Why Should You Serve in Children’s Ministry?
Life is demanding, and it is easy to view Sunday mornings as a time for adult-centered conversation, lessons, and worship. Learning and growing on an adult level is a vital part of the church experience, but you are missing out on an incredible opportunity to advance the gospel if all your Sunday morning conversations are for grown-ups.
Serving in children’s ministry is a privilege as God calls us to reach the youngest generation, regardless of if you are a parent or not.
8 Reasons God Might Be Calling You to Join the Fun
Volunteering in children’s ministry might seem intimidating. Perhaps you don’t think you are especially good with kids, or you don’t feel you have insights to share with them. Fortunately, God can work through any insecurities to accomplish more than you can imagine.
Children’s ministry is built upon volunteers serving. The reasons for serving abound, but consider these eight:
- Jesus believes in the importance of children’s ministry.
“Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to Him and said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.’” — Luke 18:15-17
Jesus’ disciples mistakenly thought ministry — and the gospel — was just for adults and rebuked those bringing children to Him. To their surprise, Jesus rebuked them. He welcomed the children, loved on them, and said we can learn from their humility and faith. Jesus was clear: Children are an important part of God’s kingdom.
2. If we don’t reach children, the world will.
The enemy is raging a battle for the hearts and minds of kids, and we must teach them to develop a Biblical worldview and discern God’s truth from Satan’s lies.
Matt Gibeson, an Abundant Life children’s ministry volunteer, believes reaching children is urgent because the world is also trying to reach them. He said it is also important for kids have multiple people in their lives encouraging them and pointing them to Christ.
3. We all come to Christ with child-like faith.
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.’” — Matthew 18:1-3
Jesus calls us to have child-like faith, meaning we must be willing to trust and depend on Him with simplicity and humility. The message of the gospel — the good news that Jesus came to die for our sins and rose again so we can live with Him forever in Heaven — is simple enough for a child to understand.
4. God commands us to teach the youngest generation.
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” — Deuteronomy 6:6-9
Moses commanded the Israelites to teach their children about God during their daily activities, and the same principalle applies to us today.
Richard Zolnowski has served in children’s ministry since 1994 and at Abundant Life since 2018, and he said he works with children to help them understand the gospel and know Christ on their level.
“We are to speak of Him and His law and who Christ is to (children) as they grow,” Richard said. “We are all products of somebody’s prayers, the faithfulness of God, and the fact that someone took the time with us when we were kids to help us to understand who Christ is. (Children) aren’t the next generation — they are the generation of the church.”
5. You set an example for your own children to follow.
Matt Gibeson has served in children’s ministry at Abundant Life for many years, and his inspiration for serving comes from seeing his parents serve in children’s ministry when he was growing up.
“It was important to (my parents) to teach kids’ the gospel, so it got ingrained in me,” Matt said. “From the moment I was out of the kid’s ministry, I was helping in kid’s ministry in some way.”
6. You often get to watch kids grow over time.
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” — Proverbs 22:6
Matt said one of the most fulfilling aspects of serving in children’s ministry long-term is seeing the kids grow into mature young adults.
“I get to watch these kids grow up to serve in the church and become contributing members of society, and I still have relationships with lots of them,” Matt said. “When I run into them, I can have conversations with them on an adult level and see how they are growing in Christ. Some of the kids I worked with for several years I am now serving alongside.”
Richard echoed this idea and said children he has served in the past often express excitement to see him, assuring him of the impact he had.
7. Sometimes you only have one opportunity to reach a child.
Richard once met a young girl in ministry who had physical needs in addition to spiritual needs. He planned to help her going forward, but the girl and her family moved away, and he never saw her again.
“What God taught me out of that you may only get one hour with someone and to make it the most,” Richard said.
When that’s the mindset, all time spent in children’s ministry is vitally important.
8. Children end up teaching you about yourself and God.
It’s easy to enter children’s ministry thinking you will be the teacher, but God often uses the kids to teach the grown-ups a few things.
“I actually learn more than I teach the kids sometimes,” Matt said. “You have to be prepared for the innocent questions of kids. It also gives you a better understanding of what it means that we are the body, and we all work together to share the gospel.”
Matt said the kids keep him humble as he seeks to relate Biblical principles to them.
“I don’t know all the answers,” Matt said. “I have discussions with them, and we can look it up and come to the answers together. It’s also taught me I need to be solid in my faith and my understanding of the Bible so I can be ready to help grow their child-like faith.”
Richard said kids have taught him how patient God is with us, and he has learned to be patient with them. It might sometimes seem the kids aren’t paying attention, but he believes they are listening and understanding more than it seems.
Takeaway
Children are called a heritage from the Lord in Psalm 127:3, and regardless of if you are a parent or not, the church body has an amazing opportunity to serve its youngest members. At times children’s ministry can be loud, and the kids might ask difficult questions, but God uses humble servants to reach the youngest generation and teach everyone more about Himself.
“When it’s done at the end of the day, you really walk away with joy,” Richard said.
Are you ready to join the fun in children’s ministry? Sign up to serve today!