Heartprints

The Good News about Children’s Ministry?

Do this, don’t do that, live right, do right, don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t have sex, don’t hate and don’t sin. These statements aim at doing right, and used many times in children’s ministry. The statements convey moral standards that children are to obey in order to please God. As leaders we can all turn to each other, pat each other on the back and say, “good job, we just created moral robots and future rebellious kids!” Some of you reading this may repel back from these words in anger or confusion. You may submit a good question such as, “Are morals or rules a good thing?” Yes, they are, but morals placed in their right place. What do we want our children to believe and follow, mere moral codes?

Do this, don’t do that, live right, do right, don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t have sex, don’t hate and don’t sin. These statements aim at doing right, and used many times in children’s ministry. The statements convey moral standards that children are to obey in order to please God. As leaders we can all turn to each other, pat each other on the back and say, “good job, we just created moral robots and future rebellious kids!” Some of you reading this may repel back from these words in anger or confusion. You may submit a good question such as, “Are morals or rules a good thing?” Yes, they are, but morals placed in their right place. What do we want our children to believe and follow, mere moral codes?


Morals are standards to obey, and morals are not the gospel. Jesus verbally proclaimed the gospel as a message to be believed, and for all to repent (change their minds – Mark 1:14-15). Jesus knew how people thought and he used men as an example of repentance, the disciples (Mark 1:16-20). The disciples left their normal, non-sinful fishing industry job to follow Jesus according to Jesus’ verbal command for them to follow (Mark 1:17). Our children may be doing a “good” or “moral” thing, but they may not be following Jesus. Therefore, the gospel is not a moral code to obey, rather, a verbally proclaimed message to hear and believe. The believer’s life is now changed to follow Jesus wherever Jesus wants them to go.

If we communicate a moral repentance for our children to follow, they will only obey or rebel against the rules. If we communicate a gospel-repentance for our children to follow, they will believe in and follow Jesus. As our children grow older, their lives will be filled with gospel obedience and discernment, versus a moral robot or a rebellious destructive life. The gospel will guide them to whom they are to marry, what kind of college to attend, what friends to have and how to make disciples of others. Associate Christianity to belief in the gospel, and repent from ever associating obedience to moral standards as pleasing to God. Our children, families, staff, leaders, pastors and church will be filled with joy and not needless moral burdens giving guilt rather than allowing Jesus to remove the guilt! The gospel is the good news about children’s ministry, let us repent and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15)!

To be continued …

Further Reading:

The Trellis and the Vine

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This is part of the blog posts series from Missional Education on the gospel in children’s ministry.