I admit it. I am a game show fanatic. Always have been, always will be. I could possibly live with the Game Show Network being my one and only channel on my Directv. (If I were more spiritual, I’d throw in GodTV, Daystar, and TBN.) I can’t imagine life without Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud (the original with Richard Dawson), Hollywood Squares, Press Your Luck, Name that Tune, … I could go on and on.
Whether they know it or not, many children’s ministry leaders must be game show fanatics. Each week they are doing their own version of the classic game show, I’ve Got a Secret. Do you remember this show? In this game, one or more contestants would enter. After introducing the contestant, the host would ask them to “whisper your secret to me, and we’ll show it to the folks at home.” The contestant would then whisper their secret to the host while the audience and viewers were shown the secret via text overlay on the screen. Then the host would give the panel a clue, for example, “The secret concerns something that happened to [Contestant’s Name].” The host would then select a panelist to begin questioning. The panelists would then be allowed 15 seconds to ask questions of the contestant. After the questioning, the panelists would attempt to guess the contestant’s secret. Following the revelation of a guest’s secret, either by guessing or by the host’s revelation once the game was over, the host typically either interviewed the contestant about their secret, or, if applicable, the contestant did some kind of demonstration of their secret.
Are you leading one of those I’ve Got a Secret children’s ministries? In all probability, your children are full of questions. They have yet to hear you announce your true identity. When was the last time that your children heard you declare that you are a Holy Ghost person? Do they really know what your passion is and where you desire the ministry to be?
Let’s eliminate the I’ve Got a Secret mentality. Begin to continually, boldly declare who we are and what we are doing. Let’s make it known that we are a children’s ministry anointed, empowered, and led by the Holy Spirit … both in our services and when we walk through the front doors to return to our individual worlds. As the “secret” is revealed, your children and ministry will never ever be the same again!
