Think Tank

What Kids Need to Know about "Same-Sex Marriage"

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Times have changed. Today’s kids live will inherit a world where gay marriage is accepted and affirmed, even by the President of the United States. Christians who maintain the biblical witness against this practice will be labeled “bigots.” More Suggested Reading: The ERLC of the Southern Baptist Convention has many helpful articles detailing what this means for churches. How will same-sex marriage impact children’s ministry? by Jared Kennedy A Children’s Pastor’s response to the POTUS ruling on gay

How will "Gay Marriage" impact Children's Ministry?

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With the coming political firestorm over “same-sex marriage,” it’s going to be a topic kids hear about. If your children aren’t asking yet, it’s just a matter of time. As ministry leaders, we should think carefully about how we respond and find the right balance of truth & grace. That’s why I sent the following question to several of my friends in children’s ministry. The idea is to learn from one another and be prepared to better

Surviving Ministry in a Shrinking Church

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It’s been a few months since our last Think Tank discussion. These are occasional forum-type posts where I ask several Children’s Ministry leaders to respond to a difficult question. The responses are always helpful and bring insight from several different directions. For this session of the Think Tank, I posed a question that affects my own ministry. My congregation has experienced steady church decline over the last five years. It’s not been easy and I’ve often been

Does God Call People as Children's Ministers

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Do you ever have questions when someone talks about “the call” to children’s ministry? Maybe God is dealing with you about your ministry position. If so, then keep reading. This month’s Children’s Ministry Think Tank is all about God’s to minister to children. Here is the question as I posed it to our think tank members. “How do you understand God’s calling to children’s ministry in your own life? How would you counsel a young person who

Santa Claus and Children's Ministry: How Do You Respond?

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It happens almost every year. One kid comes to children’s church with a personal mission to prove Santa is not real. Besides the disruption, it creates a situation where one child is calling someone’s mom a liar. That’s why I’m calling to order a special Christmas edition of our Think Tank. How do you handle the whole issue of Santa Claus in your ministry? How would you redirect a group of children at church who are debating

The Age of Accountability: Rethinking Children and Salvation

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Welcome to another session of the Children’s Ministry Think Tank. This is a monthly feature where we discuss controversial or difficult topics related to children’s ministry. Our responses are just a starting point, we encourage you to share your views in the comment section below. What About the Age of Accountability? What do you teach about concerning a child’s condition (sometimes called age) of accountability for responding to the Gospel? How would you counsel a parent who

Teaching Children About Sin Versus Protecting Their Self Esteem

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Thanks for joining us for another session of the Children’s Ministry Think Tank. The purpose of these posts is to address some of the sticky issues that come up in real world kids ministry. Please join the conversation by leaving a comment at the end of the post. Question: Thinking about Sin and Self Esteem How do you teach the doctrine of sin to children without harming their self-esteem? Especially with preschool children, how explicitly do you

Evangelizing Children Without Manipulation

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Welcome to another session of the Children’s Ministry Think Tank. The aim is to get different perspectives and help everyone to learn (including me). Please read through the responses and share your own ideas below. Evangelizing Children Without Manipulation How should children’s ministry offer an urgent Gospel invitation without emotionally manipulating children? When does child evangelism cross the line and become abuse? What principles guide you in this area? Response From Jared Kennedy How should children’s ministry

Baby Dedication: What Does Your Church Do?

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Welcome to the latest session of the Children’s Ministry Think Tank. Grab some coffee, print off this post and put your thinking cap on. The aim is to get different perspectives and help everyone to learn (including me). Please read through the responses and share your own ideas in the comments. Think Tank #3 Questions About Baby Dedication What is your church’s practice of baby dedication ceremony? Does it integrate with a family ministry strategy? Are their

What Is Your Church's Policy About Baptizing Children?

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This post continues a new feature called Children’s Ministry Think Tank. The aim is to get different perspectives and help everyone to learn (including me). Please read through the responses and share your own ideas below. Think Tank #2 Questions About Baptism & Kids What is your church’s policy about baptizing kids? Is there any age absolutely too young? If you had to pick a “typical” or “ideal” age what would you say? What happens when a

How Do You Teach Kids To Be Saved?

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This post launches a new feature called Children’s Ministry Think Tank. I have asked several friends in children’s ministry to join the project. About twice each month, I will email them tough questions and post their answers here on the website. My aim is to get different perspectives and help everyone to learn (including me).

Please read through the responses and share your own ideas below.

Think Tank Question #1

Jon is an 8 year old boy with little church background. He’s been coming to your children’s programs for several weeks. One day he sticks around and seems like he wants to talk. He says, “I don’t want to go to hell, how can I be saved?” How would you respond?