Today I’m enjoying the Great Smoky Mountains in east Tennessee. I’m here with some of the greatest ministry multipliers in the Southern Baptist Convention, preschool and children’s ministry associates. These folks have such incredible ministries to churches within the states they live. It’s a model of multiplication.
Multiplying yourself in the lives of others is the example Jesus gave us for reaching the world. He poured Himself into the lives of others with a saving message. He did so in unique and relevant ways. Through His example the gospel was spread throughout the regions, the nations, and ultimately around the world.
Two things come to mind when I think of multiplying your ministry.
First: If multiplication is to be successful you must have a message worth hearing. If what you’re saying isn’t worth hearing, it simply won’t multiply — people won’t get excited, they won’t share the message, and the process will stop!
Second: People today equate the message with its packaging. If it doesn’t seem relevant or interesting or hold their attention, you’ll loose the listener and the multiplication process goes no further.
Kids Ministry has a great message. Sharing the love of Jesus Christ and laying spiritual foundation in the lives of boys and girls is an AWESOME message and it’s worth hearing.
We get a check for point number one; my concern today is point number two. I’m afraid we’re going to need to take this point a little more serious if we are going to reach today’s kids. What that means for you will be different than what it means for me… but it does mean that we need to consider our audience, consider our delivery systems, and consider if people today are hearing our important message.
Bottom Line: How we package the Gospel of Jesus Christ for kids today has more influence on its acceptance than we might want to believe.
What do you think? What are you doing to package/deliver this valuable message and multiply your ministry?
