Dozen Ways to be More Effective in Children’s Ministry

The soul is healed by being with children. ~ English proverb

Working with children whether in church, school or in the home, is work that should be applauded and encouraged.

• Children are one-third of our population and all of our future. ~ Select Panel for the Promotion of Child Health, 1981
• Children make your life important. ~ Erma Bombeck, author
• If I could relive my life, I would devote my entire ministry to reaching children for God! ~Dwight L. Moody, evangelist
• Every child needs a champion. ~ Hillary Rodham Clinton, former US Secretary of State, U.S. Senator, and First Lady of the United States

And of course working with kiddos is hard work at times.

• Having children is like living in a frat house – nobody sleeps, everything’s broken, and there’s a lot of throwing up. ~ Ray Romano, actor and comedian

Since part of my job and ministry is working with children from nursery through 5th grade, I am always on the lookout for how I can be a better pastor, leader and volunteer. So let me ask YOU a question, what are things you do to be effective in your ministry to children?

Here are a dozen of my ideas.

1. Pray – most effective thing you can do for them.

• Pray for behavioral, emotional, spiritual, and mental growth of the kiddos in your class.
• Pray and ask God if there is one child or one family He wants you to focus on outside of class.
• Pray for the kiddos to have an open heart to the gospel and spiritual growth.

2. Pray – most effective thing you can do for yourself.

• Pray for your own growth in love, faithfulness, and maturity.
• Pray that the information you’ll be teaching has an impact on their lives today and in the future.
• Pray for effectiveness in how you teach.

3. Study – even if it is for the littlest of children because you are . . .

• Building their base of knowledge about the Bible and church.
• Making yourself a usable vehicle.
• Enhancing your own devotional life – which you can share with adults (helpers, teachers and parents)

4. Connect with class kiddos as individuals – bimonthly is good.

• A card reinforcing an idea.
• A call to complement them on something.
• a “date” – to spend one-on-one time.

5. Connect with parents/grandparents as individuals – Quarterly is good.

• A card reinforcing an idea.
• A call to complement them on something.
• a “date” – to spend one-on-one time.

6. Give thanks 

• Send a note to someone who helped in your class today.
• Send a note to a parent/grandparent for a specific way they are raising their child(ren) well.
• Send a note to a pastor, custodian or admin who support your ministry.

7. Plan for Fun – It is hard-wired into kiddos

• What can you do that’s fun with the Scripture?
• What can you that’s fun with the craft?
• What can you do that’s fun with story time?

8. Sharpen your skills/giftings – there is always something to learn.

• Interview people from another church that do the same ministry you do. Ask their advice on areas you’d like to improve. Share your info with helpers, teachers, and the director of Nursery and Children’s Director/Pastor.
• Read books that can hone your skills and give you ideas. One such book is this one on kids and worship, Teaching Kids Authentic Worship: How to Keep Them Close to God for Life by Kathleen Chapman.
• Get feedback from others in your ministry as to how you can improve.

9. Update your room – how it looks really does influence the behaviour of the children and the opinion of parents/grandparents.

• Change up the room set-up every once in a while so that it is always attractive, appealing, and usable.
• Leave it clean for the next class.
• Hang up the children’s work and do what you can to make them feel like the room is theirs.
• Teach and model to the children room cleanup. Show them how to clean up after themselves, put things away when they are done, and before pulling another toy out.
• At the end of class have the children ready to go home. Shoes on, go potty, gather belongings etc.

10. Keep on top of your spiritual life – spend time on your own relationship with God.

• Attend the adult service.
• Ask God to empower your teaching, embolden your words, and make you a better “lover.”
• Make prayer, study, confession, meditation and other spiritual disciplines a priority

11. Celebrate – take notice of what’s going on in your ministry and celebrate. Look for things like . . .

• Answered prayer.
• New volunteers.
• The faithfulness and growth of the kiddos, volunteers, and yourself.

12. Improve – pray and think about ways to improve your ministry in areas such as . . .

• Outreach.
• Curriculum.
• Volunteer attraction and growth (this doesn’t have to be the job of the Nursery and Children’s Director/Pastor only).

Your Turn . . .  What would you add to this list? . . .  What have you tried and how did it work?

Related Posts   . . . 

• 3 Encouragements I Needed When My Children Were Young
• 10 Reasons Why Involvement in Your Church Nursery is Important
• 85% of People Who Make Decisions for Christ do so Between 4-14
• How Good Books Aid in a Child’s Growth
• Kindness is Valuable, Influential, & Contagious
• Seven Ways to Help Your Child Hear God’s VOICE
• What I Miss Most About My Babies and What This Has To Do With The Church Nursery

NOTE: This post spurred me on to write a list. I am grateful for their ideas, as I was impacted by most of them.