Where's the Beef?

What's the goal of children's ministry?

Most children's workers here in Latin America would not understand the question because it would be assumed that the entire point is to transmit information about the bible to a child so it will serve them later in life, or in order to gradually form "Christian character."

Recently I was assisting our Peruvian team in a training, teaching on the part of the lesson in which children actually RESPOND to the word of God. Suzanna asked why this is never included in her "teacher manuals." She showed me the one she was using. It included: a title, a bible passage, a narration of the passage, and a closing prayer. She explained that in an effort to be concise, people usually cut a lesson down to "the meat."

Unfortunately, the children present at that church service 1) will have no way to bring their real life into what they're hearing, 2) will have no way to bring what they learned mentally down into their heart and 3) will not be given an opportunity to respond to the word of God they have heard.

If your goal is to give data that will help a child in the future, by all means - cut it down and don't forget the beef.
But if your goal is to see real-life transformation for each child - now, while she is still a child - children's ministry cannot be about information.

EGM shows children's workers a way of ministering to children that:
Is based on RELATIONSHIP
Connects to real-life EXPERIENCE
Teaches the TRUTH of God's word
Uses DISCUSSION to connect real life to the truth, and
Culminates with a RESPONSE.

That's some tasty beef.