How to Get Started With a Junior Church

An early version of children's church.

Sometimes the church service designed for adults becomes tedious for young children. Anyone with children knows how difficult it is to get them to quietly sit still for a long period of time. It's also important to explain the tenants of the faith and the stories of the Bible to children on a level that they can understand. For these reasons, children's church was created. With the right preparation, children's church can achieve its goal and be something for children to look forward to each week.

Instructions

1. Find leaders and helpers for the children's church program. Make sure that the senior pastor is in favor of the junior ministry. The children's church needs someone to be the overall director. This individual recruits volunteers to help with the ministry and may give the main lesson.

2. Decide which age group of children will attend the children's church. Some programs suggest the upper age limit be third graders while others include children into their pre-teen years.

3. Decide how the children's church will be coordinated. In some programs, the children attend the first portion of adult worship then they are dismissed to children's church. In other programs, the children start and end at their own worship service.

4. Choose what to teach to the children and how the information will be presented. Making use of a mix of videos, praise and worship music and a short teaching is a good method. Bible stories not heavy with doctrine are easiest for children to understand.

References

• MinistrytoChildren.com; How to Start a Children's Church; Tony Kummer