One question that I frequently receive from churches runs something like this: “There are so many children in our community groups! We want to do something with them, but we can’t figure out what to do. Right now, groups are just hiring babysitters, but there’s got to be a better way. What do we do with children in community groups?”
The good news is that there are better ways to work with children in community groups, and that’s why I’ve written this post.
What you’ll find in the outline below are:
- five foundational truths,
- three unhealthy models, and
- four healthy models for incorporating children into community groups in your church.
At the end of this post, I’ve also included this same content in a PDF handout for you to use in your church.
To learn more about different approaches to engaging with children and families in your church, take a look at the book Perspectives on Family Ministry.
Foundational Truths about Children and Community Groups
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You can—and should!—see children as signs of God’s blessing (Ps 127:3-5).
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Because you have a responsibility to make disciples of every nation and every generation (Mt 28:18-20), children are not a distraction; they’re part of your mission.
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Children should be welcomed into community (Mk 10:13-16).
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You have an opportunity to partner with parents in their discipleship of their children (Eph 6:4).
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You are responsible to create environments that eliminate to the full extent of your capacity any possibility that any child might be abused in any way by any babysitter, volunteer, or other child; if there is any suspicion of abuse, you are responsible to report this suspicion to appropriate legal authorities before you report to anyone in your group or in your church.
Easy But Unhealthy Models for Community Groups
1. Lord of the Flies
Children isolated together in other rooms or in unseen areas
Strengths: None
Weaknesses: Too many to list
2. Adventures in Babysitting
Children overseen by a solo babysitter
Strengths: Relatively easy, consistent
Weaknesses: Risk and potential liability escalate when solo babysitter is watching children from multiple families, little or no spiritual formation for children
3. Here We Are Now, Entertain Us
Children watching a family-friendly film, with a sitter or with volunteers in view of group
Strengths: Relatively easy, consistent, can help children to look forward to community group
Weaknesses: Disagreements among parents about content, incapable of maintaining children’s attention especially if multiple ages are involved, little or no spiritual formation for children, risk and potential liability escalate if solo babysitter is watching children from multiple families
Healthy and Simple Models
4. Here We Are Now, Entertain Us—But, Now, with Jesus!
Children watching well-produced videos that teach biblical truths, with a sitter or with volunteers in view of group
Possible Sources for Videos:
What’s In the Bible? (whatsinthebible.com); The Bible Project (thebibleproject.com/all-videos/); JellyTelly streaming video (www.jellytelly.com)
Strengths: Provides some discipleship, relatively easy, consistent, can help children to look forward to community group
Weaknesses: Incapable of maintaining children’s attention especially if multiple ages are involved, risk and potential liability escalate if a solo babysitter is watching children
5. Colour My World
Print activity sheets or coloring sheets each week that coordinate with the text that you’re studying, provide each child with a designated clipboard, children complete activities among adults, talk about what they’ve done at the end of group time
Possible Sources for Worksheets:
Resources left over in the children’s program in your church; Ministry to Children website (http://ministry-to-children.com/)
Strengths: Provides some discipleship, relatively easy, consistent, can help children to look forward to community group
Weaknesses: Incapable of maintaining some children’s attention especially if multiple ages are involved
Healthy But Hard Models
6. Meet Me Halfway
Plan an activity in which children and adults can participate together at the beginning of community group each week; dismiss children for videos or other activities while adults engage in deeper discussion and prayer
Strengths: Children are discipled and welcomed into fellowship
Weaknesses: Requires some preparation and intentionality; incapable of maintaining some children’s attention especially if multiple ages are involved
7. Come Together
Fully integrate children into community group, including questions they can answer, using catechism questions in which everyone participates, having children read Scripture
Strengths: Children are discipled and welcomed fully into fellowship
Weaknesses: Requires time-intensive preparation and intentionality, some topics may be difficult or inappropriate for children
Next Steps That Every Community Group Can Take
• What is one step that your group could take in a healthier direction?
• How could your group welcome children as blessings and partner with their parents more effectively?
• How could your group increase safety for children either by placing children in sight of the group or by rotating a cycle of volunteers so that children are never overseen by one individual?
Printable PDF handout for use in your church
