The most important people I’ve got at New Journey are our JourneyLand volunteers (Children’s Church). We believe in Kids at New Journey. We believe that they are the church of present not just the future. As a new church plant the one thing that has thrilled me the most is the days we had more kids in JourneyLand than we had in worship. I believe we have the best “Children’s Church” in our county because our volunteers understand they are making a great impact by providing the best hour of the week for kids in an environment that kids want to come back to week after week.

Guest Blogger Gina McClain from Oklahoma recently wrote the following on the Swerve Blog and I agree with her.

Do you embrace the potential within your Children’s Ministry? Or do you dismiss their significance based upon age?

Consider this… A child at the age of 6 is just as capable of following Jesus as I am. The bible is just as applicable to a Christ follower at 8 years old as it is to me at 35 years old.

What does that mean?

It means that when you start to think that your elementary-age kids are not capable of fulfilling the Great Commission… think again. The bible says…

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me… to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do…” John 14:12

There is no age distinction listed. No height requirement noted. No ‘red shirt’ year where you sit on the bench. When you become a Christ follower, you are immediately in the game… whatever age that may be.

So, how should that affect our perspective on Children’s Ministry?

To start… you can remove it from the babysitting category. It is more than just a place to keep the kids so you can have church with the ‘big people’.

Statistically, Children’s Ministry is the greatest fishing hole out there for ‘fishers of men’.

If you want a place to cast nets that strain from the weight when you pull in your catch, march your evangelistic hind parts into your elementary age experience and share Jesus with the same amount of passion as you do to adults.

Angry preacher, I am not. Just ruthlessly passionate that my 8-year old son is a walking Temple filled with the Holy Spirit. That he received power when the Holy Spirit came upon him and he is a witness to Jesus. That because he believes in Jesus, the works that Jesus did, he will do also; and greater works than these because of the Holy Spirit that dwells within him today.

We live in a time when more people exist on this earth than ever before! Today is the day to mobilize the generation that could see more people come to Christ than were walking this earth one century ago.

Children’s Ministry is not tomorrow’s church in waiting… they are today’s church waiting for you to give them the opportunity to make an impact.

Embrace It!

Big “Thanks” to my JourneyLand volunteers!