In a recent post, I listed in my “Top 10 trends that will reshape youth ministry” that “Children’s ministry will become the most strategic opportunity in the church.”  As a youth pastor at heart, I humbly believe children’s ministry holds a huge key to the church in its hands.  BUT… opportunity means nothing if not acted upon.  A new generation of children’s pastors will be at the vortex of the church’s strategy – but will they capitalize on it?  Here are three pleas to the next Gen of children’s pastors:

1.        Realize your incredibly strategic position and power to help reshape the Church

Why is children’s ministry so strategic?  Kids are building foundational associations about Jesus, yes.  But one of the most important aspects often goes unnoticed: Young parents are completely open to renegotiating the relationships of their emerging family.  Will they be a family that is intimately tied to other families or isolated from others?  Will they choose to team with other families in the church to radically love their neighbors, co-workers and those in need?  How families answer those questions may determine whether their children have Jesus-loving adults in the lives of their kids – a key factor in future faith formation.  Children’s ministry can help strategically connect families to one another and form extended family relationships that may not happen outside this window of opportunity. It is children’s ministry that holds the strategic key in helping every kid have five adults who know and invest in them.

2.       Don’t obsess over the curriculum - focus on the bigger picture of how faith in Jesus forms in children

A new generation of children’s pastors is recognizing the danger of “Curriculum Obsession.” There will never be a perfect curriculum. Even the one you write yourself is seriously flawed. Make no mistake: The opportunity above will be lost if children’s pastors spend the majority of their time in a never-ending march to discover curriculum nirvana.  Excellent curriculum that points to Jesus is essential, but Jesus will be experienced by kids who are connected to mature adults who are following Jesus.  More time and energy needs to be spent on developing systems and people who can live out the Bible stories for kids, not just tell them.

3.       Have the courage to change 

“Helping the church’s families form extended families that live out the gospel together” is probably not on the average children’s pastor job description.  It’s easier to put on a weekend program than undertake a massive shift of how the church works.  Children’s pastors can lead the charge in shaping the future of the church and will need to be vision casters to help the rest of the church see the opportunity they have to focus on families in this age group as a unique opportunity.  It will take courage though – resistance will be high at times and it means shifting how your time and focus is spent.  It will take bravery to enlist other key players in the church to get the vision of creating a network of families at young ages.  You can’t do it alone.  But the potential for your kids, families and the Kingdom is worth it.  Bless you in the journey.  - Jim Candy (thanks to my friend and future-minded children's pastor, Jeremy Drew, for his contribution to this post).