You are a leader. You may not feel equipped. And You may not feel good enough. Or you may not feel like you know enough. But the good news is that God has given you this position.
Whatever your leadership role is, it is not an accident. You are the right person for this role at this time. God has entrusted you with this responsibility, and you’ve got this.
In your role, you provide the supplies, you support, and—perhaps most importantly—you serve.
Volunteers
When we invite people to volunteer in ministry, we are inviting them to use their God-given gifts and talents to serve Him. We are opening a door of opportunity for them to live out a piece of their calling.
Show You Care
Children’s ministry volunteers freely share their time, love, and talents in a variety of unique ways to serve, nourish, and bless the next generation of the Church.
So, make sure they feel loved and appreciated! There is an abundance of ways to show your volunteers that you care including purchased gifts, handmade gifts, gift cards, tasty treats, a phone call, or simply a text. You undoubtedly have a lot of ideas for ways to appreciate your team. Make sure you take the time to use them!
Prayer
One way to serve your team is to pray for them. I encourage you to list out the name of each volunteer—no matter how big or small of a role they play—and take time each day to pray for at least one of them. Ask them how you can pray for them and let them know they are on your mind. Prayer matters.
Share a Blessing
Another favorite thing of mine is a blessing. We often think of blessings as being for children or a whole congregation. There is nothing that says you can’t place your hand on the shoulder of a volunteer and bless them. Here’s an example of what you might say, May the God who knows you, loves you, and leads you fill you with His incredible wonder.
Serving Together
We’ve established that volunteers serve kids and families, and you serve the volunteers. Now, think about how you all can serve together! Plan team events at local charities where you can serve alongside each other for the greater community. Not only will you bond with each other, but your faith will also deepen and you will lead by a wonderful example of being a wonder-filled reflection of God to the world.
The Children in Your Program
Yes, you absolutely serve the children in your program. You provide education and events to grow their hearts and their relationship with God. How can you go deeper?
The faith of a child is special.
There is a reason Jesus uses the faith of a child as His example of admirable faith over that of an adult or even the religious experts surrounding Him. Children can experience the wonder of God in a unique way.
As kids develop, their ability to interact with God also grows and changes. At each stage of childhood, our churches can meet kids where they are and help them discover that they are known, loved, and led by God.
We can inspire kids at each age level by the way we teach them God’s Word, encourage them to seek Him on their own, and equip them to declare His wonder to the rest of the world.
If you provide experiences of service and lead by example, the kids in your program will absorb it all. Growing up, my parents served in our church and our greater community. They brought me along as a child, and I witnessed firsthand what it meant to be involved and to serve others. They laid the groundwork for a life of service that I would choose to lead as well.
As a ministry leader, you have the ability to lay this same groundwork for the children and the families you serve. What a gift that is! Thank you for filling this role that God has equipped you for. God knows you, and you are appreciated!
Families
When we lean into the fact that God is a relational God who knows His people and delights in them, ministry becomes so much more than something we administer. It becomes a reflection of our relationship with God and His relationship with families.
Families are an integral piece of a child’s faith development. What if we trained families to look for opportunities in each bit of everyday life to point kids toward the wonder of who God is and what He has done?
During nature walks, families can identify unique things God made. While reading books or watching movies, parents can watch for opportunities to talk about God. Parents can read Bible stories with their families and help kids learn early on that God created them for a purpose.
Additional ways to serve the families in your church community include prayer for the entire family unit, updating families with regular emails, using a texting system to keep families informed, and sharing blessings and encouragement with them. Try to think outside the box and go deeper in assessing families’ needs in your community.
If applicable, provide a variety of resources based on needs that might include food, clothing, or medical support. Let the families you serve know that when they join God’s amazing story, their story changes. They are known, loved, and led by their Creator.
When we lean into the fact that God is a relational God who knows His people and delights in them, ministry becomes so much more than something we administer.
A Blessing
I think it’s safe to say God is good. He created each one of us with unique and incredible possibility. Every leader, volunteer, child, and parent was created by God with a purpose in mind.
May you know that God’s purpose for you is overflowing with love. Your work matters deeply and is known and appreciated. May the love of Jesus flow into all that you do as you resource, support, and serve your community. May you, as a leader, feel strongly led by the Holy Spirit as you are encouraged and empowered. And may your life and work tell of the awesome wonder of God.
