Four Things Senior Church Leaders Can Do To Support Children’s Ministry

The church has been, from the beginning, multi-generational. That has been my personal experience. I was baptized as an eleven-year-old child and nurtured in the faith during my teenage years. I was married in the church as a college student and began serving as a pastor while still a very young adult. My wife and I raised our kids in the church and now my oldest son and daughter-in-law are raising our grandson in the church.

The local church, gathered around Jesus, proclaimed in the Word and celebrated in the sacraments, isn’t an exclusive club for adults who happen to bring their kids along. No, the church belongs to all generations, especially the youngest among us, because Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children" (Luke 19:14, NLT).

The church as the embodiment of the kingdom of God on earth belongs to children, and these little ones are the church, just as much as adults are. As an adult discipleship pastor, my primary day-to-day role is working with adults, discipling adults, and caring for adults. But my heart has always been drawn to all generations in our church, particularly youth and children because of at least one verse in the Old Testament:

Joshua had led Israel in the footsteps of Moses. After Joshua died a generation of God’s people grew up who did not know the Lord. I still find this sad fact shocking! I don’t want it said of me, what was said of the post-Joshua generation. I don’t want to be a church leader who failed to pass on the faith to the next generation. I would consider it a pastoral failure to have spread the faith in my generation but neglected to cultivate Christian faith in the next generation.

Judges 2:10 looms large as a judge over my heart. It has prompted me to care about what happens in our children ministry and show active support. Here are four things you can do as a senior leader to take an active interest in children’s ministry and show your support.

1. Encourage those who serve in children’s ministry

Pastoral leaders have a number of tasks. The most important thing we do in a leadership capacity is collaboratively discern God’s direction for the church and keep the church on mission. But the second most important thing we do as pastor-leaders is nourish the flock and build teams through encouragement. This includes acknowledging the work of children’s ministry staff and volunteers and celebrating their service. We can ask about children’s ministry events or new initiatives and listen to staff and volunteers tell the stories of serving children. Taking the initiative to ask and then listen is the biggest part of encouragement.

2. Pray for the children of your church and those serving them

I regularly pray both privately and publicly for our children’s ministry. We have a weekly midweek prayer service on Wednesdays at noon and during the weeks leading up to VBS, or other children’s ministry events, I pray for God’s blessing and empowerment, so that kids encounter the love of God in Jesus Christ. Praying for others is one way we express our love and care for them.

3. Offer advice when asked

One of the important relational skills I have learned is the practice of reducing unsolicited advice. There are times when out of deep concern for people, I have approached them, uninvited, and offered wise advice. Most of the time my unsolicited advice was not well-received. With those who serve our children, I have learned to cultivate a relationship with them and then make myself available to share advice when asked, but if I am not asked, normally I remain silent. Often I am asked about giving theological reviews of curriculum which I’m always happy to do.

4. Volunteer!

I cannot do everything in the practice of children’s ministry, but I can do some things! There is nothing I can do to show my care for our children’s ministry more than signing up to serve children in some capacity. I remember the first time I told our children’s pastor that my wife and I wanted to sign up to be crew leaders for VBS one summer. He was shocked! He told me that my willingness to participate was the first time a pastor had ever asked to volunteer in children’s ministry. For years I served at VBS but retired in 2021. Recently I felt prompted to come out of retirement, in part, because I want our children’s ministry staff and volunteers to know how much I care.

Derek Vreeland is a pastor and author from St. Joseph, Missouri, where he lives with his wife, Jenni. He is a graduate of Missouri Western State University (B.A. English/Writing), Oral Roberts University (M.Div.), and Asbury Theological Seminary (D.Min.). He contributes to the writing collectives at Missio Alliance and his recent book Centering Jesus is a finalist for a 2024 ECPA Book Award in the area of ministry resources. Follow him on social media @derekvreeland.