A Key Ingredient in At-Church, Kids' Discipleship

Imagine this. It’s 6:20 in September on a Wednesday night in Darlington and, at 311 Pearl St, things are happening. Upstairs, middle and high school students are investigating archaeology and the Bible. Downstairs, you can hear “Jesus Loves Me” and see pictures in a wonderful story-Bible in the nursery while, in another room, elementary-age kids are looking at what the Bible says about what it means to be a Christian. There is fun, discussion, and—best of all—transformation accomplished by God’s Spirit using his Word.

Did you notice anything missing above? The leaders!

Adult leaders are a crucial part of how God works in the lives of children. They are the ones who deliver the Word, provide an example, and help kids work through the normal struggles that kids experience. Leaders are like shepherds guiding their little flock.

Real discipleship includes real challenges, misunderstandings, and distractions. And in the world today, technology can fail, weather can be bad, and even diapers can let us down from time to time. But part of the beauty of the local church is that God uses our imperfect situations to bring about his purposes. And one of the keys to this is having a team of leaders who love God and love kids. Leaders are like shepherds guiding their little flock.

When things are going smoothly, the leaders will get to see God use them to carry out his plan through their plan. And when things are challenging, those same leaders get to see God work through difficulty… and that is his speciality. Often, He uses the attentive, caring leader in amazing ways through the challenges of working to disciple young people. Leaders are like shepherds guiding their little flock.

Thank God for the adult leaders who shepherd our kids!