RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Kids' Transition Time...Building a Bridge

2026-06-09T08:06:41.949-04:00

When kids transition to a new ministry environment, it can be a nervous time for them and their parents. But a strategic plan can turn transition into a time of anticipation, excitement, and spiritual growth for the kids and families in your ministry. Here are some ways to build an effective bridge for transition.

Create a partnership between environments. Helping
environments work together is key to building the bridge.

Have key staff from the new environment come and meet the transitioning kids. Have them hang out before a service, greet the kids from the stage, or even teach a lesson. We start this process three months before transition. The key staff members come at least twice a month.

Communicate. Send out communication pieces to parents. Start communicating about transition at least two months out.

Send a welcome packet to parents of transitioning kids. Include a welcome letter, sample lessons, sample take-home papers, a calendar with important dates, sign-up forms, and any other pertinent information parents will want to know.

Announce the transition to the kids. Make it fun and exciting. Tell them about cool things that will be coming up in the new environment.

Take the kids to their new environment and give them a preview before they transition. This will relieve a lot of anxiety as kids see the environment and get a feel for what it will be like.

Have an open house. It’s a great way for kids and parents to visit the new environment, ask questions, get information, and meet their new leaders. Have key staff in the room to meet the new kids and their parents. Have information packets available and consider families’ busy schedules. Consider offering several options for families to attend.

Have a graduation ceremony. Offer families a spiritual milestone they will never forget.

Ask volunteers who have worked with the kids to share memories.

Ask graduating kids to share what they’ve learned, memories, and thanks to their leaders.

Ask parents to publicly bless their kids with Scripture, thoughts, and prayer. (Ask everyone ahead of time so they have time to prepare.)

Provide graduation certificates or maybe even gifts.

Have kids walk across the stage. This is visual confirmation that they are transitioning to a new environment.

Give a brief devotion or challenge to the kids and parents. Then close with prayer. Have parents and leaders gather around the children and pray for them.

Have a party, cookout, or reception after the ceremony. This is a great time for staff, volunteers, and students from the new ministry environment to connect with transitioning kids and parents.

I have created a graduation celebration milestone kit for kids who are transitioning up to middle school ministry. It includes everything you need for a great transition strategy and ceremony. It is available at this link.

Keep kids grouped together as much as possible. Keeping groups together will provide security for kids and help them continue to deepen relationships.

Have volunteers move up with kids. We love it when volunteers want to move up with their kids! It helps calm kids’ fears, but more important, when a leader invests in a child’s life over the years, the spiritual impact is multiplied.

Make yourself available for kids or families who are struggling during transition. I have found over the years that transition has a way of revealing kids and families who need an extra ministry touch. Perhaps it brings out the anxiety a child may still be feeling from a divorce; perhaps it shows parenting challenges a mom or dad is facing. How will you know who they are? Don’t worry…usually they will come to you. Whatever the need, be there to encourage them and walk with them through this time.

One of the great joys of being in children’s ministry for the long haul is seeing kids grow up and become fully devoted followers of Christ. It reminds you that all the time you spent building bridges for them was well worth it.

The kids in your ministry will grow up fast. Be there to build bridges across the transitions.

12 Things That Concern Me in Children's Ministry

2026-06-04T09:37:28.505-04:00

As I look at the trends and pathways of children's ministry, there are some things that concern me.

These are things that I believe we must address and search for ways to correct them.

Below are the 12 things. Take a few minutes to think about these.

Lack of Biblical knowledge.

Biblical knowledge alone will not help kids be discipled. But it is crucial that kids know God's Word if they are going to apply it to their lives. You can't apply what you don't know.

Kids not knowing why we believe what we believe.

The number one reason why kids grow up and leave the faith is because they simply don't believe anymore.

We must teach kids apologetics. We must help them work through the tough questions and find the correct answers.

If we don't, when kids are exposed to the wrong answers, they will not be able to stand against the doubt and confusion that will be brought their way.

Like the seed that fell into shallow soil, they will wilt away when the pressure from unbelievers comes.

Shallow faith greatly concerns me.

Lack of prayer.

I see a lack of prayer in our ministries. Children who make an impact even at an early age are kids who are taught how to pray.

A few months ago, I decided to try something bold when it comes to prayer. I started blocking out 10 minutes of time during class to pray.

I have the kids get down on their knees. I wondered how this would go. Surprisingly, the kids got down on their knees...even the kids who are normally a little "rowdy." A hush came over the room and we began to pray. We have a list of needs in our church and we pray though that. We also pray for God's forgiveness in areas we have sinned and spend time thanking and praising God for who He is.

It has been a game changer for many of the kids.

If we are going to the see the next generation move forward for God and serve Him for a lifetime, it will happen when they spend time with God in prayer.

Inconsistent church attendance.

As I talk with and interact with churches across the country, the same attendance pattern emerges. Families with children are attending church once or twice a month or even less.

This means children are missing 50-75% of the lessons. What would happen if children missed 50-75% of their school lessons. It would be difficult for them to master the subjects they are studying.

The same can be said of church attendance. It concerns me that a big majority of the children who attend our churches are only getting 25-50% of the teaching. It's hard to get a solid faith foundation when you are not there consistently.

Priorities and choices of parents.

All too often, I see parents who make the choice to put sports before church attendance and discipleship. Traveling ball participation that causes kids to miss weeks and weeks of Biblical teaching.

Too busy to attend church faithfully? I am afraid that this will catch up to families spiritually and is setting a precedent that is going to cause kids to not put God first in their priorities and choices. This can eventually cause children to drop out of church completely when they grow up.

God wants first place in our lives and choices. We must help parents understand that the choices they make will greatly affect their children's relationship with Jesus now and in the years to come.

Volunteers who only serve once a month.

A big part of discipleship happens through relationship. For discipleship to happen in children's ministry (especially in the elementary years) you need volunteers who serve consistently. The best scenario is for volunteers to serve every week. This helps them build influence with the children and obviously makes the opportunity for relationship to be much higher.

It's hard to build relationship with someone you only see for an hour each month.

Temporary prizes for eternal endeavors.

Many churches give kids rewards for bringing their Bible to church, attendance, bringing a friend, good behavior, etc.

I believe we should reward kids for spiritual disciplines...but I believe we should reward them with far more than a cheap toy.

Think about this with me. What if you rewarded kids with the opportunity to make an eternal impact.

Examples:

Earn 50 points and you can purchase a goat for a family in India.

Earn 10 points and you can purchase a paint brush that will be used to paint a widow's house.

Earn 100 points and purchase a well for a family in Uganda.

I have found that kids respond even more if you give them the opportunity to make an impact with their points.

This also helps kids grow in their faith as they invest in eternal matters.

Churches that are not willing to change to reach the next generation.

Churches that are unwilling to change are losing the next generation. As I drive by churches that are closed down, I am reminded that at one time they had kids crying in the nursery. They had elementary kids giggling and playing in the classrooms. But not now. There is a for sale sign in the yard. Why? Because they were unwilling to change and stay relevant.

Often it's generational. The older generation has a worship style they grew up with and want to continue with it until their dying days. They have methods that they are comfortable with and they refuse to go outside the box they have created.

Remember...the last three letters in trend spells "end."

Not reaching children and families with the Gospel.

The most important thing children's ministries do is reaching kids and families with the Gospel. We only have a short window of time to reach the next generation. Churches can do a lot of things, but the primary passion and heartbeat must be reaching and discipling kids and families.

Online church without personal connections.

I'm not against online church. But when it comes to kids, I believe they need personal connections with caring volunteers. Discipleship happens through relationships. Kids need a consistent person pouring into their lives and helping them grow in their faith.

Churches that don't make children ministry a top priority.

You hear many churches say that children's ministry is a priority. But their budget, staffing, volunteer base, and facilities say something different.

Children are the greatest mission field in the world. It concerns me when a church can't see that and doesn't take action about it.

Children's ministries that don't have a salvation and discipleship pathway for children.

They don't have a clear next step when kids express an interest in beginning a relationship with Jesus. They don't have a curriculum plan in place that teaches kids the "musts knows" of following Jesus.

I believe we have to focus on what we are going to teach kids from God's Word. We must create intentional teaching pathways that will help kids know God's Word. It's time we adjust and rather than teaching kids "character traits" we must teach kids the key doctrines, principles, and truths that are found in God's Word. Biblical truth must be the foundation of what we teach.

Those are 12 things that concern me.

What concerns you about children's ministry? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

The Book That Will Help You Grow Your Children's Ministry

2026-06-02T06:56:30.025-04:00

If you want to see your children's ministry grow, then I have a book for you.

The book is entitled "100 Best Ideas to Grow Your Children's Ministry."

It was written by my friend Scott Werner and myself. When we wrote this book together, we were both leading children's ministries in large, fast growing churches.

Scott was the children's pastor at Life Church in Edmond. He helped the children's ministry there grow by leaps and bounds as he served under the leadership of Craig Groeschel.

I was the children's pastor at Central Church in Las Vegas. I wrote this book during the time when the children's ministry and church there were exploding with growth. We grew by thousands of people during this time.

The 100 ideas you will encounter in this book are proven ministry philosophies and methods that have been used to grow children's ministries. No matter your church size, these ideas can help you see and experience significant growth.

Great children’s ministries don’t happen by accident - they happen on purpose. This book brings together 100 practical, proven, timeless ideas that help kids grow in their faith, help leaders lead with confidence, and help churches create environments where families feel loved and supported.

Build strong volunteer teams.

Leading with clarity and vision.

Creating engaging environments for kids.

Partnering with parents.

Designing systems that support long-term growth.

Whether you’re new to children’s ministry or a seasoned leader, these ideas will help you
strengthen your ministry and elevate your impact.

This book is also a great resource that you can take your staff and volunteer team through. Order 5 or more copies and you can get a 20% discount. You can contact Dale about this at dale@buildingchildrensministry.com.

You can get your copy today at this link. Grab this book and watch your ministry grow...grow...grow!

Great Children's Ministries Are Built With These 10 Bricks

2026-05-26T07:43:33.022-04:00

Great children's ministries don't happen by chance. They are built with intentionally. Here are 10 building blocks that you can use to build a great children's ministry.

Vision.

Great children's ministries have a clear vision that fuels the ministry.

Put the vision in writing. Keep in simple. Make sure every volunteer on your team knows what the vision is.

Since vision leaks, consistently take people back to it.

The vision is why you do what you do. This is a foundational building block that you must have in place if you want to build a great children's ministry.

Do the people on your team know what the vision is?
Can the people on your team quote the vision?
Do you have the vision in writing? Plaster it on everything.

Principles.

If the vision is a building block, then principles are the mortar that holds the vision together and makes it become a reality.

If the vision communicates the "why" of your ministry, then principles communicate "how" you do ministry. Here are some examples.

All for One. Unity centered on Jesus and our core beliefts.

Inside Out. Living a life marked by prayer and integrity

Grow to Go. Remaining teachable to become usable.

Live to Give. Stewarding our lives for eternity.

Passion for People. Impacting humanity with the love of God.

Do you have principles in place that help guide the ministry?
Have you trained your volunteers to know how to do ministry?

Parent Partnerships.

Great children's ministries know that parents are the greatest influence in the life of a child. They seek to influence the influencers. They equip and empower parents to lead their children spiritually.

How are you extending the weekend lesson into the homes during the week?
Do you have milestones in place that help you join hands with parents at the high-impact points in a child's discipleship?

A clear discipleship pathway.

Great children's ministries don't just randomly teach lessons. Instead, they start with the end in mine and create a clear discipleship pathway that takes kids from point A to point Z.

Have you sat down and mapped out what you want kids to know and believe when they graduate out of your ministry?
Is the curriculum you are using or writing providing a clear pathway to spiritual growth for kids?

Church Support.

Great children's ministries are built by the church's overall support and encouragement. Their church is committed to reaching and discipling kids and families.

Does your church show that they value the children's ministry? Does their budget reflect this? Does their staffing priorities reflect this?
How can you elevate the importance of children's ministry in your church or ministry?

Volunteer Teams.

The foundation of a great children's ministry is built by volunteers. The success of your ministry rises and falls on the strength of your volunteer team.

You must understand this if you want to build a great children's ministry. Spend a big percentage of your time on enlisting, equipping and empowering volunteers to do the work of the ministry.

How much time are you spending each week building your volunteer team?
Are you equipping your volunteers to do the work of the ministry or are you trying to do it all by yourself?

Relevant connections.

It is important to stay in touch with today's kids. Today's children are not yesterday's children. Become a student of today's kids. Know what is popular with them. Know the unique qualities and characteristics of the coming generation.

Are you intentional about keeping in touch with the world of today's kids?
How are you staying relevant for today's kids?

Engaging Lessons.

Do you teach and share engaging lessons with the kids in your ministry? Today's kids need interactive, hands on, experiential lessons that capture their attention. We have the greatest news every written on paper...God's Word. It's vital that we teach it so it is memorable and applicable.

Are kids saying your lessons are boring? If they are, they are probably right. It's time for some major changes.
Are you striving to make God's Word come alive for today's kids?

Outreach.

If you want to build a great children's ministry, then outreach must be one of your top priorities. We are commanded by Jesus to go and share the Good News of the Gospel.

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." Mark 16:15

Are you reaching kids and families with the Gospel? Are you baptizing kids and parents on a regular basis? Are you out in the community sharing the Gospel? We are told to get outside the four walls of the church and take the Gospel to the world.

How can we get out in the community with the Gospel?
How can we help the kids in our ministry spread the Gospel with their friends, team members, schools, and neighbors?

Great Facilities.

It's not just about the building. It's about making a statement to kids and families that they are important. I believe the best part of a church's facilities should be the children's ministry.

Remember - good facilities will make your children's ministry seem better than it is. Bad or subpar facilities will make your children's ministry seem worse than it really is.

What are your children's ministry facilities saying to kids and parents?
What are some needed changes that need to happen with your facilities?

Put these 10 bricks in place and you will experience growth and improvement for your children's and family ministry.

Gen Alpha...Who Has Their Attention?

2026-05-21T11:42:58.294-04:00

Gen Alpha are kids who are currently 1-to-16 years old. These are the kids who are in your nursery, your preschool ministry, your elementary ministry, and your student ministry.

A lot of people are vying for their attention and some are very good at connecting them.

In my last post, I shared the top YouTube channels and shows that kids watch.

Today let's take a deeper dive into how to get the attention of Gen Alpha kids.

Gen Alpha viewing habits.

YouTube - 75%

Video on demand - 66%

Mobile games - 62%

YouTube shorts - 52%

Console games - 48%

TikTok - 38%

Facebook - 30%

Broadcast TV - 28%

Instagram - 26%

88% of parents say their 2-5-year-old prefers YouTube over VOD or broadcast TV.

Ages 2-to-9 prefer cartoons.

Ages 10-12 prefer comedy.

Boys favorite gaming channels

Flamingo

Lankybox

EthanGamer

Craftee

Unspeakable

Gaming w/Jen

Girls favorite gaming channels

Flamingo

Gaming w/Jen

Lankybox

Big School

Craftee

FGTV

43% of new movies are discovered by kids on YouTube.

55% of parents say they co-view YouTube with their kids.

Cartoons are most popular for co-viewing.

Second screening (watching 2 screens are the same time)

Almost half of Gen Alpha kids watch YouTube or play mobile games while watching TV.

Parents are also second screening - 39% play mobile games and 36% watch YouTube while watching TV.

YouTube ads drive 50% of parents to make a purchase for their child.

Influencers.

80% of kids ask for something they've seen an influencer talk about. Toys and games make up over half of the requests.

76% of kids ages 10-12 remember ads created by influencers.

32% of kids find new movies through influencers.

Boys favorite mobile games.

Lego

Roblox

Plants vs Zombies

Disney Games

Bubble Shooter

Talking Tom

Among Us

Sonic

Girls favorite mobile games.

Happy Color

Bubble Shooter

Disney Games

LOL

Among Us

Talking Tom

Lego

Roblox

Brands that have their attention.

Lego

Pokemon

Barbie

Hot Wheels

Fisher-Price

Play-Doh

Bluey

Crayola

Nerf

Collectible Interests boys share with their parents.

Lego

Marvel

Pokemon

Hot Wheels

Disney

Star Wars

Harry Potter

Roblox

Labubu

Pop

Jellycat

Sonny Angel

Collectible Interests girls share with their parents.

Lego

Barbie

Disney

Pokemon

Marvel

Harry Potter

Labubu

Jelly Cat

Pop

Roblox

Star Wars

Sonny Angel

It is interesting to see the stat of parents engaging with their kids in shared interest collectibles. This reminds me about partnering with parents. If we provide quality and engaging resources for kids and parents together, we can see parents getting involved in the discipleship of their kids. Maybe the reason why we aren't seeing more parents taking the lead in discipling their children is because we haven't provided them with quality, engaging resources for this.

If you want to connect with kids, then mention some of the brands in this article. They will be impressed that you took the time to learn about their interests and you will have their attention.

Here's an example.

One Sunday I walked into one of the classrooms and noticed there was a boy sitting in the back of the room by himself. You could tell from his countenance that he was not a happy camper. One of the leaders in the room shared with me that he had been disrupting the service and they finally had to move him back by himself.

I went over and sat down by him. I tried to talk with him, but he looked the other way and wouldn't acknowledge me. After a minute of him ignoring me, I decided to try something else. Here's what I did. I ask him if he liked video games. For the first time, he turned and looked at me said "yes...I love video games."

I asked him what system he had at home and what his favorite game was. After a few minutes of talking about video games, I told him I was going to go up and participate in the worship song the other kids were now singing. I told him he could stay where he was or he could come up and join me if he wanted to as well.

I went up front and started singing with the other kids. A minute later I felt a tug on my shirt. I turned around and it was the boy from the back of the room. He was smiling and said he wanted to join in the worship. For the rest of the class time he behaved and participated with a good attitude. The cause...someone cared enough to enter his world.

I would encourage you to use the brands and stats we have talked about in this article as a way to connect with Gen Alpha kids.

Show them you care enough about them to enter their world. Talk about what has their attention during the week. By doing this you will get their attention and open the door to impact them for Christ.

Many of the stats in this article came from precisify.com.

Top YouTube Channels for Kids

2026-05-19T10:17:25.641-04:00

Here's what kids are watching on YouTube. These channels and shows are obviously really good at connecting with kids. Think about what they are doing. You can pick up some great ideas for your children's ministry strategy. This is also a great way to stay connected with what is relevant for today's kids.

Girls Favorites (ages 2-5)

Bluey

Peppa Pig

Paw Patrol

Disney Jr.

Cocomelon

Girls Favorites (ages 6-9)

Disney Jr.

Spongebob Squarepants

Nicklodeon

Mr. Beast

Nick Jr.

Girls Favorites (ages 10-12)

Nickelodeon

Mr. Beast

Lego

Disney Hits

Spongebob Squarepants

Boys Favorites (ages 2-5)

Paw Patrol

Bluey

Spongebob Squarepants

Cocomelon

Blippi

Boys Favorites (ages 6-9)

Lego

Nickelodeon

Mr. Beast

Spongebob Squarepants

Bluey

Boys Favorites (ages 10-12)

Mr. Beast

Lego

Nickelodeon

Ryan's World

Spongebob Squarepants

p.s. Come back Thursday for my next article. We will take a deeper dive into how to connect with Gen Alpha kids.

Running the Wrong Way

2026-05-14T14:22:20.158-04:00

I was recently studying about one of my favorite Bible stories. Jonah and the big fish.

If you dig into this story, you will discover some great truths about God and His heart for the world to be saved.

You know what happened...God told Noah to go to the city of Nineveh and share with them their desperate need to repent of their evil ways.

The Ninevites were known for their brutality and evil. To travel there was risky. But to preach to them about God would mean certain death.

Jonah wanted nothing to do with the Ninevites. Especially since he was a Jew. It would be like asking a Jew during World War II to go preach to the Nazis.

One of two things would happen in his mind. He would be killed or the Ninevites would repent and be spared. Jonah was not interested in anyone from Nivevah living to see another day.

So...instead of running to Ninevah...he decided to run the wrong way. As far away from Ninevah as he could get. He boarded a ship and went the opposite direction.

In all this we see God's heart for people...even the most wicked people.

Look what he says in Jonah 4:11.

"...the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals."

Many commentators believe the 120,000 persons is referring to children who are not old enough to know the difference between their right and left hand.

He calls it a great city because there were so many lost people on whom He had compassion.

He also mentions animals? What does that mean? Scholars say that even the cruelest of men sometimes have a soft spot in their heart for a puppy, kitten, etc.

God has compassion on lost people and so should we.

Do you sometimes feel like Jonah? Your heart for lost people occasionally wanes and you want to run away from them instead of going to them.

You want to run away from the child that causes all the commotion in class?

You want to run away from the neighbor who is a pain?

You want to run away from the child that you just can't seem to connect with?

You want to run away from the staff member or church member that you can't get along with?

You want to run away from the hours of planning and work it takes to pull off a VBS, Fall Festival, or other outreach event?

You want to run away from trying to partner with parents when the parents just can't seem to get it.

I have felt all of this at times.

At times...I have run the wrong way.

When we take our eyes off of Jesus and people the natural tendency is to run the wrong direction.

Jonah disliked the Ninevites and it was obvious why. That dislike led him to disobedience.

Perhaps in all of this we see the heart of God for those who are far from Him. Perhaps in all of this we see that God has called us to run to those who are far from Him and share the Gospel with them.

So God puts Jonah through the ringer. You know what happened, he was on a ship...running the opposite direction when a storm blew in. Jonah confesses that He is running away from God's will and they end up throwing him overboard to save their lives.

Jonah gets swallowed by a big fish...perhaps it was a whale or great white Orca...whatever it was it was big.

Jonah spends three days in the big fish. During these three days, he spends most of his time talking to God and repenting for running away from God's will.

So God decides to ask Jonah to go to Ninevah for the second time.

p.s. Here are some apologetics you can teach kids about Jonah being swallowed and living through it.

Many critics can't "swallow" the story of Jonah because they say it couldn't happen.

Hang on. Let's examine the facts.

An average sperm whale has a mouth that is 20 feet long, 15 feel high, and 9 feet wide. Plenty big enough to swallow a person.

Did you know the sperm whale feeds largely on squid. Often these squids are larger than people. Whalers will sometimes find an entire squid in the stomach of a dead whale.

In 1891, two small whaleboats harpooned a huge sperm whale. The whale went under the water but then burst from the water, smashing one of the boats. One the sailors named James Bartley went overboard and was lost.

The whalers were eventually able to capture the whale and winch it to the ship. When they pulled the whale up, the sailors noticed that the whale's stomach was moving...so they cut the whale's belly open. Inside the whale was James Bartley...still alive after spending over 15 hours in the belly of the whale.

Now think back to Jonah. God was ready to use Jonah to reach Ninevah. So he had the big fish spit out Jonah onto the beach. Jonah was fortunate. There were only two ways out of the fish. Jonah got out the most pleasant way.

So here's Jonah...crawling out of the ocean after being spit up by a big fish.

Here's an interesting thing.

Do you know what false god the Ninevites worshiped? It was a fish god named Dagon.

Perhaps...just maybe some of the Ninevites saw this man come up out of a fish with seaweed wrapped around his head. If that happened, I would say Jonah had their attention.

So Noah runs the right way this time and heads to Ninevah. He shares the Word of God with them and the entire city turns to God.

So what do we learn from this amazing happening?

God's heart is for people.

God uses people to reach people...even when their attitude is not the best.

God wants us to have His heart of compassion and love for those who do not know Him.

When God asks us to run toward people with the Gospel, it is critical that we obey Him.

God wants you to run toward His will for your life instead of running away from it.

The best choice is to always run toward God's will instead of from it.

God is the God of mercy and forgiveness. Run to Him. Help others run to Him. No matter who they are.

God is looking for yielded hearts to reach people with the Gospel.

The Biggest Reason Why Kids Grow Up and Walk Away From the Faith

2026-05-12T12:38:00.003-04:00

Two major research organizations asked people why they left the church.

The number one answer? They simply stopped believing. Over 50% say they have stopped believing in the core doctrines and faith tenets.

Turns out that the experience a child has in church between the ages of 5 and 17 is the single strongest predictor of whether they will stay with the faith as an adult.

If a child has a negative experience at church, there is a 70% chance they will later walk away from the faith.

But if a child has a positive experience at church, there is a 84% chance they will stick with the faith.

What can we do about that as children's ministry leaders? Is the answer found in a new program? More relevant worship music? More lights and fog? Cooler games and activities? A new version of the Bible for kids? Different small group curriculum?

We cannot let this opportunity slip away. It's time the church makes children and student ministry a high, high priority. It's time the church goes all in for reaching and discipling the next generation.

Ministry for kids and students is the front line in the battle for the next generation. The enemy knows this and is going all out to steal, kill, and destroy the faith of the generation coming behind us.

So why are kids growing up and walking away from the church because of unbelief?

I believe it is because churches are not teaching kids why we believe what we believe.

I believe it is because churches are not teaching kids apologetics.

I believe it is because churches are not teaching kids doctrine.

I believe it is because we are not letting kids ask the hard questions and helping them work through it.

I believe it is because we are not teaching kids what the verses mean that they are memorizing.

I believe it is because we are teaching kids about God but not about knowing God personally.

I believe it is because we are not helping kids own their faith.

I believe it is because we are not strategic with the curriculum we are teaching them.

I believe it is because we are not preparing them to defend what they believe.

I talk about this extensively in my book Fertile Soil...How to See Kids' Faith Grow and Flourish for a Lifetime. You can get your copy here.

I also have 2 apologetics series for kids - Mythbusting and Pranksters. You can see these teaching series at this link.

It's time the church focuses on the next generation. Children and student ministry cannot be an afterthought. It must be at the forefront of our thoughts, planning, strategy, and outreach.

It's time the church turns its eyes to the greatest mission field in the world...kids and students.

It's time for children and student ministry to be the most important ministry in the church.

Children's ministry is not babysitting or childcare. It is crucial ministry at the most important time in a person's life. If we don't reach and disciple children and students we will see them grow up and walk away as adults.

Children and student ministry leaders be encouraged. God is with you. He wants to pour out His power and anointing into your life as you serve on the front lines.

Children and student ministry leaders be encouraged. Your ministry is dear to the heart of God. Jesus paused adult ministry when He was here and made children's ministry a top priority when the parents brought their children to Him.

Sadly in many churches, we find that children's ministry is just an afterthought. The pastor and church leaders fail to invest heavily into children and student ministry.

If you are in that situation, I would encourage you to share this article with your leaders. God has placed you where you are to be a champion for children and student ministry. Lovingly and humbly share this with your leaders. It might be just what they need to understand the importance of the ministry you are leading and serving.

There is hope for the next generation. God has divinely placed you where you are for such a time as this.

You are the person God wants to use to reach and disciple children and students through your local church. You matter and what you do matters....more than you can comprehend.

Together...with all of us engaged in this great work of God...we can see the faith projectory of an entire generation changed.

Then we will see kids and students grow up to walk with God instead of away from God.

10 Safety & Security Measures You Need for Your Children's Ministry

2026-05-07T11:43:00.001-04:00

Safety and security is such an important part of children's ministry. It is a non-negotiable. In a world of abuse and insecurity, the church should be a place where parents and kids are safe. The church should be a place where parents can feel confident that when they drop their child off, their child will be safe and secure.

Churches have to get safety and security right if they want to earn the right to be heard by families.

That being said, here are 10 safety and security measures you need to have in place.

#1 - A secure check-in and check-out system.

Every child should receive a name tag and every parent should receive a matching tag for pick-up. Everyone has to show the matching tag when picking up their child. No exceptions.

#2 - No one should ever be alone with a child.

Again...no exceptions.

#3 - A secure bathroom for boys and girls.

These bathrooms should only be for kids to use.

#4 - Always have two volunteers in place before you open a classroom.

This ties into #2.

#5 - A personal interview with potential volunteers.

Sit down and have a conversation with every potential volunteer. In this meeting, you will ask the hard questions and see if they are a good fit to serve in your children's ministry. If you would like a copy of the questions I ask for this, you can get a free copy at this link.

#6 - A background check on everyone.

After you have finished the personal interview and feel like they are a good fit, run a background check on them.

#7 - Men don't change diapers.

Enough said. All the men are shouting "Hallelujah!" Seriously, for safety measures have ladies do the diaper changing.

#8 - Windows into every room so you can look in and see what is happening.

You should always be able to look in the room and see what is happening. Have side panel windows or a window in the door.

#9 - Only approved volunteers and parents should be able to enter the children's area.

Check their tags as they are entering the children's area for drop off and pick-up. Keep the main doors locked during service.

#10 - A dedicated safety and security team that monitors the children's areas.

Enlist a security team that helps keep your children's areas safe. If you can, take it to the next level and have an armed police officer on duty by the children's area.

Do these 10 things and you will have a safe environment for the kids and families.

p.s. Do you need more safety and security training? You can access the Children's Ministry Safety and Security Webinar at this link and watch it on demand.

7 Ways to Know That a Church Values Children's Ministry

2026-05-05T09:13:00.000-04:00

How can you know if a church values children's ministry? Some churches say they value children's ministry but their actions tell a different story.

Let's put it to a test. Here are 7 ways you can know if a church truly does value children's ministry.

Volunteers

The church encourages people to serve in children's ministry. It is high on the list when it comes to volunteer opportunities.

The best, most gifted volunteers can be found in the church's children's ministry. The choir loft isn't full of volunteers while the children's ministry volunteer team is minuscule.

The church knows this - the success of the church rises and falls on the strength of the volunteer team that ministers to the next generation.

Facilities

When parents walk into your facilities, what are your facilities saying?

Children are important here?

We care enough about the next generation to create quality environments for them?

Our children's facilities were designed with kids in mind...not adults?

Subpar children's facilities will make your children's ministry seem worse than it is while high quality children's facilities will make your children's ministry seem better than it is.

Facilities for children matters...a lot. You can't stick kids in the basement in an environment that looks like a hospital and expect growth.

Your adult space may look great...but if your children's space isn't popping...then you will struggle to grow the ministry.

Budget

The children's ministry budget should be one of the largest budgets in the church. If a church says they care about reaching and discipling the next generation, then their budget allocations will reflect this.

Money invested in children's ministry will pay for itself many times over in families who are reached.

Show me your budget and I will tell you how much you value children's ministry.

Staffing

A church that values children's ministry will have adequate staff. I have created a staffing chart that shows how many staff you should have in your children's ministry based on attendance. If you'd like a copy of the chart, feel free to email me and I will send it to you.

Visibility

The children's ministry will have high visibility. This includes pulpit declaration, bulletin space, announcements, screen time, and an overall culture that says children's ministry is important to us.

Partnerships

The children's ministry will not be a silo. Other ministries in the church will partner with the children's ministry. There will be a partnership with student ministry. There will be a partnership with adult ministry. The children's ministry will often collaborate with other ministries to reach and disciple families.

Events

The church will invest generously to host children and family outreach events. Some examples are VBS, Easter outreach, summer camp, fall festivals / trunk or treat, Christmas events, etc.

The entire church will get behind these events and will get involved by giving, volunteering, promoting, etc.

Does your church value children's ministry? These are some good talking points as you lead children's ministry in your church. Feel free to share this article with your church leaders.

A lot is at stake...we only have a short window of time to reach and disciple children.

How Grandparents Can Leave a Legacy

2026-04-30T11:04:00.005-04:00

LeCrae is an award-winning artist who is making an impact in the lives of young people around the world. Recently, I was watching him share his story and was reminded of the impact grandparents can have in the life of their grandchildren. He starts by saying this.

"I remember when I was 17 and a lady asked me, 'Are you saved?' I didn't have any idea what she meant. What is 'saved?' The best thing I could think through was maybe she means, 'Am I like my grandmother?'"

Soon his grandmother's prayers would be answered as LeCrae found Christ and his life was transformed. This is an example of the power of a grandparent’s legacy. The compound spiritual influence of a parent and grandparent in the life of a young person can be profound.

At the time of this writing, there are over 4.9 million children being raised by a grandparent in the United States. Grandparents need our support and prayers as they invest in their grandchildren.

Here are five questions you can ask to help grandparents navigate raising and influencing their grandchildren.

1. How can you leverage the spiritual influence you have as a grandparent in the life of your grandchild?

2. How can you be more intentional about being involved in your grandchild's spiritual milestones?

3. How can you serve in your grandchild's environment at church?

4. How can we connect our Children's Ministry to our Senior Adult Ministry in our church?

5. What tools and resources can I use to help disciple my grandchildren?

For faith to continue through the generations of a family, there must be a passing down of that faith. Parents' role is to pass down the faith to their children who will in turn pass it down to their children who will in turn pass it down to their children. And so faith can thrive from generation to generation. There is a great example of this found in Scripture.

"I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also." 2 Timothy 1:5

In this passage, we see faith was passed down through three generations. Lois the grandmother, Eunice the mother and Timothy the son. We must remember that we teach what we know, but we produce what we are. I can guarantee you something. Lois and Eunice lived their faith out. As Timothy saw his grandmother and mother living out their faith, he was compelled to also possess this faith and live His life in accordance with it.

This doesn't mean grandparents and parents must be perfect to be a conduit of faith. But it does mean that when we sin or our talk doesn't match our walk, then our kids and grandkids see us humbly admit our failure and ask God for forgiveness.

Be encouraged grandparents, even if you haven't been an example of sincere faith for your kids up to this point, you can start today. Get with God. Ask Him to forgive you and help you be a faith example your grandchildren can follow.

No matter what your "faith passing down" situation has been up to this point, God offers you forgiveness and a fresh start. He can use you to pass along a sincere faith starting today...right now. Just admit to Him your failures and watch as He infuses you with a fresh faith that can change not only your life, but your grandchildren’s lives as well.

This is an excerpt from my latest book - Legacy...leave your mark on this world.

You can get your copy of the book at this link.

How to Empower Kids to Share Their Faith

2026-04-28T11:18:00.003-04:00

All believers are commanded by Jesus to share their faith.

"Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation." Mark 16:15

This includes kiddos as well. They are to take the Gospel to their world.

Our job as teachers, leaders, and parents is to equip and empower kids to share their faith.

We are to help them see why they should actively be sharing their faith and then giving them the training and tools they need to share.

Let's talk about how we can help kids share their faith.

Teach them why they should be sharing their faith.

As stated above, we are called to share our faith with others. You can't spell Gospel without GO. 2/3rds of God's name is GO. Give kids a solid foundation to stand on so they are sharing from the overflow. Our lessons should teach kids why it is so important to share their faith.

Model a life of praying for those who don't know Jesus.

Lead kids in praying for their lost family members, friends, and others they come in contact with.

Help kids develop a list of people they are praying for. Help them see the vital part that prayer plays in reaching others with the Gospel.

Help kids see that sharing their faith will help their own faith grow.

We often look for ways that we can use to measure children's spiritual growth.

One big indicator is seeing kids share their faith with others. When you are actively sharing your faith, it ignites your own spiritual growth.

Give them tools they can use to share their faith.

It is crucial that you train kids how to share their faith and give them tools they can use for this.

In my teaching series "The Blab Lab" I give kids four tools they can use to share their faith. These tools are highly effective and can instantly equip kids to share their faith. You can get more information at this link.

Provide them with opportunities to share their faith.

Mission trips. Local outreach. Evangelistic opportunities.

Here's an example. At one of the churches where I served, we had access to an ice cream truck. I trained a group of kids to share their faith. We would go into neighborhoods and give out free ice cream. As the kids were eating their ice cream, the kids from our church would share the Gospel with them. We were able to reach several kids by doing this.

Motivate them to share their faith.

Get kids excited about the power of the Gospel and the privilege they have to share it with other kids.

As I mentioned above, I created a teaching series that trained kids to share their faith and gives them tools to do this. One of the girls got so excited about sharing her faith that she took one of the tools with her to school. Her class was having show n' tell that day. When it came her turn to share, she boldly stood in front of the class and used the Gospel tool to share her faith with her entire class and her teacher. Get kids excited about the Gospel and they will become bold in sharing it.

Teach parents how to share their faith.

One of the best ways to empower kids to share their faith is by their parents modeling this. Teach parents how to share their faith and they can then pass this along to their children by their example.

Recently at the church where I serve as children's pastor, we took a Saturday morning and went into the neighborhoods near our church. We went door to door, leaving invites to church and praying for people. It was awesome watching some kids and their parents doing this together.

Empower parents so they can empower their children to share the Gospel.

I believe God can use children in an amazing way to reach people for Christ.

Tell them why we share the Gospel.

Equip them to share the Gospel.

Empower them to share the Gospel.

Provide them opportunities to share the Gospel.

Empower parents so they can empower their children to share the Gospel.

Motivate children to share the Gospel.

Watch what God does when you do this.

Help Families Make Church Attendance a Priority

2026-04-23T11:43:00.003-04:00

I'm sure you've noticed. Families are attending church less frequently. In most churches, the average family attends once or twice a month or even less.

You are not alone in this pattern. This is happening across the country.

As a kid growing up in church, we had an attendance chart in our Sunday school room. Each Sunday we were there, we got a star put on the attendance chart. The goal was to have perfect attendance. Most kids in the class would only miss perfect attendance by a star or two and many would have perfect attendance for the year.

If you had an attendance board today, there would probably be lots of missing stars.

There are lots of contributing factors for this. But I believe it all boils down to one thing.

Priorities.

Some thoughts about this.

If something is a priority for your family, you will make time for it.

Your calendar reveals your priorities.

Where you are on Sunday morning reveals your priorities.

The solution for misdirected priorities?

Help families make church attendance a priority.

How are you going to make this happen?

By making them feel guilty?

By teaching against playing sports on Sunday mornings?

By calling them out?

Not so sure this will work in a healthy manner.

Instead, how about encouraging them to take the long look. Where do they want their children to be spiritually in 5 years?

Instead, how about casting vision for the positive spiritual impact consistent church attendance can have?

Instead, how about calling them up instead of calling them out. In other words, replace guilt with the opportunity they have to help their kids' faith grow and flourish.

Another thought...if you are going to see this happen, then you have to influence parents. You must shift from seeing your ministry being all about kids to being all about kids and parents.

How can you influence parents? One key time you can influence parents is during milestone opportunities.

Here's an example. Parent and Child Dedication. What if you attached a class to the dedication that parents attended? In this class, you spent 15 minutes explaining the why and what of the dedication and then spent 30 minutes on helping them look down the road spiritually and setting their priorities based on that (you can get more information about this class and order it at this link).

I have found from experience that if you can help young parents catch this vision, it will help them have the right priorities when their kids get older and sports and other extra curricula activities on Sunday morning come calling.

You can also help families be more consistent in their church attendance by making church an irresistible environment for kids. Create experiences for kids that have them dragging their parents to church. Kids often have a lot of influence on their parents when it comes to church attendance.

Encourage your pastor to preach about priorities and church attendance on a regular basis. Help him see the impact it can have on families getting their priorities lined up with God's plan for families. Matthew 6:33 is a great place to start when it comes to family priorities.

Get families involved in serving. The most consistent attendees in your church are people who are serving. Serving is essential in helping families line up their priorities in the right order. Provide opportunities for families to serve together. Here's an example. Have parents and their children serve together as greeters.

Help parents seize the short window of opportunity. Help them see that they only have so many weeks to see their kids discipled before they are grown and on their own.

They only have a newborn for 52 weeks.

They only have a toddler for 104 weeks.

They only have a preschooler for 104 weeks.

They only have a school age child for 364 weeks.

They only have a teenager for 312 weeks.

Who knows...maybe we need to bring back the attendance board with stars on it.

Whatever it takes and however you do it, help families make church attendance a priority.

p.s. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this subject. You can share in the comment section below.

Why Your Kids' Lessons Must Be Interactive

2026-04-21T12:25:00.003-04:00

Let's face the reality. Today's kids are not going to sit and listen to someone drone on and on and on. If you teach kids, you know this.

Kids are wired to move. They are wired to get involved. They are wired to play. They are wired to squirm. They are wired to interact.

But we often revert back to teaching methods that require kids to sit still and be quiet.

Why? Because it's easier. Because it takes less prep time. Because it's what we grew up with and are familiar with.

But can I let you in on a little secret? You may already know this because you've experienced it. I am often amazed how the kids that talked during the lesson, moved around during the lesson, and got distracted during the lesson, know all of the review questions that I ask. I'm thinking to myself, "I can't believe this kid actually got what I was teaching."

You see...you have two options...you can force kids to sit still and be quiet or you can align with how they are wired and use interactive lessons that will capture and retain the attention of today's kids.

A passive learning experience isn't going to get you the results you want. It's time to use content that requires active engagement.

The children's entertainment industry understands this. A growing number of companies are starting to create interactive TV. This enables kids to pick their own adventures and engage with how they consume and learn best. Kids are able to tap their screen and choose what happens next in the story.

Interactive TV is just starting to catch on but is expected to grow to a $39.8 billion dollar industry by 2032. Producers are creating episodes that let children choose what they want to see next at key points in the episode.

In the game Disney Channel Besties, kids can choose which friends from various Disney Channel shows they want to see, and then watch clips featuring those characters. And in Paramount’s interactive trailer for Sonic The Hedgehog 2, kids can choose their favorite character and make decisions for them.

Another example is the preschool series Mixmups that lets kids personalize how they watch the show, including lowering background noise, simplifying the visuals, and adding content to enhance comprehension.

DreamFlare is a San Francisco based streaming company that is using interactive content as well. Rob Bralver, creative director and co-founder said, "We're in a new frontier of entertainment where you're not just sitting and passively watching."

Successfully communicating with kids is done through interactivity...now and in the future. Today's kids are expecting to be able to interact with their content. That includes the content you are sharing with them at church.

It has been proven that interactive classrooms perform better on measures of student learning. One meta-analysis found that in STEM classrooms with “active learning,” broadly defined, student exam scores improved by about six percent. It has also been proven that the most effective teachers only lecture 20% of the teaching time. Take a look at the next lesson you are presenting. How much of it is lecture-based? You can immediately become more effective if you use more interaction in your lesson.

There are lots of ways you can make your lessons interactive. Here are a few ideas.

Pose a question, have students think individually, discuss with a partner, and share with the class.

Use interactive games.

Have kids act out the Bible story you are telling.

Movement - use "Four Corners" to make students move to different areas of the room based on their opinion.

Have kids repeat Bible verses, key words, and key points after you.

Break your lesson up - use short "chunking" methods, alternating brief instruction with quick 2-minute activities.

Use videos that interact with kids in real-time. The person in the video asks a question and then pauses to let the kids respond. The kids' show Blue's Clues was build on this premise. It is considered by experts to be one of the most effective shows ever produced to get kids involved and interacting.

Let kids read the verses you are teaching instead of you reading them.

Provide chalk or a soft toy; whoever has it must answer your next question, and they pass it on to the person of their choice.

Write questions or prompts onto all surfaces of a beach ball (or tape them on). When the next student catches the ball, he/she answers one of the questions where fingers are touching the ball.

While you are teaching, have the kids draw pictures of what you are saying.

Rock Paper Scissors break – kids pair off and play. Let the winners answer some review questions.

Balloon Bust - divide the kids into groups. Give each group a balloon with a discussion question inside the balloon. At your signal, have the groups pop their balloons and discuss the question inside.

Press Conference – Have a kid stand behind a table like a press conference. The other kids can ask him or her questions about the lesson that was taught.

The key to effective teaching is to see yourself as a facilitator rather than a lecturer. Check out this article I wrote about this.

If you're looking for curriculum that gets kids interacting throughout the lesson, then check out Connect12. It's one year's worth of curriculum. Curriculum that is grounded in teaching kids 12 Biblical truths in 12 months. You'll see a big element we've included in the curriculum is lots and lots of time for interaction. You can get more information at this link and see lesson samples, videos, etc.

Want to Reach Parents? Ask Them This One Simple Question

2026-04-16T10:02:00.004-04:00

We know if we want to influence kids, then we have to influence their greatest influencer...their parents.

When you reach a child, you change a life. When you reach parents, you change an entire family.

Our passion should be to reach not only kids, but their parents as well.

Do you want to reach parents? Then I've got some good news for you. You can reach parents if you will be intentional about asking them one simple question.

Let me give you a real time example of the question you should ask.

Our children's ministry had a first-time guest family on Easter. They were an unchurched family. They decided to attend church on Easter, drove by our church and decided to try this "church thing" out. They came back this past Sunday and when the parents came to pick up their children, they approached me about their elementary kids and teenagers being baptized.

I shared with them that we have a class called Starting Point. It's a class that kids and their parents attend together. In this class, we explain what it means to become a follower of Jesus. Last night they came to the class together as a family. This is a crucial step. Don't have a salvation class just for kids. Make sure that parents attend with their children. No drop offs. This is because you want to share the Gospel with the parents as well.

I asked the parents one simple question.

I know you want to see your children accept Jesus and be baptized. That's great. Let me ask you as well. Have you accepted Jesus and been baptized yourselves?

This one simple question will open the door for you to reach the parents as well.

If you want to reach parents, then start using this approach. You will see God do amazing things.

At a church where I served as children's pastor, we saw over 430 children and dozens of parents accept Jesus and follow Him in baptism in one year. Every child and parent who got baptized that year had been through the Starting Point class together. You can get more information about the Starting Point class at this link.

If you look at Scripture, you will see parents who came to Jesus for one reason. They needed something from Jesus for their child. They needed their child to be healed. They needed their child to be brought back to life. They needed their child to be set free from demonic possession. Their first contact with Jesus was because of their children.

This can still happen today. Parents can be reached through their children. Parents can come in contact with Jesus through their children. Entire families and generations can be reached through children.

The family I met with...in a few weeks the entire family is going to be baptized together. All because of asking one simple question.

Start asking that question and you will be amazed at what God does in the lives of families.

An Inside Look at My Summer Children's Ministry Calendar

2026-04-14T10:13:00.000-04:00

Summer is a great time to reach and disciple kids and their families.

It's important to be strategic when you plan your calendar.

It's not about being busy...it's about being productive.

Start with your purpose and mission. Build your calendar from that. What can you do this summer to help advance your ministry's purpose and mission?

Here is a look at the summer calendar of the church where I lead the children's ministry. I trust it will be a help and encouragement to you.

June 3 - Bible Study and Pizza Night

June 17 - Bible Study and Banana Split Night

June 22-24 - VBS

June 25 - VBS Family Night

July 8 - Bible Study and Water Blast

July 13-17 - Summer Kids' Camp

July 22 - Bible Study and Game Night

August 7-8 - Father & Son Campout

August 9 - Promotion Sunday

August 12 - Mother & Daughter Tea

August 26 - Bible Study and Playground Night

September 2 - Wednesday Night Programming starts back

Your turn. Would love to hear what you are doing this summer. Share your calendar in the comment section below.

10 Things Senior Pastors Need to Know About Children's Ministry

2026-04-09T10:23:00.002-04:00

Do you ever share articles with your Senior Pastor? Articles that explain the importance of children's ministry? This is one to share if you get the opportunity.

Here are 10 things that every senior pastor needs to know about children's ministry.

Children's ministry needs the support of the Senior Pastor.

Senior Pastors should be a top fan of children's ministry. They set the tone for the church when it comes to how people view children's ministry.

Does your senior pastor see it as an afterthought or as a vital ministry?

Is the success of children's ministry important to your senior pastor? How do they show that?

The children's ministry staff and volunteers need to know their senior pastor values children's ministry.

Children's ministry is a growth engine for the church.

Do you know the top two reasons people pick a church?

-How friendly are you?

-What do you have to offer my kids?

The fastest growing and largest churches in the nation have something in common. They all have dynamic children's ministries.

If you want to see your church grow, it will happen through reaching kids and their parents.

Why do you think parents drive past the steakhouse and eat at McDonald's instead? It has to do with something called a kids' meal. Dad and mom would rather eat at the steakhouse, but the kids want to go where there are kids' meals and playgrounds. Normally the kids win that battle. It is often the same situation with families and where they go to church.

Parents can have a great experience at a church, but if the kiddos come out and say they didn't like it...chances are they are going to find a place where their kids have a great experience.

Compensate your children's ministry person well.

If you are a senior pastor reading this, you may have a part-time person leading your children's ministry. They probably won't tell you this, but they are working a lot more than part-time hours. You are getting a full-time person for part-time pay. This is not fair. Compensate your children's person well. Pay them for what they are worth and for what they are investing in the ministry.

If you do have a full-time person, then pay them fairly. You want their attention to be on the ministry, not on how they are going to put food on the table.

What they do is invaluable for your ministry. The church will get back financial benefits from the families they help you reach.

Children's ministry leaders help you shepherd the flock.

Children's ministry leaders are a key part in shepherding the entire congregation. They shepherd children, parents, volunteers of all ages, and entire families. They help you carry the load of shepherding the flock.

Buildings and facilities speak volumes.

The physical space designated for children makes a major statement to families. You can say that you are for children's ministry, but if the facilities for children are subpar, then it says otherwise.

If you are trying to decide where to invest the church's money, children's ministry should be at the forefront. It is a mistake to build great facilities for students (teenagers) and adults and then stick the kids in the basement.

Your facilities say one of two things...either we believe in children's ministry or it is not a priority for us. Investing finances in children's ministry facilities and environments is always a win.

Make your children's ministry budget a top priority.

Money invested in children's ministry will return to the church many times over.

If you are spending money on new choir robes while your children's ministry has moldy carpet, then something is wrong.

If you are spending more on coffee than you are on goldfish crackers, something is off.

If you are remodeling the men and women's bathrooms while the children's ministry tables and chairs are falling apart, then something is out of sorts.

If you are building a new sanctuary while the children's ministry area is old and outdated, then priorities need to be looked at.

If you are spending big money on sound and LED walls for the sanctuary while the children's ministry rooms have old TV's and Veggie Tales VHS tapes, something is off.

If you have 3 full-time people on your worship staff, but only a part-time person in children's ministry, then your personnel budget needs to be adjusted.

I could go on and on and on, but you get the point. One of the biggest budgets in the church should be the

children's ministry budget. One of the biggest staff teams should be your children's ministry team.

Children's ministry is not easy, make sure you give them time off.

Children's ministry is no easy gig. It has so many moving parts. It has the pressure of always having volunteers ready and in place every Sunday. You know this. Sunday always comes back and your children's ministry person has to be ready.

Then there is the load of planning and pulling off events like VBS, camp, parent and child dedications, fall festivals, Christmas events, Easter egg hunts, Bible studies, trips, etc.

Simply put...it is a lot.

It is enough to burn your children's ministry person out if they don't get some R&R. Make sure you give them days off each week. Provide them with vacation time. Don't expect them to be at the church five nights a week. Give them plenty of margin to be wih their most important ministry...their family.

Ask for their input and advice when planning teaching series.

Your children's ministry person can help you make sermons relevant to today's parents and families. Are you doing a series about the home? Include your children's ministry person in the planning. Are you doing a series about serving? Get input from the person that helps lead one of the biggest volunteer bases in your church.

Your children's ministry person knows the pulse of the families. They can be a big resource to you when sermon planning. Does that mean you should use all of their ideas? No. Of course not. But it does mean you listen to them and use what will make your sermon connect better with families.

Summer is your children's ministry person's busiest time of the year.

When we hear adult ministries talk about how things slow down in the summer, we can't help but chuckle. Summer time is full of events and happenings in children's ministry. Then there is a tiny, small window of down time (like 3 days) before we have to jump right into the fall season of ministry.

Be aware of this and help your children's ministry person guard their time and comp them on a regular basis.

Children are not just the church of tomorrow. They are the church of today as well.

Yes. We are investing in their future...but we are also excited about seeing them come to Christ now, be discipled now, and growing in their faith now.

Children can make an impact now. They can serve now. They can be prayer warriors now. They can learn to tithe now. They can learn to pray and spend time with God now. They can share the Gospel now. They can be leaders now.

We tell children to sit still and be quiet and then we wonder why they sit still and are quiet when they grow up. It's because that's what we told them to do!

We often call kids out for what they have done wrong. What if we started calling them up...calling them up to what God wants them to be and do. Calling them up to make a difference. Calling them up to living lives of faithfulness, integrity, and spiritual obedience.

Yes...we are excited to see them grow up and be used by God...but we are just as excited about seeing how God can use them now.

Are you going to share this with your senior pastor? That's obviously up to you. It could get you fired (ha) or it could help you gain more support and influence for the children's ministry you lead.

It's not about us anyways. It's about reaching the next generation and their families. Share your heart with your senior pastor. He may have been waiting for a long time to hear this from you. You have to be the champion for children's ministry in your church. Lead strong my friend and be reminded of how important what you are doing is.

5 Easy Ways to Teach Kids to Be Givers

2026-04-07T07:43:00.003-04:00

This past Sunday we had an Easter Egg hunt for the kids. There were lots of smiling faces.

The hunt was over and the kids were going back to their classrooms (we did the egg hunt during service time - it's amazing how fast kids can pick up thousands of eggs...literally just a couple of minutes).

Anyways back to what happened. As the kids were walking back to class, two girls can running in. They had arrived late and all the eggs were picked up. They burst into tears. They were so upset that they were going to leave.

Then something amazing happened. I asked the kids if anyone wanted to share some of their eggs with the two girls. The kids started surrounding the two girls and giving them some of their eggs. Soon the two girls' baskets were full of eggs. The tears turned into smiles. I was so proud of the kids living out what it means to be a giver.

Watching this happen reminded me of something. It is important that we teach kids what it means to be a giver.

Here are five easy ways you can teach kids to be givers.

Share with them how Jesus modeled giving.

Jesus life can be summed up in two words.

"...just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28

Time and time again, throughout His life, Jesus gave and gave and gave. He gave the ultimate gift when He gave His life and died on the cross for our sins.

Point kids to Jesus and encourage them to follow His example. This is a key part of discipleship.

Give kids hands on activities that bring giving to the forefront.

Here's an example of how you can do this. Prepare bags of candy and give one bag to each child. Let them know that the candy in the bag is theirs. Then share with them about some kids in your community or area that are in need.

Give them a choice. They can keep the candy or they can give it back and you will deliver it to the kids. When you do this, you will feel the tension in the room rise. Kids will have mixed emotions as they ponder what they should do.

Some kids will take their candy home...and that's okay. But you will see that many of the kids will make the choice to give the candy to someone else.

These kind of activities are powerful ways to teach kids about giving.

Take up an offering each week and teach the kids about giving tithes and offerings.

Share with the kids a simple truth about being a giver before you take up the offering each week. Share with the kids what the Bible says about giving God part of the money He has entrusted them with. It will normally be small amounts at this age but if they can learn the principles of being a giver, it can help them live this out for the rest of their life and experience the joys and blessings of being a giver.

Share teaching series that focus on giving.

I have two curriculum series that I use to teach kids about giving. Click on the images below for more information.

Encourage kids to participate in church-wide giving campaigns.

When your church engages in big projects like a building campaign, special Christmas offering, filling shoe boxes for kids, etc. make sure you include the kids. God can do great things when you do this.

We were raising money for a new children's ministry building. A 3rd grade boy had made big birthday plans. His parents were going to take him to Florida for his birthday and he would be going to some amusement parks there. It was a big, big trip for him. The family had saved money for this trip for a year.

When he heard about the building campaign, the Lord began to do a work in his heart. He went to his parents and shared with them that God was leading him to forego the birthday trip and give the money toward the new children's building. His parents questioned him about this and he confirmed that it was something God was telling him to do.

So he gave the money toward the building campaign. God used it and his giving inspired the entire church to sacrificially give toward to the new building.

Your turn. What are some other ways you teach kids to be givers? Share in the comment section below.

The First 10 Seconds...Making a Great First Impression

2026-04-02T08:01:00.002-04:00

Disney is excellent at making first impressions...especially in the first 10 seconds.

As you approach the front gates of the Magic Kingdom you are immersed in thousands of colorful flowers.

The smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies floats your way.

In the background, Disney songs are playing.

Here's something that Disney understands that we need to take a cue from.

Your interaction with guests in their first 10 seconds forms the perception they will carry with them into your church.

The first 10 seconds in your church may seem like a small thing but that tiny amount of time makes a lasting impression.

Keep this in mind as well. The first impression truly is a lasting impression...especially the first 10 seconds that guests come in contact with your ministry.

Think through these questions...

What do you want guests to see in the first 10 seconds?

What do you want guests to be immersed in the first 10 seconds?

What do you want guests to experience in the first 10 seconds?

What do you want guests to hear in the first 10 seconds?

Your answers to these questions will determine if guests return or not.

Here are some examples...

Sight. Make sure your greeters are happy people who naturally smile. Have bright, fun colors in your decor.

Sounds. Have happy, fun music playing in the hallways. Music is a powerful force. I recently added music in our nursery and preschool hallway for this very reason.

Smell. Guests' sense of smell should be met with a clean, pleasant smell.

Make a great impression in the first 10 seconds and you will see guests return for a second visit.

You can get more ideas for making a great first impression in my book "Be Our Church Guest."

It is available at this link.

Bringing Children Into the Equivalent of a College Lecture at Church...Stop It Already?

2026-03-31T10:49:00.005-04:00

Should children be brought into the "adult" worship service? Should children have their own age appropriate worship service / class?

Some would compare bringing a child into the adult worship service to bringing a child into a college lecture. We agree that when it comes to education, children should be in an age appropriate class or experience. 6-year-olds go to a first grade class at school. 9-year-olds go to a 4th grade class at school. They don't go to college at that point in their life because it is not age-appropriate and the child would get little to no benefit from the teaching.

Here are some thoughts on this that I found online.

"I remember being in service as a kid. I remember absolutely nothing. Communion was cool because I got to eat Hawaiian bread or sourdough."

"Children can't handle a 30-45 minute sermon. But obviously a 30-45 minute sermon is the essential centerpiece of corporate worship."

"While we're at it let's skip kindergarten and start their education in college."

"Our last church, the pastor was adamant kids of all ages needed to be in church, then made services two hours long, right at lunch time (an hour plus of that was his sermon). My kids hated church. When it was time to get ready for church there were crying meltdowns. Not how I want my kids to feel about church. We moved, joined a better church, and now send our kids to children’s church during the sermon. They’re much happier, and we can listen to the sermon instead of trying to make them behave."

"I just don't get some of your reasoning. I respect your opinions, but it just seems disconnected from reality to me. Would you send your kids to a college lecture? No, because they wouldn't get hardly anything from it. They wouldn't understand 99% of it. That's why they work their way up. The same goes for church, IMO. Is having them in the main service distracting others when they are hardly going to take anything from it really worth it when they could be in Sunday school learning things at their own capacity? It's not worth it in my opinion. I understand doing it sometimes, but it just seems unrealistic to expect your kids to be in the main service every time. I think it's a lot more beneficial for them to be in a class that is geared towards them."

"As a parent of multiple children under the age of 10. My 3-year-old absolutely cannot sit through an entire sermon. There are some services throughout the year we attend as a family, especially Christmas. However, it is very difficult to focus, take notes, etc. on the service during those times. I do think there is validity to having your kids in service and worshiping as a family over the age of 12 or 13 or so. However, if you are talking about real topics in church (pornography, sex trafficking, etc.) these are topics I do not think I should be explaining to a curious 6-year-old."

"Young children simply do not learn the same ways that adults or older children do. There are children that can sit quietly and obediently during a service and retain absolutely nothing, just like many checked out, dissociating adults. There's something to be said for modelling, but this issue should really be decided at the level of local churches, where the context of the congregation is relevant to how involved kids could and should be on the general service."

I would have to say that I agree with much of this.

Over the years, I have met many people who say they will not step foot inside a church because they were made to go as a child.

Newsflash...you don't have to make someone go where they enjoy being. The reason they were made to go was because they were bored. They were made to sit still and be quiet while they were lectured at a college level or higher. I've never met anyone who says they are not going to Disney World because they were made to go as a child. See the difference?

Don't get me wrong. I do respect the flip side of this philosophy. Parents are to be the primary spiritual influence in their child's life. Sitting with their children and modeling what it means to worship and listen does have it's benefits.

But when it comes to parents modeling the faith...I believe this should primarily be done at home during the week.

I believe if you measure the benefits both ways...children having their own age appropriate worship service / class is more beneficial.

Here is how I manage this tension in the church where I am the children's pastor. Kids' worship is for kids up to 4th grade. After that, kids attend worship with their parents.

Your turn. What is your ministry philosophy about this? Do you have kids in the adult service? Do you have separate worship services / classes for kids? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

A Simple Way to Teach Kids How to Pray

2026-03-26T10:29:00.006-04:00

For the past several months God has been impressing on me to teach the kids in my ministry about prayer.

Each week, we have been taking time to get on our knees during class/service and spend time talking with Jesus.

It has been amazing watching the kids settle down, get on their knees, and begin praying.

I wanted to give them a simple plan they can use to spend time with Jesus.

Last night, I introduced them to this simple prayer plan.

Forgiveness.

Have the kids start their prayer time by asking God to forgive them for any sins they have committed. You can have them hold up 4 fingers to remember this. 4-giveness. Help them understand, that as followers of Jesus, it is important that we confess our sins to Him. Share this promise with them found in 1 John 1:9.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Praise and Thanksgiving.

"I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth." Psalm 34:1

Have the kids raise their hands and spend time thanking Jesus for who He is and what He does. Thank Him for being just, kind, loving, full of grace, and mercy. Thank Him for His blessings in your life.

Prayers for others.

"...Pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:16

Have kids point out to others and then begin praying for the needs of others. I get a list of people who are sick or in the hospital from our church and we pray specifically for them.

I also show the kids pictures of kids in other countries who do not know Jesus and we pray for them to be able to hear the Gospel.

Pray for your needs.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8

Have the kids point in toward themselves. Then give them time to pray for their own needs.

Prayer steps for kids / recap:

Confess your sins.

Praise and Thank God for who He is and what He does.

Ask God to meet the needs of others.

Ask God to meet your needs and requests.

This simple plan can turn children into prayer warriors. Children who spend time with Jesus on a regular basis are far less likely to walk away from church and the faith.

Are you leading kids in prayer? Are you teaching kids to pray? Are you helping kids develop a passion for walking with Jesus?

A praying child will follow Jesus.

A praying child will develop a heart that is passionate about spending time with Jesus.

A praying child will see God do great and mighty things in their life.

Yes...kids can be noisy and loud in class/service. But you will be amazed at what happens when you have them pause and get on their knees to talk with God and listen to the Holy Spirit. It can be transformative. Make time for it in your class time and watch what God does in their lives.

Easter...How to Get Families to Come Back the Next Week

2026-03-24T09:53:00.000-04:00

Easter is almost here. In most churches, it is a high attendance day. Families that only come once or twice a month all show up at the same time. This increases your attendance. You may also have several guest families that day who come to check out your church on Easter.

So here is the big question. How do you get them to return the next week? How do you get families who only attend occasionally to come more consistently? How do you get first-time guests to return?

Let's talk about this. Here are some tips that can help you see more families come back after Easter.

Be friendly, but not pushy.

One of the biggest factors in a family deciding to return is based on the friendliness factor. This doesn't just stop at the entrance door but must permeate your church's culture. The front door is not the true measure of your friendliness. It is based on the guest's overall experience with the people they come in contact with. Be friendly...but not pushy. You know how you feel when you walk into a store and you are accosted by a salesperson who is working on commission.

The key is balanced friendliness.

Make a great first impression with families.

The first impression truly is a lasting impression. If a family has a bad experience, they are not going to return. You can call them, send them a letter, text them and go the second mile to invite them back, but they are not going to return.

Keep this in mind. Put your time, energy, and effort into giving guests a great first experience. People will remember how you made them feel on their first visit and they will or will not return based on this.

Get tons of tips and practical steps you can take in my book "Be Our Church Guest." It is available at this link.

Make sure the kids have a great experience.

Parents can have a great experience, but if the kids did not...they are not going to return. Another critical factor in seeing guests return is their kids liking it.

A church that wants to grow and see people come back and become regular attenders, will invest heavily in children's ministry. I can't emphasize this enough.

Make a personal connection with them on their first visit.

Someone has to connect with them on a personal level. Whether that is you or a key volunteer, it must happen. Go beyond just "hello" and show a balanced interest in their family.

Make sure you get their information.

It's hard to follow up without information. Normally you are able to get information about the family when they check their kids in.

Send the kids a personal, handwritten postcard.

Kids rarely get mail and it's a big deal when they do. Send them a handwritten postcard with a personal note that is unique to their family. This will show them that they are important to your church and you are taking a personal interest in them.

Offer them an incentive to come back.

Did you know that the average return rate for guests in most churches is about 7%? Yes...it's that low. But there is something you can do to change that. Start offering guests a personal gift when they return for a second visit.

At one of the churches where I served, we started giving guests a t-shirt on their second visit. Yes...it was a financial investment, but we saw our guest return rate go from 7% to 38%.

On the post card you send the kids, mention that they will get a free t-shirt (or other gift) on their second visit. Try it and I guarantee you that your return rate will go up. Plus the kids will often wear their t-shirt to school and in their neighborhood. This is good advertising for your ministry.

Text the parents and thank them for coming.

Did you know that 98% of text messages get read? Can't beat that for effective follow-up communication.

Have an after party.

Set up an after party for first-time guest families. Let families know about this when they are checking in. Have some snacks and drinks for them. Have a few key staff members and volunteers in the room. This will give you an opportunity to spend a few minutes with the guests. This is another huge way you can connect with families.

Your turn. In the comment section below, share some tips and ideas you have for seeing guests return.

Childhood...10 Changes You Need to Understand

2026-03-18T11:12:00.000-04:00

Has childhood changed in the last few decades? I would have to say "yes." It's a different world than what you and I grew up in.

It's important to understand these changes and how they can affect how we do children and family ministry.

Let's look at 10 of these changes and talk about it.

Children have lots of screen time.

When I was growing up, we had one screen. A television screen with three channels. There were no iPad screens, no desktop screens, no laptop screens, and no phone screens. In fact, the only thing phones had going for them was the long curly cord that was attached to the phone. If you wanted privacy, you were limited by how far that curly cord could stretch.

Fast forward to today. There are screens everywhere for kids. Screens now dominate childhood. Kids average several hours of screen time each day. The average daily screen time for children is high and increases with age. Kids 2-4 years old average over 2 hours daily. Kids age 5-12 average 4-6 hours daily. Kids 13-18 often are in front of a screen for 7.5-9 hours daily.

I remember in the 90's, it was a big deal before service to have video games in your elementary church environments. We would line the walls with video games and it was a big draw for kids. Fast forward to today...the draw for video games at church as went down considerably in my opinion. Why? Because kids have been playing games at home that morning and on the drive to church. They game all the time.

I have found that today's kids are drawn to hands on activities while they are waiting for church to start. Connect 4. Foosball. Air hockey. Basketball shooting. Puzzles. Coloring. Making bracelets. Why are these things coming back? Because kids have so much screen time during the week, that they are looking for some hands on experiences at church.

Keep this in mind before you buy any more video games for your children's ministry.

On demand.

Growing up there was one opportunity to watch cartoons. Saturday morning. If you missed it, you missed it. You had to wait until next Saturday.

This has changed. Today's children have something called "on demand." They can access information, movies, videos, cartoons, etc. any time they want. Any video, topic, subject or interest can be found on YouTube and other social media avenues.

This can lead to them needing "instant access" in other areas of their life as well. They can be very "demanding" at times due to this. Don't be surprised when they want to view something right now or they demand you produce something immediately in their class or worship environment.

I recently had a 3rd grader come up to me during kids' worship and ask me to play a song by his favorite singer. I shared with him that the songs for the day were already chosen and I didn't have access at the moment to the song. He quickly reminded me that the song is on YouTube and I should play it immediately.

He helped me understand what "on demand" means for a child growing up today.

They have lots of "noise.

Hundreds of messages are coming their way each day. I believe all of the messages create a noise that they have to sort through...very quickly. I used to say that kids' attention spans were about 1 minute for every year they are old. That meant that with a 5-year-old you had about 5 minutes to hold their attention.

Honestly, I don't think that is the case anymore. Today's kids are so inundated with noise that they only have seconds to decide what they are going to hear or give their attention to. Don't be surprised when it seems challenging at times to get your message through the noise and into their long-term memory.

I will say this about today's kids. Even when they are hearing noise and even being the cause of the noise at times, they have an uncanny way of retaining what you are trying to teach them.

Recently, I had one of those lessons where it seemed the kids weren't listening to anything I was saying. There was a lot of talking happening in their midst. Ever been there? It gets to the point where you are trying to talk over the conversations they are having right in the middle of your lesson.

But to my amazement, at the end of the lesson, I asked some review questions. To my surprise, the kids answered every single review question I threw at them. In fact, a child who had been talking during the lesson and who I had to correct several times, knew all of the answers. He even knew the answers to questions that were hard...questions about a small detail that I just mentioned in passing.

Don't get frustrated when you are teaching today's kids. They are just sorting through what you are sending their way. They are comprehending more than you think. Just ask them some review questions. You'll see it is true.

Today's kids watch less television and more online content.

As I mentioned earlier, they are watching YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and other new social media platforms that seem to emerge every six months. Parents are turning off the television because everyone is watching YouTube instead of what is on the TV screen. Or they are leaving the TV on for background noise while they engage online with their phone, tablet, laptop or other screen.

If this a great way to communicate the Gospel and disciple today's kids, then we need to step up and look for ways we can meet them where they are. Thankfully, there are ministries that are creating online content for this. But it is just a small drop in the bucket compared to what we should be doing if we are going to reach them where they are.

They play with "online" friends more than they do "in person" friends.

When I was a child, I found friends in my neighborhood through face-to-face play. We met in the backyard to play football. We spent hours riding our bikes in the neighborhood. We built forts and clubhouses together.

This has changed. Today friendships are often made more online than in person. Connections happen online. Games are played together online. Talking happens online.

Due to this, you have a great opportunity to help kids make in person connections. Get them in classes together. Get them in small groups together. Have volunteers who help them connect with other kids.

Meal time has changed.

Decades ago, children were expected to be at dinner with their parents and siblings. They would not only eat together, but would sit around the table each night, talking about what happened that day and sharing stories with each other.

Fast forward to today. In many homes, family dinner rarely happens. It has been replaced by grabbing something from McDonald's or Chik-Fil-a and eating in the car on the way to soccer practice.

Families are busy, busy, busy.

The reason why families have to "run through" the drive through is because they are busy. Events, practices, games and more fills their calendar. Monday night is soccer practice. Tuesday is a t-ball game. Wednesday is basketball practice. Thursday is dance. Friday is a performance. Saturday is filled with games all day. Sunday, the "day of "rest" is replaced with more games and activities.

In many cases, this causes well-meaning parents to make bad decisions. They begin skipping church due to a game being played. They have to pull their children out of Wednesday night church discipleship due to a practice.

Some families even take it to the next level by involving their children in travel teams. Kids and their families begin missing church for weeks and even months at a time due to this.

What message is this sending to today's children? What priorities are we exemplifying to them?

We need to understand that there is a lot at stake in this for the next generation. Will today's kids grow up and give God no priority in their lives because of the message sent to them in all this? We must come alongside parents and encourage them in this. We must speak the truth in love for them and their family.

Today's kids have less unstructured play time.

In previous generations, kids grew up with time to just be a kid. Unstructured play. We used our imaginations. We invented games to play. We ran through the sprinklers in the front yard. We played on metal slides and merry-go-rounds (and somehow we survived). We made "slip' n slides" out of plastic tarps and the water hose.

This has changed. Childhood has shifted from an outdoor, unsupervised experience to a highly structured, indoor, and safe play.

It's hard for kids to find time to just "play" because they are over scheduled.

Their time at church is usually very structured as well. Every minute is accounted for. Have we become so structured that church is just another place where kids are told to sit still and be quiet as we download information into their mind?

I believe it's important to give kids time to create, play, and use their imaginations to learn about God's Word.

Last week, I was teaching the kids about David and Goliath. I divided them into groups and gave them a 10 foot long piece of butcher paper. I also gave them some crayons and markers. I said, "I would like you to use your imagination and draw Goliath on your butcher paper." It was awesome watching them draw their version of Goliath.

Then we taped their 10 feet tall Goliath on the wall and gave them some fake rocks to throw at him. They had so much fun...playing...using their imagination...and learning about a God who is with them and can help them defeat the giants they will face in life.

Personal responsibilities.

In the past, most children had personal responsibilities. They had to do "chores" around the house. Cooking. Cleaning. Mowing the grass. Helping with the dishes. Taking out the trash.

Today's kids as a whole do not have to do many of these chores. This can lead to kids not taking as much personal responsibility in their life and future tasks.

In many ways, we have done the same thing at church. We tell kids to sit still and be quiet and then when they grow up that's what they continue to do. They sit still and they don't move to serve and help others. Why? Because we didn't give them opportunities to own the ministry as they were growing up.

I believe we should give kids responsibilities when it comes to church. They are so many ways they can serve and help take responsibility for the ministry. Kids can run the audio and video. Kids can help clean up after class. Kids can be greeters. Kids can pass out supplies. Kids can help lead worship. Kids can assist the teacher.

Parents let their kids decide where they will attend church.

Today's kids wield much power when it comes to making decisions. They decide what they get from the grocery store. They decide where the family will eat dinner. That's why you see families drive past a steak house and pull into McDonalds. Guess whose idea that was?

When it comes to church, kids often make the decision about where the family will attend. Dad and mom can thoroughly enjoy the adult service, but if Johnny and Suzie aren't smiling when they pick them up from kids' church, you probably won't see the family return.

Today's families pick a church based on two things:

Are you friendly?

What do you have to offer my kids?

In years gone by, it was parents dragging their kids to church. The kids didn't have much say about where they would go. They had to sit in church and endure it whether they liked it nor not. Today's kids have a big say in where their family will attend church.

Keep this in mind if you want to see your church grow and reach more families. I believe that children's ministry is the biggest growth engine of the church. With that in mind, we must go all out to reach the next generation and their families.

So there you have it. 10 changes in childhood. Think about it. Do you need to do some things differently with this in mind? If you want to be effective, then it may be time to make some changes that correspond with the changes that are happening to this thing called childhood.

10 Ways to Get Kids' Attention Back When You Are Teaching

2026-03-12T08:29:00.000-04:00

Have you ever been teaching and you lose the kids' attention? They start talking or playing while you are trying to teach the lesson.

Don't feel bad. It happens to all of us at times.

On our behalf, we are trying to teach Gen Alpha kids and their attention span is down to probably like milliseconds. It only takes a pause or small distraction and they disengage.

I get it. They have hundreds of messages coming their way each day. It all becomes a blur to them at times...your teaching included.

So what should you do when you find yourself talking to no one but yourself because all of the kids have disengaged and checked out?

Don't get discouraged. Here are 10 ways you can get kids' attention back.

Clap if you can hear me.

Say this in a loud voice.

"Clap once if you can hear me."

Say it again in a medium voice.

"Clap once if you can hear me now."

Say it the third time in a whisper.

"Clap once if you can hear me now."

By the third clap and whisper the classroom will be quiet for the moment you need to move forward.

Have a hand signal.

Make up a hand signal and let the kids know when they see you do the hand signal, they should respond with the same hand signal. After a few signals, they should quiet down.

Play a video attention grabber.

In my Connect12 curriculum, I have video attention grabbers built into the lesson. The attention grabbers are used to not only grab the kids' attention, but to also have them repeat the key truth for the lesson. These attention grabbers are highly effective at grabbing the kids' attention back for you.

Flicker the lights.

Turning the lights on and off will help you get kids' attention back.

Balloon Pop

I often use this and it is very effective. I have 4 balloons up front with me. Any time the kids are not engaged in the lesson with me, I pop a balloon. They know if they have at least one balloon left at the end of class time, everyone will get a small prize.

Macaroni cheese...time to listen please.

Have kids repeat the "time to listen please" any time you say "macaroni cheese."

A sound.

Have a sound that the kids respond to. It might be a whistle sound or a bell you ring or a tapping sound.

Clap in patterns.

You clap once, they respond by clapping once. You clap twice, they respond by clapping twice. You clap to a beat, they repeat the beat.

Say "to infinity" and the kids respond by saying "and beyond." This quote from Toy Story will grab their attention.

Say "crisscross" and the kids respond by saying "applesauce" and sit down with their arms crossed. This works well with preschoolers.

Your turn. What are some other methods you use to get kids' attention back? Share them in the comment section below.

Increase Your Volunteer Team With This Proven Strategy

2026-03-10T09:20:00.001-04:00

Do you need more volunteers?

Yes. Of course you do. I know I do. I have a solid volunteer team, but I always need more people. Especially if you want to grow. Adding new volunteers prepares you for growth.

Volunteers are an essential part of children's ministry. Without them there is no children's ministry.

So how can you increase your volunteer team? Here's the good news. I have a proven strategy that will help you grow your team.

It is a proven strategy that even Jesus used to grow His disciple's team.

Ready for this ground breaking strategy? Okay, here it is.

Personally invite people to join your team...one at a time.

Look at this example of how Jesus built His team one person at a time. It is found in Matthew 9.

"As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. 'Follow me,' he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him."

And another example found in John 1.

"The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.”

The proven strategy is personal, one-on-one asks. How many volunteers do you need? The way to enlist people is to personally ask them to join your team.

Don't complain about not having enough volunteers if you are not personally asking people to serve.

At one of the churches where I lead the children's ministry, we grew our volunteer team from 300 to over 2,000. It took us nine years to do this. How did it happen? One new volunteer at at time. Every single week, we started asking people to join our team...one person at a time. We did this week in and week out for over 9 years. After 9 years of doing this, we looked up and saw that we had over 2,000 volunteers.

How many volunteers do you need? 5? 50? 500? You will get them one person at a time.

That sounds like a lot of hard work. Yes...it is. But it's a price you have to pay if you want to grow your team. Don't complain about not having enough volunteers if you are not personally asking people to join your team.

One little (big) hint. Before you ask people, ask God to give you divine appointments. You see, there are people in your church that God has been speaking to about serving. Ask God to lead you to those people.

I'll never forget when Dan joined our team. We had an opening on our volunteer security team. We begin to pray and ask God to bring us the right person for this important role. One day, we saw a man named Dan who was dropping off his kids at children's ministry. We felt God telling us that he was the person. We approached him about serving on the security team. His eyes immediately filled with tears and he said, "that is where I have been feeling God wanted me to serve, but I didn't know if you needed anyone. Of course, I would love to serve in that role."

Divine appointments. Ask for them and watch in amazement as God leads you to the people He wants on your volunteer team.

I'm not sure what proven strategy you were looking for...but you have found one. Try it and watch what God does.

p.s. For more great tips about building and leading a volunteer team, get my book "The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams."