Call to Worship.
Bible Teaching.
Discussion.
Hymn Singing.
Catechism Recitation.
Bible Review.

What comes to mind when you read that list? A high church service? An adult Bible study? Maybe a bit of boredom?

What if I told you this is the weekly structure of a children’s ministry that isn’t boring?

It sounds counterintuitive. Where are the games? The crafts? The high-energy moments we expect to see in a children’s ministry? Aren’t kids hands-on, sensory learners? Doesn’t this kind of structure run against what we know about children and how they learn?

The Pictures that Assumptions Paint

Those questions are reasonable. Kids are in a unique stage developmentally, and God has designed them to learn through movement, play, and multisensory engagement. But I want to challenge the underlying assumption that elements like hymns, catechisms, or structured discussions are inherently boring or unsuitable for kids. I’d argue the problem is not what these elements are, but how we tend to picture them.

Take biblical teaching, for example. No children’s ministry leader would deny that kids need Scripture (at least they shouldn’t). But we can all imagine a boring approach to teaching: a flat, monotone lecture on cultural background and verb tenses that’s destined to lose a room full of kids in minutes.

But biblical teaching isn’t inherently boring. It can be meaningful, interactive, and life-giving when approached intentionally. The same is true for discussion times. Small-group conversations can be awkward or shallow, but they can also be rich, relational, and spiritually formative when structured well. Even hymns, which often get dismissed as “too wordy” or “too old,” can become cherished gifts when kids learn them in slow, digestible phrases over several weeks (instead of in one sitting).

What we’re really dealing with here is perception—how we’ve experienced something and how we’ve been taught to picture it. If we’ve only seen hymns rehearsed in ways that feel inaccessible or only experienced catechisms as rushed recitation, then of course they seem out of place for kids. But our past experiences or inherited assumptions don’t have to determine what we believe is possible.

But this is exactly what happens in many ministries. Our ideas about how we structure our time with kids are often driven more by past experiences, or by what we’ve been told “works,” rather than by a deeply pondered, clearly articulated strategy.

“What” Should Drive Your Decisions

Imagine a church hires a new children’s director to bring new life to the ministry. She receives a generous budget, a supportive staff, and freedom to reshape the ministry. She gets to work right away, updating classrooms, repainting hallways, and adding kid-friendly décor. She also purchases a new curriculum that requires minimal prep and promises high engagement. She packs her ministry hour with games, crafts, videos, and activities so the morning feels fast-moving and exciting. Desiring to grow in her creativity, she attends a children’s ministry conference, gathers a host of new ideas, and returns eager to implement them. She quickly restructures the ministry hour again and adds new events to keep families hopeful and excited.

Nothing in this scenario is bad. In fact, much of it is admirable. She’s proactive, eager to learn, and attentive to the needs of her kids. The ministry looks exciting, the kids seem engaged, and the volunteers are supported.

But here’s the subtle problem: almost every decision she made was driven by how to keep things engaging and not by what the kids ministry needed to accomplish.

The décor was chosen to impress, not to reflect the ministry’s identity. The curriculum was selected for convenience and energy, not theological depth. The structure of the hour was driven primarily by how kids learn, not by what they most need to understand to become lifelong, committed followers of Jesus.

Let me be clear: developmental considerations matter. Understanding how kids learn is essential for shepherding them well. But developmental science cannot be our first or primary driver. Sociology and psychology are excellent tools, but they aren’t the starting points.

Our how must flow from our what (which is grounded in our why).

Intention vs. Convention

This brings us back to the list that we started with. As you’ve probably deduced, those elements (discussion time, hymns, catechism, etc.) are part of my church’s children’s ministry. Not because we want to be traditional or because we’re indifferent to child development. We chose them because we concluded that these elements best serve the “what” God has commissioned us to accomplish. Once the “what” was established, we intentionally shaped each element to be developmentally appropriate, relationally warm, and deeply engaging for kids.

For example, we don’t approach hymns the same way adults might on a Sunday morning. Instead, we teach them gradually (over eight or nine weeks) with simple motions or repeated phrases that help kids internalize both their melody and meaning. Our discussion time uses open-ended, concrete questions (and a giant rubber duck), and our catechism recitation includes music, games, and rewards. The structure may sound “old-school” in theory, but it’s kinetic and joyful in practice.

The takeaway isn’t that our structure is perfect or that you should copy it. The point is that we chose our structure intentionally. Not based on convention or convenience but on clarity.

So let me ask you:

• What is the vision of your ministry—the “why” that drives all you do?
• What do your kids need to know, practice, and experience to become mature disciples of Jesus?
• And what theological and developmental principles guide how you implement those elements?

When you answer those questions in that order—vision → content → method—you’ll find clarity. You’ll also gain confidence in knowing that your ministry is built on something deeper than vague assumptions or fleeting trends. It will stand on a thoughtful, measurable, and vision-driven strategy.

And in the end, that is what allows even “boring” elements to become beautiful, meaningful, and vibrant in the lives of the kids we shepherd.

Hunter Williams is the children's pastor of Ridgedale Baptist Church in Chattanooga, TN, and co-host of the Cross Formed KidMin podcast. He has served in various ministry roles, including chaplain, youth pastor, and missionary with Awana. He has written articles for numerous ministries such as INCM, The Gospel Coalition, and KidzMatter magazine, and is the coauthor of How to Teach Kids Theology. Hunter and his wife, Sammie, have four children and love serving in their local church.