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It seems to me that God, in his providential kindness, has given us a great opportunity during this period to reflect on all that we do as ministry in the context of the local church. Perhaps we should consider it as a refining process.
In many ministry areas we are pragmatist, operating in ways we’ve inherited & that appear to work. Sometimes our pragmatic ways are exposed to be not only poor theologically, but actually contra scriptura.
My concern is specifically for children’s, youth & families ministries. So questions I think we should be taking this opportunity to ask are:
1. Should we go straight back to what we were doing before the pandemic?
1. Should we go straight back to what we were doing before the pandemic?
2. Do our patterns of ministry support parents in the discipleship of their children & seek to equip parents well?
3. Are our current models ecclesiologically helpful? What do our models of kids/youth ministry communicate either consciously or sub consciously about the church?
3. Are our current models ecclesiologically helpful? What do our models of kids/youth ministry communicate either consciously or sub consciously about the church?
4. Is our overall focus in our kid’s/youth/families ministry correct? What is our primary task & are we discharging our responsibilities wisely & in a God glorifying way?
5. Is the way we staff & resource our kid’s & youth ministry the best for the children & young people entrusted to our care - often endless rota’s with little consistency for the children.
I realise these times are demanding without having the pressure of strategically rethinking! But I think this is a once in a ministry lifetime opportunity to make some careful changes without the heat that’d normally be attached to changing the way ‘we’ve always done things’!
