A few weeks ago, I ran across a recent Barna study called "Three Spiritual Journeys of Millennials," which illuminated the numbers of Millennials who are faithless in their twenties. Nearly one in three Millennials have no religious affiliation.

As children’s ministers it’s easy to buy into the idea that the greater our ministry’s entertainment value, the more successful our kids’ programs. More and more we try to up the ante to make worship more exciting and the church experience more stimulating week by week. But is this what really keeps the kids coming back?

“The answer to 168 million orphans in our world can be summed up in two words: family and church. Unless orphan care becomes personal to us it will remain something that’s ‘out there.’” —Kay Warren

Adoption is the heart of God. I have always agreed with this thought, but I don’t think I understood it until I adopted my son. For those who have biological children and choose to adopt, the impact of adoption is no less significant than the impact on those who pursue adoption because of infertility. But I believe many of the emotional experiences are different.

In James 1:27, the Bible says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (NIV).

My wife and both of my kids (ages 12 and 14) are VERY involved in our kids’ ministry. They LOVE it! But, I don’t ever want to take that for granted. I want to be proactively working to preserve that spirit and excitement for God, the church, and the ministry. Here are five things I do to help make that happen.