If Your Church Is Only Reaching Children and Teens, Then It’s Missing Out 

It is common in ministry to hear people’s testimonies. God gives His people stories so that they can share the impact that He has made on their lives with others. The testimonies He gives us are amazing and because they are His, they have the ability to impact and change lives for Him. 

Many began their relationship with Christ at a young age or, through their children attending church, came to know Christ. Let’s get real, we all know at least one person with that story of redemption. 

If reaching children through your bus ministry, VBS or other outreach programs, Wednesday night teen meetings, children’s choir or Bible Challenge class is all that your children’s ministry or student ministry is trying to accomplish, then your ministry area and your church is missing out on one of the greatest blessings. Here’s why children’s and student ministries are so much more than reaching children and teens. 

The Bible says so  

In Acts 16 we see this so clearly in the account of Paul and Silas in prison and the salvation of the jailer, who was keeping guard over, them the value of not just children’s ministry but family ministry. 

When the earthquake occurred and all of the prisoners’ chains were released, the jailer thought his life was over. If the prisoners he was looking after escaped, he would be killed. Instead of waiting for whatever cruel death was in front of him, the jailer tried to take his life. However, Paul stopped the jailer to let him know that all of the prisoners were still there and that no harm should come to him.

It was in that moment of relief that the jailer asked what he must do to be saved. Paul and Silas explain salvation simply. “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Acts 16:31  Notice how Paul didn’t just say that the jailer would be saved but that his household would be too. This is not saying that a father’s salvation is for the whole family. However, it is saying that as the spiritual leader of the home, when a dad gets saved and begins to lead his family, then the rest of the family follows.

Statics show that parents have the most impact over their children’s spiritual development and that more children come to know Christ when their dad is saved. God designed dads to lead the family to Him. That’s what Paul and Silas were talking about. 

It’s a matter of influence 

Children’s ministry and student ministry are not just family ministry from an evangelism perspective. Children’s ministry and student ministry are family ministry from a discipleship perspective as well.  As we have already discussed, parents have the greatest influence over their children but often don’t know what to do with it. That’s when as children and student ministry workers, we get to train, equip and serve families by equipping them with tools to continue the spiritual work begun at church, at home.

From Bogard Press we have our SPLASH Home Cards with our SPLASH Children’s church material which can provide a family with a great and easy bedtime or family devotionals. With our VBS materials, we have the take home token given out with each session which are a great discussion starter for parents and students. SPLAT Tell Cards encourage a culture of evangelism in your children’s ministry but also in the homes of your students as they are challenged with their families to tell others about Jesus. The High School Journal encourages students to continue their Bible study at home. This could easily become a family activity as well as a personal discipline for teens. 

Many other Bogard products have the potential to the same things depending on how you look at your church’s children and student ministries.  

So are you going to take the opportunity in front of you and view your children’s ministry as more than just kids? As more than just students attending Bible study on a Wednesday night? Are you going to take the time and ministry equity that you have to make a greater impact for the kingdom? The choice is yours. I suggest you take it.  

For more information about SPLAT and SPLASH and how they can help you reach families, visit our SPLAT and SPLASH pages.