7 Big Lies You’ve Been Told About Children’s Ministry

Many people do not understand what children’s ministry is all about. This is often because they have been misinformed or haven’t been given a clear vision and overview about children’s ministry.

When a clear vision for children’s ministry is lacking, you will often see people default to what they have been told in the past.

What they have been told in the past becomes the basis of their beliefs about children’s ministry.

The problem is this…they are often told things about children’s ministry that are simply not true. This can be due to past premises or ways of doing children’s ministry.

Let’s take a quick look at seven of these lies that people have been told about children’s ministry.

#1 Lie: They are just kids. They don’t care. It doesn’t have to be done with excellence. They don’t know the difference anyways.

Kids deserve our very best. Our standards of excellence for student ministry or adult ministry should be matched in children’s ministry.

They can perceive when we are not prepared properly for lessons or events. They can tell when we are just “winging it.”

We should give our very best to all ages. Kids included.

When we begin to care about the standards of excellence in children’s ministry, kids and parents will take notice.

#2 Lie: Children’s ministry is just babysitting.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Children’s ministry is ministry at the most crucial time in a person’s life. In the early years, so many brain connections are being made. Truths are being solidified. The foundation of faith is being planned and starting to be built.

Babysitting? I don’t think so. Banish that word from your children’s ministry vocabulary.

#3 Lie: Kids can’t come to Christ.

It is interesting. Throughout Scripture, we see adults being told to think like a child when they come to Jesus.

The Bible says we should act like children when coming to Jesus. It doesn’t tell children to act like adults when coming to Jesus.

Now I do believe there are certain ages when kids become old enough to understand what it means to follow Jesus and give their life to him.

But there is no “Jr. Holy Spirit.” Kids come to Jesus just like adults do.

If you need a tool to throughly share the Gospel with kids, check out my Starting Point curriculum. It will help you effectively tell children and parents about salvation.

You should also read this article about how old children have to be to come to Christ.

#4 Lie: Kids don’t have to be taught apologetics. They can learn that in high school ministry.

The battleground for the next generation is no longer starting in high school. It is starting in the elementary years.

Today’s kids are being bombarded with lies. Left alone they can’t tell the difference between the lies and the truth.