Preparing kids for their future is an important lesson for every adult who has influence on a child’s life—including the Church. Whether we help kids grow as Jesus did (as shown in Luke 2:52) or help them explore the world around them, we must help guide the children who come through our doors. One great opportunity we have is to prepare our church kids to be involved and engaged in ministry now so they will learn to love to serve the rest of their lives.

“Because we care, we serve.” The words rush through the portals of my mind and echo through my heart. The motto of our girls’ club seems like a distant memory, but our mission has never changed. We still exist to bring others to Jesus, and service is one of the primary vehicles God uses to make an eternal difference in the life of another. With this in mind, here are nine ideas to get your creative juices flowing as you look for ways your girls can serve your community this holiday season.

My favorite Kidmin event at Glad Tidings Church in Muncie is our annual “Back to School Outreach” at our local elementary school. Eight years ago we made it a strategic goal as a church to partner with the closest elementary school and do everything we can to help the students, parents, faculty, and staff.

Kids are so open to the gospel and to the supernatural. They seem to just get it. When ministering salvation on the street or in a church setting, when giving an altar call, you need to remember to keep it simple. Kids don’t need fancy words; they just need to be able to understand the truth. They need to hear an undiluted account of how Jesus died for their sins and is coming again for His children.

Summer is around the corner. Many churches report difficulty keeping attendance up over the summer, let alone having effective outreach opportunities. Below are some ideas of ways you can program your summer to encourage participation and opportunities to share the gospel.

The Christmas season is an incredible time for children’s ministry leaders to teach kids about the importance of being generous and sharing the Good News with others. However, I’ve often wondered if there was a more effective way to teach kids how to embrace the Christmas story beyond collecting gifts on Sunday morning or Wednesday night and then distributing them through other ministries.