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Training Children for Ministry

10540950 10100286423337575 8891529772766895886 oMINISTRY TEAMS HANDBOOK

By Keri Meek

Ministry teams are a vital aspect of the N.K./L.I.T. program. The purpose of ministry teams is to guide kids in the development of their gifts and talents to bring glory to God and to share the Gospel.

Through their ministry teams, kids are not only able to see how their gifts can be used to build up the church, but time spent in ministry teams also offers another opportunity for discipleship.

Truly effective ministry comes out of our relationship with God. Ministry team leaders have the opportunity to disciple kids in what it means to allow the power of God to inspire teams through their gifts to move the hearts of others. Rather than relying on human power, ministry teams recognize that it is the Holy Spirit who works through us to use our gifts to point others to God. Ministry team leaders also disciple their kids by allowing the kids to do the creating.

When they hit a roadblock, leaders are encouraged to guide the kids to seek the Lord for wisdom through prayer. Ministry teams offer a great avenue for discipleship in prayer and listening to God’s guidance as we do God’s work.

 

In setting the tone for your specific ministry team, it is important to take the time on the front end to give proper instruction to your team before embarking on the creative process. The first two weeks of ministry team training each semester should focus on the following:

  • Getting to know each of the members of the team
  • Sharing the purpose of the ministry team
  • Praying for God to use the team to glorify Him
  • Instructing members on the “how to” of the ministry team
  • Introducing them to the creative process for the ministry team

Throughout the semester, pray each week with your ministry team for those who will be attending the Night of Worship, the church, the community, and those who are attending mission trip. Also, charge them to pray during the week in their devotion time and ask the Lord for ideas to make His message clear.

Below are some examples of different ministry teams you might consider incorporating based on the gifts and talents of your volunteers:

Puppets

This is a performance group. Using puppets, this team can perform a music routine to a chosen song, or the puppets can be used as props or tools to present the message of the Gospel.

Black Light Dowels

This is a performance group. Using dowel rods that would light up under black light, this group creates a routine according to a chosen song.

Son Beams

This is a performance group that uses dowel rods to create a routine according to a chosen song.

ZAP (Zany Art Projects)

This is a non-performance art group that creates art projects that can be displayed in the church as well as projects the kids can take home or share with others.

Splat

This is a performance-based art group. Together, the group creates one large art piece with an accompanying song.

Percussion

This is a performance group that learns percussion basics to play along with a chosen song or a live worship team. A range of percussion instruments and basics can be learned and utilized in this group.

STOMP  

This is a performance group that learns percussion basics to create a “music” routine utilizing everyday items (i.e., buckets, brooms, etc.). This team has the potential to collaborate with other ministry teams for a routine together (for example, drama needing background sound effects).

Lego-mation

This group uses Legos to create stop motion videos to tell Bible stories or stories that teach biblical truths. These videos can be shown during Night of Worship and/or used to benefit the children’s ministry during children’s worship or Sunday school.

Servant Ninjas

This is a non-performance group that participates in service projects. These projects can be for the benefit of the church or the wider community. Examples of projects this group could take on are the following: stuffing backpacks to donate at the beginning of the school year, making cards for widows in the church, and making packs for the homeless.

Drama

This is a performance group that could use any form of drama to present Scripture, the Gospel message, Bible stories, or Bible truths. Examples include dramatic Scripture reading, skits, tableaus, or dramatic storytelling.

Guitar

This is a performance group that learns guitar basics to play along to a chosen song or with a live worship team.

Shadow Art

This is a performance group that creates a storytelling routine that goes along with a song. The story is told using silhouettes and shadows.

Glow Wall

This is a performance group that creates a routine that goes along with a song. The group uses a “glow wall,” which is a glow-in-the-dark version of a regular shadow wall. “How to” instructions and videos are easily available online.

Photography

This is a non-performance group that learns basic photography skills to serve the children’s ministry and the broader church community by documenting events through photography. Opportunities for the photography team include taking and editing pictures for baptisms, special events, or during Wednesday night meetings to document other ministry teams’ progress.

Ballooning

This is a non-performance group that creatively uses balloons to share the Gospel message. This group learns different balloon-making techniques and learns how to use them as object lessons or visuals in sharing the Gospel with others.  

Woodworking/Master’s Trade

This is a non-performance group that collaborates to create woodworking projects that could benefit the church or another church/community that the church may be in partnership with.

Cooking

This is a non-performance group that cooks and bakes to service a variety of potential groups in the church. Some ideas include: meals for those in need, baked goods for a group having a retreat, baked goods to thank leaders, etc.

Praise Dance

This is a performance group that creates a dance routine to accompany a praise and worship song.  

Gospel in Action

This is a performance group that creatively presents the Gospel using props and other visual aids.

Prayer Warriors

This is a non-performance group that focuses on praying for different people or groups of people. This group may pray through different interactive prayer stations throughout the semester to intercede for their peers, the church, and missions.

Audio Visual

This is a non-performance group that learns how to operate basic audio-visual equipment. Members of this team could use what they learn to serve on Wednesday night, Sunday morning, or at any other special events.

Praise and Worship

This is a performance group that learns how to collaborate as a team to lead praise and worship among their peers by learning how to create actions to songs, to teach new songs, and what it means to lead others into a time of praise and worship. This group may lead worship on Wednesday night or Sunday morning.

Face Painting

This non-performance group learns various techniques for face painting and uses what they have learned during outreach events, such as Fall Festival. This group could also learn how to use face painting or body painting (i.e., Henna) to tell the Gospel story.

Welcome Squad

This is a non-performance group that collaborates to write postcards/letters and visit other children who have visited or have been absent from church on Wednesday or Sunday nights.

 

Further opportunities for kids to serve in church include the following:

  • Setting out devotional book crates
  • Handing out stickers
  • Setting up for events
  • Cleaning up
  • Handing out bulletins on Sunday
  • Being greeters on Wednesdays and Sundays
  • Being part of a welcome team for check in
  • Being resource room coordinators
  • Being junior helpers in preschool rooms
  • Being worship team leaders
  • Making phone calls to new kids or kids who have not attended in a while
  • Writing postcards to inactive and active members
  • Assisting teachers in Sunday school classes
  • Being a mission team leader
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