I am not an angry person.
I don’t have the reputation of throwing things or YELLING.
But there was a moment this summer I wanted to do both. I was sitting in a kid’s chapel service – maybe 100 kids – half of them non-churched. A children’s pastor was up front, shuffling papers, getting situated – preparing to start his lesson.
And then. And THEN … he began with these words …
“I know this is boring, but you need to listen so we can get done and go have some fun.”
And I felt angry. Very angry.
How could he dare start teaching children about the Bible by saying that it was boring? How could he dare say that the goal was to get the lesson “over with” so the fun could start?
Seriously? That’s what his relationship to Christ means to him? Boring? That’s what God’s Word is to him? Boring?
Never mind that salvation is life itself … eternal life that will be spent in an awesome place with God Himself.
Never mind that salvation is redemption, sanctification, propitiation, justification, glorification …
Never mind that the Bible is a message from an all-knowing, all present, all powerful, all-loving Creator and Heavenly Father.
I’m sure if I had the opportunity to ask this man directly if he thought the Bible was boring, he would say “of course not!” yet that’s exactly what he told the kids. (By the way, I had listened to other speakers talk to this same group of children and the children were extremely receptive and eager to learn. So the pastor couldn’t use the excuse that they wouldn’t listen.)
Later, my anger still brewing, I mentioned what had happened to a pastor friend. He lamented, “I heard someone start a Large Group lesson like that in Awana this past year. I happened to be walking by the room as the leader was saying, I wasn’t sure what to bore you with this week, so I chose ____________.” (The pastor did have the opportunity to talk with the leader.)
I’m guessing (though I don’t know) that the situation in both of these cases was insecurity. The speakers feared the kids would be bored, so, in their minds, they decided they would be upfront about it, and admit it. But they’re missing the point. God’s Word is not what’s boring, how we present it is the boring part. Don’t we have a responsibility as children’s ministry workers to present the gospel of Christ as life-changing truth? Don’t we have the responsibility to prepare well so that we’re conveying the message in an exciting (although often very serious) way? Don’t we have the responsibility to let kids know how very, very thankful we are for our own salvation? No, not every child will listen and “get it,” but let’s at least present our lesson knowing we’ve done the very best job possible in conveying God’s Word.
As we begin a new year of children’s ministry, let’s pray that we will never, ever come across as unenthusiastic; that we will never, ever convey to the kids that the lesson might be boring; that we will always be excited about teaching the life-changing gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s convey that the good things He tells us in His Word are the very best truths those kids could ever learn.
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23-24)
