What is the purpose of children’s ministry?
When I was a child, I attended Sunday School on a weekly basis. Sunday School was a time usually before a church’s main Sunday morning service when adults and kids would separate into groups and study God’s word. For adults, this typically meant a guided Bible study. For kids, these sessions involved Bible lessons. I got to experience Sunday School through multiple churches as my family moved between various churches where God called my father to pastor. The classes were led by one or two adults who decided to dedicate their time—sacrificing time that could be spent with their peers—to teaching God’s Word to the next generation. Today, I find myself thoroughly thankful for each teacher that guided my younger self into a place where I could fall into a deeper relationship with God. But, while I learned a lot about Noah, Moses, David, Gideon, and Jesus, I found later in life that all I had were accounts of events that were somehow connected to God. I had no idea I was missing the bigger picture.
In children’s ministry of the past and in the present, there exists—I believe—an assumption that the best way to disciple children is to expose them to a Bible “story” and then help them to glean some moral or spiritual truth from it. One week they will learn that obeying God is crucial if they don’t want to get swallowed by a great fish. The next week they may learn that God can help them slay giants if they stand strong. Or they can learn to be kind, loving, and generous through Jesus’ teachings. Around Christmas and Easter, they will always hear the good news of Jesus and how He was sent to become a sacrifice for their sins. These are all great teachings in any ministry—perhaps we should go deeper into Jonah’s story—but simply reciting accounts of events and highlighting New Testament teachings can lead to a disjointed understanding of who God is, who humans are, and why the world desperately needs a Savior.
But how important is teaching children about God? Are there concepts and doctrines they will not be able to understand until they are more mature? Can children grasp the bigger picture of Scripture and begin to shape a Christian worldview? I think these are some great questions.
In Deuteronomy 6, we see that God desires children to know who He is. Here, Moses is giving God’s commands to the nation of Israel at the edge of the land promised them. He recites the greatest commandment of all, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5, ESV). This command is so foundational to the Israelite’s relationship with God that they are next commanded to hold it dearly in their hearts (6:6). They are then charged with teaching their children and future generations to love the Lord at every opportunity (6:7). There is no caveat or withholding of information until children are old enough to understand. The children are to receive the unaltered commandment (and subsequent laws) given by God. This command was to encompass everything that children learned as they grew up to be the next leaders of God’s chosen nation. Today, our children cannot afford to miss holding this commandment as truth in their own hearts. It serves as the basis for the Christian worldview in which they begin to build godly lives.
What about God’s purposes? Well, He does not wait long to give another example of the importance of teaching children about the reality in which they live. In the book of Joshua, the nation of Israel is crossing the massive Jordan river on foot to finally enter the promised land. God had caused the river to cease flowing while his people crossed over dry riverbed. While crossing, they were to take twelve stones to represent each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Joshua set up the stones as a monument where they camped at Gilgal outside of Jericho (Joshua 4:19-20). Joshua then tells the Israelites that when their children ask about the stones, tell them how God delivered them across the Red Sea from Pharoah’s army and allowed them to cross the Jordan river on dry ground (4:21-23). And when the children inevitably ask, “Why?” Joshua continues, “so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever” (4:24). God does not wish to hide His purposes from children. He wants them to see signs—the evidences of God in the world and in the lives of His people—and ask big questions so they can understand His purposes.
But what about the bigger picture of God’s complete story? This is where I believe rethinking how children’s ministry is handled can lead to children having a stronger grasp on Christian doctrines and orthodox theology. Don’t let the word orthodox scare you, though. In this sense it simply means “a correct understanding.” These aspects of a child’s faith are so much more important today than at anytime in history. As they grow into adulthood, they will be met with more worldly viewpoints, ideologies, and subjective narratives than any other generation. Their faith will be challenged in ways that presently falter many professing Christians into dismissing the authority of Scripture, the doctrine of substitutionary atonement (that Christ died in our place so that we can be saved from death), and even the existence of God. Helping children develop foundational theology will help them know who God really is, what the Bible is and why we believe it to be true, why Jesus is the Savior of fallen mankind, and how they fit into God’s bigger story.
There are other aspects of children’s ministry that are also important, such as being relational, helping kids feel safe, and demonstrating grace—this is discipleship after all—but helping them grow in their understanding and wisdom early can give them a head start when they begin to see the world around them is lost and starving for truth. It is my personal desire to help equip children with the tools that will allow them to grow in their faith and face the fiery arrows of the evil one seeking to destroy it.
At Emmanuel, we believe in ministering to the whole family. As parents take part in small groups or corporate worship, we jump at the opportunity to minister to children in both pre-K and elementary. We also seek to always empower parents to be the primary spiritual leaders in their children’s lives. I for one would love to meet with anyone wishing to minister to the children and families at Emmanuel. If you have any questions, email me at greg@ebccrestview.com.