Children’s Ministry Rooted in Scripture, Shaped by Relationship –

I keep two items on my desk as I work. Both were purchased during my travels in the first year of my role as CDM’s Children’s Ministry Coordinator.

The first is a well-worn copy of Catechism for Young Children, published in 1910, which I discovered in a used bookstore in Nashville. This tiny pink book is falling apart, yet it holds rich wisdom for parents and teachers before presenting the 145 questions and answers drawn from the truths of Scripture. The second item comes from my family’s visit to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida—a sticker featuring the Artemis Mission program logo. Everything at the visitor center invites guests to imagine how exploring uncharted territory can advance the future.

Together, these two items serve as a reminder of what children’s ministry requires. We must draw from the deep wisdom of those who have gone before us while remaining attentive to the needs of children today and in generations to come. The truths we teach do not change, but the ways we present them often do. For example, families can now use apps to help children learn the Catechism—ancient truths delivered through modern tools.

At CDM, everything we do is rooted in God’s Word and strengthened through relationships within the church community. Word-based, relationally driven ministry helps us tell “to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonders that He has done” (Psalm 78:4). Those who teach children are entrusted with cultivating relationships and stewarding how God’s story is shared. As we model our own walk with the Lord and present the whole story of Scripture in engaging ways, we invite children to know and trust the covenant-keeping God of the Bible.

This work must begin with prayer. Are we bringing the names of the children we serve before the Lord? Are we asking Him to transform us as we help children grow in their understanding of who God is? Spiritual transformation comes from Him alone. When we pray with children and model our dependence on the Lord, we teach them what it looks like to trust and depend on Him.

Being Word-based in children’s ministry means more than following a curriculum. It means reading and studying the Scripture passages ourselves, staying rooted in the text, and faithfully presenting its truths. We have the joy of helping children see that all of Scripture points to Jesus and His Kingdom—and that believers are part of this Story.

Preparation matters, but it should never replace steady relational investment. What engages each child? What do they enjoy? Are there barriers we can remove so the gospel is clearly seen and heard? As the little pink book on my desk wisely reminds us, we should “endeavor to make what most children consider an irksome task [memorizing and repeating] a pleasing and profitable study.”

As we hold fast to God’s Word and faithfully walk alongside the children He has entrusted to us, we participate in His ongoing work of forming hearts that know Him. This is sacred, patient work—often unseen, always meaningful. May we steward it with humility, faithfulness, and joy, trusting that God is at work not only in the children we serve, but in us as well.

The worn catechism book and the space mission sticker sit side by side. One reminds me that God has been faithful across generations, the other that He continues to lead His people faithfully. God is growing His Kingdom and invites us to join Him in telling His Story to the next generation.