of whether they are in childrens ministry or not.
Too many times, ministry to children becomes a parasite on the lives of the volunteers who work in our childrens ministries, as well as on the lives of the parents of the children who are in our ministries.We spend so much time focusing on the children and making CM all about the kids that our volunteers and parents get sucked dry.As leaders in childrens ministries, we need to be ministering to the adults who intersect with childrens ministry. Its not just up to the senior pastor or adult ministries leader;we need to be pouring into our workers so they can grow and mature spiritually. It cant just be all about the kids and how our volunteers can improve in how they do childrens ministry. Yes, they need training but they also need spiritual growth.
If we can learn how to minister to adults effectively, then we will have a stronger structure, foundation, and skeleton on which to build the ministry of children and have a healthier and thriving childrens ministry.
What does this look like? It can be as simple as checking in with your volunteers about their journey with God and encouraging and praying with them. Why not have a spiritual growth theme for your volunteers for the year? Set up adult small groups for those involved in childrens ministry. Provide free copies of sermon messages that your volunteers miss. Make yourself available to pray with parents and volunteers.
Do the adults in your ministry see you as one of their pastors?
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