Surprised by Boredom: Why Kids Ministry Still Needs the Basics

By Emily Jennings

As a kid, I would have scrubbed baseboards with a toothbrush to get out of Sunday night church. Discipleship training started at 5:00pm. My family spent a staggering amount of time at church on Sundays. That extra hour was an absolute slog for an 8-year-old who had been in her dress shoes since breakfast.

Week after week, I settled into the circle of cold metal chairs. Our sergeant, Mrs. Vickie, led her tiny soldiers to recite all 66 Bible books in unison. If not memorized, we read them from the table of contents, repeatedly. The minutes crawled. At times, it felt as though I would never see a playground or taste a fudge bar again.

But I grew up. In my teen years, the gospel took hold of me, and I started listening to the sermon. When the pastor told us to turn to a Bible book, I surprised myself by finding it immediately. A latent Bible skill had emerged in my spiritual infancy: I could navigate God’s Word. Why? Mrs. Vickie was not afraid of boredom.

God created fun. I am fun (ask my teenager). The benefits of fun for kids are well documented. Church leaders have a trove of world-class resources that utilize fun to teach kids about God and His Word. We want to incentivize kids to learn about God, and fun is a great incentive. However, no matter how intensely fun your kids ministry lesson, game, or costume is, the kids won’t always be into it. It’s hard to compete with viral clips. Your kids will have bad days and rebellious attitudes. Kids who think they know the Bible content might refuse to engage. In those moments, you don’t always have to pivot. Instead, channel your inner Mrs. Vickie.

Many Christians have spiritual heroes. Have you ever wondered, “What’s the secret ingredient?” I don’t think it’s much of a secret. Believers who possess a deep, sparkling faith have fixed their feet to the slow, monotonous path with no shortcuts—prayer and Bible reading. I’ve often wondered if the adults filling our church pews don’t pray and read the Bible much simply because it bores them. Alas, discipline isn’t always exciting.

Should we engage kids with creative resources and fun games to teach the Bible and grow disciples? Wholeheartedly, yes. At the same time, it is not your burden to cure every case of boredom. If we want to grow teeming hordes of kids into armies of steadfast disciples, we should not conceal that godly growth won’t always look like team colors and a confetti gun.

I have many blissful church memories. I’m 16, at a student retreat, playing capture the flag with best friends and faithful believers. Only the Lord sees the depths of my gratitude for the part-time student pastor who made knowing God fun. However, I don’t believe my persisting faith over these 25+ years is the direct result of either fun or memorization. I received a healthy blend of key ingredients necessary for a faith that would endure when following God was thrilling and when it was mundane.

Don’t make your lessons boring. Don’t pack up the glitter glue. Also, don’t ignore the basics of discipleship. Teach your kids to pray by letting everyone pray aloud, often. Show kids how to find and read Bible verses in hard copies of the Bible, no matter how long it takes. Let that silence hang awkwardly until someone raises their hand. Help them memorize all the Bible book names. Are they bored? Maybe—but that’s okay. The playground awaits.

One day, years of ordinary, dormant discipleship could break open in the heart of one of your kids when the God of heaven tears the veil from her adult eyes. With utter disbelief, she will behold the glorious Christ and marvel at how incredibly not boring He is—something Mrs. Vickie knew all along.

Emily Jennings is a content editor for Lifeway’s Explore the Bible: Kids. She cooks, reads, and shuttles her three sons around Raleigh, North Carolina, where her husband Brian serves as a senior pastor.