Posted on 15 Oct 2020 by Vanessa Ong
(This article was originally written for and published in Moore College’s publication Societas)
I focused on every other ministry but children’s ministry in my entire first year of ministry apprenticeship with my home church in Malaysia. I was formally assigned to taking care of the ministry but effectively neglected to do so in my heart and in my actions. There was always the next university students training session to work on, the high school chapel to plan and a girl from church to speak with urgently.
Sunday School runs as usual every week with or without me expending extra thought into the ministry so why does it matter? As long as children leave Sunday School without learning heresy (and kept alive the entire time at Sunday School), right?
Wrong.
Kids are being taught with or without you.
By screens in their faces, their friends, their own child logic of connecting the dots themselves… We’ve heard it all before: “Kids are like sponges”. Whom or what will you allow to be the greatest influence in the lives of the children in church? Some older children are still very much attached to the “first loves” they’ve discovered when they were little. Some are bad habits that were rewarded, some are hobbies and interests. “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” – Prov 22:6.
We don’t want to contribute to graduates to youth ministry who are unmotivated in the things of God.
A waking nightmare I call upon whenever I am tempted to slack on anything related to children’s ministry (only when things get especially tough!): The bored and jaded attitude of Sunday School graduates who’ve finally arrived in the youth group. I’m sure those who speak about God and his gospel to children can contribute both positively and negatively to how children feel about learning and growing for another 5 years at youth group!
Handling God’s word does not suddenly become less of a responsibility when teaching children.
It is common to think that as long as there is an absence of heresy in a single children’s lesson or household, then all is well. Perhaps it is because we think the children are not learning anyway, that a lesson is satisfactory as long as “Jesus died and rose again” is mentioned, or perhaps it is because no adult is present to correct us (if you happen to be the only teacher or your helpers are too new to know how!). However, when we are handling God’s word, we are handling God’s word. The quality and standards that we would maintain in handling the word carefully for an adult congregation is the same as with a small group of toddlers. “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” – 2 Tim 2:15.
One of the below always makes the list of “Why I fear or dislike kids ministry”: