SermonIndex Audio Sermons
SermonIndex - Promoting Revival to this Generation
Give To SermonIndex
Discussion Forum : General Topics : Children's Ministry

Print Thread (PDF)

Goto page ( 1 | 2 Next Page )
PosterThread
avran
Member



Joined: 2009/2/7
Posts: 2


 Children's Ministry

Any thoughts on children's ministries? Anybody involved in any form, sunday school, etc. What do you do, are you accomplishing what you set out to do?
I have been thinking about it, and would appreciate any comments.

 2009/2/7 12:35Profile









 Re: Children's Ministry

Personally we (my wife and I) avoid most Sunday Schools and youth groups. It would take too long to explain why... but if interested I would recommend Paul Washers message "Ten Indictments" available here on SI.

Most denominations spend millions of dollars each year on Sunday School materials and training (which is not once commanded in scripture)... and dont spend one penny on teaching Fathers to teach their children (which is commanded over and over again in scripture).

Krispy

PS: Thats not to say there are no good Sunday Schools. I'm sure there are a handful of them in America.

 2009/2/7 13:41
Lysa
Member



Joined: 2008/10/25
Posts: 3699
East TN for now!

 Re: Children's Ministry

Quote:
avran wrote:
Any thoughts on children's ministries? Anybody involved in any form, sunday school, etc. What do you do, are you accomplishing what you set out to do?
I have been thinking about it, and would appreciate any comments.


I was raised with a Sunday school and stayed in church, sure I made noise. I was an ADHD kid but I tell you what, I knew things when I got older that I should have not known and I truly believe I learned it through the process of osmosis, playing and listening; even sleeping and listening.

I never took my sons to children's church. I went to a new church once when my oldest son was about 13 months and I was met at the door with someone telling me where to place my child. Before I sat down I had at least 3 MORE people tell me about children's church and each time, children's church was more and more wonderful! Finally, a man come down to my pew to tell me that if he made any noise, I would have to take him out. I realize there are rude people in this world but I thought that was rudER!

I grew up with a wonderful preacher who told the church, "So what if you child makes noise, let me tell you that you make MORE noise trying to quiet them. Leave them alone." I have never found another church where the pastor felt that way. [edit: That pastor believed that if the Holy Spirit could touch the parents and minister to them, the children should be present too to be touched as well!]

When I've talked to pastors about my feelings and they have said, "If we don't have a children's church, the mothers will take them to a church that does."

We hide the kids away and then we wonder why our children have grown up and know nothing about God. [Ha! That's my rant for the day!]


_________________
Lisa

 2009/2/7 18:50Profile
HeartSong
Member



Joined: 2006/9/13
Posts: 3179


 Re:

In the sermons by Alan Martin, here on SermonIndex, you can hear a baby in the background - many times the child cries out at just the right time, so as to emphasize a point.

:-)


Also there was someone, I think it was Denny Kenaston, that talked of playing audio tapes of the Bible while his children rested and played. The Lord made the children to absorb everything that they are exposed to - both good and evil - better that we know exactly what it is that they are being exposed to.

 2009/2/7 20:58Profile
TomfromOZ
Member



Joined: 2008/12/18
Posts: 49
Hunter Valley, Australia

 Re: Children's Ministry

Hi avran

I too would be interested in good resources for my kids.
I have heard from others here that John Piper's ministry has quality God centred resources for children - DesiringGod website. I had a quick look once, the meterial is not cheap and I didnt get a chance to look at the actual meterial.

In Christ

tom

 2009/2/7 21:56Profile
RobertW
Member



Joined: 2004/2/12
Posts: 4636
St. Joseph, Missouri

 Re:

Quote:
In the sermons by Alan Martin, here on SermonIndex, you can hear a baby in the background - many times the child cries out at just the right time, so as to emphasize a point.



That is wonderful.

I think also it is important to know that many children come to church as a result of faithful workers in children's outreach ministry. Children are brought to Sunday School that have no other source of spiritual direction.

But this type of ministry is costly and time consuming. It is becoming less and less popular in our circles. At one time we picked up about 60 children a week or more that there parents were in sin. Instilling in the children the word of
God at a young age is very important.


_________________
Robert Wurtz II

 2009/2/7 22:42Profile
Lysa
Member



Joined: 2008/10/25
Posts: 3699
East TN for now!

 Re: Children's Ministry

Quote:
avran wrote:
Any thoughts on children's ministries? Anybody involved in any form, sunday school, etc. What do you do, are you accomplishing what you set out to do?
I have been thinking about it, and would appreciate any comments.


Avran,

I'm so sorry about my previous answer. I don't know what I thought you asked! My only excuse is that I've been in the middle of writing a paper for school all day - warped my brain!

When I went to Sunday school, I loved it. I never let my boys go to children's church but I sure would have taken them to Sunday school if I could have found a church that still had it!

I hope you find some good material. What ages do you need material for? Here are some links I ran across, I don't know how good they are:

[url=http://biblekidsfunzone.com/]Bible Kids Fun Zone[/url]
[url=http://www.daniellesplace.com/HTML/bible_lessons.html]Danielle's Place[/url]
[url=http://www.clclutheran.org/godshand.htm]God's Hand in Our Lives[/url]


_________________
Lisa

 2009/2/7 23:19Profile
ccchhhrrriiisss
Member



Joined: 2003/11/23
Posts: 4779


 Re: Children's Ministry

Hi Avran...

Bill Wilson is the pastor of one of the most impacting children's ministries that I have ever seen. He is pastor and a bus driver for Metro Ministries in the Bushwyk section of Brooklyn, NYC. Each week, the church reaches out to over 20,000 children in some of the roughest areas of NYC ghettos.

In the early 1990s, the Saturday and Sunday schools had reached full capacity in their former-brewery turned church sanctuary. Since Pastor Bill could no longer bring any more children to the church facility, he began taking the Sunday school to the children. He began what is called the "sidewalk Sunday school."

If you have the opportunity, read [i]Whose Child is This?[/i] The book is the autobiography of Pastor Bill Wilson. It is one of my favorite inspirational books...ranking up there with [i]The Cross and the Switchblade[/i]. In addition, Bill Wilson is a gifted teacher...and I wish that we could get some of his sermons here on SI.

I will be praying for you, brother.

:-)


_________________
Christopher

 2009/2/8 2:24Profile
simonb
Member



Joined: 2006/6/7
Posts: 17
Estonia

 Re:

Bill wilson's stuff is very good.
We dont use it ourselves because its to expensive to buy.
But we run a kids klub using the same format but create our own material.
It is a fantastic way of doing kids klub, particulary for the unchurched.
We now have youth who came from completely non-christian backgrounds who went through kids klub, are now the helpers in kids klub and are involved in our church as well!


_________________
Simon Brereton

 2009/2/8 5:35Profile
adamdawkins
Member



Joined: 2006/11/13
Posts: 140


 Re: Children's Ministry

At my church, the children's ministry seems to be finally getting somewhere. I was very much against children's church originally, especially when it seemed to be just for the purpose of getting them 'out of the way' so that the service can stay nice and quiet! (I see a lot of you have experienced this).

Now our children's ministry is different I think, or at least it's getting there. The age group leaders have a heart for the kids, at the moment their heart (which they believe is from the Lord) is that the children would value and trust in prayer. One of the leaders had a vision of the whole group sitting together and praying, and that has driven the material that is taught.

We're fortunate to have so many people involved in actual school teaching to some degree, so to an extent our leaders can provide their own material. How we're trying to do it now is that the zone leaders set out a rough syllabus based on the vision the Lord has given them and ask each teacher to spend time with the Lord and let the Holy Spirit form the material for the lesson.

In THIS context I think children's church is a very good thing because children DO learn differently to adults (that's not to say that they CAN'T learn from sermons, but to say they may prefer to learn differently). My belief is that children's church teachers should approach their lessons in the same way that the preacher prepares for pulpit. Sure there might be some more practical things to consider, colouring in, models, things to take home etc. But ultimately the Holy Spirit is still the one who should teach us about these things.

This term we've really started to see a leap forward in implementing this, but we have been met with the some resistance from teachers who would rather teach the 'next lesson in the book' than ask the Lord. We'll get there though, God willing.

I hope that helps.

 2009/2/8 9:22Profile





©2002-2024 SermonIndex.net
Promoting Revival to this Generation.
Privacy Policy