It’s our responsibility as the Church to reach the millennial generation. To do this, we must understand this generation. Dr. Leonard Sweet coined the phrase “EPIC Generation” when describing the millennials. I would like to use his acronym EPIC (though worded a little differently) to share four fundamental characteristics of millennials and four shifts the church should consider making to better reach them: Experiential | Participatory | Informational | Community.

God invites us to do BIG things. He calls us to “God things”—things we could never accomplish without Him. Faith is great, but faith without real-life service is motionless, fruitless, and lifeless. If we are to fan the faith-flame in the lives of children and leaders—the kind of faith that answers the “so what?” question—we must engage kids and leaders in face-to-face acts of compassion.

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.

During the business that comes with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year, it’s important that we demonstrate how we can show love and honor to others. This time of year should inspire giving. Take some time to provide ideas to your girls about ways they can show honor for others. Romans 12:10 tells us, “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves” (NIV). An All Star Girl is a girl who honors others.

Junior Bible Quiz is naturally inquisitive to kids. And we all know JBQ is possibly one of the most successful and best ways to disciple children in God's Word. But have you ever thought about it as an outreach tool? This article offers a few points on ways you can use JBQ to reach children in your community.