How We Work
God Determines How We Work
Explaining how we work throughout the world can be a little tough, since there’s a lot to it. In a nutshell, Every Generation Ministries exists to help churches fulfill the Great Commission with children – making disciples of children in Christ.
We believe God has called the Church to fulfill the Great Commission presented by Jesus Christ (c.f. Matthew 28:16-20) and has called our ministry to help support the Church in their efforts.
Below you will find more details about how we work through national Christian leaders to serve local churches and children’s workers in their efforts to share the Gospel with children. We hope you enjoy learning more about Every Generation Ministries, how we work and the vision God has provided for our ministry.
Benefits and Distinctions of How We Work
Big Bang for the Buck
Every Generation Ministries works through the local church and national Christian leaders. We establish national ministry teams staffed by national Christian leaders. They understand their churches, their children, their language and their culture. National leaders live and serve within the economy of their country. For example, in Romania today, the national ministry team has three staff members and an extensive volunteer network that are equipping over 800 churches and 4,600 children’s workers with Romanian Bible teaching materials and leadership development training. Their entire annual ministry operating budget is $86,000.
National Ministries
Because we partner with national church leaders, national ministry teams are set up for exceptional ministry effectiveness. We believe that if we partner with them in ministry, then the children’s worker development programs, Bible teaching materials and ministry effectiveness is maximized. We believe that our experience, coupled with their knowledge of their own culture and needs, makes for a dynamite combination. The explosive results are:
- Culturally relevant Bible teaching resources – We don’t publish materials because there is Western money for production. Too often, national Christian leaders are not involved in making decisions about what materials are produced for their own churches and leaders. Usually, they take what they can get. In our model, national ministry team leaders make the decisions about their materials.
- Innovative children’s worker development – National ministry teams can really work with children’s workers to see them develop ministry effectiveness. Their ministry is rooted deep within the culture and is not foreign to local churches. National ministry team members do not come and go; they are there to stay and work closely with children’s workers serving in churches and denominations across the country over time.
- Children transformed in Christ – With a committed team of national Christian workers, they are able to affect real change in the lives of children through their work with leaders in churches. National ministry team members get involved with children’s workers; helping them reach out and share the love of Christ with children in their communities. They do not just pop in and out with conferences. They invest in people.
Life Transformation is our Goal
Many children around the world hear the Bible taught as information and stories to be heard and memorized for future recollection – trusting that while they are young they may not understand, but the information will be recalled when they are older. Every Generation Ministries believes that children can experience the power of God’s Word now! When children go through the EGM model – developed using biblical foundations – children hear God’s Word and experience God’s Word, often leading to true transformation in Christ. EGM development programs and materials emphasize a biblical teaching method that:
- Build relationships.
- Help children experience the Word of God.
- Places primary importance on teaching God’s truth.
- Reveal life experiences through discussion.
- Apply the Word of God.
Strategic Investment in Children
Economies change, governments change, politics change, borders change… but the Church will prevail. The Church has been persecuted throughout the history of the world, but always prevails. Strategic, biblical evangelism is achieved through partnership with churches. Our commitment to the local Church means that evangelizing children is a work of God done through the Church. Children are integrated naturally into the Body of Christ and experience God’s family at the outset. We are not left struggling with how to integrate children into the Church who have accepted Christ outside and apart from the Church.
Children are receptive and open. Missiologists are in agreement that the majority of Christians alive today gave their lives to Christ as children. In fact nearly 75% of Christians alive today became Christians before they reached the age of twelve. Children are open to spiritual truth and are one of the most strategic demographics of the population. We believe that children are an essential part of the Body of Christ. They are gifted by the Holy Spirit and actively involved in ministry. We are aware of numerous instances where God has used children to lead other children and adults into saving relationships with Jesus Christ. We remain convinced that an essential aspect of Jesus’ ministry was allowing children to participate with Him.
“Children are not only the future of the church, they are the church today.”
One of the treasures of the ministry is the rich and varied tapestry that God has woven together. In each country where we serve, the ministry leaders and staff are multi-denominational; representing the diverse and treasured traditions of Christianity. In addition, we have seen wonderful partnerships develop between North American Christians and their Christian family members in distant lands. As a result, God has woven together a colorful tapestry of His people; all committed to laboring together to help children experience the love of Jesus Christ.