"Children are a gift from the Lord, they are a reward from him." (Psalm 127:3). Children are a gift and as a kids ministry leader, I get to see how much of a blessing they are every week. I see their pure hearts, them singing sweet songs to Jesus, their little hands raised high, and Jesus' love that shines through them to their friends and leaders.

Children's ministry is the most important! We get the opportunity to share unconditional love and tools to help grow them for a lifetime.

Children are important to Jesus. "But Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.'" (Matthew 19:14). It's made so evident throughout the whole bible that children are important to Jesus which means they should be important to us, too! As Christians, we know to show people Jesus' love, but it is so important to also share that unconditional love with children. In children's ministry, we get the opportunity to love sweet kids every week.

Children need a firm foundation. "Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it." (Proverbs 22:6). The time we spend with children at a young age impacts the rest of their lives because the things that are instilled as a child won't be forgotten when they are older. Kids ministry allows us to pour these core values into children while they are still growing so that when they grow older they will know these values. As we teach them bible verses to remember, they are able to recall those later in life in times of trouble.

Children are the NOW generation. "We will not hide these truths from our children, we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders." (Psalm 78:4). We often call children the next generation, but kids ministry can equip children to see the calling on their life and make a difference now. I see such bravery and light in the children at my church and they go on to share that with the other children in their school, or even their parents! This ministry is so important to give children the tools to make a difference now and in the future.

Children are the future leaders of your church. As much as this ministry impacts the world now through children, these kids are also the future leaders of the church. The values we instill in them now will spread on for a lifetime and allow them to raise up the generation after them as they grow older. These kids could be the next children's ministry leaders so it's important to give them a good base for that now.

Children need to feel God's love. Children's ministry may be the only time a kid truly gets to experience God's unconditional love. It's so important to raise up a generation of children that know their worth in Christ and know that they are loved. We don't know the background of each child we meet, but we get to make an impact on them just by loving them.

There are so many reasons children's ministry is important but even more so we need to remember how much of a gift and a blessing children are. This ministry is important but it's also worth it. Be a part of the children's ministry at your church and see how much of an impact you are making on the children and yourself. It is an incredible blessing to see the children grow and to get to love them and lead them in this season of their life.