Ever wonder what the kids in your ministry are thinking, but not saying? Here are 10 things they won’t tell you but wish you knew…
1. We can tell when you come unprepared. Just because we’re kids doesn’t mean we don’t notice.
2. We love it when you use our names when speaking to us. It makes us feel special and like we belong.
3. We really do want to learn, we just sometimes need you to think outside of the box to hold our attention. Even though we may not always act like it, we care about what you have to say, we just have a lot of energy that’s trying to get out at the same time.
4. We can tell whether you really love us or just put up with us. It’s just as easy for us to see through a fake as it is for us to spot someone who’s the real deal.
5. We really don’t mind being corrected by you, but we hate coming to church and being yelled at by you. We don’t like being yelled at or talked down to anywhere, but we especially shouldn’t have to expect it to happen at church.
6. Just like you can tell from the very start how things are going to go the rest of the day, so can we. We know from the get-go whether or not you are in charge, or we are. We need you to lovingly yet firmly take control from the very beginning. We will respect you for it.
7. We like it when you use pictures, objects, and anything that we can see, touch, or pass around to remember your point. What we remember most is not the words that you said, but the point that you made. Give us something more than just your words so that we can remember your point forever.
8. We find it a whole lot easier to pay attention when you keep us engaged with questions, stories, and humor. We think you’re a great teacher, but you’re a whole lot more fun to listen to when you remember that we are kids, and we love to be engaged in your teaching. We also love it when you use us as volunteers in the lesson.
9. We really like it when you act crazy and have fun. We think you’re a pretty cool person. We’ve seen you acting crazy and having fun with us, and that’s the version of you that we like the best.
10. We especially like it when you take the time to talk to us individually and show us you care. We look forward to you coming around to greet us and ask us about our week. We like feeling that you know we’re there and seeing you go out of your way to make sure we know it.
These are things that are important to us and we want them to be important to you as well. Come prepared to invest in us because we’re like sponges waiting to be filled. Be ready to have fun and make memories with us because more than we will remember the impact of your lessons, we will remember you and the impact of your love. Please be patient with us, even when we least deserve it because we are filtering our view of God’s love through your life.
You are important. You are shaping us. We are the future. Invest wisely.
