Early in children’s ministry, a wise leader warned me that the detail and disorder and drama that comes with the sheer volume of tasks needed to run a children’s ministry can quickly eclipse the Gospel.
The whole point of recruiting is to further the Gospel. The whole point of having a well-staffed nursery is to create an environment where young children have this deep sense of safety that they may understand and love the church and hear the Gospel someday. In addition, a well-staffed nursery allows parents to intersect with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The whole thing is about the Gospel! Any gain that I seek to implement is for one purpose: to build a bridge and relationship with kids so that I can earn the right to be heard when it comes to the good news of Jesus Christ.
It is about the Gospel. The whole thing is about the Gospel! When I am laboring in the tedious minutia of an electronic check-in system that doesn’t seem to be working, I need to remind myself that it is about the Gospel. How does the check-in system facilitate the Gospel? As I am working diligently with the tech support system for the computer check-in process, I’m doing this so that 21st century parents in a western suburban culture can feel a sense of safety as they drop their kids off. It is nothing more than building a bridge to ensure the Gospel is not hindered. We live in a weird society where the perception of safety dominates and trumps everything.
The highest calling is the Gospel. If I can orient my existence as a children’s pastor to see the beauty and value of the Gospel, then all of my labor is good and none of my labor is in vain.
Listen, I get it. I want kids to be safe. However, the whole point is the Gospel. If in fact a parent won’t put their kid into our system simply because they don’t feel their kid is safe, then it is my job to ensure that we have created processes to smooth the way for any and everyone to hear about the Gospel.
Everything needs to hinge upon the Gospel. Not only is it about making sure the Gospel is proclaimed, but it is really about my heart. If I can put my head above the waters of detail and drama that comes with pulling off everything that has to do with children’s ministry and set my eyes above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God, I myself am going to find more joy and I’m going to have far more perseverance in the tasks that want to drag me down and literally do me in.
Remember, the whole thing is about the Gospel.
