Building a children’s ministry team can be challenging. It’s not that everyone is opposed to ministering with children, but many fear they don’t have the skills. Let’s face it, it’s true that not everyone is gifted to be a full-out teacher. Instead, consider a gift-based Children’s Ministry Team.
Many adults and youth haven’t considered participating in children’s ministry because they didn’t know it could include sharing something they’re passionate about. It’s a lot easier for both adults and youth to consider a place in children’s ministry if they are ministering out of their strength and discover that their part will only be 10-15 minutes in length or that they get to be a mentor or buddy without doing any formal teaching.
Here are some examples of what could be included in a gifts-based Ministry Team:
- Director (someone who guides the plan for the day)
- Drama
- Story Telling
- Mentor/Buddy
- Spiritual Practices/Prayer
- Puppets
- Play
- Music
- Games
- Visual Arts
- Crafts
- Projects/ wood working/electronics/science
- Media
Another advantage of this approach is that not every team member needs to be present for every gathering. You can pick and choose what weeks you will have drama, puppets, music, projects, etc. It is paramount, however, to let each person know well in advance the text and theme for their weeks so they can be well prepared. This model does require more time to check in with each person involved, but the trade-offs are building more relationships, less burnout, and greater interaction among adults and youth with children.
