WHY SHOULD I DO L.I.T. AT MY CHURCH AND WHAT IMPACT WILL IT HAVE?
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WHY SHOULD I DO L.I.T. AT MY CHURCH AND WHAT IMPACT WILL IT HAVE?
Partnership between the Church and Families
L.I.T. Ministries provides churches with resources that create a partnership between the church and families in the discipleship of their children. Through this successful partnership, children are fully engaged in discipleship at home and at church and are provided with a ministry platform for service in the church. Here is how it works:
What Does L.I.T. Look Like at Home?
Through the L.I.T. Parent Training Resource, parents learn that their priority should be putting God first in their homes. This is done by prioritizing church and by setting aside time for their child to have a daily quiet time (5-15 minutes each day) using Nehemiah Kids (1st-4th grades) or L.I.T. (preteen) devotionals. These devotionals help children grow in their personal walk and relationship with Christ daily. It also helps parents build a biblical foundation in their child’s life. Parents know what their child is studying and can help them apply what they learn to their everyday life at home and at school.
What Will L.I.T. Look Like at My Church?
L.I.T. is best suited for Sunday or Wednesday evenings at your church. L.I.T. focuses on two important aspects of ministry: discipleship and equipping children/preteens for ministry. The average time is between one and a half to two hours in length.
Disciple (small) Group Time
With properly trained parents, children will arrive at church having studied and completed their daily devotionals at home. During Disciple Group Time, the leader reviews what the children have been studying in their homes. Because the children have been doing their daily devotionals before arriving at church, they are ready to go deeper in their study of God’s Word. It also allows their Disciple Group Leader to involve them within their small group using their spiritual gifts.
Ministry Training and Equipping
During this time, children are trained and equipped for ministry using their spiritual gifts. The training can include learning how to teach, run technical equipment, lead worship, greet people at the door, manage a resource room, carry out administrative tasks, and much more. You can also train them in creative art ministries, such as puppets, drama, dowel, and tech.
Children Serve Regularly in the Church
Through the weekly training, children/preteens are encouraged to serve in the church on Sunday mornings. Many churches have their preteens leading the children’s worship service. They teach, lead worship, pray, organize games, and run the sound system. Children can also manage Sunday morning check-in. When properly trained, children can be an added new element to your leadership team. Some of the churches we work with have preteens teaching extended session and working in the preschool at the church under adult leadership.
What Is Unique About Our Devotional and D-Group (Disciple Group) Materials?
Devotionals
In the devotional books, children/preteens have a weekly memory verse to learn. Their daily devotionals give them a deeper understanding of the memory verses. If children were memorizing John 3:16, each daily quiet time (devotional) would have them studying passages of Scripture that reinforce the meaning of the memory verse. Another advantage is that every child in their age group is reading and studying the same materials, which makes it easy for the D-Group leaders to bring application and understanding to what the children have been studying.
D-Group Materials
The Disciple Group resources used by the leaders reinforce the memory verses and give more depth of study to that particular passage of Scripture. The advantage of the home devotionals is that children arrive to their groups prepared and ready to learn and develop a deeper understanding of what they have been studying. The advantage for the leaders is it gives them freedom and more opportunities to involve the children in their groups using their gifts.
When Can Children Serve in the Church?
The answer is right now! We believe that every believing child has been gifted by the Holy Spirit for ministry today. Our role as the church becomes exciting as we find creative ways for them to minister and serve. L.I.T. training will help your leadership develop an enthusiasm for seeing children as younger brothers and sisters in Christ. The ultimate goal of their calling is to help children/preteens be successful in serving the Master.
