Help Children Build Friendships!

I've been writing this week about whether Sunday school has outlived its usefulness and talked about choosing to focus on involving children in learning God's Word is for them rather than relying on "gimmicks" to get children to participate and helping children build relationships with other children who love God. As I wrap this up today, I want to share a few ways to help the children in our ministries build relationships with other children in their classes . . . 

• Team children up for a month at a time - whenever they play games or do an activity the teams work together - this will help children get to know the other children in their class.
• Have teams be prayer partners each month - provide time in each class for teams/prayer partners to get together and pray together.
• When a child is sick, absent and has a birthday, have the other children in the class sign a card which you put in the mail.

These are just a few ideas you could try. Remember, one of the most important things we can do as a Children's Ministry is to help children build relationships with other children. Relationships which endure throughout their lives because they are more than just friendships. They are family! 

Sunday school has not outlived its usefulness because it is a place where children build real relationships with God and other children who love Him. When this happens our Sunday schools will be places where children want to be and will still be "useful" and valuable places for them to be.

What do you do to help children build relationships with other children who love God?