The task of evangelizing and proclamation of the
gospel is to announce and herald the essential message of the gospel with the
sole intention to bring those outside the faith to the saving grace of Jesus
Christ. The Bible commands believers in the church to proclaim the gospel to
the ends of the earth. While this is a task that must be done, it must be done
in such a way that God will bring souls into His kingdom. This is the essence
of communicating the gospel effectively so that peoples’ hearts will be drawn
to the Lord. The witness is expected to pray so that God will open the hearts
of the hearers to the gospel as we have in Acts 14:1 and Acts 16: 14.
Are there limitations in the extent of proclamation? No, it is to the whole
world and all persons. The church should move from a limited view of the world
and go as far as God enables. The call upon the church to evangelize and
bring more members into the kingdom of God is not limited to youths and adults
but should be extended to the children.
The plan of God is for all who are outside the fold to
come in. Quite unfortunate that many out there see no trouble with people who
have not come into the Christian faith. There is no substitute about that, no
Christ, no life. Therefore the task of evangelizing and bringing people into
the kingdom of God is quite a task that must be done. To have life is to
be in fellowship with God. This could only be achieved when a person is in
relationship with Jesus Christ by accepting Him as personal Lord and Saviour
who guides and controls the life of the person. It is unfortunate that some
seek peace and joy where they could not find it. The effort through church
planting is to bring more people into God’s Kingdom with His reign in their
lives. This cannot be achieved without the effort of faithful and committed
witnesses. The Scripture goes straight to the heart. The moral condition of
your life has a great deal to do with your witness. The lost world will listen
more readily if you try to measure up to Christian moral standards.
Furthermore, God will bless your witness more readily if he can work through a
vessel that is clean. The witness is to do his work of sharing the simple faith
while the work of convicting and conversion is of God by the empowerment of the
Holy Spirit.
Spiritual Transformation is God’s work of changing a
believer into the likeness of Jesus by creating a new identity in Christ and by
empowering a lifelong relationship of love, trust, and obedience to glorify
God. The goal of the church should be to help all church members mature in
faith and this could be achieved by the programmes that are put in place to
help new converts and new church members without neglecting the children. The
goal is not just to have a list of programmes but to ensure all these aim at
leading each member of the church into a genuine and dedicated relationship
with Christ. Those who have come to know Christ need transformational
leadership so that the believers would be guided to conform to Christ’s
image and character in all areas of life. Guiding persons (including children
who belong to the new church planted) to know Christ and abide in Him is the
work of the church. It is making the believer to abide in Christ intimately
without any wavering. Believers who abide are eventually fruitful disciples.
They grow to know Christ intimately and they become committed to doing only
God’s perfect will. They are in loving relationship with Christ and their
desire is to please Him who loved them and gave himself for them.
Children are viable instruments in God’s hands to help new church planted
grow when all needed care, nurture and programmes are made available to them.
. PLANS FOR CHILDREN MINISTRY IN CHURCH PLANTING
EFFORTS
It has been established above that all persons
deserve to be evangelized and children are expected to be part of that
consideration.
Can Children be saved?
The effort in helping children take this step of
faith can be most rewarding opportunity for parents, Christian teachers and the
church. Parents and teachers who have experienced Christ’s saving power should
create an enabling environment for the child to be introduced to concepts about
Jesus Christ and his expectations which would serve as laying foundations for
the spiritual conversion of the children. Parents and teachers are partners
with the Holy Spirit as each child is invited into faith in Jesus Christ.
Children should be made to accept Jesus as their best friend. Use friendship
illustration to help drive home the essence of relationship with Christ. Loving
Jesus is made real as children learn from the Bible, church, family and
relationship with others. From the Bible, children can learn that Jesus was a
special baby in a family who also worshipped God. With time, children can learn
about Jesus as God’s Son and all He came to do and learn about the purpose of
His coming to the world. The child can learn about Jesus’ miracles and
relationship with people while on earth physically.
As children mature, they can learn about Jesus as
Saviour and the work of God in the lives of God’s children. They can learn
about the Holy Spirit who can reveal to the child his/her personal sins. Each
child can learn he/she is lost without Jesus Christ. A child must know that he
is lost before he can be saved. There is no need to rush a child to accept
Jesus as Lord but parents and teachers in the church must take note of what we
call opportune time when the mind is impressionable. When a child begins to ask
questions, it may be the signal of acquiring more information that the Holy
Spirit will use to convict and convince the child. Each child must understand
Who is Jesus? Why did Jesus come? What did Jesus Do? Why should I become a
Christian? How can I accept Jesus as Saviour? Help each child to understand
what a changed life means as we have in 2 Corinthians 5:17. When a child is
saved, he/ she must be assisted to grow through adequate discipleship.
Beyond what parents and teachers can do. The church’s task is to plan
about children’s ministry in all planting efforts.
Questions: How do you lead children to Christ in your
church? -------------------------
Can a child be saved?
Can a child grow in the Lord?
Can a child be useful/serve God/ church/society?
What would Jesus want you do?
Once children are brought in through church planting
efforts, all needed for them to grow spiritually and become maturing everyday
must be put in place and we shall examine few of these. But before we proceed,
let’s answer these questions:
• What motivates you to join the children’s ministry
of your church?
• Why is teaching the children an important duty?
• What do you think can keep you going in this
ministry?
• What can help your effectiveness in this ministry?
• Do you have any burden about this ministry?
These questions cannot cover all areas of concern on
working with children but at least can serve as appetizer into our discussions.
Why Plan for Children During Church Planting Efforts?
Let’s read John 21:15-17
The church is not complete without children. Hardly
will you see a group of people coming together to worship without seeing
children. Once children are part of the church or congregation, it is always
good to have plan about workers, their training and plan for the spiritual
nurture of the children. The main purpose for such a plan of Children’s
ministry is to help in providing spiritual nurture for the children in the
church. It is our best way of showing we love children above other things
because it is a sure way of building the church. Do all churches plan for
effective Children Ministry in their church planting efforts. Definitely No.
This means there should be a definite plan and I believe that informs the topic
of this seminar. When the church does, will the church get the commitment of
enough children workers? You may wonder why Jesus asked the question
repeatedly. It is to confirm commitment. Are all children workers committed to
the spiritual nurture of children? What is the reason for retrogression? Why do
people start and could not stay through the
year?---------------------------------- Well, the simple answer is on calling
and interest. Those who persevere and weather through working with the children
are those who have the calling and genuine interest in the ministry. Can such
interest be developed? Yes, it can as you want to join God at work to make the
children belong to God in all areas of their lives. It is the burden of
edifying them and the task of making impact on younger generation so that we
can have a future.
Let’s read Deut 6:4-9. God’s people are called to
teach the children all the commands and truths of God. It should be an
intentional effort to instruct the children about life of obedience as we also
demonstrate it through our lives of obedience and love for God. God sees
children as God’s gift that we must teach God’s word, trained to honor God,
their parents and listen to parents’ instructions. When we do this, what reward
do we have in Proverbs
22:6?-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
However, it is quite unfortunate that many parents do
not have the time to instruct their children again. What are the reasons for
that?------------------------------------------
If parents are failing in their God-given duties and
responsibilities, should the church also be
guilty?--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the reason why the church has to invest in
children ministry to rescue the effect of negligence of most parents on the
spiritual nurture and growth of our children. We must be thrilled each time we
have opportunity to provide spiritual nurture for these children. The reason is
for the purpose of touching and moulding the future of these kids. Have you
wondered on kids that are abandoned, those who are wayward, causing pains and
agony for their parents and others around them? Would you not be glad that you
are counted worthy to rescue the perishing? This is best done as the church
plans to reach children during church planting efforts and put in place all
that will help their spiritual growth and nurture. Can you briefly reflect on
how you lived before coming to Christ? If not for God, where would you be by
now?------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Should we allow our own kids repeat our mistakes? I
think No.------------------------------------Or what do you
think?-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With our involvement in children’s ministry, what we
are doing is all about doing what Jesus did in Matthew 19:13-15 when he
welcomed the little children and blessed them. It reveals we treasure
what Jesus treasured. When children are gathered, we must teach them and as we
teach, we are preserving our future.
We teach children because:
a. It is God’s commission where every person is
enabled to mature in the Lord (Acts 8:26-40).
b. Children can learn effectively through a teacher (
Romans 10:14
c. The Holy Spirit enables each teacher who depends on
Him.
d. You are God’s minister to the younger generation (
I Peter 2:9-10)
It is my prayer that God will use our churches to plan
for effective children’s ministry while those of us who are workers will be
committed to the task.
What are needed Qualities of Children’s Teachers?
Recruiting teachers for children department has been
an age-long challenge for the church of God. While the church always has excess
ushers and sometimes choir members, shortness of staff at the children’s
department has always been a problem to be solved. Most churches with the
concept of Multi-Staff Pastoral Ministry now have minister for various areas of
church ministry which is not a luxury nor waste of resources once the church
can afford it. Even, where the church is not strong financially, there could be
a long-range plan to get there. Can the senior pastor do all the works of the
church without volunteers? Absolutely No. The same applies to when you have
either Children’s minister or director. The person needs the support of all
children’s worker to make the job easy and fulfilling. It is a clarion call for
TEAMWORK. Without teamwork, church ministries suffer and the same applies to
children’s ministry. We expect you all to cooperate for effectiveness to be
recorded in the ministry as you plan and work together.
How do we recruit teachers for Children’s department?
• Pray. We cannot begin recruiting the right person
without God’s help.
• Make initial contact by interacting with those you
had prayed on. People who could work with children can be derived from parents
of the children, older teenagers, former volunteers who had rotated out, senior
adult classes and other members in the church who may be interested.
• Be sure of the health status of those to be
recruited.
• Consider the character traits expected of Christian
teachers such as : relationship with Christ, growing in the Lord, life of
humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance for one another in love and diligent
in peace making with team -spirit and many others (Ephesians 4:1-7,11-16).
Teachers like Jesus Christ must be comfortable with children of all kinds as
much as possible, compassionate and readiness to build each child up.
• Wait for their responses as you depend on God’s will
to be done.
• Ask for their response as you also motivate them by
explaining the nature of the task.
• Give full job description of the assignment and
needed instructions.
• Pray with them as they volunteer to work with the
department while you plan for their training for effectiveness on the job.
• Provide needed resources for effective ministry to
the children.
• Guide each teacher to work worthy of the calling as
they join the church’s ministry to the children.
Consider the following qualifications for effective
children teacher:
• A living Christian experience
• Exemplary Christian character
• Conviction that God wants you to teach children
• Willingness to go on learning
• Dependability and diligence
• Loyalty to the church and its programmes
• Right attitude towards children
• Concern for parents and the home
• Emotional stability
• Flexibility
• Humility
• Creativity
• Understanding the seven strategic concepts in
teaching: The Law of the teacher, education, activity, communication, heart,
encouragement and readiness (Cho, 2006).
Therefore when you teach,
• Provide enough space, wall covering, lightening,
appropriate furniture, floor coverings and other needed materials.
• Always welcome children with lovely smile. A warm
welcome has positive effect on the children for both regular attendants and
first time visitors. This implies arriving before the children you will teach.
• Know children’s needs that must be met such as love,
trust, acceptance, independence, freedom, security, guidance and sense of
accomplishment.
• Select and use appropriate curriculum which must
possess the following characteristics of an effective curriculum plan:
comprehensive, balance, sequence, relevance, correlation, flexibility and
learner- focused.
• Use appropriate methods with examples and
illustrations. With children, we can use storytelling, discussion, dramatics
(monologue, picture posing, pantomime, role playing etc), music, questions,
arts/crafts, games, field trip, multimedia etc as time, space and provisions
are available. Each room can also have the following sections: Creative Art,
Home living materials and Dramatic Play, Building Blocks, Puzzles and
Manipulatives, Nature and Science, and Music. Each of these sections provides
rich learning experiences for children when handled well.
• Be conscious of the situation
• Use Bible content to teach and lead children into
obedience
• Make children participate in the learning process
• Pray with the children and for them each time you
meet
• Spend quality time with the children and let them
feel it
• Teach in each situation God’s counsel and truths.
Read Deut 29: 29, how can we know the mind of God? God has revealed himself as
the first teacher as he educated through his chosen people, through the law,
through the exile and through celebrative activities as their feasts and
festivals. Jesus also model to us as exemplary master teacher (Mark 10:1).
• Teach for children to be able to declare who Jesus
is to them as seen in Mark 8: 27-30.
• Give room for the Holy Spirit to guide you as you
prepare and teach the children (John 14: 16-21). His Holy Spirit indwells
guides and illuminates us to serve Him better. With the Holy Spirit, we would
be an incredible vessel in God’s hands to use each day. “Without the Holy
Spirit in your life, you cannot please and honor God. You cannot teach others
to honor Him” Why? What you do not have, you cannot give to others. The Holy
Spirit enables and empowers the teacher, illuminates and motivates the children
to understand God’s revelation.
• Dependence on the Holy Spirit is vital to your
teaching ministry because it will help you by illuminating God’s word,
regenerate, indwell, guide, instruct, fill and renew you for service everyday.
The Holy Spirit when given chance to operate in its fullness work through God’s
word, through the teacher, the learner and many other aspects of the ministry.
• Identify your gifting and use appropriately
(Ephesians 4:11-13). Some are better at teaching than others but we can all
learn and improve on what we have interest to do.
• Don’t toy with adequate preparation 2 Timothy 2:15.
We have the responsibility to prepare adequately for each lesson that we plan
to teach. It should be a whole week planning rather than late night Saturday
preparation or even reading through the materials in the presence of the children.
• Be considerate of the age group you teach and their
characteristics. Children are divided into varying age groups based on similar
character traits that could be viewed physically, intellectually, socially,
morally, emotionally and spiritually. Understand that children just like Jesus’
disciples may display different character traits and may be imperfect, slow to
learn, self-centered, uneducated and unprofessional. All these should not pose
any problem rather it should help the teacher to learn to be considerate. Take
time to study children’s character traits so that you might be informed on how
to relate with them. For instance, preschoolers are curious, active, creative,
self-focused, and sensitive and have limited attention span. This knowledge calls
for knowing what to plan for children of this age group while the same strategy
applies to other age groups. You may have a lesson plan which should consider
the objectives, learning readiness, the Bible study, activities, conclusion and
assignments. The order of worship should not be stagnant but can be varied
through adequate planning and preparation. All age groups can learn, the
content is what must be varied. Preschoolers can learn bible truths that are
relevant for their ages.
• Like Jesus, establish relationship with the
learners, stimulate and maintain interests, teach by examples, recognize even
the smallest, emphasize action.
• Help each child to learn what he/she is not capable
of doing. Don’t allow for too many competitions. Make each child develop
appropriate self-esteem as we show them our love, care and concern. Each child
should be shown enough of love and care.
• Teach the memory verse of the day with enthusiasm.
• Take note of the following that make for effective
teaching: Teaching is most effective :
a. When the teacher helps the learner see that what he
is learning is personally meaningful
b. When learning activities and goals are both
challenging and achievable
c. When the teaching is appropriate to the children
d. When it addresses differences in learners
e. When children are active participants in learning
situation
f. When learning builds on what learners have known
before
g. When the importance of social interaction is
established and practiced
h. When teachers provide feedback
i. When the environment support the intended learning
j. When the teacher builds relationship with children
to create positive emotional climate
k. When the teacher makes learning practical.
l. When the teacher is a model of what he/she teaches
(Haisler, 2007).
. Church Planting Efforts Should Meet Children’s Needs
Children like all other
persons have needs which also include spiritual needs. The depth and extent may
differ from that of adults because of their level of understanding and
maturity. “Children are just as much spiritual beings as are adults in their
lives.” Children could develop interest in the things of God as we tell
them loving stories about our loving God and His relationship with us. Those
who work with children and their parents must be able to tell stories in such a
way that will interest the children, capture their attention and make indelible
impressions upon their lives. Walter notes that stories not only communicate,
they also form the soul and personality. Stories have powerful influence on
both the soul and personality of the listeners. Stories influence children and
adults alike powerfully. Telling stories to children requires an appropriate
selection of words and language the children can understand and appreciate.
Drawing children unto loving relationship
with Christ starts with the type of nurture we give to our growing children.
Parents who establish nourishing relationship with the children wins them unto
their side. The love shown to children typifies the love of God to mankind.
Under normal circumstances, kids’ needs are met by their parents who show love
and care and that also impresses on them love and care they can receive from
God. Building loving relationship with people has great impact on children’s
spirituality. Every action of persons around the child has impact on their
spiritual growth. Adults must also be sensitive to the child’s spiritual needs
which can help children recognize God’s loving care for them and His intention
for each of them to be in a loving relationship with Him. Children survive more
in a nourishing relationship both physically and spiritually. Our love of God
must first be modeled to children before such is absorbed and internalized.
Jesus’ act in Mark 10: 13- 16 typifies the type of care, love and concern that
must be extended to children. Children deserved to be blessed and we cannot
bless when we do not love them (Berryman pp. 22- 41).
While those in government are concerned
about the physical welfare of the children, the church is also concerned about
the spiritual welfare of the child. How would our children grow in the
Christian faith in relationship with God, self and others? Today’s statistics
show many children suffer hunger and real neglect despite the effort to make
children comfortable. While both physical and spiritual nurture become very
important to be attended to; some parents and the church do not take serious
either physical or spiritual nurture of their kids. Some even lack out rightly
lack of commitment to child’s care and spiritual nurture. Such church lack
curriculum materials and teachers / workers. Parents of such kids have not come
to realize their important roles in the spiritual nurture of their kids and
some parents do not have interest to follow up on what their kids are learning
from the church. For adequate spiritual nurture of children to be realized, the
parents and the church must accept that children are:
• Gifts of God and sources of joy to the parents and
the church and we owe them the duty of spiritual nurture.
• Born with the nature that has tendency to sin and do
evil and that call for a type of spiritual nurture that will direct their love
and attention to God rather than the sinful habits they will soon be exposed to
when we refuse to train them in the way of the Lord.
• Developing beings who need instruction and guidance.
It is our duty to provide all- round nurture and development for the children.
Our failure to do that will bring the doom that may be disastrous. All efforts
of parents and the church must be to help children grow in all areas without
the neglect of any aspect and most importantly the spiritual aspect of God’s
knowledge and relationship with Christ.
• Fully human and made in the image of God. Children
are growing but that does not negate the fact of their full dignity as
creatures made in God’s image. They deserve our full dignity and respect.
Children are to be respected from the beginning of life. They are a sacred
trust to be nurtured and protected at every stage of their existence.
• Models of Faith and Sources of Revelation. “ The New
Testament depicts children in striking and even radical ways as moral
witnesses, models of faith for adults, sources or vehicles of revelation, and
representatives of Jesus” (Berryman,p.49). Jesus asked all to emulate
children in their attitude and lifestyle (childlike spirit) to be qualified for
eternity.
• Orphans, Neighbors, and strangers in Need of justice
and compassion. Part of caring for children is to care for them as Jesus
requested in the Bible. They deserve our love, care and compassion. Martin
Luther and Philip Melancthon both had influence on policies and reforms in
Germany on universal education that included girls and the poor which also made
provisions for children as they were provided with adequate medical care in
hospitals, education in schools and physical nurture in orphanages.
Therefore, all the approaches highlighted above must
be considered as the church and all interested make effort to minister to the
children through their church planting efforts. These can assist to strengthen
the spiritual formation and religious education programs for children. The
church and the family must renew their commitment to the overall nurture of
children as the Bible outlines it. (Bunge pp. 42-53).
There is an emphasis on the need
for the church and parents not to rush the child to faith but at the same time
must not neglect the consistent step of guiding them until they profess faith
in Christ. Enough exposures and impressions must be made before the child will
be exposed to make choices between bad and evil. The consciousness of the
following can also assist us in performing our tasks:
• All humans are created in the image of God.
• Since the fall, all humans come into this world
under God’s judgment and wrath as being in sin. And all must be redeemed and be
saved through the salvation made available in Christ Jesus.
• Only Jesus Christ’s substitutionary atoning death
propitiates God’s wrath against all sin and makes reconciliation with God
possible.
• The steps to salvation by believing in Jesus Christ
apply to all persons including the children.
• Each one must give an account to God of their life
on earth.
• The Bible reveals children can believe, respond and
relate with God. Passages on consecrating the child to God, Samuel heard God
speak, healing of a Gentile’s daughter by Jesus, a child becoming King at a
younger age and the childhood experience of Jesus and few others revealed
our efforts on training and nurture of children is never a waste.
The church with the parents must make effort to assist
children love and appreciate his plans for their lives. All leaders must be
sensitive to what God is doing in the life of each child with appropriate
response. Childhood stage is the most appropriate stage for spiritual nurture
though other stages of life cannot be neglected ( KlausIssler, pp. 54-71).
Conclusion
Emphasizing the importance of ministry to the children
with many biblical narratives, Shelley concludes with earlier writers on this subject
that children are models of kingdom life, children are mirrors of kingdom
hearts, children have been and are still models of martyrs of kingdom rejection
revealing much cruelty that has been meted on children from time immemorial.
The questions posed to us all are:
• Is there room in modern churches to nurture these
kids?
• Will the church invest enough for the spiritual
nurture and growth of these kids?
• Will a priority on children’s ministry set the
agenda for church activities and funds?
• Will the church embrace the orphan, the fatherless,
and the endangered?
Will the adults be ready to embrace a childlike spirit
as Jesus required? (Camppagnola, pp. 72-89). “Children are immortal spirits
whom God hath for a time entrusted to our care that we may train them up in
holiness, and fit them for the enjoyment of God in eternity. This is a glorious
trust.” (p.148). Culled from Catherine Stonehouse on Children in Wesleyan
Thought, Christian Spirituality… Edited by Donald Ratcliff, pp.133-148.
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