There is something really exciting happening in our children’s ministry right now: we are growing!
Over the past several months, we have seen a consistent increase not only in the number of children participating at Second Baptist, but also in how consistently they are showing up. Our Sunday School classes, Wednesday night programming, and special events are all welcoming more children into the life of our church.
Many of these children come with their families, but we also have a significant number of kids from the neighborhoods surrounding our church who are doing something I think is incredibly brave: walking through our doors on their own.
I think I notice those kids in particular because, many years ago, I was one of those kids. For much of my adolescence, I attended church without my adults. In a very real way, the church helped raise me.
When I went through a hard breakup in high school, Lynn Stubblefield, my Sunday School teacher, made sure a bag of my favorite gummy bears was waiting for me the next Wednesday night.
When I was getting ready for my senior prom, Tracie Hoot and Holly McMichael, both Sunday School teachers and leaders who accompanied us on all kinds of crazy adventures, were there taking pictures.
And when I was a sophomore in college and drove from Waco to Houston in the early morning hours because my dad had suffered a heart attack, BJ and Holly McMichael were already in the ICU waiting room when I arrived, making sure I wouldn't have to be there alone.
Those relationships started because adults at my church noticed the kid who showed up and decided I was worth getting to know. There were plenty of times in my young life when I didn't know if I believed in God. But I always knew my church community believed in me. That is the power of these relationships.
Every time our kids walk through our doors, I want them to discover that same sense of belonging. I want them to know, without a doubt: You belong here. You are loved here. There is a place for you here.
Creating a Community of Belonging
Creating that kind of belonging takes all of us.
On Sunday mornings, we have three children's Sunday School classes happening simultaneously, and we need both teachers and shepherds to help make those classes possible. Teachers use the curriculum we provide to prepare lessons, with plenty of resources and support from me and other seasoned teachers. Shepherds require no lesson preparation. Instead, they serve as a consistent, caring presence, greeting kids at the door, learning their names, and helping wherever they are needed.
Then there are Wednesday nights. We have a lively bunch of kids showing up faithfully every week for music, a short lesson, games, and lots of time building relationships. Currently, Wednesdays are primarily led by me and our paid childcare staff, and I think that represents a missed opportunity for our larger church community.
Some of our kids only come on Wednesdays, which means they could be part of 2B for months without really getting to know many of the adults who make up our congregation. I want to change that.
There are plenty of other ways to serve, too: Parents' Nights Out, camps, Trunk or Treat, summer events, and so many other opportunities throughout the year. My vision for our children's ministry is really pretty simple: connection and belonging.
Our children are not simply the future of the church. They are the church right now. They have gifts to offer us, questions worth listening to, and things to teach us about who God is and who God is calling us to be. Serving in children's ministry is an opportunity to disciple a child, but it is also an opportunity to be discipled yourself.
What Our Children Need Most
I know that for some of you, working with children may feel outside your comfort zone. Maybe you've never done it before. Maybe it has been a long time. Maybe physical limitations make you wonder whether there is really a place for you. There is.
We will work around those limitations. You do not need to sit on the floor, chase kids across the playground, or climb the jungle gym to have something meaningful to offer. More than anything else, what our kids need from you is you. They need adults who will know them and let themselves be known by them.
Research into the faith of young people who remain connected to the church as adults repeatedly points to the importance of these relationships. Having multiple adults beyond their immediate family who knew them, invested in them, and took their faith seriously can make a lasting difference in the lives of young people.
And building those relationships often begins with the smallest things. Remembering what a child told you last week builds trust. Noticing when they haven't been there tells them they were missed. Learning their name tells them they are seen. You may think you are just handing a sad kid a bag of gummy bears. But you're really showing a child that they belong to the big, beautiful church family.
There Are So Many Ways to Show Up
I am not asking everyone at Second Baptist to become a children's Sunday School teacher. But I am asking all of us to consider how we show our children that they are a valued part of this community, not only with our words or our financial support, but with our time and our presence.
Volunteering doesn't mean you will never see your own Sunday School class again. It might mean stepping away for a few months each year. If Sundays aren't possible, come spend some Wednesday nights with us. Or join us for a special event. There are so many ways to show up.
Because ultimately, I don't want our children to grow up remembering that Second Baptist had a good children's program. I want them to grow up remembering people. People who knew their names. People who were glad when they walked through the door. People who listened to them, laughed with them, taught them, and learned from them. People who were there in the ordinary moments and who eventually became the people they called on their way to the ICU. People who showed them, again and again: You belong here. You are loved here. There is a place for you here.
That is the children's ministry I believe we are building together. Come join us.
