May I confess something to you? I never really enjoyed doing the children’s sermon when I was a pastor. The kids would come to the front of the worship center and then head to children’s church just a few minutes later—with the children’s sermon in between. I was the pastor, but I was more nervous speaking to the kids than I ever was preaching to adults.
Nevertheless, I would regularly (so, every week) do a children’s sermon if I were pastoring again. Here’s why:
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It forces me to communicate at a child’s level. Never does it hurt a preacher to think about communicating to kids rather than seeking to impress adults with his preaching. If we can’t reach the child with our approach, it’s likely we’re not good at reaching adults, either.
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It invites kids to hang out with me for a few minutes each week. This benefit may be the least recognized one: giving kids an opportunity to spend even five minutes with direct attention from the pastor can change their relationship with him. If they know and trust him, they’ll turn to him later on.
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It gives me an opportunity to learn a few names. Every church member that I shepherd has a name – and I will lead them better if I know their names. I can start that process by learning the names of kids who sit before me during the children’s sermon.
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It requires that I be concise and clear. In just a few minutes, I must tell a story, explain it, and help the kids know how to apply it. Words are at a premium, so I can’t afford to stumble – and I should learn that being concise and clear is just as important when speaking to adults.
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It pushes me to come up with mental pictures and illustrations that will help the children understand. Kids need concrete examples, so I spend time finding the best illustrations to help them get the point. That approach would help me be a better preacher overall.
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It requires that I get on my knees or sit down when speaking to the kids. Maybe I’m the only preacher who wrestles with pride, but it wouldn’t hurt me to put myself in a position of humility once in a while.
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It demands that I help my listeners come up with action plans based on the Word. Children need practical, simple steps to apply the gospel in their lives. So do adults – and in my opinion, it’s the preacher’s job to help them get there.
Pastors, does your church use a children’s sermon? What would you add to this list?
God’s been working on me to do just this. Exactly what form it will take, I don’t yet know.
Also would add to your list that adults who are developmentally delayed might finally understand the gospel by seeing/hearing a children’s sermon.
I loved doing the Children’s Message when I pastored. It was an opportunity to really communicate with those little ones. I remember one morning doing a message on God’s gift of Jesus, and to illustrate, I held up a 1 dollar bill. I told the children, “Whoever is first to take this dollar can have it.” One girl who was sitting beside me grabbed it and stuck it in her pocket. After church was over she came up and started to hand the dollar back to me. I told her that it was a gift, and that it was hers. I used that later to show that God’s gift of salvation is not temporary, but eternal–it never expires. I have had adults who later told me after the children’s messages that they got more out of it than they did the regular sermon. Deflated ego..not really.
I have been doing children’s sermons for 38 years because of a challenge my Old Testament professor challenged us with: “If you cannot translate the core of your sermon to a 6 year old, you don’t know what you’re preaching about.” Preparing succinct and simple children’s sermons has been a delight every Sunday