Children’s ministry allows the church to pass on its faith. It helps ensure that the Gospel is taught and understood at every developmental stage.

It increases the amount of time kids get into the Bible. Many Sunday school publishers charge lessons according to a scope and sequence that provides systematic Bible instruction.

Ease of Use

As you work to grow a healthy church with committed members devoted to taking the Gospel to the world, one thing that may need a little tweaking is your children’s ministry curriculum. This could be as simple as evaluating the needs, interests, and knowledge levels of your children’s department staff and kids.

Then, if there are specific topics you want kids to know about, like the fruit of the Spirit or the Parables of Jesus, you can ensure those lessons are taught. It also helps to establish a scope and sequence for the entire year so that you know what topics, Scriptures, Bible points, and more are covered throughout the lessons.

Most curricula stick to primary doctrine or the basic teachings common to most Christian denominations. Consequently, these curricula often lack an entire Gospel (Pentecostal) perspective to appeal to a broad audience. While children’s ministry leaders often intend to augment these lessons with a complete Gospel perspective, it takes time and resources not all ministries can access.

Fortunately, some companies have created a children’s ministry curriculum that offers a complete, total Gospel solution. This type of curriculum is designed to give your entire teaching team unlimited access to all lessons for a year through an easy-to-navigate app. Your teachers can avoid cross-referencing unit overviews and weekly classes, wading through various files and formats, or hunting down handouts.

Variety

There are many different children’s ministry curriculum options available. Finding one that fits your church’s and its children’s unique needs is essential. Some options are based on age; others offer more advanced Bible lessons, group discussions, and hands-on activities. Some options even include resources for families to continue their Christian education at home.

The variety of children’s ministry curricula allows churches to reach kids at every age and stage. Many curricula integrate four learning strategies: visual, auditory, reading, and kinesthetic. This approach helps to accommodate all learning styles and allows churches to teach the same lesson in multiple formats, making it easier to serve children with special needs.

Children’s ministry also allows churches to develop meaningful relationships with kids. This creates an excellent environment for church growth, encouraging kids to bring their friends to church. It also helps to strengthen family units and encourages godly parenting.

Having children present also reminds the congregation that everyone was made in God’s image. The creativity and innocence of children inspire us to be faithful in our lives. They also provide hope for the future. Few things are more encouraging than seeing the next generation of believers grow in their faith and love for Jesus. For these reasons, a well-planned children’s ministry is vital for any church.

Flexibility

Many children’s ministry programs offer different options for infants to elementary-aged kids. This flexibility allows you to select the program that best suits your church’s unique needs and challenges. Additionally, most learners have primary and secondary optimal learning tendencies that benefit from learning concepts in multiple ways. Considering this when selecting a curriculum will provide reinforcement and promote conceptual growth over time.

In addition to teaching bible stories and vital fables, children’s church teaches practical life lessons, such as navigating the stricter days of life. This can significantly impact how a child will handle stressful situations and encourage them to continue attending church for help and guidance.

Another essential benefit of kids ministry is that it introduces children to people from all walks of life. This teaches kids how to respect people from different backgrounds and cultures. This is a critical skill that they will need throughout their lives.

Lastly, kids’ ministries can help churches keep their focus on Jesus. They can be a quick way to test whether or not your church is at risk of what Jared Kennedy describes as “trusting hard work or the glitz and glamour of attraction programming instead of trusting Christ and his gospel.” You can use his matrix of hospitality, teaching, disciplining, and mission to guide your children’s ministry to remain gospel-centered.

Time-Saving

Using a children’s ministry curriculum saves the leader time in lesson preparation and planning. This can free up the leadership to recruit and train volunteers in their new roles. It also helps ministry leaders develop more effective teaching skills.

The curriculum provides a framework for systematic Bible instruction. It sets the tone for what kids will learn and offers consistency in lessons, topics, and content over one year. It also sets up a framework for parents to reinforce what their kids learn in church.

It allows children to make friends in the church and encourages families to attend church because their kids are involved. Children’s ministries also help kids learn to share their faith with peers naturally.

Choosing the right curriculum is critical to the success of your children’s ministry. It should be based on your church’s needs, goals, and unique culture. It should also allow you to focus on what matters most—caring for souls. You must get direct input and feedback from your immediate team, other ministry leaders, parents, and kids. When the whole team is in a room together, they can offer different perspectives to help you find surprising solutions. For example, suppose kids complain that their classes don’t have enough crafts or games. In that case, you may be able to find a solution by inviting more volunteers or including more interactive activities.