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

Telling Great Stories

Watch this video for tips and reminders about how to tell stories that connect with kids.

Take time to reflect and plan

At Wantirna, (where I'm employed part time as the Children's ministry worker) we've come to the end of another busy year. The other day I said to to a friend, "It's good to do children's ministry, and it's also good to stop doing children's ministry." I think you know what I mean. As you come to the end of the year, may you experience something of God's pleasure in your work and take time for a well earned rest.

Yet at the same time I'm excited about next year. It's a strange thing. My excitement comes form the time I and others in our team have spent reflecting on how we want the ministry to develop. We have a vision for the ministry and some very specific things we want to work on.

Holidays ought to be a time to rest, but they do not need to be a time to go brain dead. Why not spend some time personally and with your team reflecting and planning?

Here are some questions you could consider to guide your thinking.

• What is the purpose of your Children's ministry? Summarise it in a few sentences or key points.
• Do your ideas match Biblical ideals? (if you're not immediately clear what the Biblical ideals are, perhaps it's a good time to investigate what the Bible says, otherwise your probably ministering out of tradition or the expectations of the church, rather than Biblical conviction.)
• What are the strengths of your current program (ie where does it fulfil the Biblical ideals?)
• What areas of weaknesses do you want to improve? List the things you wish to do better.
• Prioritise this list. What is most important? What will you work on first?
  
• Consider what you might to do to implementing or change the important items on your list. Who can help you? What steps will you take?
• Set some specific items for action.

May the Lord give you a season of refreshing this Christmas as you remember his coming. May he strengthen you for the work yet to be done as you prepare for what is ahead and consider his coming again.