Last night I had a children’s ministry meeting at church. It was probably the liveliest meeting I have ever attended. Jessica, the leader of the elementary classes, was in rare form. Already a lively bundle of energy, she kept us all in stitches with stories of the kids and crazy ideas she could incorporate. When Will, the pastor of family ministries, remarked that this was the best meeting he ever got to attend, Jessica responded, “Of course it is! We don’t bring food…and how many calories have we laughed off tonight?”
But in the midst of all the fellowship and laughter, we also got a great deal of business accomplished. It’s been quite a ride since I came on the team as head of the three-year-old class (which is currently combined with the four-year-old class mostly because we don’t have enough teachers or helpers anymore to have two classes, but I don’t particularly mind because I love working with Cammie who is head of the four-year-old class). Coming out of COVID, we had all kinds of serious conversations about masks, volunteer requirements, social distancing, and the very sad reality that half the helpers on our rosters have used COVID as an excuse to simply not be a part of the team anymore. But the other half has been wonderfully faithful and pulled more than their share of the load, giving us great cause to laugh and rejoice at the ministry that has continued for our kids.
One of our “homework” assignments for our next meeting in August was to come up with an response to “We Value Children’s Ministry Because…”. We especially want to hone in on this for two reasons: 1) our church spends a lot of time and energy focused on the international students Purdue brings to our area until it seems like everything exciting is to be had from Chinese teenagers while our growing kids in the basement (where the children’s classrooms are located) get forgotten, and 2) with COVID restrictions behind us and kids returning with their families, we reallywant to bolster some much needed help!
That night after the kids were in bed, I had put all sorts of things away, worked at some project for work, and finally tucked myself in bed, I couldn’t stop thinking about why I personally value children’s ministry and spend so much time involved in it. I quickly noted four things on my phone:
· I value what Christ values and Christ values children.
· They are both the present and the future of the Church.
· I should never despise youth.
· Their great faith encourages me and reminds me of what my faith should be.
In some ways, it’s hard to put into words why I value children’s ministry so much even to the point of wanting to put the Chinese students in the basement where they’ll be forgotten. Maybe it’s because children do often get overlooked. Children are abundant and everywhere. To the point that even the ones screaming in the middle of the grocery store gets overlooked while we frown at the parents who can’t control their child. When parents brought their children to see Jesus, the disciples felt the same way. In essence, they felt that children exist but aren’t important until they grow up and can have a reasonable conversation with Jesus. But Jesus felt just the opposite. Children are the key to faith, probably for the very fact that they aren’t reasonable. They simply know and accept. If Jesus says something, they don’t need to be reasoned into the believing it: they just accept it because Jesus said so. Sometimes whether it makes sense or not. So while adults upstairs are reasoning with teenage Chinese students in hopes that faith will take hold, we’re downstairs sharing the gospel with a hundred kids who believe the Word because it’s in the Bible and Jesus doesn’t lie. We are building a foundation so when these kids are teenagers and the world throws all kinds of awful things at them, they already know what is true and their faith will triumph. No reasoning necessary.
Yes, the above is very simplistic. Not all of these kids will know Christ as their Savior. Some will disown everything they’ve learned and go walking in their way once they grow up. But even if they totally deny everything they were taught, they won’t ever escape the Truth that is present somewhere in their childhood memories. A Truth that may one day when they face the reality of this world germinate into the faith they once had as a child.
And that is why I value children’s ministry.
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