Often when we think of being properly equipped for children’s ministry, we think of “things” … things like game equipment, lesson visuals, properly-arranged chairs, music, etc.
These tools are vital to a well-run program, but there is another set of “tools” that is even more essential to our ministry.
We need to be equipped …
1. In prayer … that God will give us patience and wisdom as we work with the kids and that we’ll have opportunity to present the gospel. Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. (Romans 10:1)
2. In Bible study. We need to be students of the Bible. Our daily communication with God … listening to what He tells us through His Word and talking to Him in prayer … are vital parts of our own spiritual growth and maturity. We may be able to take five minutes to read through a lesson and then present that lesson to the kids (with some success), but we need to know the context. We need to be able to answer questions that kids have. If kids see us be excited about God’s Word, then they’ll be excited. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that it is God’s Word that “equips” us for good works. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
3. In confidence to share the gospel. We need to feel confident in sharing the gospel with others, at the same time knowing that not every child will respond to what we say – the Holy Spirit convicts, not us. Our responsibility is to share the gospel message. Whether we use the Gospel Wheel (a great tool) or share our own experience of trusting Christ, we need to be willing to talk to a child about Christ and respond to her questions. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)
4. With love for those we teach. Unfortunately, any ministry position can become a job. Our own kids go to Awana and it’s too far to go home and come back, so we decide to help. Or, we’ve been working in Awana for years and it’s become a habit … but actually caring about the kids? Well, actually we don’t really think about them all that much – except for the couple hours we’re at club. But love for the kids is the very basis of our message. To many of them, the only thing they know about God’s love is what they see in us.Moses told the Israelites: May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb. (Deuteronomy 32:2) May this also be our prayer.
5. With our own heart and mind spiritually fed. We like to minister. We like teaching kids. We’ve been serving in church forever. That’s great, but sometimes we have a tendency to take on so many serving opportunities that we don’t get fed ourselves. We don’t hear the Sunday morning message because we’re teaching kids, we can’t go to weekly Bible study because we’re busy with the kids, we can’t be part of a small group because we’re busy with the kids … Sitting and listening to our pastor and/or adult teacher is a big part of our own spiritual health. In fact, they are in their positions for this very reason – to encourage and equip others: Ephesians 4:11-12 – And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
The Lord tells us we need to be equipped for good works. What a great personal mission for each one of us as we begin this new club year.
(Oh, and don’t forget the game equipment, the lesson visuals, the music, the attendance chart, the …)
