Posts

Children’s Ministry is Not About Us

I’m getting a little tired of hearing people talk of ministering to children as “a means to an end.” Today, I came across an article online with eight terrific tips for encouraging the children’s ministry workers in your church. The tips are perfect. It’s basically a set of different emails you can send to your volunteers, reminding them of the importance of childrens ministry and how critical their role in it is. It covers topics like “ministry to children flows from a personal relationship with Christ,” and “God sees your acts of service.” It’s a fantastic article. But it took…

The Theology of Holding Babies

I had the opportunity to preach in my large church when I was a young children’s pastor. At the conclusion of the last service, one of the elders came up to me with kind words of encouragement. Then he said, “Daniel you like preaching, you’re completing your seminary studies…when are you going to move on from children’s ministry to real ministry?” Ministry to children has always had similar challenges. I find some degree of comfort knowing that the greatest children’s worker of all time had problems in His day as well. Are children too young to enter the presence of…

Maybe it Really Does Take a Village

In 1996, then First Lady Hillary Rodham-Clinton released a book entitled, It Takes A Village. This title was criticized for several reasons. Many people disagreed with the overall premise of the book, that the community is responsible for raising children collectively, not just each child’s parents. I was a part of that camp. I believed for years that the responsibility of children’s discipleship lay squarely on the shoulders of parents. I based this conviction on my understanding of Deuteronomy 6. But the more closely I looked at the passage, I found my position on this issue totally reversed. I now…

All of God’s Word is for Children

Children are like sponges. They soak up everything they hear and squeeze it all out anytime they want — especially at the most inappropriate times. It’s likely why one of the first words almost every child learns is “no.” They can pick up our worst habits, but they can also be the best disciples for God’s kingdom. Jesus Himself speaks of the importance of children in the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 18:1-5, 19:13-14; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17). For children to respond to God’s Word in their real lives, they must be taught all of God’s Word. In 2 Timothy 4:16-17, Paul…

The “Real Life” Issues Children Face

When I was a young childrens church worker, my view of children was simple. They were cute, quick to learn and filled with spontaneous joy. I loved being with children, playing with them, talking with them, praying for them, teaching them and watching them respond to God’s Word. I still do. Then I realized that behind the smiles, hair ribbons and Sunday bow ties, there is the other world of children. It happened during a Sunday evening program we were running during childrens church. We led a Bible study about asking Jesus for help in difficult situations. When we had…

Welcome Them

If you sit in church in the U.S., you will often hear, “Welcome to XYZ church. Turn to the person next to you and ‘welcome’ them.” In many cultures, welcoming someone means to invite them into your dwelling, offer them a meal and provide a place to stay. It is more than a simple greeting; it is full-service hospitality. This is what Jesus had in mind when he stated, “And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” (Matthew 18:5) Making room for children Welcoming children means making room in your heart for them. One of the ways…

Taking School Out of Children’s Ministry

Children’s ministry work has some classic stories, none more famous than the teacher who began her Sunday School lesson asking the children to guess what she was describing: “This thing lives in trees (pause) and eats nuts (pause)…” No hands went up. “And it is gray (pause) and has a long bushy tail (pause)…” The children were looking at each other, but still no hands raised. “And it jumps from branch to branch (pause) and chatters and flips its tail when it’s excited (pause)…” Finally one little boy tentatively raised his hand. The teacher breathed a sigh of relief and called…

There Are Gifted Leaders Everywhere

What do a Polish Pastor, Coptic Monk and Ugandan Bishop all have in common? They are dynamic Christian leaders who have had an enormous effect on my life. God uses diverse people, in diverse contexts, to grow His Kingdom Zygmunt was a Baptist Pastor in Poland and one of the most gifted Bible expositors I have heard. I loved when he preached. I was sad when foreign guests came to visit and he felt obligated to surrender the pulpit (often to someone who had never preached in their own church back home). Bishop Cranmer oversees over 200 churches in southwestern…

Welcome to Our New Website!

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our completely redesigned website! After months of planning, designing, and building, we’re excited to share this new digital home with you. A Fresh Look for a Growing Mission Over the past 30 years, Every Generation Ministries has grown from a single vision in Poland to a global network spanning 18 countries. Our website needed to reflect that growth—and more importantly, make it easier for you to connect with what God is doing through trained leaders around the world. The new site features a cleaner design, easier navigation, and a more compelling way to…