Let's Celebrate our Kids!

In children's ministry it is important to "notice" kids who are doing the things we want them to do . . . memorizing verses, attending children's ministry opportunities, completing service projects, inviting friends to come to church with them, reading their Bible . . . etc. But we have to be careful to keep the balance between celebrating growth and good choices while not over-emphasizing "achieving" by "doing" things. Consider the following -

• Celebrate understanding and living God's Word rather than just memorizing verses . . you will always have some children who find memorizing very easy and those who can't memorize to save their lives. If the only way a child is "celebrated" is by memorizing, those who truly struggle with memorizing are likely to give up on it. So, focus on one verse/passage a month and put the emphasis on understanding and living God's Word then celebrate kids who are able to tell you how they lived what they learned! All kids can do this! Make it a focus of each small group to understand and live one verse/passage a month and celebrate them as they do this!
• Celebrate as a group - as small groups work on service projects or work on living what they are learning, celebrate all the children in the group. Keep in mind - you are likely to have children in the group whose parents are teaching them at home and who are encouraging them to participate and live what they learn, but you are also likely to have children in the group who do not have parents who support and encourage them in growing to know and walk with God. If children who do not have parental support at home are not able to "achieve", they are likely to give up. Create an environment where small groups work together and encourage one another to grow to know and love God and walk with Him and then celebrate these groups!
• Celebrate individual children as they show concern for others and as they quietly go about their everyday lives doing as Jesus said to love God and love others!

As we focus on understanding and living God's word every day in our everyday lives and then celebrate children as they do this, be sure to help them rejoice in the most important thing . . . knowing and walking with God as this is most certainly worth celebrating!