This special day was added to the Southern Baptist Convention calendar after the Executive Committee approved the motion made by a nine-year-old at the 2018 Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas.
Some of you may wonder why we are using the mission moment to talk about children’s ministry. It is because children’s ministry helps to fulfill the great commission!
In many churches, like ours, the children’s ministry is kind of hidden as most of the activity takes place downstairs, out of sight of most people. Please do not interpret that as a negative, it is simply a fact. Most people are thankful for children’s ministry, but many simply do not know what we do to reach children with the Gospel. That is why the Southern Baptist established this day, to help people see how God is using children’s ministry in today’s world.
This is not an attempt to recruit you to serve so relax.
I mentioned that children’s ministry fulfills the great commission. If you are not sure, the great commission is often the description given to Jesus’ final words to the disciples recorded in Matthew. Jesus said, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you…”
This commission is generally fulfilled on Sunday mornings with an attempt to reach out through the week.
It begins with the youngest who are cared for by a team of wonderful ladies who sacrifice their time on Sunday mornings to show God’s love to the infants and toddlers from birth – 2 years old (i.e. 35 months). It is a very formative time in a person’s life as they are learning and experiencing many things. On Sunday mornings these young children are learning about God’s love and compassion through those who serve. I am truly grateful for those who serve in the nursery and the spiritual foundation they are helping to establish in the children. I want to thank Julie Bankert for the time and energy that she puts in overseeing the nursery and making sure that these young children are shown God’s love each Sunday.
I also want to thank everyone who gives of their time to serve in the nursery to show God’s love to these little ones.
On Sunday mornings we dismiss the children prior to the sermon for a lesson geared toward them. It is often different than what is shared up here and so you may not know what is being taught to the children unless you specifically ask. We currently are using material produced by Lifeway (Southern Baptist) called The Gospel Project. It is a three-year cycle which goes through the entire Bible showing how everything points to Jesus, God’s big plan to save us from our sin. The children are divided into two groups, preschool (3-year old through Kindergarten) and elementary (1st – 6th grade).
On Wednesday nights through the school year we have Awana which is discipleship material that goes from 2-years old – 12th grade, or as some call it from diapers to diplomas. We currently offer Awana for children 3 years old – 6th grade and Awana focuses on the following life threads in this age group:
- Cubbies (Preschool) – Learning respect for the awesomeness and authority of God
- Sparks (K-2nd grade) – Learning a Biblical foundation of wisdom for knowing Christ
- T&T (3rd – 5/6th grades) – Learning to live in God’s grace in relationship with others
Awana helps build a solid foundation through fun, learning, and Scripture memorization.
So we can see how we are fulfilling the great commission by “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you…”, but what about “making disciples of all nations”?
In Acts 1:8 Jesus tells His disciples that they “will be His witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” How does children’s ministry do that? Both the Gospel project and Awana have a missions component to teach the children about how God is working across the world. But let us break it down even more.
Sunday mornings are our Jerusalem. We reach those who are here. In all Judea and Samaria relates to our community. We are currently witnesses for Christ in our community in two very distinctive ways.
First, the trick-or-treat outreach.
We put any and all potential concerns about Halloween aside and simply set up outside to say that we are here and part of the community. We shine the Light of Jesus on a dark night to all who walk by. Candy, hot dogs, water, and hot chocolate are merely items that we use to connect Jesus with the community around us. While we may not think of this as children’s ministry, it is as we reach out to connect with the children in the community to introduce them to Jesus. I want to recognize and thank Renee Woerner for heading up this ministry to reach the children in the community.
Second, the back to school bash.
This event is coming upon us quickly. Last year we reached out to several families in the community who we would have had no contact with otherwise. This is children’s ministry because we are meeting a child’s basic needs for the upcoming school year and as we help provide the physical need, we reach out to them to help meet their spiritual need. For many people who line up to receive a backpack it is a sign of hope. Hope that someone cares. Hope that the school year will start well. Hope that they are not alone. We also share the hope that we have in Jesus. These are backpacks of hope.
What happens if they receive a backpack and it is empty? It can be a hollow hope, or what little hope they had may be gone. While we may not always see the impact that a simple backpack with some supplies has on a child, or family, there is an impact. We have only one more week to get supplies to fill these backpacks of hope. We need you to give so Kathy and Theresa can shop this week, and if you want to contribute supplies, then they are needed by next Sunday so the backpacks can be filled in preparation for the August 3rd event. Kathy and Theresa, please stand for a moment. Thank you for leading this ministry and giving us a chance to provide hope to so many. If you want to be a part of what is God is about to do with these backpacks, talk to Kathy or Theresa today.
So how do we reach out to “the uttermost parts of the world”
Operation Christmas Child
Stephanie Warner began this initiative at Hanover Fellowship and her parents, Eric and Denise, have continued it. Like the backpacks, these shoeboxes are shoeboxes of hope to those who receive them around the world. In this way we are partnering with Samaritan’s Purse to reach children in the uttermost parts of the world. Let’s thank the Warner family for heading up this global reach for children.
As you can see, God is doing amazing things in children’s ministry at Hanover Fellowship. Children’s ministry can be difficult because we often do not see the fruit of our labor in reaching children. We do not see firsthand what impact the backpacks and shoeboxes have on the children who receive them. We do not always see how the children in our church grow and serve the Lord as adults. I do believe that every now and then God gives us a glimpse of the impact He is having through us to reach children.
I am thankful that as the foundation for Hanover Fellowship Church was laid, that reaching children was an integral part of that foundation and it remains an integral part today which is evidenced every Sunday as I see adults engaging the children prior to the service beginning, during the greeting time, after the service before we leave, and at various activities outside the four walls of the church.
Thank you Hanover Fellowship for your dedication to families and reaching children. God is doing amazing things and having an impact on many young lives because of you. Thank you to everyone who faithfully serves in children’s ministry on Sunday mornings, checking children in, the nursery, and children’s church; and thank you to all who serve on Wednesdays in Awana. When we teach the children about the things of God, we have a chance to change the world. If you want to be a part of what God is doing in children’s ministry, then please contact me.
Once again, thank you for keeping children’s ministry an integral part of the DNA of Hanover Fellowship Church.
