February 20

Children’s Ministry Models: Introduction

Daniel Watts

Whenever I teach a group of children, I’m very aware that boys often feel left behind in standard educational settings.

God did not create all boys to sit crisscross-applesauce for long periods of time, so I work extra hard to get all the boys involved.

That said, please forgive me in advance for this opening illustration of how I reached out to boys on one occasion—and if you’re a vegetarian, you may want to skip the rest of this section and go straight to “From Chickens to Children.”

Four Approaches That Lead to the Same Result

Casserole

I was born on a small farm, and in my adult years, I’ve had the pleasure of working with a number of people with a similar background. Living overseas also introduced me to agricultural husbandry practices that were different from my own experiences.

An area of particular interest to me has been the manner by which a chicken’s life is terminated. My research, although not extensive, has led me to believe that four major approaches exist worldwide.

I only glimpsed the first option once. I was a child when a city-slicker pheasant hunter showed my dad the pheasants he had shot—and at least one was a chicken. Confusing the hen for a female pheasant, he took her out with his shotgun. Some farmer was now without his chicken.

The second approach is more… uh… hands-on. The person chosen to get dinner’s main course grabs the chicken by the neck with both hands and sharply rotates his/her hands in opposite directions, thereby wringing the chicken’s neck. (Yes, this is the source of “I’m going to wring your neck!”)

Third—also hands-on—is the snap method. In this case, the hunter-gatherer grabs the chicken by the head and starts swinging its body in one direction. Then the chicken-fetcher quickly and suddenly reverses direction, starts swinging the chicken in the opposite direction, and snaps the bird’s neck.

The final approach involves an ax or cleaver. The chicken is splayed out on a board, on a tree limb, or on some other solid object, and its neck is severed from the body with the blow from the axe or cleaver. In this situation, a chicken can leap up from where it lay and, for a short period of time, run around despite not having a head. This sight can be very exciting for the children. (Yes, the expression running around like a chicken with its head cut off is rooted in reality.)

I do have a point in sharing these gory details. In all four cases with the result is chicken for the casserole. Four different models lead to the same result.

From Chickens to Children

Paths

Just as farmers can choose one of four different paths toward the same destination (dinner), people serving in children’s ministry can also choose from among various paths.

Each option is informed by a ministry “philosophy,” and it is thought that all the paths lead to the same result. 

During my forty years of ministry experience, I have identified what I believe to be five major children’s ministry philosophies—none of which, thankfully, involve snapping, wringing, or the like: 

Children’s Ministry Philosophy

Points of Emphasis

Information Model

Focus on truth teaching, right thinking, Bible memorization, proper Bible knowledge

Participation “Fun” Model

Participatory learning, activities, engagement, life response, and fun for the children

Contemplative Reflective Model

Contemplation, internalizing God’s Word, mediating on His Word, genuine spirituality, awe of God!

Experiential Model

Participation, worship, praise, and full engagement of the children

Media Engagement Model

Video and other technology, culturally relevant, engaging, impacts children in the society they are living in

Four of these approaches are very common in the US. These five approaches—described in the chart in very broad terms—have some similarities and many commonalities.

For example, children’s workers using the Information Model and Contemplative Model also know how to have fun—and they do! Those following the Participation Model are definitely concerned about teaching biblical truth.

Similarly, worship and praise are frequently an aspect of all three models. A more specific overview will reveal each approach’s strengths and weaknesses.

But make no mistake, your philosophy of children’s ministry will definitely impact how you do children’s ministry.

The Importance of the Philosophy of Ministry

Philosophy of Ministry

I was traveling with a team in a former Soviet Union Republic, carrying out field research and preparing to launch a ministry. We visited a fairly large evangelical church and they asked me to teach Sunday School with a translator.

It seemed like a good time to expose their children’s ministry leaders to our philosophy of ministry that is based on Deuteronomy 6 (Relationship, Experience, Truth, Discussion and Response). 

We made our way to the room and there were about 30 children, ages 4-6 sitting in rows of pews facing the front of the room. I assessed the room and then suggested that we get the children to stand and move four of the long pews and make a kind of square. I was prepared to lead a relationship-building activity to start the lesson.

The looks on their faces told me that they didn’t think this was a good idea. They informed me that they did not do that kind of thing. (I later learned the pews were attached to the floor.) At that point I suggested that it might be better for us to observe, watch and learn from them.

The teacher moved to the front, took attendance, checked on each child’s homework from the previous week and then launched into the lesson.

There were some review questions from the previous week and then the story for the week. The teacher presented the Bible story taking about twenty minutes.

Afterwards there were some questions, making sure the children understood the events in the story as well as their application. They had a memory verse game and then a poem to memorize that focused on the Bible teaching for the day.

This may or may not be the way you teach children in your ministry, but it was clearly evidence of their philosophy of ministry. How we think about ministry determines how we do ministry. 

So, join me as we examine some popular children’s ministry philosophies and weigh them against God’s Word. Join us! 


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