The last two weeks have provided great reminders to me about why kids ministry is so important. I served as camp pastor at CentriKid camps for a week. The whole family came and we had a great time. The kids participated in Bible studies, recreation, track times based on their interests, and morning and evening worship gatherings. Then the next week, Kaye hosted a backyard kids club in our neighborhood for neighbors and friends from school. Friends and some incredible teenagers helped provide games, recreation, singing, crafts, and a Bible story each morning. About 50 kids came. The experiences reminded us why kids ministry is so vital:
1. Important for kids
Kids ministry provides kids consistent opportunities to hear the message of the Bible in environments that are crafted for them. Just as great schoolteachers present the essentials in an age-appropriate manner, kids ministry seeks to place the life-changing message of Jesus in a context designed specifically for kids.
2. Important for families
Because kids ministry brings the truth of the gospel to kids where they are, kids go home with questions, stories, and lessons they learned. An effective kids ministry sparks conversations at home, and this challenges and encourages the whole family. The questions, memories, and stories my kids have told me from camp and kids club have challenged me to know the faith so well that I can explain it to my kids. If we cannot explain an essential belief about the Christian faith to a seven year old, we don’t know it well enough. And articulating the Bible to our kids, even if we stumble and learn as we go, helps the truth get into our own souls more.
3. Important for churches
An effective kids ministry helps bring joy and life to a church. Kids sing loud. They raise their hands. They fight to sit up front, not fill up the back seats first. They answer when the preacher asks a question. They open their Bibles and love to hear stories from the Word. Children who have trusted Jesus with their lives are filled with awe—an awe that we can lose as our hearts wander and our minds get preoccupied with lesser things. Kids remind us that the kingdom of God is for those who humble themselves like children and trust Him fully. Being around kids in a kids ministry reminds us that we need to be more like kids.
