The impact of Children's ministry.

Group Ministry surveyed nearly 600 churches to research the impact of children's ministry in churches. They came up with six major findings.

1. Children's ministry is a major conduit for getting families involved in ministry "Families in our survey indicated that they're tuned in to the presence and role of the children's ministry. They also assess it as high value ministry with 76% stating that children's ministry played a key role in their church."

2. Families with kids in the children's ministry are some of the most active and committed members in a church.



3. A healthy children's ministry attracts families to your church. "… 66% said the children's ministry program was "very important" int heir overall consideration when they chose their current church."

4. An unhealthy or declining children's ministry program may result in families leaving a church. "These findings underscore how important children are to families - so important in fact, that parents will sacrifice other priorities to ensure that their children have positive, nurturing experiences in their faith community."

5. Parents say children's ministry makes a positive impact in their child's life. "By far the greatest benefit was this: It helps my kids develop a personal, growing faith."

6. Parents say children's ministry has changed their family's behaviour at home.

We may have already known these things intuitively. However, they have two implications.

Firstly, they're especially encouraging when we feel that our ministry is unappreciated, unnoticed or of minor value to the health and life of the church. Nothing could be further from the truth and it's time to bury these unhelpful thoughts.

Secondly, they're an argument for ensuring that in any church, children's ministry is adequately resourced and supported. Any investment that improves you church's children's ministry is 'time and money well spent.'

Finally, an argument for children's ministry 'because it helps my church grow' is not the primary reason why we minister to children well. We ultimately do so because God is concerned for children and we aim to see them know and serve Christ. Yet a church that minister's well to children reflects God's concern that "not one of these little ones be lost" and therefore, it's not surprising that by His grace, a healthy children's ministry is intimately intertwined with and conducive to the overall health of a church.

You can use the survey to see the impact of children's ministry in your own context. You can download it by going to Web Exclusives at www.childrensministry.com