Pastors

Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. —Psalm 47:1

Every child deserves to know that he or she matters—to God for sure, and to at least one other person.

Many children's ministries answer that question with clear and relevant lessons, accompanied by creative Bible teaching.

This article focuses on a reliable tool to help children's ministries see their effectiveness.

The human hand performs many miraculous tasks.

I sent a simple survey to parents requesting that they let their sons and daughters complete the sentence "I thank God for …" Here's a sampling of what kids expressed thankfulness for, in their words.

I've coached my son's basketball teams for five seasons. Each Tuesday evening we hold a one-hour practice and each Saturday we play a 40-minute game.

Our children's ministry periodically offers a class for parents and kids to attend together called "The Big Step." This 90-minute event features a brief training session for parents, a salvation lesson, discussion time for kids and parents, and even a photo station to create a take-home piece to remember the evening.

Look close. Real close. The priceless reward for everyone in children's ministry is clear: watching children, one by one, take steps in their walks with Jesus.

I learned a lesson recently while driving to work. Light snow fell as I turned onto the church drive, my first meeting set to begin in less than a minute.