Blog | Children in Ministry

Children are Followers

Children are the best at following something. Baby mimics their parents easily. Toddlers start to get distracted and run after their friends when they see their friends start to walk away. Where their friends go, they will follow. I bet that if their friend jumps into the water, they will also follow (if they are not scared of water).

Imagine if we get to bring them to follow Jesus and they can bring their friends to follow Jesus too! We have the opportunity to introduce the love of God to them and show them what love looks like. When they get to experience the power of the love of God in their lives and start following Jesus, I know for sure that their lives will be transformative. Who they follow will become who they are.

Children are Loving

This is the first important fact we need to recognize. Children are created to love and be loved - especially "to love". I've never met a child who doesn't love. They love their dog, their neighbour, their mom, their stuffy, their car - and even their "girlfriend" or "boyfriend". They want to show their love by giving someone a candy, a cookie, and even a kiss! So loving.

Understanding this, I am challenged to use this personality and character of a child to train them to love the way Jesus wants them to love. One way to teach them to use their loving gesture is to:

Help open the door for a senior or the person behind them.
Put dirty dishes in the sink and make sure that all leftovers go inside the organic bin :)
Say "Thank You" when someone does a good thing for them and "You're welcome" when someone expresses their gratitude.
Pray for someone they know who is sick or struggling.
Instead of laughing at their friend who just fell, they can help them stand and check whether their friend is hurt.

What else do you think children can do to show others that they are loving?

Children are Creative

What I love about children is their creativity. Most of the times, we have to be more creative than them because our creativity might not be creative for them. When we begin to see their creativity, we get to help them use it within our ministry. They can give us ideas on what kind of craft we can do next. This is one way to involve them in a ministry and from my experience, kids are excited to show their friends their crafty ideas!

Some ways to encourage them in this area:

Have them create something unique from home and bring them to church on Sunday. Let them do the storytelling.
If they are older kids, have them help younger kids to color or glue their craft.
When kids are brave enough, they can even open up a stand and teach the adults some interesting and unique arts!

Children are Fun

Their laughter is contagious. Their laughter is funny. Their laughter is joyous. No matter what their age is, kids know how to laugh. They know how to have fun. There are times when I notice that my kids are bored at home. Sometimes they just come to me and complain "I'm bored!" When this happens, I usually challenge them and ask them to think of something. It often takes them a while to finally find something fun. Eventually, once they are challenged, they know how to have fun and not get bored anymore.

Some proofs that they can have fun:

Pillow fights with siblings or parents
Play family charades and board games
Hide and seek with younger siblings

Children don't necessary need video games to keep them entertained. They only need one or two people to have fun. In church setting, we can use their playful energy to have fun with other children. And that is ministry!

Children Pray Earnestly

Have you ever heard a little girl pray? I have and she was so cute! I remember one day I witnessed a 5 year old girl pray. In her simple, yet meaningful prayer, she said, "Thank You, God, for a beautiful day. Thank You for the flowers out there so the bees can eat. Thank You for my mom and dad. Thank You also for all the fruits and veggies. I love to eat them. Bless them all. In Jesus' Name. Amen." As an adult, I don't think I would ever thank God for fruits and veggies because in my opinion, it's not that "important". To this girl, it is important because that's all she can think of.

This simple prayer can be a tool in ministry. Kids can teach kids how to say a simple prayer, yet meaningful. Through children, we witness that God doesn't need long prayers. He just needs a prayer that comes from the heart.

The Power of Family

I often remind parents to never underestimate their children. When Jesus says, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for such belongs the kingdom of God" (Matthew 19:14), He clearly sees what others don't see. While others are trying to stop the little ones, Jesus stops them from stopping these precious ones.

Children are placed in a special heart of Jesus. No matter how young they are, Jesus never underestimates their presence. To Him, they are as precious as you and me. Now, if they are so treasured in Jesus' heart, how dare we see them lesser? And if their family doesn't see the worth in their children, then the world will and it may destroy them.

Just like how we shouldn't underestimate children, we also shouldn't underestimate the power of their family. When there is a bond, there is a strong unity. When you know your children and listen to what they have to say, you will be dumbfounded.

Some ways to keep our family intact:

Make time to go out together at least once a week - dinner, picnic, movies, etc.
Play family games - charades, board games, card, etc.
Have mini dates with our child once a in while and create a heart-to-heart conversation ever since they are little.

Children Are Physical

Children have strong senses, They like to be cuddled, kissed, loved, protected - but mostly touched. Once they grow older, their senses might change but for most of the small children, their physical sense is one of the strongest.

How To Read This Page