Here’s the reality. Parents won’t keep fighting a battle with their children every Sunday morning and dragging their kids to church if they don’t want to go. Here are three reasons kids won’t want to come back to church (and why should eliminate those reasons from our ministry).
They Think It’s Boring
Let’s be honest. We adults don’t want to be bored in church. That’s why we stop coming back. It’s the same for children. If they’re bored, they’ll throw a fit about going and understandably so.
Yes, you want your children to be learning the truth about who God is and what He has done. But solid biblical teaching is not opposed to a fun and engaging teaching method.
That’s why at Go we prioritize getting children out of their seats and into the story. It’s anything BUT boring. We’d love to give you a free lesson to try out for yourself.
Regardless of what curriculum you use, though, make sure it’s fun. God isn’t boring. The Christian life isn’t boring. Church shouldn’t be either.
They Don’t Have Friends There
Children are far more apt to come back to church if they have meaningful relationships – not only with their leaders but with the other children.
So, help them make friends. Partner them up with other kids for games and activities. Ask “get to know you questions” to help them connect with one another. Create a “buddy” system so that every new child has a buddy to show them around.
There are a thousand ways you can facilitate friendship among your kiddos. In fact, we have a whole post on cultivating friendships among your children. You can read it here.
It’s Not Relevant
There are a lot of children’s ministry resources that are biblically sound and even fun yet don’t connect to the lives of the children. The examples and analogies are outdated. The kids can’t relate what they learn on Sundays to their lives on Monday.
So, make sure it’s relevant. Think like a child. If you don’t know what they’re going through, ask them. What are they dealing with at home? What is the hardest part about school? What’s going on in their friendships?
Find out and make sure your ministry is addressing their needs.
Don’t give your kiddos any reason not to come back to church. Make it fun. Help them make friends. Keep it relevant. It’s not hard – but it does take forethought and intentionality.
