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Children’s Ministry 2024-25

In late July, Jen and Jocelyn Dutcher, Rich Gallegos and I attended an evening of inspiration and learning for over 40 area Awana leaders in our area. Awana missionaries Tim and Cheryl Gille hosted this training titled “Seen – Being Aware of a Child’s Reality” in Madison, presenting on topics such as anxiety in our children, creating an environment for God’s kids, and engaging parents. While these are all important topics in reaching today’s children, the one I found most eye opening and thought provoking was titled “10 Scary Things Today’s Kids Think”. These 10 items are research based realities our children – the future leaders of the church – face. They are sobering and should be a wake up call not only to parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches, Awana leaders, and caregivers, but to us ALL.

A Lifeway publication called Flip the Script states that 99% of children coming to our churches have NO biblical worldview. Because of this, they are growing up with thought patterns that are very self centered, misunderstandings of what sin is and how it affects us, and what truth is, to name a few examples. This research is very alarming and discouraging. It also emphasizes how important the work we do at Awana, in our camps, at our youth group, on Saturday morning, and in our homes is.

Thankfully, we don’t do this work alone. The research is scary, but the God we serve is so much mightier than this. A couple of days after studying this material, God took me to Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed (emphasis added) by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” We need God to help us lead these children to break free from the ways of the world that surround them and BE TRANSFORMED by him! This gave me hope and reminded me of another conference I have attended a couple of times.

The Appleton Alliance Church has a robust and thriving children’s ministry. They developed a curriculum that is used by many churches and incorporates the 4 Rights into each lesson. I have always been intrigued by their intentionality in helping their children develop a biblical worldview. I dabbled in using the 4 Rights this summer with our Intermediate Campers and found it to be rather simple to tie into Bible teaching and so applicable beyond that lesson.

Based on these 2 learning experiences I have had and the timing with how God has woven them together, I have felt led to set using the 4 Rights in our teaching as a goal for us to explore in all Children’s Ministry programs for the 2024-25 year. I’d like to share these with you.

4 Rights

KNOW RIGHT

A scripture passage to study – So we can know God and experience His redemptive love through faith in Jesus Christ

THINK RIGHT

A scripture verse to meditate on during the week – So we can continually think about God and what is true, pure, lovely, and right

DO RIGHT

The challenge to live out God’s Word – So that we can respond to our Savior by following Him in our thoughts, words, and actions.

FEEL RIGHT

The result of applying the lesson and having a biblical worldview – So we can live a victorious, hope-filled life in Jesus.

These rights are like a flow chart. The first one leads to the next, to the next, to the next. Imagine if every child who passed through our doors left with a lens of the 4 RIGHTS to consider their world through. Those scary things like increased anxiety, self-centeredness, misunderstandings of sin and its effects and lack of truth would be tested and filtered through God’s view. And I believe we would see these scary trends reverse!

So would you join me in seeking God’s direction and help in leading our children, our children’s ministry workers, and our families in investigating the 4 Rights this coming year as we kick off our fall ministries? Our children, their salvation, their faith, the future of our church depend on leading children to live according to God’s way and according to his truth because HE is the only way. Join me in praying that we all will BE TRANSFORMED!

*If you are interested in reading more about the realities of our children today, I would encourage you to take a look at the book, Flip the Script – Disrupting Tradition for the Sake of the Next Generation.