Scottie May, associate professor of Christian formation and ministry in Wheaton College, was recently interviewed by Leadership Journal. The topic had to do with children’s ministry and in the discussion May identified three approaches to ministry defined by the prepositions to, for, and with. Ministry to children operates according to preset expectations, whether theological or programmatic. Ministry for children tends toward providing presentations that children simply watch. Ministry with children invites them to actual, intergenerational involvement in church life. He believes ministry with children is the most sound approach to nurture a vibrant faith in the children. One particular statement caught my attention. May observes:
Many churches … do ministry for children. Children sit and watch, often viewing elaborate sets, staging, lights, and music. It seems entertainment based, with “fun” being a high value. Fun is great and important in a kid’s life, but not at the cost of diminishing the presence of the living God. A sense of awe and wonder at God’s majesty and love has been lost in many churches today.
As I pondered the significance of May’s insights, I realized that much of what he says is relevant not only to children’s ministry but to every other age-level ministry in the church. Many times the question that we are more concerned about is, “Are we having fun yet?” We are afraid that people would get bored or disinterested with what’s going on in the church. The temptation is to step-up the entertainment factor of our activities so that, hopefully, there will be those who will be attracted to our events. But entertainment has fleeting value; “fun” does not last. And when a particular entertainment loses its attraction, we will start looking for the next diversion.
Church ministry is not about providing some distraction for people to escape momentarily the problems they face in this world. Rather, we should be about ushering people into the presence of the One who can actually do something about the life issues that confront them. When we get to know God as he really is, when we come to recognize his absolute majesty, we will be overwhelmed with a holy awe that will sustain us for the long haul—both on the high peaks and in the low valleys of life. As Ravi Zacharias would put it, we need to “recapture the wonder” that transforms us and our whole outlook on life. The question that should concern us, then, is, “Are we having awe yet?”
—Keith Y. Jainga