Welcome to the website of Children’s Ministries International, Inc. and the home of the Children’s Ministry Seminar. The Children’s Ministry Seminar is a Biblically sound resource for children’s ministry leaders and volunteers worldwide.
REPLAY EPISODE 020: THE CHRISTMAS INTRUDER
The Christmas hymn, “O Come All Ye Faithful,” concludes with these words, “O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.” Our job as children’s ministry leaders is to help kids focus on the Biblical Jesus (Hebrews 12:2), not on Santa Claus. That seems obvious, but sadly, it is not. Santa Claus is nothing more than a fairy tale; he intrudes into our lives, and into some churches, too. Every Christmas, Santa dominates the scene wherever he goes. Many younger children have never been told by their parents that Santa is make-believe, so they think he is real. To them, he is a God-like figure because they believe he has magical powers. Children are confused when Santa walks into their church. When children’s ministry leaders welcome the Christmas intruder into their children’s ministry, they communicate to boys and girls that there are two Christmas stories when there is only one. The true story of Christmas in the Bible is this: Jesus Christ came from Heaven to Earth as a baby boy, born of Mary (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38, 2:1-7). This miraculous event is called the “Incarnation.” At His birth, Jesus was fully God and fully human at the same time. […]
... EPISODE 020: THE CHRISTMAS INTRUDER
The Christmas hymn, “O Come All Ye Faithful,” concludes with these words, “O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.” Our job as children’s ministry leaders is to help kids focus on the Biblical Jesus (Hebrews 12:2), not on Santa Claus. That seems obvious, but sadly, it is not. Santa Claus is nothing more than a fairy tale; he intrudes into our lives, and into some churches, too. Every Christmas, Santa dominates the scene wherever he goes. Many younger children have never been told by their parents that Santa is make-believe, so they think he is real. To them, he is a God-like figure because they believe he has magical powers. Children are confused when Santa walks into their church. When children’s ministry leaders welcome the Christmas intruder into their children’s ministry, they communicate to boys and girls that there are two Christmas stories when there is only one. The true story of Christmas in the Bible is this: Jesus Christ came from Heaven to Earth as a baby boy, born of Mary (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38, 2:1-7). This miraculous event is called the “Incarnation.” At His birth, Jesus was fully God and fully human at the same time. […]
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EPISODE 019: TEACHING CHILDREN ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT
In Ephesians 1:13 (ESV), we read, “In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.” When you teach the boys and girls in your children’s ministry about the Holy Spirit, it is vital that you teach them from the Scripture alone. This is not the time or place for you to share your own stories or personal experiences. The Triune God has said everything He wants us to know about the Holy Spirit in the Bible. We must faithfully teach children what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit without our interpretation and then trust the Holy Spirit to guide them to the truth about Himself (John 16:13; I John 2:27). The following is simply an introduction to the Holy Spirit, as the Holy Spirit can be found throughout the Bible. The Holy Spirit, also known as the Holy Ghost in the King James Translation of the Bible, is God (Acts 5:3-4). He is the third person of the Triune God; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. One God in three persons. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit […]
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EPISODE 018: TEACHING CHILDREN ABOUT THE TRINITY
The word “Trinity” does not appear anywhere in the Bible, but a careful study of Scripture reveals that God is one Deity, who eternally exists in three persons. With our human minds, we do not fully know or understand how this can be, but we believe in the Doctrine of the Trinity because that is what the Scripture tells us about God. Remember, the Bible is where we go for Truth (John 17:17), and the Scripture reveals everything God wants us to know about Himself. The Trinity, also known as The Triune God, is the one true and living God in three persons. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are one God having the same mind, the same will, and the same power. All three persons of the Trinity are the same Being, and all are Divine in equal measure. Together, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one God. You must emphasize this fundamental truth about God to the boys and girls in your children’s ministry. When you teach kids about the Trinity, you will always want them to know that we worship and believe in one God, not in three separate gods. You […]
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EPISODE 017: TEACHING CHILDREN THE GOSPEL
In John 3:16 (ESV) we read, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” There is a lot of confusion in the church today about what the gospel is and is not. As a result, there is a global crisis within children’s ministry concerning our understanding of the gospel. As we begin, let me clearly state what the gospel is not. The gospel is not a Christian’s testimony. The Gospel is not reaching out to feed the hungry or help the poor. These are good things, but they are not the Biblical gospel that has the power to save. The gospel is not Universalism, which is the idea that everyone is going to Heaven regardless of what they believe. The gospel is not the promise of health and wealth. That is a false gospel that does not come from the Bible. Many false gospels are being taught to children in local churches worldwide, but there is only one true gospel, the Gospel of God (Galatians 1:6-9; Mark 1:14; Romans 1:1). The word “gospel” means good news! God is the Source and Author of the […]
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EPISODE 016: TEACHING CHILDREN TO WORSHIP GOD IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH
I want to encourage you to stop designing your children’s ministry around what the kids want and instead give them what they need! As a children’s ministry leader, your responsibilities include teaching the boys and girls in your church how to worship God in spirit and truth. That is what God wants, and He seeks individuals who will worship Him in the way He chooses to be worshipped. In John 4:22-24 (ESV), Jesus says to the Samaritan woman at the well, “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” The point of this passage is clear; God wants to be worshipped according to what He wants. We are to worship the true and living Triune God of the Bible. He is the object of our worship and affection. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are one God in three persons and known as the Triune God. This […]
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EPISODE 015: TEACHING CHILDREN BIBLICAL DISCERNMENT
In 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 (NASB), we read, … “but examine everything; hold firmly to that which is good, abstain from every form of evil.” As children’s ministry leaders, it is our job to teach boys and girls how to be discerning. Discernment is simply the ability to determine truth from error and holy behavior from unholy (Hebrews 5:14; Ephesians 5:8-17; 1 John 4:1-6; 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22). Truth is important for kids to know because: Truth allows them to be wise, knowing good from evil and right from wrong (Romans 16:19). Truth helps them understand reality and what really matters in life (2 Peter 1:3-8; Ephesians 5:15-17). Truth is the only thing that can liberate them from sin. (John 8:32) Truth keeps them from being deceived. (2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 2 Timothy 4:3-4) Truth shows them the way to a life of meaning and purpose (Jeremiah 9:23-24; Romans 8:28; 2 Timothy 3:15). They please God when they walk in the truth (Ephesians 5:8-11). As we teach children from the Bible at church, they learn the truth and embrace it. Here are three essential things you must teach to the kids in your children’s ministry. First, children need to know that the Triune God, God […]
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EPISODE 014: CHILDREN’S PASTOR’S TESTIMONY
In the first three episodes of this podcast, I told the story of how I got started in children’s ministry. I began at age 15 as a church volunteer leading Junior Church for kids in elementary school. Then at age 19, I served part-time as the Youth Director at two small churches simultaneously. When I was 22 years old, I ventured into full-time ministry with Children’s Ministries International, where I have served since 1980. In this episode of the CHILDREN’S MINISTRY SEMINAR podcast, I want to share my Christian testimony with you. This is the story of how I came to Christ. It was fifty-five years ago as of this writing, that my life was changed forever. On June 4, 1967, at the end of a Sunday morning worship service, I walked down the aisle of the church that I attended as a child in southern California and received Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. I was nine years old. On that Sunday, around noon, there were no bells or whistles, no bright lights, or thundering noises, but Jesus transformed my life. All my sin (past, present, and future) was forgiven, removed, and transferred to Christ on the cross, […]
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EPISODE 013: TEACHING CHILDREN ABOUT JESUS
As children’s ministry leaders, our primary focus should always be to teach boys and girls about the true Jesus from the “Word of Truth,” the Bible. Clear Bible teaching is what children need to hear every time they come to church, and this must become your number one priority if it isn’t already. I cannot emphasize strongly enough the importance of teaching kids about Jesus from God’s Word. Almost every religion on earth claims some manner of belief in Jesus. But when those claims are held to the light of Scripture, it becomes very clear that they are teaching about a false Christ, not the Biblical Jesus. It is not uncommon for children whose parents profess faith in Mormonism, Islam, Hinduism, New Age, or some other non-Christian religion to visit your church with friends. These children may have heard the name of Jesus at home, but that Jesus is not the same Jesus that the Bible tells us about. Never assume that the kids in your children’s ministry understand who the true Jesus is, because there are many false christs that they may hear about from others. (Matthew 24:5, 24; Mark 13:6, 21-22: Luke 21:8) The true historical Jesus is […]
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EPISODE 012: WHY TEACHING CHILDREN CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE IS ESSENTIAL
Christian Doctrine is essential for you to know and teach to the boys and girls in your children’s ministry. Unfortunately, the word “doctrine” is often viewed negatively in the church and misunderstood by many Christians. The word doctrine, translated from Greek, means teaching that comes from an authoritative source. So when I speak of Christian Doctrine, I am referring to the teaching and instruction in the Bible, which comes from God, who has all Authority and is the Source of Truth (John 17:17). There are many doctrines, but Christian Doctrine only comes to us from the Bible, not from people or other religious books. As children’s ministry leaders, it is vital for us to know Christian Doctrine so we can teach it to the children we minister to. We must be careful what we teach to kids. That is why we only teach from God’s Word and not from other sources (I Timothy 4:16). There may be times when you are tempted to replace what God says with man-made doctrine or tradition, but RESIST DOING THAT! Jesus rebuked the scribes and Pharisees for “teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:7, ESV). In the Bible, doctrine is broken down […]
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