Kids Ministry

Dedicated to helping Kids Ministry leaders in their mission of making disciples

Discipleship, Encouragement, Evangelism

The Shoes you Choose

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You can tell a lot about a person‘s plans for the day by looking at their feet. Work boots or wing tips? High heels or high tops? Sneakers or loafers? Cleats or Crocs? Your goals and purposes and pathways and intentions are revealed in the shoes that you choose. 

Paul says something profound about what a Christian’s shoes are supposed to look like as part of his description of the armor of God in Ephesians 6. He describes them as having feet that are “shod” or “fitted” or “strapped” with readiness for the gospel. 

I can’t help but wonder which shoes in my closet best represent Paul’s picture of Gospel shoes. 

You may quickly think of your “Christian” shoes as your “church” shoes: formal and fancy, your dressiest, shiniest, most upscale “Sunday Best.” But that’s not the picture Paul paints in Ephesians 6. 

The shoes he describes are supposed to give us traction and support to stand firm and press forward. Gospel shoes are shoes that are meant for running along narrow trails and climbing up steep hills. Gospel shoes are more like army boots, or something you might use for CrossFit. I can’t help but wonder if my daily shoes are really fit for the use of the cross. 

Many of us prefer shoes that are stylish, or easy to slip on and off. I tend to opt for comfort and coziness. If I am honest, my feet are more comfortable when they are propped up at home on the coffee table than they are out on the busy streets and bumpy paths that lead me to interact with people who are far from God.

But Gospel shoes aren’t meant to be propped up. They are supposed to be worn in because they’re meant to be worn… out. Out in parks, and out on streets, and out at soccer games, and out at taco trucks, and out at repair shops, and out at hair salons, and out in offices, and out at coffee houses.

Gospel shoes are designed for bringing messages on mountaintops (Isaiah 52:7), and for trudging through hard valleys (Psalm 23:4). They help us to walk in the light (1 John 1:7) and keep us from stumbling (Jude 1:24). They are for crossing riverbeds (Joshua 3:15), and ocean floors (Exodus 14:22), and crushing the heads of serpents (Genesis 3:15). 

In 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” Gospel shoes are meant to make an impression. They are made to leave marks. They are a means of imprinting tracks that those who come behind you can find and follow. And isn’t that what we are called to do?

As you put your feet on the ground tomorrow, and every day that follows, be mindful to carefully choose the shoes you will use. May you and I both be laced-up in thick-treaded boots that enable us to take active and ready steps to seek, search, and engage those who are far from God, walking with Him and beside them to lead distant ones to Jesus.

What kind of shoes will you choose today? 

Discipleship, Encouragement, Family

Seeing the People on Your Path

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My 15 year old son, Tyson, runs cross country. I’ve never been a runner and don’t understand the joy he feels when he runs, but I certainly admire his dedication and the hard work that his team puts in to train. They workout very early three mornings a week in a trail-filled city park. Being there at dawn has motivated me to walk while I wait for him to train. As I walk, I have noticed that I see many of the same people on the path. We have passed each other repeatedly over the last few weeks, and I now find myself watching for those familiar faces. There’s the older couple who loves to look for deer in the foggy field, the tense gal who has a pinchy face and walks with her shoulders pulled up by her ears, the two ladies who talk and laugh loudly while they stroll, the elderly-but-fit gentleman who passes me because he’s so much faster than I am, the businessman who always seems to be on a call, the tall lady who walks her tiny dog, and the small man whose big dogs seem to be walking him.

As I’ve started to recognize these regulars, I find myself making more and more of an effort to greet each one of them with a wave, a smile, a hello, or some small bit of conversation. Sometimes I’m so bold as to share a passing word of encouragement to the joggers, telling them what a great job they’re doing and that they’ve got this. As I’ve continued to engage in these simple small ways I have noticed that more and more of them now look for me and greet me back. Their eyes no longer go to the ground. Instead, they rise to meet mine. And their previously stoic faces now have friendly familiar smiles. 

I understand that not everyone reading this post will feel inspired to greet strangers on a walking path. Even as I write this I am chuckling to myself knowing that some of my dearly loved, but deeply introverted, friends would feel incredibly uncomfortable and self-conscious doing this. 

Undoubtedly some of the people on the receiving end of my walkway greetings in the park are introverted too. While some have been quick to respond and engage, others are more hesitant and tentative. 

To be clear, my mission is not to make anyone talk to me, it’s merely to greet them in a way that acknowledges each one individually with a positive interaction every time we pass. I realize that, for some of them, the happy friendly guy that they see in the park three times each week may be the only one who shares a word of encouragement with them that day. Over the course of just a few weeks I have noticed how this simple social experiment has seemed to break down barriers and create a small sense of connection and camaraderie with my fellow path walkers.

There’s a lesson for us here as leaders in ministry. It can be very easy for us, especially during busy ministry times, to be so focused on tasks and challenges and problems and programs that we miss the opportunity to actually see the people that God has placed right in front of us. 

Making intentional eye contact, sharing a smile, and speaking (even a brief) friendly word says ‘I see you,’ ‘I acknowledge you,’ ‘I value you.’ People need to know that they are noticed and known. 

As leaders we may feel like we need to have something big or profound to say. We preach and teach in expound lessons and morals and messages using lots of words. But, I propose to you that there is ministry power in brief moments and simple interactions, and that God uses them to break down barriers that help to open the ears and hearts of those who may be close to us in physical proximity but who may feel distant, lonely, isolated, and unseen.

Furthermore. God doesn’t call me to greet every person on every path everywhere. Only the ones he places on my path. Don’t miss this though, friends. The Lord directs our paths (Proverbs 3:6). And he places both obstacles and opportunity along the way. Our responsibility Is to walk with Him and look for ways to minister to others on the path that we are on.

Today I want to challenge you to lift up your eyes. Go out of your way to truly see the people that God has put in your path. Let them know that they have been seen by you, and that they are loved by Him. Sometimes God uses small encounters in big ways.

Chuck Peters is Director of Lifeway Kids. Before his role at Lifeway, Chuck had a prolific career in television and video production. He is a 3-time Emmy Award Winning producer, director, writer and on-screen talent. A graduate of Columbia Bible College, Chuck, and his wife, Cris, have served in Student and Children’s Ministry for many years.

Bible Skills, Bible Study, Encouragement

Hand to Heart: Keeping Micro-reminders of God’s Word Before Your Eyes.

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If writing on your skin with a Sharpie is bad for you, I may be headed in a bad direction. I have developed a habit of writing Scripture references in black permanent marker on my left hand. It usually washes off within the day, but while it’s there it serves as a constant reminder for me to meditate on a Biblical truth throughout my day. 

God tells us that his Word should be written on our hearts, etched into our minds, scratched into our doorposts, and carved into our gates. 

Isaiah 44:5 says, “This one will say, ‘I am the LORD’s’; another will use the name of Jacob; still another will write on his hand, ‘The LORD’s,’ and take on the name of Israel.” (emphasis mine). That verse has served as my inspiration for writing bible verses on my left hand. Over the last couple of years the references on my left hand have been reminders that the Lord will fight for me if I can just be still (Exodus 14:14). To not be shaken by circumstances (Hebrews 12:27-28), to stand firm in the faith with strength and courage (1 Corinthians 16:13-15), and to not give the devil an opportunity (Ephesians 4:27). 

The simple writing of scripture addresses on my left hand helps me to ponder the words of God as I go through my day and on my way. For me there is another very personal level of reminder: As a guy who often smashes his hand every time I work on a car or build something with wood, I have a number of scars on my left hand. Literally writing scripture over my scars reminds me that God is bigger than any of my wounds, and that it is by the stripes of the Messiah that I have been healed (Isaiah 53:5). 

You don’t have to write on your hand. You may choose to write your scripture reminders in other prevalent places. My daughter regularly sticks Post-it notes on the dash of her car with bits of Scripture to think about while she drives. My wife writes out Scripture-based prayers for our family in a prayer journal. I know some friends who write verses on their bathroom mirrors in dry-erase marker. 

Whatever method you choose to use, I want to challenge you to find ways to continually keep micro-reminders of God’s Word before your eyes. 

I find that too often I am too much like the person that James talks about in James 1:23-24. In it, he observes that if we are merely hearers of the Word (and not doers) we’re like a person who looks quickly into the mirror but immediately forgets what he looks like once he walks away. 

Most of us have incredibly short attention spans. We live in a world that’s filled with busyness and activity and entertainment and distraction that constantly pulls our focus to new things. We’re the kind of people who get up from watching a TV show, and when we go into the kitchen to find a snack we forget what show we were just watching. 

In this cultural context we must, as committed followers of Jesus, be highly intentional about deliberately setting our focus on the right things. Joshua 1:8 gives a direct challenge to concentrate on God’s Word, saying this about God’s book of instruction, “…you are to meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.” 

For me that text is convicting. My brain so easily flies from one thing, to the next thing, to the next thing—from a movie quote to a song lyric to a meme to an upcoming deadline to a conversation I had yesterday—that I am seldom able to truly meditate, concentrate, or ruminate on any one thought for more than a few seconds at a time. 

But, as His followers, I believe God has called us to be different kinds of thinkers. He calls us to read his Word, not just for the purpose of checking off a box on our to-do list, but for the purpose of saturating our hearts and minds in The Truth; not like the absent-minded mirror-lookers in James’ letter, but as people who allow God’s Word to seep deeply into our hearts, permeating our souls and spirits. 

We are to be men and women who are so filled up with Scripture that it seeps and oozes out of us in our speech and attitudes and thoughts and actions. If a cup is filled with coffee and the person holding the cup is jostled, coffee will spill out. Likewise if that cup is filled with milk or juice or diet cola; whatever is inside is what spills out. The same is true for us. When you are shaken by the circumstances of life, whatever is in your heart will spill out; kindness or anger, harshness or gentleness, godliness or selfishness. 

Jesus said it this way in Luke 6:45, “out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.“ 

As you go about your busy day today, moving through your meeting-filled, task-driven, not-enough-time-to-get-it-all-done week, take active steps to keep God’s Word in front of your eyes at every turn. Choose a verse that speaks to your situation. Pick a passage that points to a truth that you need to dwell on. Then bust out the Expo® and scrawl it on your mirror. Plaster it on sticky notes. 

Or, like me, grab your trusty, fine-point, black ink, permanent marker out of the coffee-mug pen holder on your desk and literally write it on your hand. 

I truly hope that the things I write on my own hand will seep through my skin and imprint upon my heart. Someday, after I die, my greatest hope would be that they find my heart stained with  black ink from a lifetime of writing God’s Word onto my hand.

Chuck Peters is Director of Lifeway Kids. Before his role at Lifeway, Chuck had a prolific career in television and video production. He is a 3-time Emmy Award Winning producer, director, writer and on-screen talent. A graduate of Columbia Bible College, Chuck, and his wife, Cris, have served in Student and Children’s Ministry for many years.

Leadership, Ministry, Uncategorized

The Team Dream

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5 Time-Tested Tips for Building a Powerful Sense of Team in Your Ministry 

Right now you may not have what you would call a “dream team” (or maybe you do!) but in my experience, every leader has what I would call a team dream. Leaders long for the people they recruit to play key positions on their ministry teams to share in the passion, purpose and plan for reaching and teaching kids for their good and for God’s glory. Simply getting people to serve does not guarantee that they will see themselves as members of a team, or feel any sense of belonging or ownership of the ministry. Those things do not happen by accident. As leaders, we need to be intentional about building a sense of ‘team culture’ for our leaders to plug into. 

Here are 5 time-tested tips for building a powerful sense of team for your ministry’s leaders.

  1. Clothing – Teams wear the same uniform. This is true of 4-year-old T-ballers and NFL players. The uniform both identifies and unites the players. If your church is a T-shirt-friendly church, I highly recommend printing custom shirts for your kids team to wear every time they serve. This identifies your leaders for kids and their parents. If anyone has a question to ask, they can look for someone wearing the yellow (or blue, or red, or green) leader shirt. The shirt lets others know who is officially on the team. 

It also unites your leaders as members of the team. That simple shirt gives your leaders status and value and a sense of belonging (more on this later). Just wearing the shirt places importance on the wearer. 

If your church is more inclined to formal dress, you can bestow a similar sense of identity and unity by creating a wide and colorful lanyard that your leaders can wear around their necks. The goal is to provide your serving team members with a distinct wearable uniform piece that is unique to your team.   

2. Coaching – Members of sports teams don’t just show up on game day without preparation. They have a coach who helps them practice, plan and prepare. As ministry leaders, we do well to think of ourselves as coaches to our volunteers. 

Coaching is different from managing. It implies awareness and attention and the offering of insight and encouragement to improve each player’s performance. While all players on the team have the same coach, the coach may lead each player differently depending on their personal talents, needs and potential. 

As ministry leaders we need to stay in close communication with our team members. They need to know that we are on their side, and that we are available to help them succeed. 

  1. Huddles – Football teams huddle before every play. They circle up, link arms, look each other in the eye, and talk about their game plan for that moment. Huddles are a great tool for you in leading your ministry team. Huddles don’t last long, but they are extremely important for getting everyone on the same page, and for executing a winning strategy.

Make a habit of circling your leaders at the start of each ministry hour for a brief stand-up meeting where you can link arms, look each other in the eye and remind everyone of the importance of what’s about to happen. You might use this time to reinforce the big takeaway of the day’s lesson that you’d like every child to understand, and lead a brief prayer asking for God’s blessing on the day. 

I like to end huddles by having everyone put their hands in the middle and doing a quick, “1-2-3 Go team!” sort of cheer. It is amazing how building a cultural expectation of huddling before ministering, even if that huddle time is very brief, can transform your leaders into a team. 

  1. High Fives – When any player on a sports team scores, the whole team celebrates with high fives. We would do well to borrow this practice too. All too often our victories happen in isolation and we fail to celebrate victories with the larger team. For instance, when a child in the 3rd grade group makes a decision to trust Jesus, or a 5th grader decides she would like to be baptized, the whole team has reason to whoop it up, even those who happen to serve in the 2nd grade area. 

Volunteers need to know that there are spiritual points on the board as a result of their efforts. When volunteers know that the ministry that they serve in makes a difference and generates Kingdom results, they rightly feel that what they do really does matter, and they will be more inclined to stick with the team for a longer duration of service than disconnected leaders who do not share in the ministry’s victories. 

The point isn’t to elevate the volunteer who leads the child to Christ or the person who has that pivotal baptism conversation, but rather to celebrate every victory together in a way that directs glory to God and brings praise to His name for what He is doing in the hearts of children in your church.   

  1. Belonging – The ultimate goal is to create a compelling culture of belonging for everyone who serves on your team. Your leaders need to know that they are not ‘on their own,’ but that each one plays a key position that makes the whole team better. 

I don’t know if anyone has ever done this, but I love the idea that perhaps when a new volunteer joins the team there might be a moment of whole-team celebration wherein the new member is ceremonially given their team shirt or lanyard and welcomed by the bigger team. 

As leaders, we need to intentionally connect our leaders to one another so that they have something to belong to. They need to understand that every person is important; everyone contributes to the ministry and shares in each victory. They need to know that they are valued and honored and appreciated. Ultimately, my hope is that every person who serves feels a sense of ownership of the ministry and identity with the team.

Chuck Peters is Director of Lifeway Kids. Before his role at Lifeway, Chuck had a prolific career in television and video production. He is a 3-time Emmy Award Winning producer, director, writer and on-screen talent. A graduate of Columbia Bible College, Chuck, and his wife, Cris, have served in Student and Children’s Ministry for many years.

Discipleship, Encouragement, Leadership, Prayer

Prayer for the Empty Chair

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As fall arrives, many of our ministries will re-gather, perhaps for the first time in a long time. Maybe you intend to kick things off with a large family event, followed by a fresh introduction to kids gatherings in Sunday school classrooms and in large groups for children’s church. Many of us will have new volunteers and new visitors and new opportunities to engage in ministry. Let’s absolutely make sure to appropriately celebrate those who attend. Greet her warmly, look him in the eye, call them by name, and let them know that they are welcome and wanted and valued. But even as we celebrate those who are present, I want to challenge you to also make an effort to be aware of those who are not there. 

I like to make a practice of praying over an empty chair. You can do this alone, with your volunteers, or even with the children in attendance. By praying over the empty chair we acknowledge that there is always room for one more, and that we want the Lord to bring someone into the group and fill the empty seat. 

The empty chair may represent someone who had been a regular attender who is no longer able to come to gatherings, or it may represent someone new to the area who is looking for a place to belong. It may represent someone who has never attended church before at all. 

By praying for the empty chair we make it known to all involved that our desire is to invite, welcome and celebrate those that God wants to bring to himself. It also lets children know that we pray for them even when they are not with us. 

As you return to gathering for ministry this week, consider starting a new practice of prayer for the empty chair. And ask God to bring newcomers into belonging in your church and in His family.

Chuck Peters is Director of Lifeway Kids. Before his role at Lifeway, Chuck had a prolific career in television and video production. He is a 3-time Emmy Award Winning producer, director, writer and on-screen talent. A graduate of Columbia Bible College, Chuck, and his wife, Cris, have served in Student and Children’s Ministry for many years.

Discipleship, Family Ministry, Gospel-Centered, Kids Ministry, Ministry

The Goal of Godliness: What is the top priority of your ministry?

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A few years ago we had a possum problem at our house. We decided to set a small animal trap so we could capture and then safely release the critter into a nice wooded area far enough away that he would not find his way back to our yard. So, we placed our trap and went to bed. The next day we discovered that we didn’t have an opossum problem at all. We had a skunk problem. If you have ever set out to catch an opossum but instead snagged a skunk, you know it’s a stinky situation to be in. 

I fear that many of our kids are being baited into the traps that have been set by a secular and ungodly world, and the outcome really stinks. 

Statistics and anecdotal evidence both suggest that the lives, values, and pursuits of “Christian” kids and families are largely indistinguishable from those of their unbelieving neighbors. 

Research gathered in a partnership between Lifeway Kids and Lifeway Research and reported in the book, Nothing Less by Jana Magruder, shows that 25% of Christian parents said that their top goal was for their kids to grow up to be happy. 22% said their top desire was for their kids to be successful. 19% said they wanted their kids to be “good people.” 17% said their emphasis was on their kids’ education. 

Only 9% of the Christian parents surveyed said that their top priority was for their kids to grow up to be godly. 

Don’t miss that stat. Less than 10% of 2000 “Christian” parents surveyed have the goal of godliness as the top priority for their children. That answer is both sad and revealing. Is it truly a surprise that so many kids from believing families walk away from their faith when they leave home? 

Please hear me, there is nothing wrong with wanting happiness and success and education and good-ness for our kids—I want all of those things for my own children—but each of those things must be defined and pursued in the context of the preeminent goal of godliness. 

The Word warns us of the stink we will experience if we do not train our children to be godly. In the absence of a top-level pursuit of godliness the world will teach our kids to be something entirely the opposite. 

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul cautions his protege that, “Hard times will come in the last days. People will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, demeaning, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness but denying its power.” 2 Timothy 3:1-9

Read that list again. 

It could have been written yesterday to describe people today. It outlines the characteristics that our culture commends, and that our kids are being conditioned to seek and celebrate.

We need to be careful what narratives our ministries perpetuate. Our children do not need to be taught how important they are; they need to be shown how holy God is. They don’t need to be taught how to fit-in with a godless culture; they need to understand that they are not of this world. They do not need to be taught how to blend in; they need to be equipped with courage to stand up and to stand out. 

As ministers of the gospel we have a responsibility to push against the priorities of our culture and spur-on kids and parents to chase after godliness before anything else. The chief goals of a child’s life must not be his happiness, success, popularity, fame, education, health, wealth, or social status. The chief goals must always be his redemption and right-relationship with God. 

Mark asks a very pertinent question in Mark 8:36. “what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” 

Thankfully, I did not trap a skunk in my cage. Once I was aware of the real situation, I was able to remove the trap before I caught a living stink bomb. My prayer is that we, as ministry leaders, will have the courage and foresight to identify and disarm the traps that Satan has set against our children. May we help them to have eyes to see the dangers of running after the wrong things, and direct them to instead chase after Jesus with all of their strength.

Chuck Peters is Director of Lifeway Kids. Before his role at Lifeway, Chuck had a prolific career in television and video production. He is a 3-time Emmy Award Winning producer, director, writer and on-screen talent. A graduate of Columbia Bible College, Chuck, and his wife, Cris, have served in Student and Children’s Ministry for many years.

Kids Ministry, Ministry, Resources

Clarify Your Why: 5 Reasons to Revisit Your Mission Statement

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Almost every ministry has a mission statement in a frame on their wall or in the first paragraph of their handbook. But mission statements aren’t meant to be framed; they’re supposed to be followed. 

In order to be effective as a ministry leader, you need to be able to identify and articulate a clear and compelling “why” for your ministry in your context. These statements don’t have to be long, but they do need to be specific, actionable, and relevant to your everyday decisions. If you have one, it may be time to review your “why” statement to make sure it still accurately outlines the primary purpose of your ministry. 

If you do not have one, today would be a great day to begin drafting one. Here are five big benefits to help inspire you to clarify your why.

Benefit 1: Your “why” gives you a target and a filter. Understanding your “why” helps you answer the otherwise difficult question, “Should we  ______?”. As a leader, you will need to fill in this blank a hundred times. Should we continue to have a kids choir? Should we host a fall festival for the community? Should we have our kids write notes to shut-ins? Should we take a group of kids to summer camp?

Every decision you make along the way will either align with your why in a way that reinforces the core mission of your ministry or divert your attention to something else. In each instance, continually looking back to your stated purpose will help you evaluate each decision with greater clarity. Then, you can make confident decisions without stress, and you can let your yes be yes and your no be no. 

Benefit 2: Your “why” helps you determine your destination. The first thing your GPS asks you to do is enter your desired destination. Knowing where you are going is essential information in order to set a successful and efficient course. Your purpose is your compass. Many kids ministry leaders are actively driving and moving and steering and accelerating their ministries without really knowing where they are going. Articulating your ‘why’ is the equivalent of entering an address into your GPS. We begin with the end in mind. 

Once you know what you want your kids to know, and how you want them to grow before they go, you can move forward with greater confidence that you are taking effective steps to get them there. 

Benefit 3: Your “why” helps you stay focused on big problems. As we seek to connect our kids to God through growing individual relationships with Jesus, we face some pretty big opposition. Our kids are immersed in an ungodly culture within a worldly-minded kingdom that competes for the affections of their hearts. 

We have a culture problem. Romans 12:2 warns us to not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but we know that the world pressures and influences our kids to conform everyday. 

We have a kingdom problem. Matthew 6:25-26 contrasts the responses of those living with a worldly kingdom mindset and those who live for the kingdom of God. Those who don’t know God or the way He works are filled with worry and doubt and anxiety. Our kids’ values are being shaped daily by a worldly kingdom that denies God as ruler and king. We need to show them how to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness so they can walk in boldness and confidence. 

We have a heart problem. True and lasting spiritual transformation does not come from correcting kids’ behavior. If we merely teach them how to act in ways that look good—act nice, act humble, act godly, or act like a good Christian—we are really just teaching them to be actors. In Isaiah 29:13 The Lord says, “…people approach me with their speeches to honor me with their lip-service, yet their HEARTS are far from me.” Coaching kids to change their outward behavior does not transform. True change that honors God has to start in the heart. 

Benefit 4: Your “why” helps everyone know their role. Discipling children to spiritual maturity requires an intentional partnership between ministry leaders, volunteers, parents, and kids. Deuteronomy 6 reminds us that God intends for parents to be the primary disciplers of their own children. Many parents are not well equipped to do this themselves. We live in what might be referred to as an outsourcing culture. If I want my son to learn math, I hire a tutor. If I want him to learn piano, I hire a teacher. If I want to help him advance in soccer, I hire a trainer. Likewise, many parents who want their kids to grow in faith look to outsource spiritual development to the church. 

While training, teaching, and tutoring kids in matters of faith directly will always be an important part of what we do, we must also be ever mindful to partner with parents to coach, equip, and resource them to disciple their own kids at home. Just as pastors are called to equip the saints for ministry (not just do it themselves), we are called to equip parents to lead their families spiritually. 

Benefit 5: Your “why” helps you define success. According to research reported in the book Nothing Less by Jana Magruder, written to report the results of surveys conducted by the Lifeway Research team, Christian adults want many good things for their kids, but many of the good things families pursue are not effective in cultivating spiritual maturity in kids as they grow into adults. Of those surveyed 25% want their kids to be happy, 22% want their kids to be successful, 19% want their kids to be ‘good people,’ 17% want them to be well educated. Less than 10% of those surveyed say they want their kids to be godly. Too many of us are content to lead our ministries in a way that fosters happy, successful, educated, ‘good kids,’ without prioritizing their godliness. 

Rather than teaching our kids to pursue being happy in a world within which we are meant to be set apart, may we instead teach them that they are God’s workmanship, made in His image, created on purpose, designed for purpose, known by God, highly valued, deeply loved and completely forgiven through the person and work of Jesus. Let’s define success by a different standard than the world. Let’s craft our ministries to train up kids who know they are made to be set apart. 

What’s your why? 

Take time to reevaluate your mission, vision and values statement in light of these five factors. It may be time to make some edits or adjustments to clarify the “why” for your ministry. 

Chuck Peters is Director of Operations for Lifeway Kids. Before his role at Lifeway, Chuck had an extensive career in television and video production. He is a 3-time Emmy Award Winning producer, director, writer and host. A graduate of Columbia Bible College, Chuck, and his wife, Cris, have served vocationally & voluntarily in Student and Children’s Ministry for many years. They have four amazing children: Tally (21), Tristen (20), Tyson (14) and Tate (11). 

Encouragement, Events, Family Ministry, Kids Ministry, Ministry, Reaching, Resources

Ready, Reset, Go!

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Summer is here, and kids ministry leaders everywhere find themselves re-entering into the joys and challenges of conducting busy summer ministries like VBS, attending summer camps, and creating summer programming to re-engage kids and families. It has been encouraging to see so much momentum around vacation bible school this summer. If there was any question as to whether kids would return to at-church events, the answer is a resounding, yes!

The good news is that the positive response we have seen to summer ministry events would seem to indicate that kids and parents are ready to come back to church. Ready or not, kids are coming back, and we need to make sure we are ready to go when they arrive. It may be tempting to take a break and relax with a major vacation getaway and let ourselves let down after camp and VBS are over, it would be wiser to take a brief respite and quickly reset our sights on fall. The reality is that the calendar is not our friend. Time is short, and, if we are honest, many of us are not really ready. If you feel like you have been running late and making a lot of last-minute decisions you are far from alone. We have all been functioning in a reactive mode, shrouded in uncertainty, without the ability to plan as far ahead as we would prefer. 

Although we don’t have eons of time to regroup, we do have a window of opportunity to make preparations over the next few weeks so we can get out in front of what we hope will be a significant fall influx. But we cannot afford to delay. Now is the time to make key decisions and take important actions as we anticipate the restart of our kids ministries, some or all of which may have been on mothballs for the last 18 months. 

We cannot afford to simply return to what we did a year and a half ago. This is time to reassess, reevaluate, regroup, reenlist, reengage, and possibly reinvent our kids ministry strategies, programs, and personnel. We need to re-design our ministries to make sure that they are well informed by the current state of our culture and make adjustments where necessary. In many regions churches have already returned to ministry as usual where they no longer require leaders or kids to wear masks or to enforce strong guidelines on social distancing, however it is wise for us to continue to implement standards and practices that minimize contact and maximize space for everyone in attendance. If you have not already reviewed and updated your guidelines, now is the time. 

The Lifeway kids team has created two important and helpful e-books that you can find at lifeway.com/kmfa. 6 Considerations for Reopening your Kids Ministry gives insight in regards to standards of practice for safety, cleanliness and volunteer preparation and 10 Attributes of an Unshakable Kids Ministry helps you reevaluate your priorities so you can best serve kids and families as we emerge into a new post Covid season. 

We anticipate what may be the largest fall kick off for kids ministries anywhere, ever, so we would all be wise to create strategies specific for re-engaging kids and families who have not attended regularly over the last 18 months, and to welcome and invite new families from the community to visit our churches this fall. Summer is a great time to offer fun family events in your fellowship hall or parking lot to attract and connect with kids and their families. This is a great opportunity to proclaim that your kids ministry will be back in a big way this fall. Starting this conversation early will help kids and families prepare now to be back then. To help you host a successful relaunch event, the Lifeway kids team has also provided a handy kit for creating your own fall relaunch celebration. The Go Time Kit is a printable download that will help you outline an experience for families that will reestablish relational connection between your church and the community you serve and restart momentum as we get ready to press go. 

As we anticipate a massive return of kids and families to our churches this fall nationwide, we as kids ministry leaders need to not only gear up to re-open our doors and prepare our spaces for kids to be back, but also reevaluate our strategies in light of a world that has changed. Whether we are ready or not, fall is coming, and it is coming fast. Now is the time to get ready, and to reset, so that we can be all-systems-go as we near September and the relaunch of our kids ministries.

Chuck Peters is Director of Operations for Lifeway Kids. Before his role at Lifeway, Chuck had an extensive career in television and video production. He is a 3-time Emmy Award Winning producer, director, writer and host. A graduate of Columbia Bible College, Chuck, and his wife, Cris, have served vocationally & voluntarily in Student and Children’s Ministry for many years. They have four amazing children: Tally (21), Tristen (20), Tyson (14) and Tate (11). 

Follow-up, Reaching, Vacation Bible School
Encouragement, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Ministry

5 Leadership Lessons from Gideon

By

The story of Gideon in Judges 6 and 7 is a familiar one to kids ministry leaders, and it’s one that we might do well to revisit during this challenging season of ministry. Gideon was something of an unlikely war hero. When we meet him in Judges 6, he is literally hiding from the Midianites, threshing wheat on the floor of a winepress so he won’t be seen and raided. That’s where the Angel of the Lord came to him with an unexpected greeting in Judges 6:12: “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Gideon himself seems surprised by this assessment of who he is, as we see in verse 15: “Pardon me,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” After some famous convincing involving two days of dew and a fleece, Gideon trusts God, makes a battle plan, gathers 32,000 troops, and prepares to attack. At least that was Gideon’s “Plan A.” 

Right about then, God made another unexpected statement, recorded for us in Judges 7:2: “You have too many troops for me to hand the Midianites over to them, or else Israel might elevate themselves over me and say, ‘I saved myself.’” So God proceeded to whittle down the troops. Twice. First from 32,000 to 10,000, and then to just 300. And then the battle plans changed. This battle would not be won with soldiers, swords, and shields. Nope. Each of the 300 men would instead go to the battle with a trumpet, a torch, and a terracotta pot. We’ll call this “Plan B.” 

You may know the story. Gideon’s 300 men surround the Midianite camp, and on his signal, they break the pots, revealing their torches, then they blow their trumpets and shout, “For the Lord, and for Gideon!” And the Midianites are so frightened and confused, they fight against themselves, and God uses Gideon and 300 men to defeat them. 

What does this have to do with your ministry in 2021? Like Gideon, most of us have had our Plan A taken away, and we don’t know what to do. We feel discouraged and distracted and defeated. Some of us are literally hiding! Our churches aren’t meeting. Our volunteers are MIA. We feel like our soldiers, swords, shields, and strategies are gone. Some of us are doubting whether God has chosen the right person for our job. If this is how you feel, these five truths from Gideon’s life are for you. Listen closely, and apply them to your situation.

Truth 1: The mission hasn’t changed.

2020 (and now 2021) have been difficult for everyone in ministry. No, we can’t do it the way we have always done it, but we must continue to minister to kids and families in whatever ways we can. Let’s not allow our ministries to be deterred or deferred. There’s urgency around the gospel. Ephesians 5:16 reminds us to make the most of the time we have. 2 Timothy 4:2 challenges us to present the Word “in season and out of season.” Not having Plan A is not a reason to concede the mission. When God took away Gideon’s soldiers, the goal was never to not have a battle, and it was never to not win the battle. The mission didn’t change, only the method. And God did what He did for good reason.

Truth 2: God sometimes does big things in absurd ways.

Time and time again in Scripture, we witness God doing miraculous things in unlikely ways. God rescued humanity from elimination by having a 500-year-old man build a boat in the desert. He saved baby Moses by having his mother float him down the river in a basket, then had the daughter of the very king who decreed that all Israelite babies be killed, adopt him and raise him in the palace. He waited until Abram was 100 before he gave the promised son. He used a shepherd boy with a rock to kill a famous military champion (who also happened to be a giant). He had Elijah pour water over the altar, enough to fill a trench around it, before burning up the offering with fire from heaven to humiliate the prophets of Baal. Jesus told the wedding caterers to fill the jugs with water. He told Peter to get a coin from a fish. He healed a blind man with spit-mud. He defeated death by dying. When He left the tomb, He folded the cloth. Don’t waste time worrying that God has taken away your meeting times or your volunteers. Don’t cry over soldiers and swords. Look for torches and trumpets. Watch for the Lord to do something amazing that only He can do, so the glory can only be given to Him.  

Truth 3: It’s not your battle.

When looking through the account of Gideon in Judges 6–7, it’s interesting to notice how many times “Gideon’s” story mentions God’s actions. God approached Gideon to lead the charge (6:12), sent Gideon (6:14), promised to be with Gideon (6:16), gave signs of assurance to Gideon (6:36–40), filtered out the fearful soldiers (7:3), tested the troops at the river for Gideon (7:4), promised to deliver Israel with 300 men (7:7), told Gideon when to attack (7:9), assured Gideon again (7:10), handed the Midianites over to 300 men (7:15), and caused the Midianite army to turn on each other (7:22). Do you see it? We may think of this as Gideon’s battle, but it wasn’t. It was God’s. It was always God’s. The battle belongs to the Lord. So does your ministry. Stop trying to carry the burden of failed Plan A and the stress of an untested Plan B. Your church is His. Your kids are His. Your job is His. It’s not about you. It’s all about Him!

Truth 4: God WILL accomplish His plan.

God is absolutely, 100%, perfectly in control of every circumstance and situation you will ever face. History is His story. He is the author and finisher. He raises up kings and tears them down again. He is our strong tower. He is an ever-present help. He is Lord of all and over all. There is no one and nothing outside of His control. When God says something will be done, you can know that it WILL absolutely, positively, 100%, be done. In Judges 6:16–23, God tells Gideon, “ I WILL be with you.” “You WILL strike Midian down as if it were one man.”  “I WILL stay until you return.” And, “Don’t be afraid, for you WILL NOT die.” In Judges 7:7 The Lord said to Gideon, “I WILL deliver you with the three hundred men.” God has a purpose and a plan, and He will be faithful to complete His plan. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that God created us for good works, “which God prepared ahead of time for us to do,” and Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us that God knows the plans He has for us.  When we understand that God will work out His plan, it changes how we pray. Instead of asking God to be with us in our plans, may we ask that He allow us to be with Him in His plans.

Truth 5: God wants leaders to walk in confidence by faith.

When the time came for the battle to occur, Gideon gave each of his 300 men their torches and their trumpets and their clay pots and he gave them this instruction in Judges 7:17: “Watch me,” he said to them, “and do what I do.” In this moment, Gideon gives us a beautiful picture of biblical leadership. It’s not a “do as I say” strategy, but one built on leadership by example. In reality, we all know that “do as I say” never works. Our actions need to model our words. It’s not enough to say it; we have to display it. It’s not enough to talk it; we have to walk it. It’s not enough to know it; we have to show it. Paul encouraged the church at Corinth to follow him as he followed Christ. We need to model trust in God through difficult circumstances. We need to walk by faith through uncertainty. We need to model determination to reach kids and teach kids, if not in person then through their mailboxes, their inboxes, or online. 

As leaders, we need to get our hearts right and our heads right, and then invite people to watch us and do what we do, reminding ourselves and others that the mission hasn’t changed. God sometimes does big things in absurd ways. This is not our battle to win or lose. God will accomplish His will.

In the end, we’ll learn something profound: In God’s eyes, Plan B was Plan A all along.

Chuck Peters is Director of Operations for Lifeway Kids. Before his role at Lifeway, Chuck had an extensive career in television and video production. He is a 3-time Emmy Award Winning producer, director, writer and host. A graduate of Columbia Bible College, Chuck, and his wife, Cris, have served vocationally & voluntarily in Student and Children’s Ministry for many years. They have four amazing children: Tally (21), Tristen (20), Tyson (14) and Tate (11). 

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