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What are we supposed to be doing in children’s ministry? The bottom line is we’re in ministry to help mold kids so they live as Christ followers. And we’re painfully aware that, in the church, we have little time with the children to accomplish this. However, the full responsibility is not on us. As the church, we are here to help parents and be their partners in this effort.

For this partnership to work, both parents and the church must understand how their responsibilities complement each other. Our parents need to understand and apply a biblical worldview when raising their children. They have to model daily how to be a Christ follower if they expect their children to be Christ followers. The value of this cannot be underestimated. Then, as the church, we come alongside parents and reinforce what they are living out on a daily basis in the home.

Now let’s make a few assumptions. Let’s assume our children’s parents regularly attend church. Let’s also assume that these parents love their children. Finally let’s assume that these parents want their children to become adults who are Christ followers. If all these assumptions are true, then here are some ways in which children’s ministries can partner with parents.

1. Communicate. It is important to let parents know on a regular basis what is taught in the church. Here are some of the methods we’ve used: sending take-home papers; projecting children’s ministry teaching information on the screen during the main worship service; offering information on the website; teaching in conjunction with the adult curriculum to create family discussion. We know that none of these ways are 100 percent effective, but they provide help to the families who wish to use them.

2. Create family events. We started making children’s events family-oriented. We ask that a parent be present at every teaching or social event. For example, our fall festival is a family event that doesn’t require many volunteers, and it brings families together with other families in the church.

3. Discontinue the kids-only VBS. We have restructured our vacation Bible school to be a family VBS so parents are involved, too. In this type of structure, the parents are brought along in the teaching automatically. We don’t dismiss the adults for a separate lesson—they stay with their kids the entire time. This is a great opportunity for families to enjoy quality time and a shared hands-on experience together.

4. Dedicate parents. For years, we have held Baby Day. There are lots of “oohs” and “aahs” as beautiful babies and proud parents are introduced to the church family. Make no mistake, though—this is not a baby dedication but a parent dedication. While this is a great way for a parent to make a public, verbal commitment, we have increased the impact by requiring that parents attend a special class before participating in the actual ceremony. Parents learn why it’s important to dedicate themselves to godly parenting, and we provide parenting tools and resources. It’s invaluable to educate parents at this juncture about their responsibility to teach their child about matters of faith. If they can form a habit of spiritual education in their family, they have a much better chance of sticking with it in the latter years.

5. Build a Backyard Bible Club. The main goal of Backyard Bible Clubs is to help church members see the influence they can and should have outside the walls of the church building. Each club is held in a church family’s neighborhood and hosted by one or two families. The club is an outreach to the neighborhood, and it creates a way for families to work together to invite neighbors. This is a great opportunity for parents to model that faith is something to be shared on a daily basis.

6. Include parents. We offer a Bible 101 class for children who want to make a commitment to Christ. This is a four-week course, and it is mandatory for parents to participate the first and last week. The purpose of the class is to make sure the parents are informed about what their child will be learning. It’s also to instruct and encourage parents to be involved in their child’s experience of making a decision to follow Christ. The children are given a booklet to work on at home with their parents, and some questions require parents’ input. Hopefully, the parents will become an integral part of their child’s spiritual growth.

7. Organize family teaching. We allow and encourage families to teach together. We have several families who teach a Sunday school class as a family unit. This is yet another opportunity for the parents to be spiritual role models in service and attitude.

8. Mark spiritual growth. One area that we plan to develop is a way to applaud spiritual benchmarks of the children. I think this will be significant for the parents. If we are communicating what we expect the children to learn and then acknowledge these steps when they are accomplished, it will reinforce the importance of spiritual growth.

It is possible to only teach and never offer opportunities for parents to use what they have learned. It also is possible to offer opportunities, but never educate the parents on how to be spiritual leaders in their families. It would seem that our most effective efforts to bring family and church together are through teaching and coaching the parents and providing them with opportunities to use their knowledge in practical ways. These approaches go hand-in-hand.

Since there is limited time spent with the children in our ministry, we need to be effective partners in raising Christ followers. As children’s and family life ministers, we have a timely and exciting challenge before us. Let’s step up to the challenge!

—Becky Arthur is the  children’s minister at Harvester Christian Church in St. Charles, Missouri.

Adapted from Collaborate: Family + Church, by Michael Chanley + the Group of 34, © 2010 Ministers Label. Used by permission.

One of the greatest gifts you can present to God is to believe – truly accept – what He says about you.

Jesus resisted the devil by applying God’s Word. When you are attacked, it is the knowledge and use of the Word that allows you to resist temptation. We cannot resist him by human will or human effort. We resist him by spiritual means – by using the Word of God, being empowered by His Holy Spirit, and through prayer.

As we look at the Word, apply the Word in faith and obedience, allowing the Spirit to empower that action through prayer we can be victorious. Read the rest of this entry »

My husband and I want to lead our children to love God’s Word. We want our girls (ages 4 1/2 months, 3yrs and 6 1/2 yrs) to love it, understand it, apply it, memorize it, speak it out loud with confidence, and run to it to find answers to their questions. We’re right in the middle of the high demands of parenting young ones, but this is an area that is going pretty well. Believe me, we’re not perfect, so as you read on, keep in mind that we do this to the best of our ability- and our little angels are, well,  not always angelic. But they DO love their Bibles. Read the rest of this entry »

The David C. Cook Landmark Study asked children’s leaders what the top challenges are for children in grades 3,4 and 5.  Peer pressure (56%) topped the list, followed by their need to develop friends (45%) and surprisingly dealing with self-image, how others see them (35%).  Children fear failure, even as young as 6.  They worry about not achieving what their parents and teachers expect.  They are also biblically illiterate.

Teachers gave only 7% of their upper elementary children the grade of ‘A’ in Bible knowledge; ‘B’ (47%); ‘C’ (38%); ‘D’ (7%); ‘F’ (1%).  Many do not live in what was once considered a traditional household.  Some have no active male role model in their homes, and VBS week may be the only time they get to interact with men who are father and grandfather-ages.  Some live in skipped-generation households, homes headed by grandparents raising children’s children. (Christian retailing 11/10/08)

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Kids are on the Internet. Whether we like it or not, the Internet today is not something kids are fascinated with, it is simply a part of their life. It’s not “new” to them, it is just their world. Being online is normal for them. In fact, if you aren’t online, they may almost wonder what’s wrong with you. While we can decry the dangers of the Internet (as we should!) and provide advice on use and filters (and we should!) one of the best ways to address the problem is not to only fight it, but redeem it.

The Internet provides incredible opportunity to connect with kids during the week and in the home. And DiscipleLand has jumped on this opportunity and added a FREE service for DiscipleLand teachers to connect with their students and for parents to invest computer time into more spiritual beneficial activities.

It’s called DISCIPLEZONE.com

It’s a place for kids to continue learning after church, for parents to connect with their child’s teacher and for teacher’s to have a way to greet their kids during the week an extend the learning process.

And it’s all free!

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY IT?

Go to DiscipleZone.com (link opens in a separate window) and click on the KIDS button. Next you will see a fun control panel. This is where kids enter the key code found on the student take-home paper (highlighted by their teacher). It’s a simple code–the first dial is the curriculum level, 1-6. (enter 2 for example) Next is the quarter letter, A = Fall; B = Winter; C = Spring; D = Summer. (go ahead, enter B) The last dial is the lesson number. (for an example, choose any number.)

You will then be asked if you have a Class Code. Here is a trial code you can use: Enter TRTRT

You’ll be greeted by a screen with a Bible passage or story and a collection of buttons the kids can choose from.

Here is an overview of the elements offered to kids in DiscipleZone.

Every element of DiscipleZone contributes to the discipleship process:

The printed Disciple Guides offer 24 “how-to” skills for victorious Christian living . To see an overview of the DiscipleSkill development plan, click here

Children memorize Bible verses that capture the heart of each lesson. Find the KeyVerse on the printed Disciple Guides for each lesson.

For each Bible lesson, kids and parents enjoy additional pictures, background information discussion questions, and family activities. Encourage parents to read the text together, discuss the questions, and commit to doing the suggested activities as a family.

Children meet a new people group each quarter, expanding their focus to regions around the globe! WorldWatch also offers missionary biographies and missions education segments to be taught by teachers or parents. To see an overview of WorldWatch missions education, click here.

DiscipleLand’s Bible Reading Plan. Kids and parents read through a specific part of the Bible each week, based on their grade level. To see the complete reading plan, click here.

Children encounter classic hymns that have inspired Christians for centuries. For a complete list of hymns studied, click here.

These engaging stories, starring Dee, Cy, Paul, and Chip, reinforce each Bible lesson and will help your kids apply God’s Word to their lives. To learn more about Dee, Cy, and Paul, click here.

LEAVE A NOTE FOR YOUR STUDENTS!

One of the cool features is the ability to leave a note for the kids. Be sure to click on the Yellow Note for a note from ME to YOU! (You’ll never know the message until you check!)

There are so many creative applications to this note feature beyond just a nice greeting to the kids. Use it to:

• Ask a review question that if they bring the answer on a slip of paper, you’ll have a treat for them!
• Provide a “code word” of the week that if they know it, they get to volunteer in class for games etc.
• Let them know about class events and activities.
• Announce who has a birthday this week!
• Tell them to wear a certain color shirt to church on Sunday!
• Ask them to bring props that will go with your lesson.
• BE CREATIVE!

There is enough content for each week for parents and kids to spend 10-15 minutes exploring the topic they learned about in church a little further, as well as learning about missions and some historical hymns, complete with music playing.

DiscipleZone.com equips parents and teachers to use the Internet to build upon the learning that took place at church.

Sitting in a workshop today in Little Rock, Arkansas I heard a brilliant thought as to why people leave the church. It is really a revolutionary thought. I think it is something that everyone will benefit from once they wrap their brain around it…seriously it’s good.

Before I share the idea I want to ask a question: Do you know what is expected of you by the church? I think most of us can come up with a list of general expectations that come from the church. Stand up when everyone else does, pay your tithe, sing loud, be nice, Love God, Accept Jesus – so on and so forth. We know what the church expects of us; know the expectations are helpful – but knowing the expectations without knowing how to do the expectations will bring frustration and failure.

That was the brilliant thought – WE TEACH IDEAS WITHOUT GIVING PRACTICAL WAYS TO DO THEM! Tell parents that they must disciple their kids – but do we tell them how? We tell kids they need to be a disciple – but do we tell them how? If we aren’t giving tools for parents, teachers and kids what those things mean or how to do them then it’s never going to happen. Why�

Continuing the series on What Kids Need that a intentional discipler will address. When you consider the many aspects of a child’s development, it can become overwhelming. Let me suggest you focus on one at a time. Perhaps even this week you can find a way to focus on the fact that Kids Need Family.

The Situation: Children wonder, “What is a ‘family?’” Tragic testimonials and sobering statistics document the traditional family’s fragmentation. Kids are bewildered by today’s widely divergent family configurations and lifestyles.

The Solution: Remember that the family is God’s idea, a vital part of His kingdom plan. God establishes and endorses the family as a fortress to withstand the world’s hostile influences. God calls Himself “Father”—the One who leads His children. The Bible describes how to maintain healthy, dynamic relationships between husbands and wives, parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren.

The Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Ephesians 5:33—6:4

The Suggestions: Work on generating family loyalty. Building this allegiance will promote family teamwork to withstand the world’s hurricane-force winds. Make home a priority; express sincere appreciation for each other; spend time together. What can you do THIS WEEK to show your family how important they are to you?