We’ve come a long way from the days when Vickie and I first started in children’s ministry back in the late 1970’s. Over the last almost 40 years, we’ve replaced the left-over Sunday school Bible story visual aids with incredible television-quality video stories, our old upright piano has been replaced with either full praise and worship bands or unbelievable DVDs, lackluster rooms have disappeared and are now replaced with rooms showcasing a Walt Disney-quality ambiance, and, for the most part, highly trained volunteers now fill the rolls once occupied by the whosoever-will-come-fill-a-spot teachers. In many cases, there are now adequate finances to equip the children’s ministries that once survived on whatever could be purchased from a thrift store. Today, we’ve got the polish and pizzazz. Again, we’ve come a long way.
Let me share an observation from one of the aged pioneers (that’s me) about a concern about today’s children’s ministry. Among all of today’s incredible and often high-dollar bells and whistles, we’ve lost a ministry tool often used by those who pioneered children’s ministry, the art of simply telling your story. I love the drama enactments seen on today’s videos. To this day, I continue to search for attention-getting object lessons. But still, nothing cements the message in our children’s heart more than you telling how the lesson being taught walked off of the pages of the Bible and personally impacted your life. In the olden days, we called this a testimony. It’s great that you taught that the woman with the issue of blood touched Jesus’ garment and was healed. I’m sure that your gospel illusion and/or object lesson reinforcing the “by His stripes we are healed” scripture verse amazed the children. But, nothing drives the point home and opens the altars for application more than a personal story about the same Jesus that healed the lady some 2,000 years ago walked into your bedroom and healed your aching, fevered body a few weeks ago. Your personal story turns the Bible from being a history book into a your story book. It shows that Jesus is truly the same yesterday, today, and forever. And, the impact made in your personal life can happen in their life too.
Tell me what you think about this observation … [email protected].
I still tell testimonies and miracles that happen it is what truly draws in the children and let’s them see Jesus is real and alive.