one of the things i learned at a conference early in ministry, is the children i minister to are a reach up generation. i believe the same is true for this next generation of “digital natives.” the children that make up these generations demand more, desire deeper, and seek harder than is typically true of previous generations.
those two words, reach up, have always been present in my mind as i pick curriculum, prepare material and choose topics for special events. children are being overloaded with heavy, false information from the world. am i then delivering deep, solid promises and truths from God’s Word to their searching hearts? or do i settle with the simple, easy, and constantly repeated stories?
this has an adverse effect, because sometimes i feel i am trying to give them drinks from a fire hydrant. this was true of our 3rd-6th grade fall retreat last weekend. i so desired for them to grasp the rarely talked about fear of God. i longed for them to understand that while He is a loving, gentle God, He is also a Holy and Righteous Judge. He is to be feared in a healthy way!
so, for our children’s fall retreat i used youth curriculum that included three (out of five) lessons on the fear of God. for the first time i did multi-age groups, hoping the older children could help their younger peers grasp these truths. (the mixed groups were at hit with my volunteers.) while the curriculum was maybe a bit more of a bite than some were ready to chew, i am confident that many were challenged and stretched in their faith journey. but, did i overwhelm others?
so i struggle and question myself often. where is the balance of filling hands that are reaching up without weighing them down with confusing, abstract truths? (i also find myself thankful for the Holy Spirit, who speaks truths into hearts way better than i can.) how do you find this balance in KidMin?
1 Comment
I think you are so right. I notice that the kids that I minister are very in control of their desires and demands, and their motivation is shockingly intense. This makes me feel so hopeful and confident in our future generations. These kids are our future, and I have a feeling that they’re going to do our world some serious good.