Let's Read: Keeping Your Children's Ministry On Mission

by Jared Kennedy

I’m so grateful to Irish Baptist College and Davy Ellison for organizing this Let’s Read journey through Keeping Your Children’s Ministry on Mission. I’m also thankful for all of you who read along.

If I was going to write an additional chapter for the book, I’d write about how it’s important to see children’s ministry as a team sport. During Springtime in the States, we all focus on the annual college basketball tournament. To be successful, each team in the tournament needs players with a variety of gifts and skills. A point guard to direct traffic on the court as well as shooting guards who can knock down long-range, three-point baskets. It also doesn’t hurt to have a big man under the hoop to post up and block shots.

Similarly, we need a team of people with diverse gifts to disciple the next generation. We need energetic souls eager to welcome families with warm smiles as they arrive for worship. The experienced and attentive grandmother who knows how to care for the child who’s feeling particularly anxious or sad. Faithful teachers who are gifted at communicating the Bible in ways kids can understand. And diligent organizers who know where the glue sticks and crayons are stored, and where each child’s medical release is kept on file.

When I first served as the pastor over my local church’s children’s ministry, I had a tendency to do much of the teaching and organizing work myself. There’s something reasonable about this when you’re first starting out; it’s essential to learn ministry skills before you teach others. But if I’m honest, I often gave into this tendency because I liked having control. Yet ultimately, that wasn’t my charge.

A church leader’s role is “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12). A great basketball coach doesn’t score points for his team; he trains the team so they’re equipped to score. Similarly, if you’re a pastor, deacon, or staff member tasked with oversight over children’s discipleship at your local church, your job is shepherd, train, and care for that team. My goal in writing Keeping Your Children’s Ministry on Mission was to equip you in that task.

David begins Psalm 16 by confessing that God is his refuge. But by verse 2, he’s declaring that he finds joy in God’s people: “As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight” (Ps. 16:2 NIV 1984). Some days coaches are tempted to think of their players as “the difficult ones in whom is all my frustration!” Church leaders can be tempted to think of church members this way, too. But when we remember that the Holy Spirit indwells, gifts, and eventually glorifies the church, we’ll be eager and joyful about joining him in that work.

One of my prayers for this book is that local church children’s ministry teams would read it together, reflect on the questions at the end of each section, and cultivate a common vision—a unified game plan for children’s discipleship in their church body. I’m confident that when Spirit-filled believers carry that responsibility together, God will bless the next generation and the Spirit will give us joy.