A briefing paper produced for the Sunday School teachers. If my memory serves me well Stephanie Carmichael’s book ‘Their God is So Big’ was a massive help.

13 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, 14 but Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." 15 And he laid his hands on them and went away. Matthew 19:13&14

Jesus’ attitude to those who overlook the spiritual instruction of children is clear. He rebuked his disciples when they made the mistake of regarding children’s ministry as relatively unimportant. I’m determined that we won’t repeat the error at CCB. In principal whilst it’s clearly wrong to undervalue children’s ministry it’s also pragmatically foolish. At the dinner last Sunday we clarified from Matthew 28 that the aim of CCB is ‘to make disciples of all nations’. We’ve developed a five-fold strategy to achieve that aim. The first two elements are building the church and seeking the lost. It’s under these headings that I want to consider the contribution of Christ Church Kids.

All Age Church is attempting to reach the Balham area for Christ and an essential part of our appeal is Christ Church Kids. Many of those we aim to reach won’t know that yet but our hope is to persuade them to come along and give them such a good time so that they’ll never want to leave!

You’ll know that I’m cultivating a good relationship with a local school so that in partnership with them I’m welcomed, invited to run regular assemblies and asked to help with the teaching of RE. In principal the Head Teacher has given me the go ahead to run a Kids’ Club in the Summer Half Term. My hope is that not only will CC Kids attend but that having built up a favourable reputation and a good rapport kids from the school will want to come. At the end of the holiday club we’ll have a Sunday Meeting at which the kids will perform and make presentations. Although the Holiday Club is some time away we start building our reputation from here. Our kids are the best advert, followed secondly by their parents.

Under God we’re attempting to grow an all age congregation at CCB and it’s ridiculous to think that parents will want to join us if their children are not well looked after. Our children’s ministry is therefore a significant part of promoting the gospel. To be appointed with responsibility for instructing children is therefore to be asked to fulfil an important role. This short article is an attempt to explain the responsibility placed upon those we commission with the task of leading Christ Church Kids (CCK). In summary being a CCK teacher must involve the following five things

1. We must seek God’s approval

Whilst the admiration of the children in our groups, the appreciation of grateful parents and the respect from our peers is very enjoyable we’re not involved in children’s ministry for those reasons. Look at 1 Thessalonians 2:1-6

2:1 For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. 3 For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ.

In his first letter to the Thessalonians Paul had to defend his motives for ministry against the accusations of those who thought that he was motivated by selfish gain. He repeatedly maintained that what mattered most to him was pleasing God. After all it was God who witnessed his every move and would ultimately test the sincerity of his heart. Therefore when we sit down on a Thursday night to study the passage and on a Saturday morning to prepare the craft activity what will matter most is that the Lord sees what we’re doing. One day He’ll reward us for our labours. We may face unfair pressure, distrust or even criticism from other leaders, church leaders and parents but isn’t it great to know that our efforts in children’s ministry don’t go unnoticed by the one spectator whose assessment really matters. But of course, it also means that we must carry out this ministry in such a way that he would approve of.

2. We must model the Christian Life

Whilst the job specification for most children’s ministry workers requires applicants to offer musical, theatrical, oratorical, educational and motivational gifts in reality it’s much more demanding! The Lord requires those whom are appointed as teachers to be godly. Consider these words from Paul to the young Bible teacher Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:1-13

3:1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. 8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

We’re to set an example of what it means to follow the Lord Jesus. Whilst this doesn’t mean that we’ll need to reach sinless perfection before we ever instruct others it does mean that we need to be making progress in submitting every aspect of life to the rule of Jesus Christ. As we attempt to do so we’ll be living examples to the children of what it means to love and serve Christ. They’ll learn loads from how we live the Christian life and whilst they might perhaps forget in years to come what our interpretation of 1 Peter 3 was they’ll never forget the kind of people that we were. Kids are also great imitators and so God has given us an opportunity to introduce them to the most wonderfully liberating way of life and put in place patterns of behaviour in their early years that will save them from reckless living further down the track. Therefore those of us who don’t fit the unhelpful caricature of the Blue Peter presenter required by some churches that advertise for children’s workers shouldn’t be at all disheartened. Godliness is more important than guitar playing, holiness than horseplay and Christ-likeness than creativity. But being a Sunday school teacher is not only demonstrating a way of life it also means

3. We must explain the Word of God

Whilst the ability to produce the animals of the Bible using your extensive knowledge of origami might be enough to hold the rapt attention of a group of 5 year olds it doesn’t really have any lasting value. The work that lasts is the primary task of helping our children understand the message of the Bible. The Bible is the sword that the Spirit of God wields to impart new life, to produce repentance and faith and to help us persevere in lives of obedient service to Christ. We need our children’s ministers to be unashamedly people who want to teach the Bible to children. This was Paul’s great priority in his instructions to Titus. Look at Titus 1:5-9

5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. 

The great challenge facing the Sunday school teacher is one that the preacher rarely has to face. It’s how to take a faithful understanding of the text and help children of different intellectual capacities understand what it means. But few preachers are faced with such appetite for knowledge, enthusiasm for the Bible or willingness to believe what’s taught. Therefore the really demanding aspect of children’s ministry may not be the time handling the discipline problems that may arise in class on a Sunday morning. It may well be pouring over a bible text, trying to understand what it means and how to simplify it for a 3-year-old with the attention span of the average goldfish. But children’s ministry is not limited to text work it also means

4. We must pray for the kids

Whilst the evidence of our preparation will become evident in the classroom and also in the craft item that’s proudly carried home there is some preparatory work that will never be seen. Children’s ministry like all teaching ministries carries a responsibility to explain the scriptures and pray. It’s the Lord who will prosper our study of His word, who will grant understanding to the children and who will produce repentance and faith in their lives. Praying for the individual children in our care is an easy thing to overlook but it’s so significant. It’s ridiculous to think that God will bless our efforts to teach the Bible to children if we’re not prepared to ask for his help. It was this ministry that characterised Paul’s oversight of the congregations he served and is particularly evident in the reports he sent to the Thessalonian church in his first letter. Look at 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— 7 for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. 9 For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith? 11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Therefore those of us who don’t feel that we’re hugely skilled at understanding the Bible shouldn’t feel that we have nothing to offer. That we pray for the children’s ministry may prove to be more significant in the end than the brilliance of our lessons.

5. We must care for Individuals

Whilst there is rightly great importance placed upon faithful explanation of the Bible passage, the preparation of the craft activity and the managing of the classroom environment it’s possible to forget that we’re teaching children. We might become so professional in our approach that we forget that it’s the individuals sat in front of us with their struggles, their anxieties and their issues that we’re trying to pastor. Paul laboured in ministry, both in public and in private, so that no one was excluded from hearing profitable teaching and so that all could attain the maturity he worked for. Look at Colossians 1:24-28

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

We rightly prioritise personal care in our adult small groups and there’s no reason why our children should be cared for with less diligence. Of course, this remains the primary responsibility of the parents but we’ve entered into partnership with them and in consultation with parents we ought to prioritise this personal work. Therefore we ought not to overlook the opportunities to express our concern for our children. Every child will be thrilled if we remember their birthday or significant events, visit their home and send them postcards from holiday and these small tokens of personal care will be genuine testimony of our love for them. The effect of articles such as these is often to produce an overwhelming feeling of inadequacy. That’s not been the intention of the article. We’re all work in progress and some of us will be better at some of this than others. The purpose of this article has been to flag up those things that are indispensable to authentic Christian Children’s Ministry so that we know what to pursue, how to apportion our time and how to assess what we’re doing. If we’re able to produce these in the years to come our children will be well served, our parents content and the Lord pleased and we can rest knowing that we’ve been part of a job well done.