Biblical literacy has reportedly been on the decline for several years. While the whole Church bears some culpability for this development, I can’t help but wonder whether our ministry to children plays a larger role than we are willing to admit.

Give a child a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a child how to fish and he will eat the rest of his life. This concept has become my foundational philosophy of ministry. Curriculum and programs are important. But if we want kids to digest the biblical information they receive so they actually internalize it into their lives, they have to take ownership of it.

If you are as concerned as I am about each generation having an experience with the Holy Spirit that introduces them to the power He gives to spread the gospel, then this post is for you. We as children’s leaders must come to the point where we stop teaching about the baptism in the Holy Spirit only when there is a special service at camp or only when the curriculum brings up the topic. Our kids deserve more!

Each week as I wrap up my message, I do my best to close with some kind of worship or prayer response. We must never lose sight of the power of prayer, and as children’s pastors we must be diligent in providing our kids opportunities to pray.

It’s so easy for our kidmin worship times to become all about the singing and the dancing. We must be intentional about teaching kids the value and purpose of worship. More importantly, we must show them that worship isn’t just about singing, it’s about interacting with God.

My first thought when I hear the words margin is a piece of notebook paper—maybe that’s because I have a 13-year-old at home. Early in her school years, my daughter was taught to write within the margins. There was a defined space in which words could live on her paper.