Children's Ministry Network

"Daddy, I love Jesus"

My daughter shared this thought from her heart with me as we climbed out of the car tonight. This wasn't the first time she had told me she loved Jesus. Rachel, my 3 and a half year old daughter, like many other children has shown a remarkable sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. But tonight was different.

"I love Jesus too Rachel. I love him very much" I replied. "Do you know why we love Jesus?" I asked.

What she said next stunned me. I knew that she was learning about the Lord. I knew her time spent reading the Bible with me and her mother, her time spent with Miss Desiree and Miss Patti in her pre-school class at church was instilling a deep love for the Lord in her heart. But I never expected her to respond with such wisdom, clarity and certainty at the tender age of three.

"We love Jesus because He loves us. Jesus has loved us for a long time," Rachel answered with a smile on her face. Tears welled up in my eyes hearing this simple confession from my own daughter.

Rachel didn't know the chapter and verse that she was quoting. She didn't know that she was quoting I John 4:19 "We love because He first loved us." She didn't realize the truth of Psalm 139:13 that she was unwittingly referring to. She did know however that Jesus loved her. That He loved her VERY much and that He had loved Rachel from time long ago before she was even born.

Matthew 21:16: I have been a Children's Pastor for 6 years. I have known this verse to be true. I have seen it to be so in my own life and in the lives of the hundreds of children I have ministered to. But nothing hammered it home like hearing my daughter offer her heartfelt appreciation for Jesus.

Dad, Mom, Children's Ministers; your children have a deep capacity for understanding the things of the Lord. Even at the early age of three, they can understand some of the most fundamental truths of Scripture. God loves them. He has a plan and purpose for them. Don't short them the experience of learning the things of God, even if you think they couldn't possibly understand. Everyone, regardless of age, race, sex or station in life needs the love of our Savior. They need to know that Jesus loves them, that He died on the cross for their sins and that someday soon, those that love Him in return, will be with him in Heaven.

Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.

Pastor Andrew

Quite simply, Children's Ministry is ministering to children. Shocking isn't it! Ministering to children means to partner with parents in meeting the spiritual needs of the young ones under your care in your congregation. There are many ways to accomplish this, but the goal should always be helping young ones to grow up in the wisdom and knowledge of God, much like Jesus did when he was young. To teach the ways of the Lord and to help them come to the realization that they too have a need for the Savior.

I was raised in a wonderful Christian home and I grew up primarily in the Assemblies of God church. Since attending bible college at Christ For the Nations Institute, I have been involved in Charismatic/Evangelical non-denominational churches. I graduated from Southwestern Assemblies of God University in 2006. I have been a Children's Pastor since 2002 and am currently serving at HighRidge Church in Fort Worth, Texas.

Group Publishing Children's Ministry
A website from Group Publishing with a variety of resource materials.

Sermons 4 Kids.
A website with a multitude of free sermons, object lessons, and lesson plans for kids.

Kidology
Object Lessons, creative ideas, encouragement, games, puppet scripts, practical articles, helpful resources, and stories.

Lifeway
Online articles, free downloads, information on VBS, Sunday School and Summer Camp.

Kidbuilder
This is a Christian website for kids! Ever wondered if there was a safe, Christian website out there that your kids would actually like? Well here it is! Kidbuilder features games, puzzles, quizzes and more! All from a Christian perspective designed for your kids to learn Bible truth in a fun way.