Why Kid's Ministry is Important

Yes, a ministry to children is important.

At Anchor, there are several reasons why we say yes.

One reason: for some children, they will not hear or learn anything constructive about the Scriptures while at home. Over the years, Anchor has had many children come to church on their own, which means that the importance of our kids ministry skyrockets. Within our public schools, the Associated Churches has a program where they travel around to the elementary schools providing some form of religious education. Fortuantely, many children are given some positive teaching about the Scriptures and Christianity. However, there is nothing that replaces the kind of ministry that can happen as part of a church gathering.

Another reason: many parents of children and youth want to make sure that some form of religious teaching is provided. They personally may not be that interested, but they want it for their kids. We're happy to oblige them. We're also convinced that if we do our kids ministry right, the benefits of it will increase the interest of the parents for their own religious awakening. Some of those parents are interested in their own spiritual growth, so they want to make sure that they are part of a church that can help each member of their family mature in their faith. We want to honor that interest.

And not the final reason: the impressions that children have of church has a lifelong impact. We want to make sure that our kids ministry impresses upon children patient love, contagious fun, helpful lessons. If kids have this kind of experience, they will be more likely to stay interested in church as a youth and as an adult. As teens become adults, they will possibly have some disillusionment with the church - it's just what happens. But despite the disillusionment, we want them to still have good memories; memories that provide a seedbed for hope. As teens become adults, they must shed their child-faith and develop an adult-faith; as they do this, we want them to not shed the memories of love, fun, and helpfulness, but to let those memories sustain their desire to rebuild their faith.