Over the years, I’ve seen hundreds of ministry statements and philosophies. In a roundabout way, they all tend to say the same things. A few years ago, I shifted my mindset from “What is my ministry philosophy?” to “What does this ministry need to do well so people encounter Jesus?” For those transformed by the Gospel, an encounter with Jesus led to this.

So, for kids and families, what are those things? What do they need from the local church? Based on Colossians 1:9-10, here are three things I believe kids and families ministries must do well…

We desire to see kids and families grow in the Gospel by:

Colossians 1:10c, “…growing in the knowledge of God…”

ENGAGING MINDS | Teaching, Environments, and Events

Colossians 1:9b, “We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding…”

EQUIPPING HOMES | Discipleship and Spiritual Habits

Colossians 1:10a, “…so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him…”

EMPOWERING PURPOSES | Missions and Evangelism

Colossians 1:10b, “…bearing fruit in every good work …”

ENGAGE MINDS.

Teaching | What is our weekly question? What is our weekly truth? What is our monthly verse?

I believe in connecting weekly programming so the key truth is reinforced. The Sunday and Midweek programming (one more worship, energy-driven, and one more discipleship-driven) should somehow intersect. At times, leaders may feel this is a bit “redundant,” but I believe it will have better long-term success if done well and creatively.

Environments | Are they fun and engaging? Is it safe? Are we developing leaders?

Weekly spaces, check-in and follow-up systems, and games and tools are those areas that can often create frustration. There is a glitch here and there; the computer randomly decided to do a software update, and a small group leader’s code won’t work…sound familiar? Yet, these things are massively important. My encouragement is to use creativity and media mediums well while still being Gospel-centric. Leadership development is the key to all these things and one of the most important aspects of age-graded ministries. How are we enlisting and developing small group leaders, volunteers, and ministry interns (recruiting, training, and retaining)?

Events | Are they age-appropriate? How do they help us accomplish our vision?

Every kid wants to have fun! Events like Vacation Bible School, Kids Camp, and other annual events (fall festivals, back-to-school bashes, etc.) foster excitement and fun while growing kids in the Gospel. I have literally led a kid to the Lord after they shoved a pie in my face. Yes, my eyes were burning. A critical factor with these events is effective evaluation metrics to learn if the event accomplished its purpose.

EQUIP HOMES.

Parents/Guardians | How are we helping Dad and Mom win at home? How are we communicating?

Kids ministry is parent ministry—there is no way around this reality. Take-home resources, emails and text reminders, and short social media video encouragements and updates must all be in place for effective kids ministry to be done well. The desire should be for parents to be informed, involved, and influential. Some of my best leaders and volunteers over the years have been parents.

Spiritual Habits | Helping instill spiritual habits in everyday life

Continuing with this theme, coming alongside parents to teach kids the importance of prayer, Bible reading, Scripture memory, worship, serving, and other spiritual habits is also crucial. This relates to the weekly programming idea—what environments best help our leaders teach a small group of kids what prayer is? How to read their Bible on their own?

EMPOWER PURPOSES.

Missional Lifestyles | How is the kids ministry developing the next generation of missionaries? How are we partnering with church planting partners?

Every disciple is a missionary—this includes kids and families! Therefore, we must teach and model kids what living on mission is all about! Practically, things such as writing letters and prayer cards to ministry partners, informational Zoom calls with church planters, and inter-generational ministry moments are great ways of doing this.

Local Schools | How are we engaging with school leaderships, sports teams, lunchrooms, etc.?

Partnering with local schools to help meet needs and connect with families and employees (principals, teachers, and support staff) is a great way to build relationships and show people with a negative disposition toward the Church that you care. There is no better way to say, “Jesus loves you,” than showing them Jesus loves them. After all, this is how Jesus said people would know we are His disciples. Practically, partnering with existing like-minded para-church organizations (such as Good News Club, FCA, and/or tutoring and mentoring programs) is an excellent front-door entrance.

Community Outlets | Sports leagues, theater programs, and/or service projects

Churches often want people on “their turf.” But how often are we on their turf? Being present with kids and families “on their turf” is another way to show people you genuinely care about what is going on in their lives. There must be a healthy “work and life” balance, but the community should miss our kids ministry if it went away. This only happens if we are present and people know who we are.