Parents are called to pass on the faith to their children, but we can idolize and idealize the family in ways that become barriers to the gospel. Are the parents in your church community more tempted to have a drop-off mentality—entrusting church professionals with the primary responsibility for teaching their children? Or are they tempted to over-prioritize the family—thinking their personal values, practice of family discipleship, or educational choices will ensure their kids’ salvation and successful future? How do you avoid these dangers and adopt an biblically-grounded approach to children’s and family ministry that fits your context?

We show Jesus to kids through the way we practice hospitality. So, we must ask: Do our ministry environments have a kid-friendly and bright atmosphere? Do kids enjoy their time in your children’s ministry classes? Would they be eager to invite their lost friends? Are team members trained to engage new families with humility and warmth? And are children valued as part of the larger community? Are church leaders mindful of the next generation as they plan worship services and other events? Are there opportunities for children and youth to serve side-by-side with adults?

What is your vision for the parents in your ministry? In this session we will look at the many opportunities your church has to partner with parents in their journey to disciple their children. We will discuss what it looks like to have a ministry map that walks your parents through learning objectives, equipping events, milestones and how to equip the next generation for living as followers of Jesus out in the world.

 An estimated one in 5 households has a child with a disability. Many of these families miss out on church due to a lack of physical or social accommodations. And while ministry leaders want to help, they often don’t know how to with limited space, budget, and trained volunteers. This session will overview what it takes to create a welcoming, inclusive space that supports children with a variety of diagnoses. With practical examples, we’ll learn how to make our classrooms—and the gospel—accessible to all.

What do the kids in your class remember after you’ve taught a Bible lesson? Who do they identify with in the story? How do we keep Christ and his good news central in our teaching? Does your teaching dilute and water-down biblical content, or do you distill the truth so that it’s potent and powerful?

As Christian leaders, we have a redemptive mission. We want to see new spiritual life flourish as we proclaim Christ’s message of grace, reconciliation, and forgiveness. When we encounter abuse in the lives of children in our ministry, we want to do the right thing. But we (and our volunteers) don’t always have the tools we need to respond correctly. What policies and procedures are necessary (and legally required) for children’s ministry? What factors should inform a child protection policy? How do we go about putting one together?

As children’s ministers, there’s perhaps nothing that tests our faith in God’s provision quite like recruiting volunteers. Frankly, when you’ve been told, “No,” several times over the course of a day, it can be discouraging. How do we trust God and actively pursue volunteers? This session reviews six key steps—prepare, seek, screen, train, evaluate, and follow-up.

When teaching kids, there’s a lot to consider. You must consider making lessons age-appropriate, but you also must consider the fact that individual children learn in different ways. We must strive for faithfulness to the biblical message while adopting flexibility in our teaching methods. In this session, we will review the hook-book-look-took learning method, and how it affects most published children’s ministry curriculum. We’ll also consider how to include and adapt ministry environments for children with special needs.