ORLANDO, Fla. — In partnership with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Pastors’ Conference, Lifeway Christian Resources hosted a free, one-day micro-conference on kids ministry. More than 250 church leaders registered for the event held Monday, June 8.

The micro-conference combined times of training by representatives of Lifeway’s Kids Ministry team and times of roundtable discussions with fellow kids ministry leaders from local churches.

Delanee Williams, kids ministry specialist at Lifeway, told those gathered at the Orange County Convention Center that the goal of the micro-conference was to encourage and equip kids ministry leaders and provide an opportunity to network with other leaders from across the Convention. “Our team wanted to carry the pastors’ conference theme ‘Together’ into the micro-conference. During our time today, we’ll discuss how we can be together for kids, together with families and together as the church,” said Williams.

After an icebreaker activity around tables, Jana Magruder, strategic initiatives director for Lifeway’s NextGen team, kicked off the conference by unpacking some characteristics and greatest needs of Generation Z and Generation Alpha, the generation currently involved in kids ministry.

Magruder noted research indicates this generation of children and youth is searching for belonging and identity. The church can provide both biblical belonging in Christian community and help young people find their identity in Christ.

Williams then explored findings in Lifeway Research’s State of Discipleship study and discussed the importance of discipleship within the context of the local church. The study found only half of churches (52%) have an intentional plan for discipling individuals in their congregations and encouraging their spiritual growth. Of those churches that have an intentional discipleship plan, 45% have a single discipleship plan, and 50% say each ministry within the church has its own discipleship plan.

“Many kids ministries have activities that support discipleship, but few have a wise discipleship plan,” Williams said.  “Lifeway wants to come alongside churches and help them develop a plan for kids’ discipleship, because we know the church flourishes when young disciples are being formed.”

Williams shared Lifeway’s “levels of biblical learning,” which equips parents and teachers with a tool for discipling kids in a systematic way from birth through high school, recognizing the way God created them to learn.

“While God nor His attributes change, a child’s level of understanding does.” Williams said. “A wise plan of discipleship recognizes the child’s abilities and provides a framework by which parents and teachers can help kids learn and receive the gospel of Jesus Christ and learn how to live the Christian life and grow as disciples of Jesus Christ.”

Together with families

After discussing discipleship strategies within the church, the team shifted focus to how churches can make young disciples by partnering with parents.

Magruder shared results of a Lifeway Research study that found the most significant activities in childhood that were indicators of stronger spiritual health in young adults. The top five included the child regularly spending time in prayer, serving in church while growing up, listening primarily to Christian music and participating in church mission trips/projects. The No. 1 indicator was the child regularly reading his or her Bible while growing up.

“God’s Word is the only thing that can transform hearts, so of course it’s No. 1,” Magruder said. Parents can help their children develop Bible-reading habits by speaking Scripture over them as babies and then moving them from Bible board books to a read-along Bible and finally to a full-text Bible, she said.

Magruder and Landry Holmes, Lifeway’s manager of kids ongoing Bible study curriculum, talked about the importance of matching the type of Bible to a kid’s age and then offered practical advice on how to engage kids in God’s Word in the home. Holmes suggested highlighting Scripture verses with a yellow crayon or highlighter even if the child isn’t reading age yet.

Together as the church

The Lifeway Kids team ended the micro-conference by discussing ways churches can build a culture of belonging for the kids in their communities and how to engage the whole church in children’s ministry. Pointing to Lifeway Research’s “Flip the Script” study, Magruder emphasized the value of leader relationships. 

“Every child needs a leader who loves them and every child needs to know Jesus,” Magruder said. “The heart of our ministries has to be reaching the hearts of our kids.”

In addition to those who are already volunteering to teach or serve in the children’s ministry, leaders were encouraged to think of creative ways to involve other adult believers — prayer walking the children’s area, praying for a new believer, sharing about a mission trip or helping prepare supplies.

“Kids ‘discipleship doesn’t happen from a distance,” Williams said. “Children need to be known, loved and guided by leaders and parents who model faith in everyday moments.”

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Carol Pipes is director of corporate communications for LifeWay Christian Resources.)