Calling All Kids

Calling All Kids
Is your church missing what George Barna calls the “greatest evangelistic window available?“

By Natalie Gillespie
March/April 2003 Issue

Alert:
Of the estimated 160 million Christians in America today, 70 percent of them accepted Christ during their childhood years. And according to Barna Research Group, eight out of every 10 of these kids who become Christians make their decision to follow Christ before age 14. These are encouraging statistics for churches with active children’s ministries and sobering for those without.

When you consider these realities, the role of children’s ministry, which can so often be pushed to a church’s back burner, suddenly takes on new significance.

What is your church doing to make the most of its opportunity to share Christ with this most valuable and impressionable age group?

INROADS TO OUTREACH
To reach kids outside the church, we have to be effectively ministering to those who are already inside, according to Pat Verbal, a children’s ministry consultant and founder of Ministry to Today’s Child.

“If you do your inreach really well, the outreach will come,“ she said, adding that time spent with kids outside the classroom setting is essential.

“One lunch at your home will be remembered more than a whole session’s worth of lessons, because inviting a child into your home shows you value him enough to have him as a guest,“ Verbal said.

Children’s ministry experts also agree that in order to build a solid biblical foundation that lasts into adulthood, churches need to partner with parents in working to reach kids.

“It’s not the church’s responsibility to bring up our children spiritually; that is the parents’ job,“ said Rick Osborne, author of numerous children’s books and family tools, including the family devotional “Heritage Builders“ series. He cited a recent Gallup poll indicating that 70 percent of those who grow up in the Church leave it as adults.

“We have to stop thinking of children’s ministry as second-hand and get parents involved in order to continue growing the Church in the future,“ he said, suggesting that churches have “parent-teacher“ meetings similar to schools, where leaders and parents can partner together to pinpoint a child’s needs and meet them.

Other ideas include parenting classes for new parents, classes for parents of elementary kids and classes for parents of teens. By teaching everyday skills and principles, churches can help parents build community and fuel overall church growth.

AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT FROM THE TOP DOWN
Most churches with thriving children’s outreach programs agree that a vision and enthusiasm for capturing children’s hearts starts with the senior pastor. From there, children’s directors need to change their workers’ mindsets from child care to missions work.

“A year ago, I was 80 workers in the hole,“ admitted Darrell Fraley, pastor of family ministry at Overlake Christian Church in Redmond, Wash., and author of the self-published Children’s Ministry: What Does Not Kill You Can Only Make You Stronger. “Now I have a waiting list for workers, and I have the greatest, goofiest, silliest, wackiest, cartoon-crazed adults you have ever met.“

What changed? Fraley impressed on his workers that they were there to evangelize kids at the most spiritually sensitive years of their lives––not to baby-sit.

“You have to move from child care to something that really reaches kids and makes a difference in their future,“ Fraley said. “Wherever you find a ministry that doesn’t emphasize evangelism, you find a tired ministry.“

Although Overlake uses traditional children’s ministry programs such as VBS, summer camp and Sunday school, the church adds a twist to make it exciting and fun for kids. Overlake recently began “Sports Sunday School“ for kids who have difficulty sitting through traditional class. After listening to a Bible lesson, kids in the program head to the gym for basketball instruction and scrimmages.

PITCHING THE PUPPETS
Yarn-haired Sally, John, Tina and Tim are gradually disappearing from view as churches continue to abandon archaic tools like puppets and music tracks. Instead, to capture today’s kids’ attention and keep them excited about coming to church, many churches are using video presentation software to display clips from popular movies.

But while the use of technology is growing in children’s ministry, the Church still has a long way to go, said Jerry Storz, assistant director of program ministry for the International Network of Children’s Ministry.

“Children’s ministry is really moving away from tracks, tapes and puppets and going to a new level. That’s a sign of where kids are today, and the church needs to stay as current as possible.“
Storz suggested using video clips from popular movies such as “Toy Story 2“ to drive a message home, recognizing that kids often have the same videos at home and will remember the point every time they watch it.

EVANGELISM BY EXPERIENCE
Involving kids in missions work, both locally and abroad, not only evangelizes the unreached, but it can also teach kids how to express their faith. Plus, they experience first-hand the joy that comes with leading someone to salvation.

Bayside Covenant Church in Granite Bay, Calif., hosts a “Movie Madness Event“ where kids invite their friends to church to watch the “Jesus“ film. Teaching the kids how to do effective evangelism is a critical part of the event.

“Four weeks before the event, we tell our kids to be thinking of who they would invite,“ said Earl Radford, children’s ministries pastor at Bayside. “We remind them again a week later.“ Two weeks before movie day, kids make invitations to give to their friends. Right before the event, they learn how to lead their friends to Christ.

“As a result, our kids have been able to lead some of their friends in decisions for Christ,“ Radford stated.

It’s all about discovering and meeting community needs, Radford said. “The key is that we don’t base our programs on necessarily what is best for us. Instead, we take a look at what needs to happen in our community. Does this area need a preschool, parenting classes or a recreation center where kids can come after school, get help with homework and play Nintendo?“

Bayside offers these programs, along with annual community-wide events such as a summer VBS program and a Halloween alternative event at a local racetrack that draws thousands.

“I did a children’s ministry tour recently, and we visited Nassau, Bahamas, where there is a fantastic planetarium ministry,“ Radford recalled. Public school kids are bussed to the planetarium for a field trip where they see a miniature zoo, a model ecosystem and a full planetarium show, pointing out God’s hand in creation and giving an opportunity for the kids to make a decision for Christ.

“That’s an example of a home run-hitting outreach program for kids.“

Children’s Ministry Idea Bank

CHILDREN’S NIGHT
Materials needed: Song tapes and skits
Church: Armitage Baptist Church, Chicago
Idea: Host an evening service where kids are the ushers, greeters, musicians and worship leaders. Kids can present the Gospel through songs and skits. This is a great way to get unchurched parents to church.

Let’s Do Lunch (LDL)—Club
Materials needed: One hour each week
Church: Fifth Avenue Baptist Church, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Idea: After getting permission from the school and the parents, children’s ministry leaders go on campus to the children’s school and enjoy lunch with them.

Skating Outreach
Materials needed: Roller rink or ice-skating rink, tickets, pizza, soda and a movie
Church: Trinity Presbyterian Church, Plymouth, Mich.
Idea: Reserve time at a local skating rink. Give children tickets for their friends. Each child who brings a guest gets free admission for both themselves and their guest. After skating, head back to the church for pizza and a movie.

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