Moving Kids Ministry from Entertainment to Faith Formation
- Eljoh Hartzer, MTh
- Jun 24
- 9 min read
Updated: Jul 24
"It's just babysitting" - "Kids need entertainment" - "What's the point?"
Kids ministry or children's church or Sunday school - whatever you want to call it - deals with statements like the above on the regular. I can't even count the number of times people have looked at me with sympathy in their eyes when they heard I'm serving in kids' church: "Oh, that's such an important ministry. Personally, I could NEVER do it, but it's amazing if that's your thing. Wow. Hats off to you."
This response gives me an icky feeling in my gut...
Have you seen the way a child's eyes light up when they grasp something new about God? Have you heard the faith they express in prayers filled with hope? Have you witnessed the no-nonsense way they jump from learning to application right away? I have and it changed me forever. There's a reason why Jesus spoke about childlike faith; it's golden.
This article makes the case for moving kids ministry away from entertainment and toward real faith formation. Entertainment alone is too small a vision for children's ministry. It is written from the perspective that young kids can truly encounter God, they are welcomed by Him, and seen as disciples of Jesus - despite their size.
This post is one of many free tools on Vine to help Kids Ministry leaders succeed:
May you find space here to pause, reflect, and abide.
What is the purpose of children's ministry?
Faith formation isn't simply learning Bible facts. It's the lifelong process of becoming people who know God, trust Him, love Him, and live like Jesus.
The word 'kids church' or 'childrens ministry' suggests that it should be a space where young ones can receive real ministry and real church. 'Sunday school', the more traditional term, takes this a step further towards teaching. It's discipleship in action.
The purpose of Sunday school / childrens ministry / kids church...
testifying to children about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit
teaching them how to read their Bibles and make sense of it
showing them how to do faith: Pray, Seek God, Abide in Him, etc
I'm all for including various program elements like craft, worship, storytime, and even a game in how I teach kids about Him. The thing is: There is nothing wrong with beaty and creativity and joy. But these items should support the Bible lesson; not distract from it.
Where did the idea come from that kids' ministry is just entertainment?
There are a few things that led to this preconception around kids ministry. I mean, it didn’t just one day happen that all of a sudden we see kids ministry this way. This kind of thinking has been around for so long that it's almost undetectable. It's not picked up by most radars, so we have to be intentional if we want to see it and address it.
Kenda Crease Dean said it this way: “If teenagers lack an articulate faith, maybe it is because the faith we show them is too spineless to merit much in the way of conversation. Maybe teenagers’ inability to talk about religion is not because the church inspires a faith too deep for words, but because the God-story that we tell is too vapid to merit more than a superficial vocabulary.”
Basically what she's saying is that if we are not teaching children the words of God and how to engage with the topics of the Bible, they simply won't know how to do it! The world is not going to teach them that; their friends definitely won't be able to do it either; and sadly the media that they're consuming will probably not do it.
The church is in a unique position to bring about a massive personal faith formation in the lives of children - one that flows over into their families and communities and even seeps into secular culture. It is a safe place where kids can explore, wonder, and play.
My favorite part of teaching Sunday school is not the 100th lesson about David and Goliath, but when the bullied child learns how to proclaim the name of the Lord over the giants in his own life. It's when Esther moves from being a story to kindling a spark of bravery. It's when they run to me with tears in their eyes proclaiming: "Miss Eljoh, it worked. We prayed for healing for my ear at home and He healed me. God is so real!"
It's not what people think it is. It's so much more. It's a real ministry.
The number one reason why kids ministry is seen as entertainment is because it has been done that way.
We don't view children through the lens of the Bible
Unfortunately, since the days when Jesus pulled a child into the midst of the disciples, we have gotten confused about what the role of children should be in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Nancy Going said that the church has often viewed young people through the lens of Psychology instead of Theology. She said this in specific reference to Erik Erikson's model of development where younger generations are placed on a literal lower level in a hierarchy... That is how the world views young people.
But the Bible does not actually share that view; and Jesus certainly didn't. Consider the following verses:
Matthew 19:14 "Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
1 Timothy 4:12 "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity."
These verses make it clear that God does not see a person as less-than just because they are young. So we shouldn't either.
Children don't just need...
excitement
noise
prizes
They also long for
belonging
wonder
real encounters with God
Consider what would change if we viewed children as disciples of Jesus rather than as problems to entertain while the adults are busy in church?
Helping children grow in faith
One of the churches I've been a part of had a statement that they spoke over the kids as they were sent out from big church and towards kids ministry. They said: There is no junior Holy Spirit!
What does that mean? Well, it means that the same God that a grown person encounters and is transformed by is the same God who's present in the Sunday school room.
The Holy Spirit is God-with-us, the Comforter, and part of the Trinity - and the Spirit is also the number one way we can relate to God today in a personal way (experience Him, hear from Him, access the gifts of the Spirit as glimpses of the Kingdom, and more). When we say there's no junior Holy Spirit, we are essentially saying that children can experience God in much the same way that adults can.
I've journeyed with children who have more mature faith than some grown-ups. The hunger of a child to truly understand the things of God, to live it out in their life, and to see the world restored and healed is a beautiful thing to witness. Helping children grow in faith is the same discipleship; the same Spirit; the same God.
That's easier said than done.
Would a child be allowed to bring a Word for the church?
Do they get to bring a prophetic song up during worship?
How will we react if the sermon is done by a child?
Some people would say yes to these questions, and others would say no. Perhaps you're not sure on which side of the spectrum you land yet - you can read this post about intergenerational versus age-specific ministry where I explain it in further detail. In it, I debate the question "Should children stay in church or go to Sunday school?" from both arguments.
I believe there is still a space for Sunday school, kids church, and children's ministry, but it must move from entertainment toward true faith formation. I want my children to experience God in ways that are fun, engaging, and unique to them, but I do not want to be forced to compromise the message they are taught.
How do I make Sunday school more meaningful?
I've worked in various forms of children's ministry for over a decade and the thing that I think is most important is that we address this foundational fault. I also went into it from a summer camps background, thinking it's all fun and games at first...
But then I saw the genuine interest they showed when I stooped down to their level and talked to them about Jesus instead of over their heads. I felt a small hand placed gently over my arm, saw eyes brimming with tears, and heard a quivering voice asking: "Can I also know Him?"
Kids ministry is so much more than babysitting.
Children don't only need to be entertained while big church is on.
Young hearts need to be discipled, welcomed, and invited to encounter God for themselves.
Some practical tips for moving away from entertainment-based ministry:
Keep it Bible-focused: Make sure the lesson and program are actually about God. Are you reading from the physical Bible? What are they learning that will help them grow in their personal relationship with God? It's worth asking whether every activity is helping children know Scripture more deeply, or simply keeping them busy. I'm a firm believer that you do not have to sacrifice Scriptural accuracy for beauty and fun. Everything on this website shop, from lesson plans to art prints, is basically created with that problem in mind.
Keep it real: You don't need bigger costumes or louder voices to connect with children. You don't have to be ridiculous to relate to children. Actually, children are the most perceptive to realness, and they decide very carefully who to trust... This is also how you will be able to keep the kids interested and engaged in your program.
Keep it intentional: There is still a place for games, but they need to serve the purpose of the lesson for that day. If you teach about Moses parting the Red Sea, play Open the Gates... If you teach about Jesus healing a blind man, do a blindfolded obstacle course... Even something as basic as snacktime can be used intentionally. If you teach about Jonah and the Whale, eat fish-shaped crackers... Read more about response activities that make sense instead of distracting.
Keep it connected: There's a big difference between "You can keep the kids busy while we do the service" VS "This is what we will be learning about in big church, how can you relate that topic to the kids?" This past Sunday our big church did testimonies and I got to share with the kids what a testimony is and have them think of their own... I explain more about slotting kids ministry into big church's vision in this post about how to build your children's church.
Keep it focused on lived faith: Remember the goal is a teenager who can read their Bible and know they have a relationship with God. They will get to make a decision... What can you do to get them there? Include the spiritual disciplines in your program with the kids: Read the Word, Silence, Worship with Music, Pray, Practice Generosity, Practice Hospitality, Wait on God, etc. Don't be scared to talk to them about their doubts and questions for God.
It doesn't have to be boring, it just has to be *intentional!
Before you go, I want to pray for you and encourage you that you are not alone.
God called you for this specific role for a purpose. You are in the right place!
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for sending this reader here today. I pray that you will cover all their worries and anxieties about their kids ministry in your love. We know that nobody loves the young ones we work with more than you do, Lord. They are yours. Today, we just surrender the ministry before you again and pray that you will receive the glory for it. It's never about us, Father. Please forgive us for when we've forgotten that you have a great plan! You are writing each of these kids' stories and you won't fail them. I pray, Lord, that you will inspire this reader with your Holy Spirit. Give them new ideas and insights on how to foster genuine faith formation amongst the kids they are working with. We pray all of this in your name, Amen
Ready to put this into practice?
Somewhere this Sunday, a little boy or girl will walk into your room carrying questions only God can answer. What a privilege that He has invited you to be part of the conversation.
One simple way to start this week is to set the lesson aside for a moment and begin with the real Bible instead.
📖 Read the Bible passage together from a real (physical) Bible (yes, the book).
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🎨 Invite children to color the matching illustration from the Gospel of Luke Coloring Book while you reread the passage or talk about what happened.
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💬 Ask one meaningful question."What does this story teach us about Jesus?""What stood out to you?""How could we live this out this week?"
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🙏 Pray together, asking God to help you put today's lesson into practice.
The coloring page isn't the lesson—it's simply a response to God's Word. My hope is that it helps children slow down, engage with Scripture, and carry the story with them long after Sunday is over.
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