Ten Commandments of Children's Ministry

We’ve put together some fun “commandments” for your children’s ministry team. One of our favorites is VII. Feel free to pass these on to your coworkers and ministry helpers.
    I.  Thou shalt be born again.

   II.  Thou shalt have no final authority other than the Bible.

  III.  Thou shalt love children.

  IV.  Thou shalt pray regularly for the children, their parents and teachers (as well as for thine own family).

   V.  Thou shalt promote safety at all times.

  VI.  Thou shalt use age-appropriate materials.

 VII.  Thou shalt not bore children.

VIII.  Thou shalt not ignore the parents' needs.

  IX.  Thou shalt not be afraid to try new methods.

   X.  Thou shalt not ignore the impact of the Holy Spirit on daily life.

Action Song: Jesus Is Alive

Print the following song lyrics on a large piece of poster board or project them from your computer. Teach the following song to your children as a review of the Easter lesson. Sing the words to the tune of B-I-N-G-O. Have the children clap a rhythm as they sing the letters A-L-I-V-E.


For older children, use these clapping motions: Pat knees on "A" and "L" (pat once as they sing each letter), snap fingers on "I," clap on "V," and cross arms to pat chest on "E." Have a couple of your preteens teach the pattern to the rest of the group. Start slowly. Your children will have fun trying to do the actions faster and faster as they sing the words. You may even catch them doing the chorus on the playground for their friends!

Jesus Is Alive!

God sent Jesus down to earth
To die for you and me,

A-L-I-V-E, A-L-I-V-E, A-L-I-V-E!

My Jesus is alive!

They tried to take my Lord away,
And nail Him on a cross,
A-L-I-V-E, A-L-I-V-E, A-L-I-V-E!
My Jesus is alive!

They put Him in a cold dark tomb,
And rolled the stone up tight.

A-L-I-V-E, A-L-I-V-E, A-L-I-V-E!

My Jesus is alive!

He lives inside my heart, and He

Forgives me of my sin.

A-L-I-V-E, A-L-I-V-E, A-L-I-V-E!

My Jesus is alive!

Have a child read Revelation 1:18 from a Bible. Say it together a few times. Then talk about how Jesus is alive and lives in heaven today.

What Kind of Leader Are You? (Part 2)

As a Sunday school teacher or Bible Club leader,  it is important to nurture and develop in yourself the qualities and skills you need to relate to children in a helpful way. The first part of this article was posted on March 22. Here are six additional questions to ask yourself:

5. Am I innovative and creative?

Creative ideas are valuable only when they are actually implemented. A creative Bible Club leader must be able to dream up ideas as well as make those ideas happen. In addition, creative leaders must be able to take someone else’s idea and make it a reality in their own group.

There are many ways to get good ideas. Obviously the entire All-Stars for Jesus Bible Club program is designed to provide you with simple, easy-to-use ideas. Many Sunday school curricula contain helpful teaching suggestions. In addition, it is very important to listen. Listen to the students. Listen to the parents. Listen to other children’s ministry workers. And from what you hear, you should be able to adapt your teaching materials to work with your group.

Always be open to new ideas or new ways of doing things. Just because you haven’t seen something work, don’t assume it won’t work. Even if you tried something before and it didn’t work, be willing to give it a second chance.

6. Am I happy with myself?

Teachers and leaders who have committed their lives to Christ and are reasonably happy with themselves won’t be devastated when the first student acts up. And they won’t give up the first time something doesn’t go as planned. Furthermore, happy leaders and teachers won’t manipulate students to achieve “manufactured” results; they will minister to the students for Jesus’ sake.

Have fun with the students you’re trying to reach. Go to their homes. Go to their ball games and school plays. Play video and computer games with them. Be their friend.

7. Am I hungry for spiritual results?

The effective Bible Club leader or Sunday school teacher has a drive to accomplish and an urge to compete against the world for the attention of young students. You should have an insatiable hunger to see young people brought to a place of personal commitment to Jesus Christ. Develop a hunger for more spiritual growth in your own life as well as in the lives of those to whom you minister.

8. Do I use common sense?

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Nothing astonishes men so much as common sense and plain dealing.” Anyone who works with other people must realize that the key to success is not intelligence; the key to successful relationships is awareness of others, a willingness to learn, the ability to cope with the unexpected and genuine interest and caring for others.

These attributes are vital to successful leadership of students. Use common sense. Be flexible. Learn to respond to the needs and moods of your students, as well as to the situations they face and the environments in which they live. Help them cope with the situations in their homes and show them how to deal with the mistakes they make. One of your most important responsibilities as a teacher and leader is to minister to the everyday needs of your young students.

9. Am I tactful?

Effective Christian leadership calls for tact, persuasiveness and humor. You’ll need these attributes to overcome resistance to change and because you’ll work with many different people. Some teachers and leaders become so wrapped up in their “mission” that they become tactless, abrasive and disruptive, to the point they simply run over people in a rough-shod, uncaring manner. Your true goal and mission must be to respond to the needs of each individual student in kind, loving, tactful ways.

When you take the time to tactfully sell your ideas, to laugh a little (even at yourself, when necessary) and show you care, you will be more fun to be around, your students will notice and you will be able to accomplish a great deal for the kingdom of God.

10. Do I have courage?

Any role of leadership demands courage. To succeed as a leader or teacher, you have to take risks. Probably some of your meetings and lessons won’t be great successes. Some of your parties might flop. You might face some touchy situations you’ll wish you hadn’t gotten into.

It will take courage to go to a parent regarding his or her child. It will take courage to help your students deal with issues they might face: bullies, parent divorces, depression, cliques, broken relationships and more.

 Molding a child’s life is truly an awesome responsibility, but Jesus provided powerful encouragement when He said, “It is not the will of your Father…that one of these little ones should perish.” (Matthew 18:14) Although some of your students may not be so little anymore, this promise proves that the person who is committed to nurturing the spiritual life of a child or teenager is working in cooperation with the will of God! You can be assured then, that the Lord will direct you and guide you as you seek to guide children to love and serve Him.  

What Kind of Leader Are You? (Part 1)

Most teachers agree that some students can be a real challenge to work with. Yet they also agree the middle school and junior high years are a critical time when it is important to help students get established in their faith, their church and their lifestyle.

Some of your Sunday school and Bible club students probably grew up in your church and are from Christian families. If they ever decide to leave the church or their Christian beliefs, many children’s workers feel the seeds of departure and of rebellion will be sown during the junior high and middle school years. One Christian educator said, “Kids walk in the front door of the church when they are four, and out the back door when they are 14!”

How can you, their Bible Club leader or Sunday school teacher, catch those students before they get out the back door, or, better yet, how can you make the Christian life and fellowship in the church so meaningful and attractive to every student that they won’t even head for the exits?

To some extent, you have already answered that by your willingness to serve as a teacher, volunteer or leader. Yet it is important to nurture and develop in yourself the qualities and skills you need to relate in a helpful way to children. Here are ten questions to ask yourself. We'll look at the first four this week:

1. Do I love students?

People who minister successfully—to people of any age level—appear to have few behavioral, physical, educational or other kinds of characteristics in common. They are from many backgrounds and come in all shapes and sizes.

In fact, you don’t have to look young, own a sports car or be the best at video games to communicate with young students. It’s not necessary for you to like their music, their food or to keep up with them physically. People who minister effectively to students are of every age and every personality and the methods they use to achieve results are wide-ranging.

Yet they all have one thing in common: they love students. So ask yourself, Do I love young students? If you’re going to reach a young person for Christ, that’s a necessity!

2. Do I like students?

To some extent we can love someone and yet not like him. The Christian leader and teacher, however, must not only love the students he is trying to reach for Christ, but he needs to work hard at liking them too.

There might be students in your group who don’t smell very good, don’t talk very well, have bad habits and do things you don’t approve of—but you’re going to have to like them if you’re going to reach them—and keep them—for Jesus Christ.

In fact, friendship is one of the most important things you can offer. Your young students will respond to your friendship long before they will respond to what you try to teach them.

3. Do I expect something good to happen?

Are you excited and optimistic about your work with children? Do you have vision? Are you determined to accomplish something for Christ with your students? Do you realize your results may take a long time to happen?

If you’re after instant results, you’d better microwave some brownies or order a pizza; working with students requires a vision for the future and the willingness to trust God to bring about results in His timing.

4. Am I eager to take responsibility?

Being a Sunday school teacher or Bible club leader requires a willingness to take responsibility and get involved. Although they may never admit it, young students are looking to adults for leadership, guidance and caring; they will respond when adults show they care and want to be involved in the lives of the children.

Even when the going is rough, a Christian leader needs the ability to persevere and keep going. You can’t fall apart when no one shows up for a party—or when twice as many come as were expected! Make the best of the situation. When you do, the Lord will use your willingness and service to make something good out of the circumstances.

As a Bible Club leader or Sunday school teacher, you are influencing the students in many important ways—some of which you will never know. Don’t count on everything happening immediately; realize that some of the seeds you are sowing in the lives of your students may not bring about visible results for years!  

Bible Lesson: Wise & Foolish Builders

Here’s a fun lesson you can use to teach your students about the wise and foolish builders from Matthew 7:24-27. Say the following words as you have the children do the motions in parentheses. Hold your Bible open as you tell the story. Explain that this is a true story from God’s Word, the Bible.

Jesus told first about a wise man. This man built his house on solid rock. Then one night, a storm came up. The rain poured down. (Lead the children in rain motions. Have them rub their legs, snap their fingers, and then pat their knees faster and faster to imitate the sound of rain and a growing storm. Finally, have them stomp their feet while patting their legs.) The wind howled. (Have the children say, “oooo.”) The water outside began to rise. (Have the children slowly raise their hands.) But the man’s house was safe from the storm, because it was built on a rock.

Another man foolishly built his house on the sand. Then the storm came up. The rain poured down. (Lead the children in rain motions. Have them rub their legs, snap their fingers, and then pat their knees faster and faster to imitate the sound of rain and a growing storm. Finally, have them stomp their feet while patting their legs.) The wind howled. (Have the children say, “oooo.”) The water outside began to rise. (Have the children slowly raise their hands.) The flood washed away the sand under the house. The house groaned and creaked and then fell apart. Down it came with a great CRASH!

Jesus said, “People who hear what I say and obey Me are like the wise builder. When problems come, they will be safe. But people who hear Me without obeying what I say will be like the foolish man. When problems come, they will be like the man whose house fell down with a CRASH.”

(Sing the following words to the tune of THIS OLD MAN.)

This wise man, he built well

      (pretend to hammer);

He built well up on a rock;

      When the rains came down

And the floods came up

      (lower and raise hands),

This man’s house stood firm and strong

      (raise fists & make muscles with arms).

Foolish man, he built wrong

      (pretend to hammer);

He built wrong up on the sand;

      When the rains came down

And the floods came up

      (lower and raise hands),

This man’s house came tumbling down

      (fall down).

  

The Bible says that Jesus is like a solid Rock. (Read I Corinthians 10:4.) When we obey Jesus, we will be safe even when troubles come.