Parting Words of a Children's Ministry Advisor
My nine lessons for Children's Ministry leaders as I finish up at Youthworks Ministry Support
At the end of August 2024, I finished up my role as a Children’s Ministry Advisor for Youthworks Ministry Support. This was a role that I loved, one that suited the interests and giftings that God has given me, and one that was very hard to say goodbye to. Only one job could have possibly tempted me away from this role, and that was exactly the role that came up, to be a full-time Kids Pastor at Soul Revival Church. But that’s another story.
In my last weeks of this role, my colleague and Effective Ministry Podcast co-host, Al James, sat me down and asked me to give a closing manifesto. What have I learned about Children’s Ministry after 12 years of advising, coaching, reading, and lecturing in the field? And what did I see as important trends to keep a watch on as churches continue to minister to young people into the future?
Here was the list I came up with. Three groups of three things that both summarise what I’ve observed and give encouragement and inspiration for the future.
About the Future:
The future is slow, so resist the temptation of digital efficiency
The future is pagan, so train up children to live as a confident minority
The future is intergenerational, so look for ways to integrate children into the church
About Child Faith:
Child faith is real, so honour it and invest in it
Child faith is holistic, so build up their knowledge of, love towards and obedience to King Jesus
Child faith is ad hoc, so help foster households and churches where Jesus talk is natural and authentic
About the Church:
The church is communal, so build healthy, interdependent relationships
The church is essential, so help children and families prioritise this time
The church is participatory, so help children belong by their active engagement in meaningful ministry
These themes are ones that I will continue to explore in this newsletter, so if you haven’t already, please subscribe and consider financially supporting my writing ministry with a paid subscription.
For now, check out the longer conversation I had with Al on The Effective Ministry podcast. The episode was originally release as episode 74 in September, 2024 and then rereleased as a Summer Special on February 19th, 2025. You can find this and many more episodes of The Effective Ministry Podcast in your favourite podcasting app, or listen through the Spotify link below.