One of the problems we all face in children’s ministry is going through the motions.

If you are like me, you find that you are meeting yourself coming and going.

There seemed to be insufficient time during the week to get things done.

From Sunday morning to midweek, things were a little crazy.

The problem we face in a routine ministry is that we might be passing kids through our ministry with no clear plan or objectives in place.

George Barna says, “The battle is won or lost for our children in the Children's Ministry of the church.”

So, how do you move your ministry toward the true and only target?

Number one, the target is Jesus Christ. He is the target and prize of our faith.

He is the example, so we want our kids to have a personal walk and relationship with Him.

Recent research from Lifeway backs up this point wholeheartedly.

They found four top predictors of faith for young adults who stuck around after growing out of children and student ministries:

1. The child regularly read the Word of God while growing up.
2. The child spent regular time in prayer while growing up.
3. The child regularly served in church while growing up.
4. The child participated in community ministry and mission trips.^[1]

So, the following are the top four major predictors that should be top priorities in your ministry:

1. Develop a Bible reading plan for all the kids in your church. Be sure to get parents on board. You may want to schedule an orientation/training and offer suggestions on how to develop a personal quiet time. Devotionals work really well because there is some explanation for what they are reading and studying.
2. Develop an atmosphere of prayer. Encourage parents to pray with their children on a regular basis. If you have the budget, give them a prayer journal. Encourage them to pray as they go, as Paul tells us to pray at all times. Encourage leaders to prioritize times of prayer in small groups and midweek programs.
3. Prayerfully look for and create ministry opportunities for children to serve in your church. Through ministry and service, they discover their spiritual gifts and gain personal identity in the body of Christ.
4. Develop a plan to mobilize your kids in your community to minister and share the Gospel. Train every child in your church how to share their faith and be committed to empowering them to go and tell others about Christ. If you have the ability to take a mission trip, it would be great to plan an out-of-town trip. Make sure the trip is a mission trip with the purpose of sharing the Gospel.

So, aim at nothing…not anymore.

If you want to do certain things that have a lasting effect, work on the top four: daily Bible reading, prayer, serving in the church, and mobilizing your kids on mission.

When you aim at these things, you are pointing them to the Master in a personal walk with Him, and they are joining Him on the Great Commission as we build up the body of Christ together.

This does not take away from solid Bible teaching in the church in small and large group settings. However, through this research you can hit on some of the top predictors they have found in their research.

I would love to hear from you. If these blogs are helpful to you and your ministry, please let me know at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If there is a particular topic you would like me to address, please let me know.

If you don’t know even where to begin, we are here for you. Be sure to go through our Online Training. It will give you a foundation to begin the journey of reaching, discipling, and equipping kids for ministry and missions.

^[1] Jana Magruder, Nothing Less: Engaging Kids in  Lifetime of Faith, (Nashville, Hollman Bible Publishers, 2017), 50.