Taking Children’s Ministry to the Lord in Prayer–

I will never forget the day our bus caught fire. We were on the highway headed to an event about an hour north of the city. It was a hot Saturday morning in September, and the bus was warm. Halfway through our trip, the bus driver quietly whispered that the warmth was not the sun, but the engine had caught fire. The bus driver then calmly steered the bus off the highway, and a new bus came. Reflecting with the youth pastors on that trip, it was apparent that we had failed to start our trip with prayer. God protected us that day, but we resolved to never not pray over a trip again.

Something happens when we pray. We grow in full reliance on the Lord. We humble ourselves to His will. We grow in our thanksgiving of all that God has done. In our busy lives it can be easy to neglect taking the Children’s Ministry that God has entrusted us to lead to the Lord in prayer. How much more impactful is our ministry to children and parents—and to our volunteer team—when we make space to grow in our prayer life!

We grow in full reliance on the Lord. Take your struggles to God and pray. He wants to hear about that difficult parent conversation. He wants to hear that you do not know how to schedule when everyone is away or sick. We cannot fix these things on our own; we need to rely on the Lord to give us the wisdom to do the next thing. Demonstrate to your  team that  you can take these petitions to God and He will give you wisdom on what to do next.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication

with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God,

which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

(Philippians 4:6-7)

We humble ourselves to His will. I do not know about you, but I am really good at making plans. Letting go of my plans is so much harder, but often God has something else in store. Something better. Hold your plans loosely and ask for God’s guidance. Demonstrate to your team that yours is a ministry that desires to honor God in all plans.

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

We grow in our thanksgiving of all that God has done. Praise the Lord for all that He has done! Sometimes we are quick to forget the blessings God has given us. Write it down in a journal. Tell a friend. Praise God together for His provision! Demonstrate to your team that you can remember the blessings from the Lord already given. This is hugely helpful in the sticky moments.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Pray with and for your team. Here are a few ideas:

• Create a calendar with the names of students and volunteers. Pray for them as their names pop up. This works well as a birthday calendar too.
• Find a few folks in your church who are prayer warriors. Include them in an email chain or group chat and invite them to pray as specific prayer requests arise.
• Share with your team families’ and volunteers’ prayer requests that are mentioned during Sunday morning chats. Pray with parents and volunteers when you meet for coffee.
• Pray with your volunteer team each Sunday before service. I know this can be hard to commit to in the busyness of a Sunday, but your Children’s Ministry will be blessed for making the time. Committing to a time and place each week to do this will help your team grow into the routine.
• Pray with your Children’s Ministry leadership team about the specific needs of the ministry when you gather for meetings. Share prayer requests with staff, elders, and deacons. Pray with fellow Children’s Ministry leaders in your area or in the PCA.
• Keep a prayer and praise journal for yourself. Marvel at how the Lord has worked in those things.

Several years ago, we rented a 3-story community center our church plant to gather on Sundays during the summer. As I did my final walk-through one Sunday, I felt a sudden unease. Something spiritually dark was happening down the hall. Sharing the space meant we had little say in what else went on in the building, but this was not expected. Our service had just started, so I tapped the shoulder of three individuals in our church that I knew would pray. I whispered the situation and asked them to pray for God’s protection over our church. They prayed, and soon the event down the hall left the building. God heard our prayers.

Here is my challenge to you: keep making space to prioritize taking your Children’s Ministry to the Lord in prayer. It’s important!