A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON MINISTRY TO CHILDREN

 I really pray that God will ignite your heart with a new understanding of the role of children’s ministry as well as a fresh passion to do it with all your heart!

Our value system needs to change. In Matt. 18: 5 “What's more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it's the same as receiving me.” How do we receive children? How do we greet them when passing them in the street or at a shopping centre? I am challenged by this thought! If I walk into a room with adults and children, whom do I greet first? Do I acknowledge the children or just nod to them in passing? If in a conversation and a child asks for my attention, what is my normal reaction? Do I just acknowledge their presence or do I make time to give them my full attention. Are we so carved into the groove that society has set out for us or are children really as important to us as they are to Jesus?

Children crave to be accepted for who they are. They need to feel safe at home, in society and at school. They need to know they have a safety net of solid relationships with people who accept them unconditionally. People who recognize their feelings, needs and potential. People who seek to understand them rather than focusing on being understood. People who will place a high value on spending time with them, playing their games and touching their lives with love and new experiences. They need to be seen as “people” who can contribute to the gathering and therefore be given responsibility.

Just think if we can get children to know that God planned them just the way they are and that they are not here by accident but by design appointment, how many will be able to get free from guilt, shame and all the other lies the devil puts in their little hearts from the start!

This is no wonder that the Bible then also refers to Ps. 78: 1-8 of the roll you and I need to play in the upbringing of our children. “Oh, I’ve had my turn!” You might say! Your children are grown up and it’s our turn to rest. The African saying springs to mind: It takes a village to raise a child.

Even Moses understood the importance of community being involved in the upbringing and teaching of children when we read in Deut. 6:4 he starts with: “Attention all Israel!” He is not only addressing the parents, he is addressing the whole community. In v 6-7 he continues with: “Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night.”

The reason the Bible urges us to be part of our children’s up brining is also stated in Ps. 78:7 So that the next generation will know God and what He has done and therefore love Him and put their trust in God. That they would live out what they were taught. We need to see that the knowledge and experiences that we have received from God is passed on to the next generation so that God can build on that revelation to further equip the coming generations with knowledge, trust and obedience.

Just think where our community and society will be if our children grow up knowing God intimately. Having a revelation of this awesome wonderful God who knows “ME”, loves me and wants to have a relationship with me! They need to grow up realizing that God has a plan for their lives and that He wants them and loves them just the way they are. Then they will know that they can trust Him with every situation in their lives, the good, the bad and the ugly! They will start to live lives of obedience to His tugging on their hearts and align their actions with the Word of God, not because they HAVE TO but because they WANT TO. They will live lives that will show His love to others because they were loved first!

It is time to stand up as a community and make a difference in our children’s lives. We need to put our own needs and wants aside and start serving our children because we understand how important they are to God!

How are you going to impact tomorrow’s leaders, president, CEO’s of companies? Get involved in children’s lives today! Ask God to show you where you can have the greatest impact in the leaders of our country for the future. Be part of ministry to children in your community!

BOUNDARIES BRING FREEDOM

A contradiction of terms you might think! Boundaries bringing freedom?

The truth of the matter is that children need healthy boundaries to function and grow! Especially preschoolers and early primary children thrive when they have healthy boundaries that they understand and respect. It is also no use having boundaries, but not having a just penalty to go with it. What use are boundaries without consequences?

WHAT I am in Sunday School not school? I can nor implement boundaries with consequences! Hm mm . .  Really? Who implemented and gave boundaries from the start? God did! We are teaching children and they need to know that there are safety in boundaries.

Preschoolers are very independent people. They need boundaries to help them know that there are times that I need to work with the groups, and times when I can play on my own. If they don't respect the time you have around the Word of God, how do we expect them to respect the Bible or the authorities over them?

Pull-up a few boundaries that suite your environment e.g.:

• Boundary: When this chime rings - it is story time. We all need to move to the story time carpet and sit in a circle facing the teacher.
• Consequence: If we do not work together, we will not receive our sweet packets at the end of class.
• Boundary: We show respect by listening to the teacher when she talks. Not talking when she talks and listening well. We also show respect when we only talk when passed the ball or asked a question.
• Consequence: We have a ball that is going to be passed to you if you put up your hand. If you talk during story time without the ball, you will not receive the sweet packet at the end of class.
• Boundary - older primary children: We show respect by putting up our hands if we want to say something. Wait until you are asked before you speak.
• Consequence: If you shout out you group will lose points. The winner group will all receive milkshakes at the end of this term.

THING TO KEEP IN MIND FOR DISCIPLINE:

• Unspoken boundaries are unfair boundaries.
• Boundaries need consequences.
• Consequences need to be fair and appropriate.
• Consequences should be implemented always, not only when you are in a bad mood.
• Remember the learning styles of children:
• Use visual aids.
• Use movement.
• Use song.
• Use the senses.
• Know your children and their needs.
• Hungry children can't focus, give them something to eat.
• Shivering children can't focus.
• Take your environment into consideration.

Teach them in FREEDOM give them BOUNDARIES!

TEACH LESS TO LEARN MORE

Ever felt that the children didn't grasp the message or maybe just didn't hear it at all?

The reasons for this can be:

1. You didn't really know where you were going with the children!
2. You have the lesson on paper, but not in your heart.
3. You are just going through the motions of a Sunday and have lost the passion you started with.
4. You have a to do list, but no structure.
5. You have so much you want them to learn that you miss them completely.

Today I want to look at the last reason on the list: TEACH LESS TO TEACH MORE!

You need to know the ONE THING rule!

What is that ONE THING you would like the children to know when they leave your class?

It helps filling in this sentence: I want my children to know . . . .

Once you have defined this ONE THING you can begin your preparation.

The whole of your lesson preparation is centred around that ONE THING!

Example: I want my children to know . . . Jesus is the only way to God.

LESSON RUN SHEET:

Welcome activity:

• Look for a colouring picture about your Bible story.
• Look for a game that uses the concept of one ONE WAY!
• Make up a rap or refrain that the children can repeat throughout the class: JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY.

Song list:

• Which songs are there that teaches the kids God helps you?
•  Please remember to keep you age group in mind as well.

Memory Verse:

• Keep your ONE THING in mind.

Bible Story:

• Read through your story.
• Get a clear storyline.
• Make sure your ONE THING can be repeated naturally throughout the story.
• DO NOT force it in the story.
• Structure a Good gripping introduction where you lead children to start thinking about JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY.
• Ask questions to lead the children in discovering this truth out of the Bible story for themselves.
• Ask them how they are going to apply this in their lives in this week.

Application activity:

• Make sure that you small group leaders understand the ONE THING and they can talk to the children during this activity to make sure they understand it and can apply it to their lives.

KEEP IT FUN!

Hmm . . . ever walked out of a classroom just knowing, that even though everybody is doing the right stuff, you know they are losing the kids??

Something that I realized is that no matter what message you bring or how pure your motives are.

If your kids aren't enjoying it they ain't learning!

Please guys always remember to KEEP IT FUN! Children come back to a place where they feel welcomed, but also where they are having fun. we don't want children thinking that Church is boring do we? because the maths is simple: boring church = boring Bible = boring God!

We want children to know God for the Awesome, creative, immeasurable God He is!

Please be careful to mix just the right amount of FUN into the equation! Maybe you have your check list all worked out:

• I want the kids to know they are loved and welcomed! . . . check!
• I want them to learn a verse from the Bible . . . check!
• I want them to experience God through the Bible story! . . . check!
• I want to give them time to hear from God! . . . check!
• I want them to have fun to increase learning! . . . check!

STRUCTURING FOR SAFETY

Ever walked out of a classroom and felt that this was utter chaos and I have no Idea how to fix it?

Chaos often comes because of:

• Lack of discipline and boundaries.
• Lack of preparation on the teachers part.
• Lack of basic structure.

For today we are going to look at the latter!

The chaos most often than not is just a lack of structure, especially for preschooler!

PRESCHOOLERS NEED STRUCTURE TO FEEL SAFE:

• The same environment - classroom.
• The same teacher!
• The same routine!

The best thing you can do for your Preschool phase teachers is to help them structure a workable routine. Print it out and put it up for all to see.  Preschoolers feel unsafe if there are not enough boundaries and routine! These two make up a structure of a Sunday service.

THE STRUCTURE:

• The Environment:
• The entrance to the classroom is always the same.
• The teacher greeting them at the entrance is always the same.
• The toys and play area set-up is always the same.
• Have a corner for books.
• A corner for girls toys
• A corner for boys toys
• A corner for dress-up etc.
• Have music playing in the background.
• An example Routine:
• 07:45 Free play.
• 08:05 Small group welcome - Ask them about their week. If you don't give them enough time to vent they will interrupt your class as soon as a word triggers a memory.
• 08:20 Welcome - new comers and everybody, birthdays etc.
• 08:25 Worship - sing two high energy songs
• 08:35Theme introduction through game or chant.
• 08:45Refreshments and restroom break.
• 09:00 Worship - one high energy, one worship song.
• 09:10 Word - Bible Story must be engaging with movement and sound and other senses.
• 09:20 Game or confirmation activity
• 09:30 Free play

DOWNSCALING TO GROW

Have you ever had a great growth in your ministry. You restructured and started new age groups. Had enough children's ministers etc. And all of a sudden after the July holidays, you are faced with too few ministers and feel like you are losing the few you have as well??

I've been there a few times in my ministry and the thing I learnt: was downscale to GROW!

Not making sense am I? Well the principal is simple. If you don't have enough man-power to fuel the current situation, rethink your position. If it means cutting back to 3 classes from 4 to save the people that are committed, I do it in a heartbeat.

If you continue trying to get one committed person to do a classroom by herself, she too will get to a place where she will feel she is not coping.

IN RESTRUCTURING YOU ARE:

• You are not a failure if you restructure or cut back.
• You are a true leader, because you see the problem and find a workable solution until the problem can be solved.
• By doing this you are resilient and adaptable, both very admirable qualities in a leader.
• You are consolidating what you have to enable the committed ministers to thrive and give their best again.
• By downscaling the amount of class rooms being ministered in you are:
• Coming along side your ministers that are struggling to cope alone.
• You are forming a support structure for all involved.
• You are lifting the quality of the product being ministered. - The saying: "More hands make light work!" comes to mind.
• You are making sure that the children are ministered to on a better ratio.
• Downscaling gives you time to rethink.
• Time to recruit and train new children's ministers.
• You create a more stable environment for the new recruits to get comfortable in.
• It gives everybody time to recalibrate.
• When you have enough trained hands on board - you reopen the class room and you will have a thriving ministry once again.

FAILING TO RESTRUCTURE:

• Is more stressful to you and your children's ministers when everybody knows we have too little hands.
• It makes the quality of ministry take a dive. - "It takes teamwork to make the dream work!" - John Maxwell
• Functioning alone only brings burnout not success! - "One is too small a number to achieve greatness" - Johan Maxwell
• Parents will rather understand a downscaling that be understanding when their little one comes in harm's way, because there were not enough eyes and hands to watch them and protect them.

SOMEONE FEELING LIKE TRYING SOMETHING NEW??

Hmm . . . just had a brainwave the other day!

Have you also been struggling with designated, suitable sitting space for small groups? How a bout a giant doughnut? Who feels like trying something new? Make a giant doughnut from bright coloured fleecing on the top, with durable denim on the bottom. Put an insulation like batting in the middle and stuff the sides for sitting area with stuffing! How great is that?

I'm positive it will give a great vibe to any room and provide comfortable sitting space for all the kids, while facing each other in a circle and have game space in the middle! Please try it and let me know if it works!

Maybe you can quote us ons making a few!