LeaderLines: Kids Ministry is Golden

Our children's ministry is one of the most strategic ministries in our church. Let me give you seven reasons why. This is from a recent post by Will Mancini. He says that kids ministry is "gold" to a church for the following reasons:

#1 The Golden Heart: Children model the ideal kingdom participant. Each of the gospel writers record that stunning moment when Jesus rebukes the disciples and tenderly engages some young children (Luke 18:17). In the face of self-importance, Jesus shockingly points to a child as the model for how to enter the kingdom. Maybe serving children holds unexpected benefit for Christian maturity?

#2 The Golden Years: Childhood is the most effective window for responding to the gospel. Eighty percent of people receive Christ between the ages of 4 and 14. Enough said.

#3 The Golden Glow: Children have a longer life to serve Christ and accomplish more for God’s glory. If you had a candle to burn for a nice romantic evening, would you choose the one that’s three-quarters used up, or would you choose a brand new candle? (It makes you wonder why generally speaking, our children get so little attention in ministry leadership!)

#4 The Golden Baton: Serving children plants the gospel into the next generation. Yes, the gospel is always one generation from extinction. You choose if the race is all about your short window to live or the enduring story of global redemption.

#5 The Golden Gate: Winning a child is a gateway to winning the whole family. I can’t tell you how many redeemed families I have seen on the beachhead of a child’s testimony. And yes, the more our culture idolizes their children, the more we can leverage this negative tendency for the gospel.

#6 The Golden Moment: Children’s lives are moldable and full of teachable moments.There is nothing like the moment of awe and insight, when child learns or asks a genuine question. Play and plant in the rich soil!

#7 The Golden Crown: Serving children has a unique significance which leads to special blessing. In Matthew 25-31-46, Jesus shares the parable about serving, “the least of these.” It’s apparent that “the least” include people of some status or need where they cannot repay if they are served (hungry, sick, imprisoned, estranged, poor) Children, though not listed explicitly, certainly fit this list by virtue of their inability. I believe that serving children brings an unexpected treasure of blessing.

How can you contribute to the success of the Hillcrest Kids ministry? Certainly one way is to volunteer for positions on the Hillcrest Kids team. Another is to invite your neighbors who have children to visit Hillcrest.

Even if you aren't being led to serve in our kids ministry and even if you don't have kids in the ministry, you can stay "kid conscious" at Hillcrest. Be a faithful reader of Karen Raulie's Beacon column. Occasionally write her notes to tell her you're praying for her work. Befriend moms or dads at Hillcrest and ask them to identify what they like about the kids program and what their dreams are for the future of our program. As we make church wide decisions in committee meetings, leadership retreats, and business meetings, be sure to ask how a decision will impact families with children. In short, put families "on your radar" when you're praying for and making decisions about Hillcrest's future.

Don't let us miss the "golden opportunity" that kids ministry provides!