Training — English

Small groups. They are the building blocks of all ministry. They create an emerging community. For children’s ministry leaders, changing to a small group model involves two primary paradigm shifts. The first is spectator/volunteer to pastor. The second is a shift from teacher to storyteller. Your small group leaders need to know that their primary function as a small group leader becomes pastoral. From Spectator/ Volunteer to Pastor Ecclesiastes 12:1 says, “Remember your Creator while you are young” (NCV). You’re working with a demographic that has the greatest opportunity for receiving Christ. You have a chance to bring them into...

We all want life-long faith for children. But ministry is not one-size-fits-all. Each community, congregation, and family is unique. What’s more, every child is unique. That means each map that guides the spiritual formation of a child will also be perfectly unique, even within each family. As a children’s ministry leader, I appreciate organizations that have set specific age-based outcomes for the spiritual development of children. It helps me to set a median goal for a group of kids. As a parent, looking at each child in my home, these goals have been less helpful. My firstborn not only met...

In teaching children about prayer, we need to do more than just teach them how to pray and model prayer for them. We also need to teach them the deep aspects of prayer and to trust God for His right answers for what we ask. Hear It: Consider this teachable, child-friendly version of Luke 11: 5-13 that focuses on prayer: Jesus told this story: “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go knock on his door late at night. He comes to the door.” “What do you want?” he calls through the door, “I was asleep and you...

If you are in children’s ministry, there is a good chance that you are NOT the boss. You could have a direct supervisor above you. You may report to the head pastor. You might even be accountable to an elder board. Regardless, you will have to learn the art of leading up: coming with a new idea, a proposed change, or a big request to someone who is above you. The Bible instructs us, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, and will give an account,” Hebrews 13:17 (NRSV). You can learn...

Have you ever wondered why God has given us the Bible? The more I read the Scriptures, the more I am convinced that God has given us His Word to reveal His power and glory, to show us His goodness and mercy, and to help us see how much He loves us. He wants us to recognize our deep need for Him and marvel at all He has done to reunite us with Himself. The problem is that very few people marvel in response to reading the Bible. The reason, I think, is that when we break apart the Bible...