By Jana Magruder
Kids ministry leaders wear a lot of hats. On any given week, we might be recruiters, trainers, event planners, volunteer coordinators, decorators, Costco runners, Canva designers, and ProPresenter pros, all before lunchtime! Each of these roles matters and adds value to the ministry. But there’s one role that matters more than the rest: a disciple maker. Discipleship is the heartbeat of kids ministry and why we do what we do. But it doesn’t just happen as kids come to church. The truth is that discipleship requires intentionality. It takes time, prayer, and a wise plan. A discipleship strategy is more than choosing a curriculum or creating a scope and sequence. A strong discipleship strategy ensures that everything happening in your ministry is helping kids know God, love His Word, and follow Jesus. So, where do you begin?
Start with the Biblical Truths You Want Kids to Know
The first step in building a discipleship strategy is identifying the biblical concepts you want children to learn. Most of us can agree on some foundational goals: We want kids to know who God is, to love His Word, to understand that the Bible tells God’s big story about creation, people, the world, and most importantly, Jesus! We want kids to know about God’s plan for the church and His invitation for them to be part of His forever family. These concepts form the foundation of a biblical worldview. When kids consistently hear and interact with these core truths, they begin to see the world through the lens of Scripture.
Understand the Ages and Stages in Your Ministry
Next, identify the age groups represented in your ministry. Kids ministry includes more developmental stages than almost any other ministry area in the church. Babies, toddlers, preschoolers, elementary kids, and preteens are all growing spiritually, but not in the same way. A one-size-fits-all discipleship plan doesn’t work with such a broad range of ages. Babies learn through repetition, and toddlers think concretely, while older kids can understand more abstract ideas and begin to connect biblical truths to real life. In preschool and children’s ministry alone, there can be up to six different age groups. Once the age groups are identified, discipleship planning can become more focused and intentional.
Combine to Create a Strategic Plan
When you intersect biblical concepts with the different age groups, a discipleship strategy begins to form. Using a tool like Ages and Stages, based on the Levels of Biblical Learning® by Lifeway, is a helpful way to take the guesswork out of discipleship planning. This free plan is not a curriculum or a scope and sequence. It is a research-based system developed by educators and theologians. It provides essential truth statements across ten biblical concepts organized by age group. These statements begin with simple foundational truths that even a baby can begin to understand. As that baby grows, so does the depth of the truth statement, which leads to the development of a biblical worldview.
One of the most powerful aspects of Ages and Stages is that churches and families can use the same language and truths. That means discipleship doesn’t stop when kids leave the church building. Parents, caregivers, and teachers are all reinforcing the same biblical foundations. Leaders can access these resources for free at Lifeway.com/agesandstages, where you can select an age group and a biblical concept to download printable PDFs. Booklets and posters are also available for purchase and make excellent tools for teacher training and resourcing families.
Discipleship Doesn’t Happen by Accident
A strong discipleship strategy helps you know that every lesson, experience, and conversation in kids ministry is pointing children to knowing and following Jesus. When biblical truths, developmental stages, and intentional planning work together, discipleship becomes strategic and purposeful. And that is a hat worth wearing!
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