Dear Children's Ministry Workers

Recently I’ve been listening to the podcast Moonrise, which focuses on how and why astronauts first landed on the moon. In one of the later episodes, the host commented that in 1967, NASA and the Apollo program had less than a 50% approval rating among Americans. Many people felt that the United States should have other priorities.

Yet when we look back at the history of the U.S., let alone the history of humankind, successfully landing astronauts on the moon is considered one of the most significant achievements of all time.

This made me think about perspective and the fact that the way we see things matters. Time sometimes gives us perspective, like it does in the case of the moon landing. What may seem insignificant now could have a lasting impact from an eternal perspective. This is especially evident in children’s ministry at your church.

Crouching down and saying hello to a child can seem unimportant. Yet, you are acknowledging children of God, communicating value and worth to them. Listening to a parent who is exhausted from life with four kids and a troubled marriage may seem like a small act of compassion, yet it can provide balm to a wounded soul, providing encouragement to carry on each day.

Stocking classrooms with curriculum, crayons, and Kleenex may not seem life-altering. Yet, with an eternal perspective, these things matter because they empower teachers to share the Gospel with children. 

Being the hands and feet of Jesus is not an insignificant thing. While it can easily be overlooked or undervalued by others, including the congregations we serve, it makes a difference in eternity. 

So, dear children’s ministry workers, your work matters! When you straighten up a classroom or organize a closet, you are providing a welcoming space for children, their families, and your team. All your behind-the-scenes work allows others the opportunity to focus on the children. 

When you help a mother carry a diaper bag into church so she can carry the baby and hold the hand of one or two other children, you are demonstrating love and care for her and the life she is living. When you bend down and wipe a child’s nose and ask how their day is, you are seeing the child in your midst, welcoming them just like Jesus welcomed the children. 

Thank you, children’s ministry workers. You are the hands and feet of Jesus to the people around you. We are grateful for all you do—both the things we see and the things we will never see. 

Mimi Larson is Faith Formation Ministries’ Children's Ministry Catalyzer. If you have questions about nurturing a child’s faith or other children’s ministry issues, contact Mimi at [email protected].