The World Series ended way too quickly this year. I really didn’t get a chance to watch much of it. You see, I’m one of those people who doesn’t get “in” to baseball until the playoffs. That’s when it gets exciting enough for me to decide it’s worth my time. I’m sure to die-hard baseball fans that’s pretty close to blasphemy, but that’s just how it is for me. Sorry.
I wondered just the other day if that’s what it’s like for people who aren’t on board to teach in kids ministry? Do we need to do a better job of sharing the excitement of what happens when we “hit a homerun” and a child comes to know Christ? Or, the effect our efforts have on families when we include parents as part of our team in the spiritual growth of their kids?
I have noticed that when, on a rare occasion, I’ve followed a team all season that makes it to the Series, I get so much more excited about the outcome. I think that must be what it’s like for those teachers who’ve walked with a child through his spiritual journey, teaching him week after week, and then celebrating when he becomes a Christian, knowing they were part of the team that helped get him there!
Take a look at your ministry. Are you out there pitching to your church family, letting them see the scoreboard, so to speak? The only reason I knew it was time for the playoffs and the World Series is because of the advertisements. Sure, I know it always happens around this time of year, but without someone telling me the actual dates, I would never think about it on my own. And, they kept telling me over and over again. We can’t sit back and expect people to come running to to be part of our ministry. Sure, it seems to us that they should realize the importance on their own, but that’s not reality.
Let me encourage you to find some way to get your message out there. Whether it’s a “scoreboard” of sorts that lets your church know the number of kids saved during the year, or how many new families have joined, or how many new teachers have come on board, put it out there for all to see. Everyone wants to be part of a winning team.
Are you letting people know about your ministry? Do they know the stats? Don’t let someone else draft all the best players just because they don’t know about your team! Get the word out! The good news is that even if the World Series is over, the season for recruiting is always ongoing! You don’t have to wait until Spring to get started!
If you’ve got something that has worked well for you to raise awareness of kids ministry in your church, please share your ideas! Remember…this is a TEAM effort!
