There are many people that feel called or led to lead a children’s birth chart readingΒ school class or a children’s ministry in their church. Despite the calling, this can be quite an intimidating venture, particularly for those who have never undertaken a ministry of their own or a teaching position of any kind. For the individual that is willing to make certain preparations in advance, this does not have to be that big of an issue. Anyone can teach a children’s ministry, if he or she is willing to look ahead a bit.
Initially, make absolutely certain that you have the patience to deal with children as well as a take-charge attitude. Kids will take as much liberty as you allow them, and will completely disrupt your ministry if you do not lay down the law from the start. You don’t have to be mean, but you do have to make it absolutely clear that you are the teacher/leader and that disruption will not be tolerated.
At the same time, you have to make your ministry fun to be successful. A child will not attend a class that does not entertain him/her. This is a simple process. Take into account the age range you’re dealing with and use the general interests of that age group to plan your classes. Let’s say that you are leading a kindergarten through first grade ministry. Your target attendees will be kids between the ages of five and seven-years-old. Simply take what these ages consider to be interesting, and run with it. This brings us to our next issue, that of materials and content.
When teaching, you have to appeal to a child’s interests while referencing the subjects. For Biblical teaching, you should use Biblically oriented materials. One such material is coloring pages. If you are teaching on David and Goliath, simply produce a coloring page depicting the epic battle between David and the giant. While the kids are coloring, explain to them what they are seeing and, in a basic format, teach them the lesson behind it. Obtaining teaching materials is a very simple process. For example, if you are looking for the aforementioned coloring pages, go to one of the millions of sites online and simply print out the coloring pages there. There are many Christian childrens’ sites that offer free downloadable Bible stories, online Bible study resources, Christian comics, and Christian-themed children’s stories.
Lastly, always take time to pray before attempting to teach or guide children. Let the Lord be your guide when it comes to content, lessons, plans, and any other situation involving your ministry of choice. Remember that we are God’s hands, His mouth, and His personal guide for future generations.