As children’s ministers, we have to ask the question, are my teachers teaching or discipling children in my church? Are we more concerned about the developmental learning styles of children, whether they are concrete or abstract learners, than about whether they are being transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives? I believe we should be fascinated with the idea that every child that is saved (or born again) has received the Holy Spirit into their lives. Yes, the Holy Spirit indwells every believer, including children. He is not a “baby” Holy Spirit; He is THE Holy Spirit. This changes everything! In the body of Christ, we don’t look at what a child can learn. We look at what the Holy Spirit can do through them. We don’t worry about concrete and abstract thinking because the Holy Spirit is not restrained by learning styles. He works in and through open and receptive hearts. If the majority of children are saved between the ages of four and fourteen, you better believe that in their innocence, He can do a powerful work in and through them. What does that look like?  

I remember the first time I allowed preteens to serve in children’s church at my church. At the time, we were meeting in the gym. We had a stage set up in the corner where the automated projector screen was hanging. We would lower the screen right above the stage and project the words to the worship songs on it. That first Sunday, I was anticipating great things from the preteens. As the service kicked off, everything was going well. Then, I saw two of my preteen leaders in training running back and forth behind the stage. You know the rest of the story…the kids sitting in the service were focused on the girls going back and forth, like watching a basketball game. The children in attendance saw nothing except these two young ladies running back and forth. Out of frustration, I finally caught up with the girls and questioned, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” They told me, “We are helping.” I got a little angry at them for being a distraction from the service like they were. Then it hit me—it was MY fault. I never told them what I expected of them or gave them any form of on-the-job training. From that point on, I would sit the whole group down and explain my expectations. We would go through step-by-step what I expected of them. The amazing thing is that I saw them step up to the task like I had never seen before. Here are four steps to successfully train and equip children and preteens for ministry:

Have you ever wondered when a child can serve in the church? At what age do we start out developing them into leaders and fellow ministers in the body of Christ? If you look at our current situation in the local church, there is something missing. Like most children’s pastors, you probably have hard time getting volunteers to serve. Adults, and especially parents, just don’t seem to have any desire to serve in the church. But it may not be their fault. Could it be that we have taught them that service is not what being a part of the body of Christ is about?

Why is it so hard to get people to serve? Let’s do the math.

Birth to 18 years of age + sitting, listening, and having someone minister to me = Adults who just sit and listen as someone ministers to them