This post is an open discussion forum for you to answer the question: What holds your children’s ministry back? Share your struggles, and any encouragement you have for other readers. I’ll moderate comments, but they should appear within 24 hours.
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
very unchurched society and community; if people claim any kind of denomination or church attendance it’s Catholic; even regular attenders will attend church 2 weeks and take 3 weeks off, very inconsistent; makes it hard to plan and rely on people, have to be very creative in events and activities but then again people won’t commit in advance, only 2-3 weeks ahead
God Bless You:
Just wanted to say that everything in here has been such a help, really a blessing. So thank you for taking the time and putting it all out there for us. My biggest challenge has been getting everyone to be just as excited and commited as I feel. The desire to feel and work together like a team. Sometimes I feel like Ok we are getting there Lord, we are listening and learning. We need to be positive and remember WHO we do this work for. All my teachers and assistants are wonderful very wise women and one gentleman of God but they seem to lose focus. My calendar is a nightmare to try and fill. We have about 17 children(5-12 yrs of age) and 7 nursery(1-4) and 7 teachers which also serve as leadership so everyone cant be in the classroom or nursery at the same time so its hard to fill in gaps. God has blessed us immensely so I refuse to complain but it does get a little crazy. LOL Prayer, Prayer and more Prayer.
Thanks again,
Sis Leesandra Matos
Life Kidz Ministries Director
My biggest challenge is teaching for heart change. It’s so sad when a child gets the truth in their head but fails to get it in their heart. For me there is no worse discouragement. That’s always the struggle when teaching God’s Word. It takes his Spirit to change a cold heart.
As I read the comments above, I am reminded how blessed we are at our church. We have a Children’s Ministry that ranges from birth thru 11 years of age. We average weekly about 25-30 children in our Kindergarten thru 5th grade children’s children and about 7 children in our 3-4 children’s church. Our nursery averages 5. One of the biggest struggles we deal with is worldly activities that include sports and practice times. I have been acting as director of the Children’s Committee for numerous years. This is the biggest contendor that I have to face. With the older children, we often set guidelines that will challenge the kids and make them put into practice their faith. For example, we each year will send our children to a local summer church camp. However, the child and parent are made aware of the requirements. We relate the requirements to attendance, bring your Bible, reading your Bible and so forth. This allows the children to make the decision to become active in their faith. Words of encouragement to all–Christ is doing all of the work in His time. We as adults need to practice our own faith. Keep doing as He calls you to do and He will produce the fruits.
Thanks for the help and encouragement. I attend a small church which has had a population explosion of the next generation. All our “ad hoc” systems are no longer adequate…never were adequate, but now it shows! Need all the help I can get, particularly at getting people to volunteer to help and not just smile benignly from the pew as the babies toddle by on the way to the nursery. Few great workers who are more creative than organized.
Thanks especially for the reminder to “pray without ceasing” for the church, the workers and the “littles”.
Dawn
My husband and I have been directing the Children’s department for about 6 months. It has been a tremendous blessing to work with the children and to see their excitement.
I have several challenges, my biggest chanllenge is getting the parents to work with us. We have about 20 children. They aren’t consistent with their attendence and we try to develop fellowship days for the children and only a hand full of the children come. We’ve attempted develop a family devotion time, to help the children understand the importance of developing a daily devotional time with God and I only have 2 families that participate.
My other two challenges are getting the children to understand the heart change and how justification doesn’t fly with God. Lastly is praise and worship. They don’t know how, they won’t praise and worship. I don’t know what it is, but if you have any suggestions, I am willing to hear all… We range from 4-12 during our praise and worship.
God has already done a tremendous work in our children’s department and I have to share that. Prior to us coming into the children’s department, they did not have a consistent teacher or lessons. When we started their were no bibles, so we bought the Bible. The children were so excited because they actually got to read it for themselves. As we learned the books of the Bibles, we began to look up scriptures and they began to read the Word on their own. I believe this gave them such a sense of achievement. The excitement of reading the Word was worth everything. To see them look into the Word of God for themselves and learn that God is speaking to them. I always tell them, that they aren’t too young to be used of God, they just need to let God use them.
Thank you for listening.
Our problem is that the sunday School does not get visability or promotion by our pastor. He does not teach or attend either of the adult classes. Our church is small, 80-100 souls, and we have around 17 regular kids, K-5th. We need visability and encouragement. Any ideas? We have been praying praying praying for our Summer sunday school to go on in spite of the ladult congregation who want to ‘take a break’.