PHILOSOPHY OF CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES

What is Children’s Ministries?

Many who have been elected to serve as Children’s Ministries coordinators have often asked this question. They have wondered how this ministry is different from the children’s Sabbath School. Children’s Ministries aims to develop the faith of children ages birth to 14.

While Sabbath School provides children with religious education once a week on Sabbath, Children’s Ministries strives to provide multiple ministries at other times that will lead children to Jesus and disciple them in their daily walk with Him. Such multiple ministries include programs and activities organized throughout the year to nurture the spirituality of the children, train them for leadership, and help them reach out in service to others in the community. For example, the Children’s Ministries coordinator of the

local church can organize children’s prayer groups on Wednesday evening, a children’s retreat once a year, or a community project on the first Sunday of each month.

MISSION OF CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES

The mission of the Children’s Ministries Department is to nurture children into a loving, serving relationship with Jesus. We seek to fulfill this mission by developing:

• Grace-oriented ministries, in which all children will experience the unconditional love of Jesus, find assurance of acceptance and forgiveness, and make a commitment to Him.
• Inclusive ministries, in which the volunteers who minister and the children to whom they minister will be valued and involved regardless of race, color, language, gender, age, abilities, or socio-economic circumstances.
• Leadership ministries, in which volunteers are empowered, trained, and equipped for effective ministry to children. Service-oriented ministries, in which children are given opportunity for hands-on service to people in their neighborhood or city, thus, establish a pattern of outreach to others that may well continue through life.
• Cooperative ministries, in which the department work with other ministries, such as family ministries, Sabbath School, stewardship, and others to further our shared goals.
• Safe ministries, whereby our churches: a.) choose volunteers with high spiritual and moral backgrounds; and, b.) adopt safeguards to protect children from physical, emotional, and spiritual abuse and the church from liability.
• Evangelistic ministries, in which children who are not enfolded in the church will be introduced to the love of Jesus through outreach programs such as: Vacation Bible Schools, children’s Branch Sabbath Schools, Neighborhood Bible Clubs, and Story Hour.

JOB DESCRIPTION OF THE CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES COORDINATOR

The Church Manual outlines the responsibilities of the Children’s Ministries Coordinator as follows:

1. 1. To chair the Children’s Ministries Committee.

2. To implement the GraceLink curriculum (https://www.gracelink.net/) and provide training for leaders and teachers in using this curriculum.

3. To plan and implement a yearly calendar of programs for children that will draw them to Christ and provide for their participation in all church activities.

4. To develop a budget for implementing all programs and activities for children.

5. To serve as an advocate for the interests and needs of children to the:

a. Church Board—by keep the board members informed of concerns and successes, by reporting the results of the children’s needs assessment, and by encouraging funding for children’s program.

b. Pastor—by working together to make the various aspects of church life and worship more child-friendly and meaningful to children.

c. Leaders of children’s activities—by supporting and encouraging them.

        6. To take reasonable steps to maintain a high moral and ethical quality of leadership for the children by screening volunteer leaders and teachers.

        7. To maintain communication with parents and leaders of children’s activities, informing them about workshops, conventions, camp meetings, and other resources, and encouraging their growth in understanding children.

        8. To seek opportunities to spend time with children in order to stay in touch with their thinking and their needs.

        9. To work with the pastor in events involving children, such as:

a. Baby dedication

b. Baptism

c. Children’s Story during worship hour

d. Junior deacons

       10. To prepare statistical reports for the conference Children’s Ministries

Here’s a link to a resource found in the church manual that was provided: https://children.adventist.org/assets/public/files/resources/leaders/chmcoordinatorbook/000~Entire%20Book.pdf