Scripture reveals that children are special to Jesus. In one instance, parents were taking their children to Jesus for Him to pray for their little ones. Jesus welcomed this act of trust and dedication. However, the disciples thought that Jesus was much too busy to consider any of these children and they tried to stop the flow of parents and children to the Lord. Jesus responded to the disciples actions by saying, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these" (Matthew 19:14). There was never a time when Jesus turned children away. He always welcomed and included them in His ministry, just as He did with adults. 

As Jesus was concerned with children, so should the local church. The church is to be a place where children are welcomed and trained in the truths of the Bible. Sadly, many churches do not see children as Jesus did and, as a result, put little effort into developing a ministry to children that is well planned and intentional in training. Of course training within a children's ministry should begin with building biblical foundations in infants and preschoolers and should culminate in guiding older children to Christ. The process should then continue by developing these children into faithful disciples. Many churches may not have a well-defined children's ministry simply because they do not know how to organize and plan a comprehensive children's ministry. Others may lack an intentional ministry to children because they just do not want to invest the time. Whatever the case, it must be stressed that Jesus viewed children as a valuable part of the kingdom of God. Therefore, the church must strive for and fulfill this vision of Jesus.

The following steps are designed to help the leadership of a local church to plan and develop a comprehensive ministry to children that is biblical and intentional in introducing children Christ.

1. Develop a purpose for the children's ministry
The leadership of the church should meet and pray asking God, "What do You want to accomplish through this children's ministry?" Begin to write down items that God reveals to you about the structure and direction of the children's ministry. From these God given ideas, develop a purpose statement for the entire children's ministry of your church. 

The purpose statement should be general, brief, and biblical. Be sure to support your statement with Scripture. This statement will provide a boundary for the entire ministry. Every activity and program should fit within the boundaries of the purpose statement. In writing the purpose statement consider these three fundamental truths.

a. God has a concern for children (learning and discipleship)
b. Children can have a relationship with God (evangelism)
c. Children have a responsibility to others (missions)

Write a purpose statement for your children's ministry that encompasses the truths just stated. The purpose statement can read something like this:

The Children's Ministry of ________________ church exists to train children in the following areas:
1. (fill in as God leads the group)
2.
3.

2. Evaluate your current ministry to children
Assess each age group separately to determine if the current programs and activities fit within the purpose statement developed. If not, then those activities or programs must be eliminated or altered to fit the standards set. Evaluate the spiritual progress each age group is currently making by asking, "Are these children growing the way God intends?' When answering this question, consider the following categories.

a. Developmental effectiveness-Is there an intentional effort to reach out to children at their level of understanding?
b. Complementing activities-Do the activities and programs currently in place work together to effectively enhance the spiritual learning of the children?
c. Evangelistic emphasis-Are there intentional efforts to present the truths of the gospel on the children's level of understanding?

Evaluating the spiritual condition of a specific age group is very subjective, that is, it is your opinion. Only God knows their true spiritual condition. However, answering this question should reveal to the planning group the strengths and weaknesses of the current ministry. This is the information needed for the next step.

3. Set goals for each age group within your children's ministry
The previous exercises have revealed the spiritual condition of the children within your ministry. This is a starting point. You must know where the children are spiritually before you can set a direction for them to grow. In setting the goals, consider the following tips.

a. Each age group should have its own set of goals. The reason for this is because children have different learning capabilities at different ages. A first grader does not learn as a sixth grader does. Neither can a first grader learn the material age appropriate for a sixth grader.
b. Goals are specific and measurable. They should be skills and knowledge that God desires for the children to learn. When setting goals consider the age and learning capabilities of the children. 
c. Goals should fit well within the purpose statement. Use the fundamental truths mentioned in step number one as a guide for setting goals.
d. Goals should be achievable. Do not set goals that are impossible for an age group to achieve. 
e. Goals should be biblical. Support each goal with Scripture. 

4. Develop a strategy to achieve the goals set
Now that the goals are set, determine how best to achieve them. Each activity or program within an age group will have its own strategy to accomplish the goals set. Here are some tips to achieve the goals you have set.

a. Each activity or program within an age group should have a part in striving toward the goals set. Here is something to keep in mind. Each activity and program will not achieve ALL of the goals individually. However, the activities and programs TOGETHER will achieve ALL the goals set. For example, you may have eight goals set for one age group and the music program of that group is designed to only achieve two of those goals. This is acceptable as long as the other activities in the age group achieve the other six.
b. The style of teaching must be age appropriate. Teachers must understand how their age groups learn and be equipped to teach accordingly.
c. Plan to achieve the goals set in a twelve-month time frame. Write a timetable of steps to achieve goals. Section this timetable by months and quarters. Be sure to share this timetable with all teachers to make them aware of your expectations. 
d. Build intentional evangelism into the strategy where appropriate. Determine which programs and activities will intentionally present the gospel to children. Train the leader of this program to present the gospel to children (consider using the Sharing God's Special Plan with Children materials). Determine how and where the one-on-one counseling will occur. Determine who will do the follow-up with the children and their parents.
e. Incorporate teacher training in your strategies. Train the teachers in the children's ministry to work with their specific age groups. Consider requiring teacher training for all who work with the children. 
f. Be accountable for all of the time the children are in your care. Plan for NO wasted time when the children are at church.
g. Teach not only for head knowledge, but also for a heart change. The ultimate goal of any ministry is to guide individuals to a personal and active relationship with Christ. As you are planning be sure you include activities to allow God to work in the hearts of the children.
h. Use a balanced approach. Not all activities can be 100% evangelism. Neither can all activities be 100% outreach to the community. Consider the goals you have set and equally distribute the responsibility for achieving those goals among the activities you have planned.

5. Measure the progress toward achieving the goals set.
Measuring the progress toward achieving the goals will allow you to see if the ministry is heading in the right direction. Measure regularly and reward the teachers and children for making progress toward the goals set. Each activity must be flexible enough to adjust if you realize one is not helping to achieve the goals. Also, if one or more activities are not accomplishing what you want, evaluate the teachers' methods. The teachers may lack the proper training to teach the age group they are with.

6. Spend some time working on the small details of an effective children's ministry.
Consider these items:

a. Budget-Is there enough money to do all we want to accomplish this year? If not, how can we raise more money (or cut our plans)?
b. Calendar-Be sure that events for the children are scheduled at appropriate times. For example, do not plan events on holidays or peak vacation times. Consider the parents' schedules and financial situations when planning special events.
c. Recruit and Train Teachers-Look for teachers who have a desire and are gifted at working with children. Pray for God to direct you to workers. Enlist others to help you pray and search for workers. Once you have them, give them proper training. Do not throw new teachers into a room of children without adequate training and preparation.
d. Plan an agenda for each activity. Know who is doing what and for how long. If the teachers are not prepared to train the children, the children will control the class and the teachers.
e. Keep the church informed. Present to the church the progress of the children's ministry; even the small steps. Inform them of new and upcoming events. Share your vision and strategy with the adults of the church. When they are informed, they are better equipped to support and pray for the ministry.

7. Evaluate the ministry as you put your planning to work.
As the ministry is progressing ask yourself these questions:

a. Did this activity achieve (or make a step toward) the goals set?
b. What worked well in this activity?
c. What needs to be improved upon in this activity?
d. Did we have enough workers in this activity?
e. Were the workers prepared?
f. How could I have better prepared the workers?
g. Were the workers properly trained in working with this age group?
h. What head knowledge did the children gain as a result of this activity?
i. Was the gospel presented in this activity? Was it presented with integrity?
j. How well was the one-on-one counseling done with the children?
k. How well was the follow-up with the children and their families done?

No ministry is perfect. But if we take the time to develop a comprehensive plan for intentional teaching, our ministry becomes much more efficient and effective. God desires for everything in His church to be done in an orderly fashion. "But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way" (1 Corinthians 14:40). Planning and structure enhances order and allows the activity to better focus on God and His plan for our lives.