Continuity . . . No "Islands Unto Themselves"

Stop and think for a moment . . . do the various parts of your Children's Ministry "connect"? Do they compliment and reinforce one another or does each area "do their own thing" and are actually, "islands unto themselves"? If we are truly serious about being effective, then not only do we have to have a vision/plan for our Children's Ministry as a whole, but we have to be sure each area is connected to the other things we do in Children's Ministry. Consider the following . . . 

• When you select curriculum, do you do so because the curriculum is something other churches use, or because it provides the tools you need to be effective and "on-point" regarding the vision/purpose of your Children's Ministry?
• Do you pay attention to how each area of your Children's Ministry connects with the others . . . for example, does the children's church lesson build on and reinforce what the children learned/did in the Sunday school class? Does the mid-week teaching continue to build on what the children learned on Sunday with more focus on living what they learned? 
• Do you plan ahead so your summer ministry stays on-target with your vision/purpose? Do you evaluate summer curriculum and opportunities with a focus on how they will build on what you are teaching your children on Sunday?

These are just a few questions to get you thinking about continuity in your Children's Ministry. Be sure each area of your Children's Ministry connects with and reinforces what the others are doing, so your overall ministry is focused and effective! In my next post we will think about how continuity needs to reach beyond the Children's Ministry, so what the children and their parents both learn/do is connected