Are you in a church that doesn’t value children’s ministry? Do you feel like you are the only one who really cares about reaching the next generation? Is there little to no money budgeted for kids? It can be frustrating when God has placed a passion in your spirit for children’s ministry, but you find yourself in this situation.
So, what should you do? Here are some steps you can take.
5 Things To Do To Get The Church To Value Children’s Ministry
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Champion children’s ministry.
I believe in every church God raises up someone to be the voice for the next generation. If you’re reading this and it resonates with you, then you’re probably that person. God wants to use you to raise awareness for the children’s ministry. Lead the way. Share the vision. Pray bold prayers of faith for the ministry. Many times a church is just waiting for someone to be a champion for children’s ministry. Be that person!
2. Have an honest conversation with church leadership.
Ask to meet with your Pastor, elders and other key leaders in the church. Share with them your heart to reach the next generation. Cast vision for how children’s ministry can be a blessing to the entire church. This should not be done in a spirit of complaining or disunity, but with the humble heart of a servant. If you need help gathering some thoughts to share, here are some articles to read.
How to Build a Thriving Children’s Ministry in Small Town, U.S.A.
The Importance of Children’s Ministry
8 Things Most People Don’t Get About Children’s Ministry
How a Dynamic Children’s Ministry Helps a Church Grow
In most cases, leadership wants to reach the next generation. They are just waiting for someone to step up and lead the charge. And this starts by getting it on their radar.
3. Get others involved.
Don’t think you can do this alone? You’re right. You need other people to come alongside you. Pray for divine appointments and approach the people God leads you to about helping in children’s ministry. Remember to make the ask with vision instead of desperation. The more people you can get involved, the more momentum you’ll build.
4. Do your best with what God has placed in your hand.
Rather than whining about what you don’t have, use what God has placed in your hand. Don’t fall into the trap of comparing your ministry to other ministries…your budget with other budgets…your facilities with the facilities of the church down the street.
Years ago, I was leading a children’s ministry in a rural church. The only room available for children’s ministry was an old room in the basement. Block, grey walls. Concrete floors. Inadequate lighting. Zero budget. A handful of kids attending. I went out and gathered branches, vines and old wood and used these free items to turn it into a clubhouse. When kids came into the room, they felt like they were in a clubhouse in the woods. And they loved it. In just a few weeks, we doubled in size.
See, I believe God wants to take what He has placed in your hands and do great things with it. It’s not about the size of your budget, it’s about the size of your belief. It’s not about your facilities, it’s about your faith. It’s not about how cool your videos are, it’s about how big your vision is.
5. Stay faithful.
When you’re in a church that doesn’t value children’s ministry, it’s easy to get discouraged and quit. Don’t give up. Stay faithful. Without faithfulness, the above steps will fall flat.= God rewards faithfulness. And remember faithfulness is not proven overnight. It takes time. In some cases, it takes years.
Faithfulness leads to an increase. It is a huge key to seeing your children’s ministry take off and become a priority in your church. If you want to see children’s ministry be a big part of your church, you must first be faithful while it is a small part.
I trust this has been a help and encouragement to you. I hear from many of you who are in this situation. You are not alone. God is with you. We believe in you. Be the children’s ministry champion in your church!
This article originally appeared here.
