If you are a missionary entering another culture you should know the most important first step … learn the language. I suggest that, as a leader, you see yourself as an immigrant into another world. Ask questions, seek to empathize and understand a perspective on the world that may be different than yours. So how do you go about being a missionary into the world of children?

When you look at the callings of kids, remember, you have a life that is willing to do anything for the Lord. They are pliable and teachable, and they will become amazing leaders in your ministry just by giving them a little time each week.

Kids can act up, we all know this. As kidmin leaders, we walk the line of needing to maintain order in the ministry without being their parents. This can make deciding on a disciplinary action difficult. Read on if you want to handle upstarts in the correct way as smoothly as possible.

It’s easy to get too goal oriented in kids ministry. Slow down! This isn’t about you. It’s about them. It’s not about getting from Point A to Point B. It’s about everything that comes between Point A and Point B. It’s not about getting to every activity in the lesson plan. It’s about pointing the preschoolers in your care to Jesus in every single thing you do and say. So, take a deep breath. Don’t get frantic when time seems to be slipping away and you’ve not gotten as far as you had planned in your lesson.

Policies, procedures, standards, and systems don’t handcuff your teams, they free them. They grant the authority necessary to meet expectations. They empower volunteers to identify solutions within the parameters you’ve set, and they clearly define boundaries. I call this the infrastructure of EVALUATION.

We must always strive to handle Scripture in such a way that brings eye opening joy and understanding to the hearts of kids. There are definitely things we can do to improve our presentations to provide optimum enjoyment and attention from the kids with whom we work without the need for unnecessary flash. We don’t need to add to the Bible or change it so much that it’s hardly recognizable.

There’s a lot I can say on this topic but the core essence of my message is this: Dads Matter. And they matter a lot.

My goal here is to share ideas that I trust will enhance the way you involve fathers, when possible, in your ministry or organization. Why? Because kids thrive when dads actively invest in their lives.

Have you ever wondered if children have a greater purpose in the church today? If you look at traditional approaches to childhood education in the church, it would appear that they are primarily knowledge-based. You have to ask, “Will sitting and listening to someone teach develop you into a fully-devoted follower of Christ, as well as empower you for ministry?” The answer is clearly “no.”

Here are seven steps you can take to disciple and equip children in your church for ministry using the “Discipleship and Equipping Wheel.”