Discipleship – Page 3

July 15, 2019

Whom Are You Discipling?

Ministry is time-consuming. There are so many details to handle, and daily interruptions often distract us. Yet, Jesus reminds us in Matthew 28:19-20 that our primary purpose is to “make disciples.” As KidMin leaders we have the opportunity to be disciple-makers of at least four groups.

Preschoolers: A true disciple is a follower of Christ, so how can preschoolers become disciples before they receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior? They can’t, but they can learn about who Jesus is and how Jesus wants us to live. When we allow God to use us to build these spiritual foundations in the lives of preschoolers, we are preparing young children for a life of discipleship.
Elementary Kids: Similar to preschoolers who are not yet believers, we can teach kids the foundations of the faith. Once a child becomes a Christian, we have the responsibility of helping them grow in their faith by developing healthy spiritual habits such as Bible reading and prayer.
Parents: One of the ways we can disciple parents is by providing them with resources to disciple their own children. Also, we can encourage parents to develop their own personal spiritual habits. Remember, however, that some parents may not be believers. Part of the disciple-making process includes sharing the gospel with them.
Volunteers: God calls us to equip volunteers, which we do with resources, training, and encouragement. But, what about discipling volunteers? We can do this one-on-one and in group settings when we talk about what God is doing in our church and in our kids ministry. Also, we can encourage volunteers to develop healthy spiritual habits, including studying the Bible and worshipping with other adult believers. You might even consider starting a small group just for preschool and children’s teachers in your church.

Look back over the list. You may already be doing some of these things as part of your ministry. If not, consider making a few adjustments to reclaim your purpose as a disciple-maker.

Landry Holmes is the Manager of Lifeway Kids Ministry Publishing, Nashville, TN. A graduate of Howard Payne University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Landry served on church staffs before coming to Lifeway. He is a church leader, writer, workshop facilitator, and publisher. Landry also teaches children at his church in Middle Tennessee. He and his wife Janetta are the grandparents of three adorable grandbabies.

Bible Skills, Discipleship, Kids Ministry

May 22, 2019

Not On Our Watch

By Jana Magruder

Recently, a colleague in children’s ministry reached out to me after she read Nothing Less: Engaging Kids in a Lifetime of Faith. She was encouraged to see that the book touches on themes she had implemented in her church in Texas. I invited Erin Woodfin to share her story with you.

I began reading the book of Judges in my quiet time and kept coming across the fact that it only took a generation for the Israelites to forget about the glorious deeds of the Lord. Judges 2:10 says, “And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.” This verse spoke to me and I began to think about my own child and the children who come to our church. I began to realize that the reason a generation arose who did not know the Lord was because the parents and teachers had failed to do what God had called them to do. They did not carry out the verse in Psalm 78:4. They did not tell to the coming generation the things the Lord had done. I began to be convicted and committed that this would not happen on our watch. So the phrase “NOT ON OUR WATCH” kept playing over and over in my head. “NOT ON OUR WATCH” will a generation arise that does not know the glorious deeds of the Lord. Together we will raise up a generation who knows the Lord and the glorious things he has done. I never want families to forget, I never want children to forget the glorious deeds of the Lord. Practically for our church, we did this in three ways:

Volunteer Vision

When we launched the NOT ON OUR WATCH vision to our Kids Ministry Volunteers, we went all out. We got shirts, cups, bracelets, you name it we had it. I wanted my volunteers to know that this was something I wanted them to push hard. I wanted them to know the time they spent with children was not just glorified babysitting but that it was Kingdom work. I used Psalm 78:4 in almost every conversation I had with a volunteer and wanted them to have that verse memorized by the time the year was over. I saw so much excitement in the lives of my volunteers because, for the first time, they felt as though their position mattered and was playing a huge roll in the spiritual development of children. If I wanted the “NOT ON OUR WATCH” vision to take off, I knew my volunteers were going to have to sell it for me.

Volunteer Training

Training of volunteers is the largest part of what we do in Children’s Ministry. A well-trained volunteer is the lifeblood of your ministry. The year we ran with the “NOT ON OUR WATCH” vision, I had several other children’s leaders who I trusted come in and help me with training. Sometimes we as children’s ministers say the same thing over and over again, but bringing in someone with the same passions can excite the volunteers in your ministry.

One of the other things we incorporated that year was a time for me to meet with all my volunteers. While my small group leaders were with the children, I would meet with my ministry team leaders. In these meetings, we would pray together, take care of any housekeeping matters, dream together, and talk about ways we could improve things. This was also a time I would use to train and encourage my volunteers. I would also let them tell me things that were working for them or things that were frustrating. It allowed me time to be able to minister to my precious volunteers. A well trained and loved on volunteer will take your ministry to a whole new level.

Parent Involvement

When we launched the “NOT ON OUR WATCH” vision I knew I would need better parent involvement. Parent involvement is always something that is challenging for ministers. However, I believe there are changes that can be made to increase parent involvement in your ministry. Curriculum choice is one of the main ways to get parents involved. Choosing a curriculum that has multiple ways of getting parents involved is the way to go. We use the Gospel Project, which has several ways of connecting with parents. They have take-home sheets, information for weekly emails, and even an app to make things even easier for parents on-the-go.

Another way parents are encouraged to be involved is by my volunteers reaching out to families each week. My volunteers reach out in the form of handwritten cards, texts, or phone calls. This constant communication with parents shows them they are not alone in the discipleship process. We want them to know we are in the trenches with them.

Children’s ministry is the best and most exhausting job on the planet. However, with the right vision for your volunteers who are trained and loved on well, and good parent involvement, your ministry will become something that is life-giving. Remember, “NOT ON OUR WATCH” will there come a generation that does not know the Lord. We will stop at nothing to make sure children know the glorious deeds of the Lord. We are equipped to do what God has called us to do. Let’s face this challenge head-on and refuse to fail. Children will be discipled, families will be changed, and the Kingdom will grow.

“We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.” Psalm 78:4

Erin is the children’s minister at Immanuel Baptist Church in Marshall, TX. She is a graduate of Ouachita Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Erin is passionate about finding ways to creatively engage children and help point them to Jesus. She also enjoys writing, running, a hot cup of coffee, and watching baseball with her husband Michael and their two precious daughters.

Bible Skills, Bible Study, Discipleship, Leadership

March 25, 2019

Teaching God’s Word to Impact Young Lives

By Tim Pollard

Hebrews 4:12 says that God’s Word is living and effective. When you hear these two words, what comes to mind? Do they seem foreign as they apply to an inanimate object like the Bible? When the writer of Hebrews called the Bible living what did he mean and how can we take the living Word and help it shape the lives of boys and girls?

Obviously, the writer’s intent is not to imply that the Bible itself breathes, thinks, or in our understanding of life, is alive, but the Bible indeed is living. The end of Hebrews 4:12 shows how life comes from the Bible when the author says that God’s Word “is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” When leading conferences I like to ask conferees why they continue to read the Bible. Why not just read it once and be done with it? The reason is clear—because God’s Word means something new to us each time we read it. The Spirit of God highlights for our souls what we need to hear from God as we read His living Word! Experiencing God’s Word in such a way should guide our teaching as we help kids allow the Bible to impact their lives. Here are a few ways you can help guide kids to understand and appreciate God’s living Word.

Teach kids that God’s Word is inspired. Help them understand what this means. God’s Word came by human pen through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. As such, God’s Word represents the actual words God intended for people to read. God inspired the words that kids can read as they open their Bibles.
Teach kids what a daily discipline of Bible study looks like. Encourage girls and boys to begin a simple daily time of Bible reading. Once kids understand the importance of daily Bible reading, challenge them to begin deeper study into God’s Word.
Teach kids the wonderful things that the Bible teaches about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and daily life. As you are excited to share the truths of the Bible, kids can learn to be excited to open God’s Word and dig deeper into its pages.
Provide resources that help kids know what God’s Word teaches. As a living Word, the Bible speaks to many issues or circumstances kids are faced with. Guide kids to find how God’s Word teaches about issues they are challenged by and help them remember how to use the Bible to guide them in their daily walk.

God’s Word is living and effective. As kids begin to understand how God’s living Word affects their lives they will desire deeper understanding and see the impact of the Bible on their lives. Take seriously the role you play in guiding girls and boys to cherish God’s Word.

Tim Pollard is passionate about helping kids dig deep into Scripture, which he pursues through his daily work as leader of the Explore the Bible: Kids team. Tim lives with his wife and daughters in Mount Juliet, TN.

Discipleship, Evangelism, Gospel-Centered, Podcasts, Uncategorized

September 13, 2018

Sharing the Gospel with Kids

By Chuck Peters

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Jeremy Echols and Bill Emeott join Chuck on the Kids Ministry 101 Podcast this week to discuss the importance of Sharing the gospel with Kids. Jeremy and Bill talk about how we train our CentriKid Camps staff and how they relate everything back to the gospel. We aim to help kids grow in their relationship with Christ and to present the message clearly for those who don’t have a relationship with Christ.

Earlier this week, we released a free training that was used at CentriKid Camps this summer to train staff and leaders on how to clearly and appropriately share the gospel with kids. You can find that training here!

Jeremy Echols leads the CentriKid Camps and Student Life for Kids teams. He, his wife Emily, and their precious daughter love their church, their neighborhood, and spending time together. Jeremy loves to read, watch sports, and grill burgers.

Bill Emeott serves as Lead Ministry Specialist for Lifeway Kids. A graduate of Mercer University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Bill has served as a Kid’s Minister and considers himself a professional Sunday School teacher. He currently teaches 2nd Grade Bible study at his home church in Nashville.

To find out more about CentriKid Camps click HERE!

Bible Study, Discipleship, Gospel-Centered, Kids Ministry, Kids Ministry Curriculum, Podcasts, Resources

June 21, 2018

The Gospel Project: When you get it, it changes everything

By Chuck Peters

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The Gospel Project is a Christ-centered chronological Bible study for babies-adults. On today’s podcast, Brian Dembowczyk, managing editor of The Gospel Project, shares the vision of The Gospel Project and why sharing the gospel with children is of the utmost importance.

Brian Dembowczyk is the Managing Editor of The Gospel Project, a Bible study curriculum used by over one million people each week, and the author of Gospel-Centered Kids Ministry: How the Gospel Will Transform Your Kids, Your Church, Your Community, and the World and Cornerstones: 200 Questions and Answers to Learn Truth. Prior to being the managing editor, he served as the Publishing Team Leader for The Gospel Project for Kids. Before coming to Lifeway Christian Resources, Brian served in local church ministry for seventeen years, primarily in family ministry and discipleship ministry. Brian earned a D.Min. from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and an M.Div. from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He, his wife Tara, and their three children live in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Discipleship, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Spiritual Disciplines

May 14, 2018

4 Disciplines for a Disciple-building Kids Ministry

By Bill Emeott

Over the years I have shared the “3 Ds” of a child’s spiritual journey, (Discover, Discern, Decide). As evangelical people, we’ve intentionally placed evangelism as the focus of our ministries but I’m concerned that in many of our churches we have dropped the ball with discipling past the point of conversion. It’s time we focus on a fourth D, DISCIPLESHIP.

One of my favorite books is Richard Foster’s “Celebration of Discipline.” It’s where most of my thoughts regarding spiritual disciplines have originated and continue to contemplate and grow. I want to share four of these as we think about creating a Disciple-Growing Kids Ministry.

Solitude: Spending time alone with God, meditating and focusing on His nature and His character.

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

Being still in a busy world and allowing that silence to increase our awareness of God’s presence and guidance is not easy. Including prayer and meditation in our very busy lives is difficult but the Bible is clear:

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

Children can pray (and should) and we must teach them how. Children can say their own prayers, pray when others are praying, know the Model Prayer, pray Scripture, participate in sentence prayers, and they can create a prayer journal.

Children can get quiet and think about and listen to God (and they should). Children can identify and think about the characteristics of God. It’s been said that children can be still for one minute for every year old they are. Start there.

Bible Study: Intentionally reading, studying, and memorizing the Bible.

“If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

Reading the Bible renews our minds so that we have the thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes of Christ. But we must go beyond simply reading the Bible to studying, comprehending, and understanding the Scriptures.

A fundamental way of filling our minds with what it needs is to memorize Scripture. The purpose of memorizing Bible verses should be to understand the verse in addition to reciting it. Hiding God’s Word in our hearts is the beginning of pure living.

“I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11

Children can read the Bible (and should). Children can study the Bible (and should). Children can memorize age-appropriate Bible verses and phrases (and should). Kids Ministry leaders must place priority on Bible reading, meditation, and memorization as we equip kids for a successful spiritual journey.

Worship: Responding to the overtures of love from the heart of God.

“Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things and by your will they exist and were created.” Revelation 4:11

Be insistent that the Object of your worship is the One True God. Jesus said:

“You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.” Matthew 4:10

Worship involves our whole being. When asked, Jesus told the scribes the greatest commandment was

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30

Children can worship (and should). Children can participate in different aspects of congregational worship. They can sing, they can pray, they can give, and they can listen and observe (and they should).

Jesus taught that if we don’t praise Him, “the very rocks will cry out” (Luke 19:40). As Kids Ministry leaders we need to be busy putting a few rocks out of business.

Service: Becoming a servant of others.

“Little Children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth.” 1 John 3:18

“But be doers of the word, not hearers only deceiving yourself.” James 1:22

True service builds humility. In his book, Celebration of Discipline Richard Foster says, “Nothing disciplines the inordinate desires of the flesh like service, and nothing transforms the desires of the flesh like serving in hiddenness.”

In choosing to be a servant, we surrender the right to decide who and when we will serve. We become available, vulnerable, and Christlike! Christ was a servant. To be Christlike, we will strive to be servants, too.

“Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into his hands, that he had come from God, and that he was going back to God. So he got up from supper, laid aside his outer clothing, took a towel, and tied it around Himself. Next, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around him.” John 13:3-5

Children can serve (and should). Children need to be less occupied with themselves and more interested in the needs of others. Children can be made aware of others needs and expected to show the love of God in their actions.

Kids ministry should be an equipping ministry, equipping kids and helping to equip families. If we’re not equipping kids with the skills to live as growing, loving, followers of Jesus Christ we’re just playing. Teaching kids spiritual practices, habits … yes, spiritual disciplines must become the core of who we are and undergird everything we do. If not, we’re just playing and not equipping.

Bill Emeott serves as Lead Ministry Specialist for Lifeway Kids. He is a graduate of Mercer University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and has served as a Kid’s Minister. Bill currently teaches 3rd Grade Bible study.

Discipleship, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Levels of Biblical Learning

May 2, 2018

Levels of Biblical Learning: A Wise Discipleship Plan

By William Summey

If you are like me, you hear people describe the best parenting approach as “starting with the end in mind.” However, in the midst of parenting, I was focused more on survival from day-to-day, and it was difficult to set aside time to plan for the future. I was always thankful to have a helpful book or magazine on parenting that helped me see the future and best ways to parent.

Many of us have the same challenge when we think of our child’s spiritual development. We want him to grow in reading God’s Word and biblical understanding, but the task can be daunting. I have found that one of the best tools in growing kids in Bible knowledge is the Levels of Biblical Learning® (LOBL). Specifically, the LOBL serves as a wise discipleship plan that teaches ten key biblical concepts at each age and stage of your child’s development—from birth to the preteen years—in words and concepts that they understand best. For this reason, the Levels of Biblical Learning is useful for parents and teachers who disciple their kids.

As kids grow, their understanding of foundational truths grows with them. For example, how does a 12-year-old grow to learn the truth that “People can live with joy regardless of their circumstances”? It begins with teaching the truth as a baby that “God loves me.” Notice how the concepts build upon the other as a child grows.

Younger Preschoolers can learn that God loves them.
Middle Preschoolers can learn that God will always love them.
Older Preschoolers can learn that no matter what happens, God loves people.
Younger Kids can learn that good and bad happen to people, but God still loves them.
Middle Kids can learn that people can respond in positive ways to what happens to them.
Preteens can learn that people can live with joy regardless of their circumstances.

Each statement in a concept builds upon the statement before it. So each concept begins with a foundational truth for babies and, with each passing year, a child’s ability to understand more about who God is increased. In this example, kids grow each year in their understanding of how much God loves them.

In my work at Lifeway on the Bible Studies for Life: Kids ongoing Bible study curriculum, we utilize the Levels of Biblical Learning, in how we plan weekly Bible stories, lessons, and other resources. For more information about LOBL, please visit lifeway.com/levelsofbiblicallearning where you can see the statements for each age group and free training videos. To learn more about Bible Studies for Life, visit biblestudiesforlife.com/kids,

William Summey is the Publishing Team Leader for ParentLife, kids devotionals, and short-term products. He is a graduate of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Vanderbilt University. William lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Christy, and two boys.

Apologetics, Bible Skills, Discipleship, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Resources

April 25, 2018

3 Ways Q&A Format Encourages Learning

By Jeremy Carroll

Many KidMin leaders agree that it is critical for us (adults) to begin now helping lay a solid theological foundation in the kids we serve. We want kids to have a right understanding of who God is, what He has done, and what He is doing according to solid biblical truths. But how?

One approach to systematically teaching theology that has seen renewed interest over the last several years is a return to a question-answer format. In this approach, kids are taught to respond to a specific question with a formulated, concise answer. For example, when prompted with the question “Who is God?” Kids would respond with “God is our Creator and King of everything.”

Is a question-answer format the right approach for you? Here are three reasons a question-answer format encourages theological learning.

A Q&A format leans into a child’s inquisitive nature. Children are naturally inquisitive, curious, and are passionate pursuers of answers. Many children seem to ask questions incessantly and feel a great sense of accomplishment once they’ve run through their gambit of questions to get their answers. A question-answer format draws kids in by feeding this part of their nature.
Memorization and repetition are bridges to understanding. When we commit biblical truths to memory, they become a resource for the Holy Spirit to use in our lives for real-life transformation. Few ideas will truly change us if they are not deep in our hearts. A systematic Q&A approach is built on children memorizing answers. As children mature, these memorized statements can be fleshed out with deeper understanding and application. “I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11)
A Q&A approach gives a systematic framework for processing both simple and hard-to-understand ideas. Our Bibles contain so much information that it can be overwhelming to figure out where to start and how teach it. Though a Q&A approach is not intended to teach the Bible comprehensively, using a simple question-answer format, like Big Picture Questions and Answers for Kids (see below), provides both a starting point and a structure that become manageable for adults and kids.

Bonus: Employing a Q&A approach can be fun for kids. With just a little bit of effort, a Q&A format can quickly:

Be made into various games.
Be made into a rhythmic beat.
Be used in creative call/response ways like using different voices, volumes, and so forth.

Bonus +

Adding hand motions for kids to do while saying the answers can add another layer of fun while further helping memorization by including physical activity.

To equip church leaders and parents who want to implement a question-answer format for teaching theological truths, the team behind The Gospel Project for Kids has developed Big Picture Questions and Answers for Kids. This resource contains over 70 big picture questions and answers organized into six categories: God, People, Jesus, The Bible, The Church, and The Christian Life. Click here to learn more about Big Picture Questions and Answers for Kids.

Jeremy Carroll is the team leader for The Gospel Project for Kids. Before coming to Lifeway, he has been active in local church ministry for nearly 20 years in TN, TX, and AL. Jeremy earned a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. A Middle Tennessee native, he and his family live in Murfreesboro, TN.

Discipleship, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Parenting

February 9, 2018

Do Your Kids Love God’s Word?

By Jana Magruder

Ah, February—the month of love and romance, chocolate and roses, and yes—the obligatory Valentines Day (or so our minds have been programmed to think of the greeting card business.) Kids spend time carefully crafting heart and doily-decorated shoe boxes with mail slots to receive dollar store cards with superheroes or princesses from friends and classmates. Couples feel the pressure to honor the day with at least a cheesy card or maybe ordering a cheesy heart-shaped pizza. While all of these things are fine and can be fun traditions, I wonder if we could displace some of the energy spent on the theme of love—to actually loving God’s Word even more.

Recently, the Lifeway Kids team commissioned the Nothing Less* study conducted by the Lifeway Research team to find out what makes the biggest spiritual impact on kids as they are growing up. In other words, what can parents do now with their children that will make the biggest difference in their spiritual health as they become adults? The findings were simple, yet profound. The number one thing parents can do (by far) is to help their kids love their Bible. It should be no surprise that reading God’s Word is the biggest indicator of spiritual health in adulthood. After all, only Jesus transforms hearts and He does it through His Word. However, many parents (myself included), have a tendency to chase the wrong things that don’t even make the list of indicators for spiritual health in kids as they age into adults. Let’s use Valentine’s Day as an example.

As a mom, I have volunteered for countless class parties, baked cookies and cupcakes, bought cards, and yes, helped create the aforementioned mailboxes. Our family has participated in Daddy-daughter dances and Mother-son dates, made homemade crafts for teachers, and spent money on flowers for grandma. While nothing is particularly wrong with any of these activities, none of them points to making time for Bible reading.

So, this February, I’m declaring a “love your Bible” emphasis at the Magruder home. Yes, we will still make class valentines. But, more importantly, we will make time to read the Bible more. Ultimately, I want my kids to fall in love with God’s Word and know that the Bible is His love letter to them. The heart behind it all is to rearrange priorities to what really matters instead of chasing all the other things first. I am looking forward to walking through the Gospel of John and having great discussions about how much God loves us. Maybe we’ll have some heart-shaped cookies and cocoa while we read and then maybe we’ll call grandma to tell her what we learned (she actually prefers phone calls over flowers). Maybe you too can adopt the “love your Bible” emphasis in your home and ministry this February—and beyond.

Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. The one who doesn’t love me will not keep my words. The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me. John 14:23-24 (CSB)

* The book Nothing Less by Jana Magruder is available at Lifeway.com or a Lifeway store near you.

Jana Magruder serves as the Director of Lifeway Kids. She is a Baylor graduate and offers a wealth of experience and passion for kids ministry, education, and publishing. She is the author of Kids Ministry that Nourishes and Life Verse Creative Journal, which she co-authored with her teenage daughter. She and her husband, Michael, along with their three children reside in Nashville.

Discipleship, Evangelism, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Missions

January 15, 2018

Teaching Kids to Serve

By Bill Emeott

Teaching Kids to Serve – Emeott

I believe that the Bible is for all people, not just adults but kids, too. And while we need to be sensitive to age-appropriate opportunities, James 1:22 says, “But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only.” Our role in Kids Ministry is not to simply teach but to help kids understand the importance of doing and becoming doers.

There are examples throughout Scripture of kids serving and ministering to others. First Samuel 16 tells of a shepherd boy ministering to a distraught king. Second Kings 5 documents a slave girl ministering to her skin diseased master. Second Kings 22 tells of the boy king who leads his people well and John 6 is a favorite Bible story about a boy who ministers to thousands of hungry people.

BIBLICAL MANDATE

The Great Commission tells believers (all believers) to be witnesses and go and minister. Consider ways kids can serve independently or with little supervision. Give assignments and let them serve. Other opportunities require supervision and lend best to service with peers and leaders. Don’t forget families. Families serving together create great opportunities for parents to teach missional living. Identify needs and share those needs with families.

Acts 1:8 gives some direction: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Most of you will realize the geography associated with this passage. Start where you are and move from there. Establish the three classifications mentioned above: Independent, Supervised Groups, and Families, and get started.

KIDS CAN MINISTER IN THEIR JERUSALEM (THE LOCAL COMMUNITY)

Pick up your local newspaper and you’ll be overwhelmed with ministry opportunities. From the front page through the sports section there are opportunities to show the love of God. Sympathy cards to the bereaved and congratulations to the newlywed and local heroes. From 5Ks and apple festivals to high school sports games and local first responders appreciation opportunities. Your church needs to be on mission in the mission field it’s been placed and your Kids Ministry needs to be a part.

KIDS CAN MINISTER IN THEIR JUDEA (THE REGION & STATE)
Move past your cities limits and the opportunities to lead kids to serve expands. How can kids be involved in ministering to Judea? How can kids be involved in taking God’s love to your state? What opportunities can you identify that gets outside the comfort zone of your community and ministers to those close-by but not next door? Check with your local association or your state convention of like-minded churches for ideas.

KIDS CAN MINISTER IN THEIR SAMARIA (NORTH AMERICA)

For those of us who live in the United States, opportunities for service across North America are advertised nightly on the evening news. Wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes just to mention a few. When you hear the nightly reports do you hear opportunities to involve your kids? What can they do individually? What could a Kids Bible Study class do? What might families join together to accomplish?

KIDS CAN MINISTER TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH (INTERNATIONALLY)

More and more our globe is getting smaller and smaller. Communicating with people halfway across the world is as easy as calling across town. Don’t limit your ministry reach to the US. Think globally and how you can lead kids to make a difference in Jesus’ name in Africa or Eastern Europe. What could kids do to share the love of Jesus in Asia? Start with international organizations like Operation Christmas Child, the International Mission Board, or other trusted agencies to find ways your Kids Ministry might serve.

If we want kids to grow up to serve and share the gospel we need to teach them how to serve and share. Lead kids to establish habits of service and sharing and we’ll see service and sharing as habits of the next generation of adult leaders. If you want to make a difference in 15 years? Start today with the kids in your ministry.

Bill Emeott serves as Lead Ministry Specialist for Lifeway Kids. A graduate of Mercer University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Bill has served as a Kid’s Minister and currently teaches 2nd Grade Bible study.