For many pastors, children’s ministry is an uncomfortable place. In a recent episode of Revitalize and Replant with Mark Clifton, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discussed why children’s ministry is so important in a local church. Mark Hallock is one of the best we’ve seen when it comes to interacting with kids in his church.
Here’s three reasons children’s ministry matters:
1. Kids matter because they are created in God’s image
Kids have great value. They matter in their church. Pastors often will relegate ministry to kids to their kids’ ministry only. However, pastors are called to minister to everyone in their church, from the nursery to the nursing home. Do the kids in your church know you are their pastor?
2. Kids need to experience intergenerational worship
This does not mean that you never need to have a kids-only worship gathering. But it does mean that if your church never has kids in the main worship gathering, you’re missing something. The kids in your church need to be a part of the primary worship gathering, where they get to see their parents and other older adults worshiping the Father. They need to hear the same message everyone else hears. They need to know they are a part of the church as a whole, not just the kids’ ministry.
3. How the pastor treats young kids will impact young families’ involvement
Few things will have a bigger impact on the families in your church than their knowing that the pastor loves their kids. Learn their names. Know about the activities in their lives. Send birthday cards.
The kids in your church are figuring out what it means to follow Christ. It’s likely that some of them have already made a profession of faith. That means they’re not the future of the Church, but they are part of the Church right now! So, look for creative ways to include kids in the life of your church. You will be blessed, your church will be blessed and the kids in your church will be blessed – and will be a blessing!
For more on this topic, check out the book Every Kid Matters by Mark Hallock and Frank Trimble.
Listen to the podcast episode on this topic here.
Published January 17, 2024
