By Debbie Leonard

A few months ago a group of us got together to discuss Children’s Ministry and its purpose, goals and, ultimately, vision. It had been many years since our vision statement had been looked at and discussed. It had been suggested that we look at why we do what we do regarding our ministry to children. So after several meetings and lots of prayer, here is what we have: our “new” vision statement for 2014:

“Our vision for Children’s Ministry here at New Life Dresher is to guide our children to faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. We will work to prepare them to serve God, love others, and grow in their understanding of the greatness and worth of Jesus Christ.”

By God’s grace the Children’s Ministry at NLD will endeavor to:

• Partner with parents in the nurture and discipleship of their children in the Lord by providing a variety of ministries that aid them in this process during their early parenting years.
• Train and equip loving adults and teens to minister effectively to our children. We want to introduce the foundations of our faith, including concepts such as grace, sin, mercy, and justice, through age-appropriate curriculum and experiences.
• Model for our children and parents healthy Christian relationships in the body of Christ, as we worship and serve together.
• Provide opportunities for all families to be part of the church body. We want to give all our children a sense of belonging within the church family by including them in worship, missions, and outreach.

So there it is. I hope this allows you to see the purpose of this ministry and its importance. Of course, this is not a ministry that can be done by one person, or even two. It takes a church to minister to its children. The children need you, all of you, young or old, single or married, to help reach these goals, to help them meet Jesus.

Think about it: Where can I fit in? Pray that God will show you what your role can be regarding the next generation.