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Empower Kids for Ministry Using the Ezekiel Principle

Ezekiel Principle

If you are like me, you have struggled with finding leadership in your church weekly, monthly, and anytime there is a large event.

While doing my doctoral studies, it hit me one day: When a child is only allowed to sit and listen in a classroom for eighteen years, the results are the same every time.

They become adults and parents who do not want to serve, not because they are lazy, but because they were not taught as children that they had value in the body of Christ and gifts to use for His glory.

There is an old saying, “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.”

From Ezekiel 47:1-9, we see five phases of spirituality that I call The Ezekiel Principle: on the bank, ankle deep, knee deep, waist deep, and swimming.

In order to take a person into the spiritual depths with God, we must move them from the bank of the river into the deep end and fully submitting to God.

This is what we taught our leadership, and we saw a new passion and excitement in the lives of our children, preteens, and students.

 

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Helping Children Hear the Voice of God

During one of our summer preteen mission trips, the Lord spoke to one of our leaders through a little girl. Maggie (5th grade) had an impression during one of our evening worship services to pray for this adult leader.

She walked Hearing the Voice of Godup and asked the leader if she could pray for them. The leader said, “Sure.” So, Maggie began praying, mentioning three things the Lord had put on her heart.

Well, it doesn’t seem like a big deal until you hear the other side of the story. The leader she prayed for was feeling discouraged that night. Before this little girl prayed, the leader was in the back of the worship center praying and seeking the Lord. While the leader was praying, three specific things were heavy on their heart.

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How Do Children Find Purpose in the Church Today?

You might ask, why am I here? Why do I exist? For every child in the church today, there is a desire to find purpose and identity. Thinking even more deeply, how do we help a child find their purpose in Christ’s church, and do they Purpose in the Churchreally have a purpose at such a young age? I have wondered this myself. Like Jesus’ disciples, I was guilty of hindering children in their walk with Christ. I assumed that their faith was only about taking in information, not about expressing it. In reality, Jesus was speaking to me just as He spoke to His disciples who were with Him every day. Remember His scathing rebuke to His disciples when they hindered the children from coming to Him? “For of such is the kingdom” (Matt. 19:14). Maybe they didn’t see the children as persons to be heard, but only seen. I want to say this with all my heart, KIDS HAVE A PURPOSE IN THE CHURCH TODAY! In fact, children who have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior especially do because God has gifted them for service. Here are a few steps you can take to make a shift in the way you minister with kids:

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Four Highest Priorities of Children's Ministry

Four Highest Priorities of a Children’s Minister

If you are like me, children’s ministry keeps you very busy. So many times, I have found myself in the tyranny of the urgent, putting out fires and moving from one fire to the next. childrens ministryYou must have your priorities in order to see success. Here are four priorities that will help you keep a clear focus:

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