Each year we take so much time planning our Easter services to make sure we are sharing the right message, singing the right songs, and watching the right videos. We see kids making commitments to Jesus for the very first time and know that every minute of our Easter planning was worth it! But what now? What are your next steps? What do the next weeks and months entail in how you handle new believers that have made the biggest step of their lives?
Here are three things that you should be doing in your kids ministry to make sure your kids build a solid foundation from the start.
Teach them about their New Life
From the very start they need to know that they are a child of Christ and belong to God. The old ways of living are now in the past because they have been made new in Christ and their identity is no longer in the world, but in Him. Teach them how this practically plays out in every day life, in their home, in their school, and even in Church.
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! – 2 Corinthians 5:17
Equip The Child
Give them the tools they need to have a solid foundation in Christ. That is simply teaching them how to pray, how to worship, and how to read their Bible. Oh wait! They may not have a Bible! If their parents can’t afford a Bible, it will be the best investment your kids ministry can make in one child’s life. Giving your kids simple reading plan like a Proverb a day or a weekly memory verse are great ways to get your kids engaged every day in reading the word.
Equip The Parent
One of my favorite parts as a Kids Pastor is to tell parents that their son or daughter made a HUGE commitment to Jesus that day. This allows the parent to ask questions and discuss their child’s decision together as a family and help open up the door for the parent to have a big win in spiritual leadership! In fact, this not only gives the parent a chance to start something new with their child, encouraging them in God, helping them read their Bible and praying, but can even rekindle the parent’s fire for God as well.
As leaders in Kids Ministry, we have an opportunity to shape and mold kids lives once a week and create something that impacts them for 6 more days until you see them again. Give the kids and the parents ways to engage during the week, even if it’s something simple like one memory verse. You’ll see growth, not only out of your kids, but also from their parents as well!
