Never are people more impressionable, more passionate, or more eager to learn than in their childhood years. For this reason, those who parent and minister to children have incredibly consequential jobs! But they often lack the answers and solutions to some of their most important questions.
In What About Kids Ministry?, kids ministry expert Bill Emeott has curated a series of questions and answers from some of the most authoritative voices in kids ministry today. In doing so, he has created the go-to resource for every kids and family minister or parent seeking practical answers to their questions about how to minister to children.
Never are people more impressionable, more passionate, or more eager to learn than in their childhood years. For this reason, those who parent and minister to children have incredibly consequential jobs! But they often lack the answers and solutions to some of their most important questions.
In What About Kids Ministry?, kids ministry expert Bill Emeott has curated a series of questions and answers from some of the most authoritative voices in kids ministry today. In doing so, he has created the go-to resource for every kids and family minister or parent seeking practical answers to their questions about how to minister to children.
What about Kids Ministry?: Practical Answers to Questions about Kids Ministry
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Overview
Never are people more impressionable, more passionate, or more eager to learn than in their childhood years. For this reason, those who parent and minister to children have incredibly consequential jobs! But they often lack the answers and solutions to some of their most important questions.
In What About Kids Ministry?, kids ministry expert Bill Emeott has curated a series of questions and answers from some of the most authoritative voices in kids ministry today. In doing so, he has created the go-to resource for every kids and family minister or parent seeking practical answers to their questions about how to minister to children.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781535925105 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | B&H Publishing Group |
| Publication date: | 10/01/2018 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 224 |
| File size: | 1 MB |
| Age Range: | 3 Months to 18 Years |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Where Do I Start?
Crafting a Plan for Your Ministry
Introduction
I like to travel. Work-related trips, short weekend trips, or all-out vacations, I'm in. However, I've learned the hard way that preparation for a trip is just as important as the trip itself. Failure to plan can result in unnecessary stress, cost, and a reduced level of productivity and fun.
You'd never start on a trip without knowing where you were going and what it's going to take to get you there. It's the same with kids ministry. The nuts and bolts of your ministry really do matter. Establishing the why gives direction for the who, what, when, where, and how. Starting with a good foundation and a well-thought-out plan makes all the difference.
This chapter is dedicated to some of the foundational questions about kids ministry. Answering these questions will help you ground your kids ministry and keep you headed in the right direction. Knowing the why will keep you focused and help keep you from veering off in the wrong direction.
So, let's get going on the trip of a lifetime.
What about Ministry Philosophy?
by Jana Magruder
"What about ministry philosophy" is really a section about the why in kids ministry. Creating and championing a ministry philosophy is arguably the most important task you can do as a new kids minister. Philosophy is a word that gets thrown around quite a bit and can mean different things to different people. For the purpose of this chapter, I'd like to focus on philosophy pointing to the core mission and values you put into place that you can always point back to and say, "Our kids ministry is about this." So, what is this?
An easy way to conclude what your philosophy of children's ministry consists of is to think through this construct and ask yourself these questions:
1. What are the closed-handed, nonnegotiable parts of my ministry? Take a few minutes to write these down. Think about all the things that you would never let go of, what you fight for and stand upon for the ministry God has given you. For example, it may (hopefully, it does) have something to do with evangelism and discipleship.
2. What are the open-handed, variable parts of my ministry? Now, spend some time thinking through these items. There likely will be more of these. Examples might include curriculum choice, timing of Vacation Bible School (VBS), how to divide classes, specific safety procedures, and all the endless decisions about activities, snacks, volunteers, etc.
As you can see, there are many decisions about kids ministry that can be seen through the lens of open and closed hands. When it comes to building a philosophy of ministry, it's important to focus on the nonnegotiable portions. What are the essential values, mission, and purpose of this ministry?
In the book Kids Ministry that Nourishes, I unpack three "essential nutrients" that contribute to healthy kids ministry. Just like healthy food nourishes our bodies, a healthy ministry can nourish hearts and souls through Jesus. The three essential nutrients are:
A ministry philosophy based on a Kingdom Expanding mind-set is healthy — as opposed to focusing on building up your own ministry. That may sound counterintuitive. You might wonder, "Am I not supposed to build up my ministry?" The problem occurs when ministry building drives us rather than expanding God's kingdom. For example, I remember during my first year as a kids minister I was determined to host the biggest and best VBS our community had ever seen! There's nothing wrong with wildly important goals focused on outreach. However, my vision was slightly blurred by making it about me and the phenomenal VBS I was going to produce, as opposed to turning the focus to a true Kingdom Expanding strategy.
It's necessary to create a philosophy that not only helps you lead yourself, but is also easy to communicate with fellow ministry colleagues, volunteers, and families. If everyone can get on the same page about being a kids ministry that focuses on expanding God's kingdom, then a lot of ministry can flow from that philosophy.
Once a Kingdom Expanding mind-set is established, you are ready to focus on the kids and families God brings into your ministry. Healthy children's ministry is based on the essential nutrient of being Heart Transforming. Those of us in kids ministry are in this because we care about the hearts and souls of children. Heart transformation should drive you, as opposed to behavior modification, which can be like a trap. Oftentimes, those of us who work with kids want to see behavior modification. We want to see good morals and values. But if we lead with that, kids may be getting more from their character education classes at school. We must lead with Jesus because He is the only one who can transform hearts, and He does it through His Word. Therefore, the content that we teach should be rooted in Scripture and focused on Christ. We might be able to alter behavior, but we cannot transform hearts. A ministry philosophy that holds heart transformation with closed hands is one that can lead to much fruit.
As kids go through a Heart Transforming ministry, they will have opportunities to trust Jesus as their Lord and Savior. When they do, it changes everything. A healthy kids ministry will be Culture Shaping. We have to teach kids that the Great Commission is for them. We want them to impact the world around them for Jesus and share Him with their friends, classmates, teammates, and neighbors. Build in opportunities for kids to hear, learn, and pray for missionaries both locally and abroad. Help them begin to have a heart for the nations. A culture-shaping ministry will thrive as opposed to kids being shaped by the cultures around them. Ultimately, we want the kids in our ministries now to eventually become the goers and senders across the world, proclaiming the gospel for His glory.
As you can see, a healthy ministry philosophy begins with the why. Spend some time praying about what your philosophy will be. You can certainly use the three essential nutrients listed here, or let them inform your own. I encourage you to refer to your ministry philosophy often and be sure your church staff and congregation know that you are leading with these in all that you do. The more you use them, the more they will seep into your culture, impacting the ministry God has given for you to lead ... for His glory!
What about Developing a Vision?
by Landry Holmes
Wait! Before you read this, make sure you have articulated your philosophy of kids ministry and that you have written it down. Vision builds on philosophy. Next comes mission and values. So, you can't really claim to have a vision unless you first have a ministry philosophy that permeates your being.
Caleb was such a person. His philosophy was based on the truth that God is all-powerful, sovereign, and good. Caleb believed that God would do what He promised. Since God said to take possession of the land He was giving His people, God would make the conquest possible. With complete faith in God, Caleb then was able to articulate his God-given vision.
The scene was quite chaotic. Twelve spies had just returned from their clandestine mission of scouting out the land God had long-promised His chosen people. The purpose of the spies' report was to prepare the Israelites for what they faced when they marched into Canaan — to determine what they were up against and to see God's goodness. The report was to inform their conquest strategy.
Unfortunately, as people are prone to do, the Israelites misconstrued God's purpose and viewed the mission of the twelve spies as a fact-gathering quest to help them decide whether or not to enter the Promised Land. However, Caleb "quieted the people in the presence of Moses and said, 'Let's go up now and take possession of the land because we can certainly conquer it!'" (Num. 13:30).
Now that is vision. Caleb believed God (philosophy), and God gave Caleb a vision of life in the Promised Land.
Do you believe God when He says we are to, "Imprint these words of mine on your hearts and minds, bind them as a sign on your hands, and let them be a symbol on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates, so that as long as the heavens are above the earth, your days and those of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your fathers" (Deut. 11:18–21)? If so, then vision naturally will follow.
Vision starts with philosophy and begins moving us toward practical application in kids ministry. To start, ask yourself these questions:
1. What will toddlers look like spiritually when they become preschoolers? What biblical knowledge will they have? What will be their level of biblical literacy? How will they be living in response to God's Word?
2. What will preschoolers look like spiritually when they enter the elementary ministry? What biblical knowledge will they have? What will be their level of biblical literacy? How will they be living in response to God's Word?
3. What will elementary kids look like spiritually when they enter the student ministry? What biblical knowledge will they have? What will be their level of biblical literacy? How will they be living in response to God's Word?
Paul's prayer for the Christians in Ephesus echoes what a God-honoring kids ministry vision looks like:
For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God's love, and to know Christ's love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Eph. 3:14–19)
In other words, vision reflects your desire for kids to receive God's gift of salvation through His Son and to become more like Jesus. Two tools exist to aid you in knowing how such a vision manifests itself in kids' lives: Levels of Biblical Learning® and Bible Skills for Kids.
If your vision includes Bible knowledge, then the Levels of Biblical Learning can provide a spiritual blueprint comprised of biblical concepts — truths — that kids need to learn as they grow from infancy to the beginning of the teenage years. The concepts are organized by ten major categories: God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Bible, Salvation, Creation, Family, People, Church, and Community and World. For example, under the concept of Jesus, these are some truths for kids to learn:
• Younger preschool: Jesus was born.
• Middle preschool: God sent Jesus to earth.
• Older preschooler: God sent Jesus to earth as a real person.
• Younger kids: God sent Jesus to earth in human form.
• Middle kids: God planned for Jesus to be the Savior from the beginning of time.
• Preteens: God planned for Jesus to be the Savior from the beginning of time and sent Jesus to earth at the perfect time.
The idea of biblical literacy may also be part of your vision. So many adults who grew up in church know little to nothing about what the Bible is and how to use it. Bible Skills for Kids covers nineteen Bible skills and concepts that preschoolers and elementary kids can learn as they interact with and learn about the Bible. These Bible skills and concepts reflect Bible skill goals kids can reach by the end of the age range given. Here is an example of how the skill of using Bible reference tools plays out:
• Younger preschool: Sees the Bible used to tell a story. Helps open the Bible.
• Older preschool: Begins to use simple tools for Bible discovery (printed and digital resources). Helps open the Bible to a Bible book.
• Younger kids: Locates all books of the Bible by using the contents page or with teacher guidance. Uses other tools for learning from the Bible, including Bible-learning apps, Bible dictionaries, and maps.
• Older kids: Uses other resources to enrich Bible skills and knowledge (Bible dictionary, commentary concordance, atlas, and digital sources).
Whatever vision God gives you, keep in mind that He will empower you to fulfill that vision. Sometimes you just have to be patient. Caleb had to wait over forty years before his vision came to fruition. One of my favorite passages recounts Caleb's speech at the end of that waiting period:
As you see, the Lord has kept me alive these forty-five years as he promised, since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel was journeying in the wilderness. Here I am today, eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out. My strength for battle and for daily tasks is now as it was then. Now give me this hill country the Lord promised me on that day, because you heard then that the Anakim are there, as well as large fortified cities. Perhaps the Lord will be with me and I will drive them out as the Lord promised. (Josh. 14:10–12)
Once God gives you a vision and you can articulate it clearly, begin sharing that vision with key leaders in your church, starting with the senior pastor. With the senior pastor's blessing, guide kids ministry influencers to own the vision as well. One way to do this is to lead the kids ministry team at your church to develop a mission statement and patiently watch God begin to fulfill His promises.
What about a Mission Statement?
by Landry Holmes
The popularity of mission statements has waxed and waned over the years. I think part of the reason for this is a lack of clarity regarding the importance of a mission statement.
More than twenty years ago, I penned a personal mission statement. The substance of the statement is still relevant today because it reflects God's purpose for me to encourage my family to follow Christ, evangelize people with the gospel, equip people for ministry, and experience life with passion. My personal and professional roles have changed, but God's calling on my life has not. A mission statement — whether it be for an individual, a secular corporation, or a church — is timeless. It can change in wording, but its core usually remains the same for a long period of time.
Another reason we may sometimes roll our eyes when we hear the term "mission statement" is that it often is found on business cards and plaques, but many times not lived out in the day-to-day functions of the organization. A mission statement born out of a God-given vision, however, can be a powerful tool. If the philosophy and vision of your church's kids ministry provides the why behind what you do, then the mission statement gives the marching orders to do kids ministry. Think of your mission statement as the embodiment of your philosophy and vision and as a rallying cry for the work of kids ministry in your church.
The difference between corporate and church mission statements is that Jesus has already given the local church its mission: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28:19). Churches then contextualize that mission when they develop their own statement. One church I know states its mission in this way: "We exist to glorify God by leading people to become passionately devoted followers of Jesus Christ."
Once you are ready to develop a mission statement based on your vision, you may want to follow a path similar to this one:
• Identify and enlist kids ministry influencers in your church to serve on a short-term team that will develop a mission statement. The team should include individuals who faithfully serve in kids ministry. Be sure to recruit parents as well as other individuals who understand babies through preteens.
• Spend time individually and together as a team praying and reading Scripture passages about the ministry of Jesus and His church.
• Examine and study the church's mission statement. Consider requesting that the senior pastor spend time with the team to explain the church's vision and mission.
• Begin contextualizing the church mission statement by listing words, phrases, and concepts that reflect the kids ministry vision. Include actual words from the church's mission statement.
• Assign one member of the team to write a draft of the mission statement, based on the previous actions.
• As a team, edit the draft and send to the senior pastor or his designee for further edits and/or approval.
• Complete the final draft with the consensus of the team and route to church leaders, kids ministry leaders and teachers, and parents, as directed by the senior pastor or his designee.
Now that a final mission statement is complete, the difficult work of living, teaching, and implementing it begins. The immediate next step is to articulate your church's kids ministry mission.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "What about Kids Ministry?"
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Excerpted by permission of B&H Publishing Group.
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Table of Contents
Contributors,
Introduction,
Chapter 1: Where Do I Start? Crafting a Plan for Your Ministry,
Chapter 2: Do the Details Matter? Managing Ministry Specifics,
Chapter 3: What Tools Do I Need? Sharpening Your Ministry Basics,
Chapter 4: Do I Have to Do This Alone? Developing Your Ministry Team,
Chapter 5: Are All Kids Like This? Understanding the Kids in Your Ministry,
Chapter 6: What Is God's Plan for Kids? Sharing the Gospel in Your Ministry,
Chapter 7: Wait, I Minister to Families Too? Connecting Your Ministry with Families,
Chapter 8: What About the Hard Stuff? Ministering in Difficult Situations,
Chapter 9: How Can We All Get Along? Navigating Relationships in Ministry,
Chapter 10: What about Me? Balancing Life in Ministry,
Notes,