Friend or Foe? How’s It Going With The Children’s Ministry?

We’re in the midst of another Vacation Bible School and I can’t believe how far I’ve come. I used to loathe the week because I felt it was a distraction from more important things like youth ministry. Sadly, I was missing this important opportunity. Vacation Bible School is an opportunity to get your teens involved and invest in the future families who will eventually be a part of your ministry. (For more on my Vacation Bible School read this post HERE)

It’s easy for us in youth ministry to develop a sour taste in our mouth when it comes to Children’s Ministry. And that’s because of the tension that develops when the two compete over space, resources, volunteers and methodologies. But, if you want your youth ministry (or your children’s ministry) to thrive you need to make sure you get on the same page by:

COLLABORATING ON SPIRITUAL HABITS

If you oversee programming for younger kids you need to know what success looks like. What type of disciple are you going to pass on to the youth minister?

You also need to know what you would love the youth minister to do in order to keep up the amazing work you are doing. At the same time youth ministers need to share with the children’s minister what type of disciple they are hoping to form.

Work together to create a common vision by knowing what habits you want the next generation to form. By naming those habits you can then collaborate on a strategy the bridges the transition that occurs between elementary, middle and high school.

(Want to develop a vision for your teens? Check out the Who’s That Teenager Resource In the MYM Toolbox HERE)

CREATE A COMMON LANGUAGE WITH FAMILIES

It never looks good if the youth minister and children’s minister are not on the same page. If families sense opposition they won’t get involved because no one likes being caught in the middle.

Sadly, the opposition that families sometimes perceive isn’t intentional. It’s because how the children’s ministry communicates to families is different than the youth ministry.

While children and youth ministry are different there are opportunities to show unity by:

• Creating a family ministry newsletter or Facebook Page
• Planning workshops on educating and strengthening parents
• Showing up at each other’s events and offering moral or physical support

The more intentional you are about collaborating the more the unity will show. People will be attracted to both your ministries because they’ll want to be a part of a winning team.

ACTUALLY GROWING TOGETHER

You don’t have to be best friends with the other person, but you do need to get along. Attend conferences and workshops together. Find ways of encouraging each other to grow.

Invest in your coworker because your ministry will not only be healthier, but it will be more enjoyable. You won’t feel as lonely in ministry anymore because you’ll find what they are facing is similar to you. You’ll discover that you aren’t the only one who cares about the next generation.

What are some ways that the children’s and youth ministry work well in your church?

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