The Children’s Sermon: Now More than Ever
I’m blessed to be leading a church that is experiencing rapid growth among young families with children. Many churches, especially mainline denominational churches like mine, desperately want to experience growth in this area.
Here are four observations about this I’d like to share. First, there is room for everyone. That you see growth among one demographic in the church doesn’t mean that your church is no longer interested in people from the other demographics. I’ve heard people wonder, “with all of these kids, you must not care about older folks.” Of course, this isn’t true.
As your church grows your clergy and staff get stretched thin. Following up with new families (of any age) is one of the most important things that I do. A beautiful momentum in a church gets on the field when older members actively support this growth, or at least, have the discipline not to stand in the way of it. I suspect that there are classes and events at your church for people your age. Rather than despair at the attention your clergy are spending on younger folks, dig in to what your church is doing already, or, better yet, start something new!
It is crucial that a growing church feels welcoming and open. Many churches put out a metaphorical “No Vacancy” sign in the way that they interact with visitors and the closed off nature of leadership and service positions. Endeavor not to do that: view each new family as a gift from God to minister to and to receive ministry from.
Second, I want the children to know me. Every Sunday I invite them forward for a children’s sermon. I value the time I have with them, not just so that I can teach them, but so that they have face time with me each week. The first thing I do is ask them how their week was — thumbs up, to the side, or thumbs down. It is my way of letting them know that I care about them and how they are doing.
Church can be an intimidating place. This is true of adults and especially true for children. They are awakened, put in clothes they may not feel like wearing, and expected to sit in a strange place filled with people they don’t know and ordered not to wiggle. The children’s sermon is my way of helping them feel like church is their place — like they belong here and can be comfortable here. Hopefully, my “Father Mike” relationship with them will grow as they do and be something that points to their heavenly Father, who will never leave them or forsake them.
Third, church is important because the world is a broken place. Each generation believes this, but children are growing up in a different world than I did. They go to schools that — by law — have active shooter drills. I used to be terrified of the tornadoes and fires we prepared for. Imagine having to cower behind a desk behind blacked out windows because, you never know, your classroom might be a place where you’ll get shot to death.
I don’t think us grown-ups have reflected properly on the toll that this is taking on our children. We lament because so many children have anxiety and depression, but is it any wonder? Now that mass shootings happen at malls, offices, and even houses of worship, we are shocked. The children aren’t shocked though. Should I ever, God forbid, experience an active shooter, I’ll follow the young people to lead me and help me know what to do, because they’ve had years of training. The children at your church understand that we value guns more than their lives, that their score on a standardized test is more important than their mental fitness, and that, as their lives are overscheduled and filled with stress, their job is bear it.
This isn’t good my friends. Make your church a place of refuge for them. Share Jesus with them: who longs to take their burdens and give them peace. Accept them as they are, help them carry their load, and point them toward the God that loves them.
Finally, all these children have parents. I remember well what it was like to have young children. The speed of life kept getting faster and faster. I pray that St. Thomas will be a place that connects these parents together (we’ve added a young mother’s discipleship hour class and Family Nights Out this summer). I pray that we’ll be a place where relationships can be built between generations. Church is one the last and best places to make friends — where you can find support to get you through what is facing you in life.
Support your church’s efforts, give financially consistently and generously, and pray. There’s nothing to it but to do it! Pray for and volunteer to help in children’s ministry, Vacation Bible School, or whatever your church might be doing. Introduce yourself to someone you don’t know at church, young or old. Our vision at St. Thomas is: “to be an inclusive and kind church that learns and serves together.” May it come to pass, in our house and in yours.
