Men have many opportunities to pitch in with children’s ministry. Guys can help kids learn about God, pray with and for kids, and build godly, faith-based relationships with students. Read on for more insights.
The church I attended growing up had a team of middle and high school kids who served in children’s ministry. This “Timothy Team” was inspired by Paul’s exhortation to Timothy. “Don’t let anyone despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity” (1 Timothy 4:11-12).
I served on that team from seventh grade through sophomore year of high school. I worked mostly with lower elementary ages, and I loved it. But along the way I got it into my head that I, as a young man, shouldn’t serve with kids. So aside from summers volunteering as a camp counselor, I mostly stopped doing so.
Then my first year out of college, my pastor issued an “all-call” for kidmin helpers. I thought, “Well, I don’t think this is what I’m supposed to do. But I’m willing to serve wherever I’m needed.” I applied, interviewed, and was placed on a team serving second- and third-grade boys. God re-revealed to me my favorite ministry area, and I haven’t looked back.
I’ve realized that kids ministry is an amazing place for young men to serve. Here are three simple reasons why:
3 Reasons Men Should Serve in Children’s Ministry
1. It’s not weird.
It’s common for young men, especially childless or unmarried ones, to feel awkward expressing a desire to serve with kids. An idea exists that kids ministry is a place for women to nurture and care.
In some ways, the image of an older woman sitting with a felt board to teach kids makes it tough for young men to step in. With the increased awareness of the risks and dangers of sexual abuse, walking into a kidmin classroom can feel like a minefield.
But here’s the thing. Any safe, conscientious kids ministry thoroughly screens volunteers. That includes lengthy applications, screening processes, background checks, and wise policies that protect kids and volunteers.
If you take steps toward serving and your church accepts your service, parents should know you are safe and their kids are safe with you. Nothing is weird about an older, wiser person taking an interest in helping parents disciple the next generation of the church.
2. It’s not difficult.
Horror stories abound about children’s ministry. Kids running around like crazy, diapers exploding and covering everything in poop, everything devolving into chaos, and tiny barbarians placing pig heads on spikes to warn away neighboring tribes. Okay, that last one is from The Lord of the Flies, which is (thankfully) fiction. But you get my point.
People in kids ministry love to swap war stories. I’m guilty of this. Unsurprisingly, the hardest thing about children’s ministry is enlisting people to serve.
