Fun ingredient

adapted from Christianity Today

Four days ago, I spoke with a new children's ministry director. Full of energy and halogen-bright excitement, she bubbled with the bravery needed for the role. I asked her what she felt most enthused about for the year ahead.

"Our new core team worked all summer long making changes," she said. My breathing quickened as I anticipated her description. A 1000-watt leader with a small but high-octane team can move mountains together. Oh, tell me, please, what wonderful ideas do you have planned?

"And even though the kids might not notice anything new, the educational principles we'll use will help them learn a ton," she said, and watched for my response.

I just smiled and turned away.

Okay, that's a line I borrowed from the song "American Pie" and not actually what I did. My disappointment stayed masked behind my facial expressions, and I wished her well for a few more minutes. Then I walked away and cringed.

Before you start judging me too harshly (which I might deserve), you should know that our neighbors visited this church. Their kids loathed the children's ministry program, and the family never returned—to any church, as far as we know. While I'll never know for sure, I doubt they felt let down by the educational principles behind the lesson.

Any church with serious passion about inviting new families to attend better offer an engaging children's program. Engaging for the kids. A family that doesn't typically go to church will not force sons and daughters to sit through a boring experience. It's not worth the fight.

So what's a children's ministry supposed to do? No, I'm not going to pitch constructing an indoor theme park.

Instead, build up a new value: fun.

During my years at Promiseland, the children's ministry at Willow Creek Community Church, Sue Miller taught me (and anyone who listened to her) plenty about this often-overlooked element of successful ministry. Carefully consider her wisdom, earned from many years of experience:

The reason for this value is quite simple—kids won't come back willingly if it's not fun. And they certainly won't invite their friends. An absence of fun will result in an absence of kids.

Kids pay us one of their highest compliments when they say Promiseland is fun. This is a high value to us because children are more motivated to learn in a fun-filled environment. Let's be honest—you and I are more motivated to learn and serve when we're having fun, too!

I have good news about fun—it's easy to figure out! Here's our approach: Talk to parents about what kids like to do and watch how kids play outside of church. Add surprises on Sundays because kids love surprises. Mix in celebrations. Physical activities are a must. Sprinkle in humor that they understand. We know immediately if we're hitting the fun value—smiles and bright eyes say it all.

Look for grown-up grins, too. When kids are having fun, adults will follow. And when creative elements are added to staff and volunteer team meetings, maybe a mystery game or generous amounts of chocolate (every adult involved in children's ministry likes chocolate!), the result is a spirit of community that keeps the team together and eager for future meetings. Fun is an allegiance that becomes the wonder of other ministries. Think for a moment, is there any other area of the church that can say they count fun as a core value?

Walk through Promiseland during Christmas services, and you'll see volunteer musicians and singers in the halls performing lively holiday songs for passersby. Check your child into Promiseland this weekend and he or she will start the hour at an activity area of his or her choice—possibly table games, crafts, or a competition. Sometimes we have hat weekend or a surprise party for small group leaders (spraying them with crazy string is totally optional!). Over time, fun just becomes the attitude of the ministry.

Just as with all values, fun is used to guide the ministry in pursuit of its mission—fun itself is not the mission. When children truly enjoy their time in children's ministry, the environment is set for creative, relevant Bible teaching and life-changing, intentional shepherding. An important thing to keep in mind about the fun value is the danger in assuming that activities appealing to one age group will play well in others. Geography and demographics are important, too. Fun in Illinois might have subtle, yet important, differences compared to what kids think is fun in California or Canada. (In fact, I'm certain fun is easier in California!)

A final thought about fun. When your ministry gets this value right, kids start referring to your ministry as their own. And when you hear children describing what they do in your program using the words "My church," your heart will fill with affirmation that you are not crazy for what you do: You're just having fun.

And new families will return to your church.

Adapted from Making Your Children's Ministry the Best Hour of Every Kid's Week (Zondervan, 2004).