I hate it when people talk about teams. I find it cringe. At my school, the classrooms used to have posters that said stuff like, “Teamwork. Teamwork. Team work. Teams work.” Or “Teamwork makes the dreamwork.” So so lame.In youth and kids’ ministry, we’re aiming to help youth and kids become like Jesus to the glory of God. This means helping them grow in their faith as we read the Bible and pray, being focussed on mission and inviting people to know Jesus, creating a welcoming atmosphere, and being active in serving.

Many Kids’ Church teams are blessed with teenage leaders. At Hope Church, we have a team of junior leaders that we call “LiTs”. They are a great blessing to our teams. However, given that they are younger and have less life experience than the adult leaders on their teams, they will require specific support as we grow them into godly, competent leaders and teachers of God’s Word. Here are a few thoughts on how we can support them.

At one level, MCing at Kids’ Church is one of the easiest jobs to do. If you have a good system going, you can prepare it in 10 minutes. But it’s also one of the hardest jobs to do as it involves a lot of up-the-front stuff.

The kids’ church talk is finished. You head off into our discussion groups. You walk over to your table. There are no chairs. There are a couple of pencils but they’re blunt. And there’s no red or green. You have the sheets from last week. And … you’re not really sure what you’re meant to be doing. But you’ve got five kindergarten kids with you waiting for you to do something. Except for the kid who has sensed your uncertainty and run away. And the other one who keeps interrupting you with anecdotes about Pokemon every time you try to speak.

You’re sitting in a meeting with your Kids’ Church team. Your leader tells you that you are down for a talk next term. You’re freaking out! What? Why? How on earth do I do this? It can feel pretty daunting. But fear not. You can do it! Here are ten tips to help you on your way.

In youth and children's ministry, leaders pour their hearts into their work, sacrificing time on Friday nights, Sunday mornings, and various points throughout the week. The sacrifices are worth it. But after a long week/term/year, it’s easy to forget what we’re on about, why we’re on about it, and how we go about it.