More than 1,100 people shed their old ways of ministering to children
and embraced new methods of evangelism and discipleship during the Assemblies
of God’s National Children’s Ministries Leadership "Empowering
the Next Generation" conference held in Springfield, Mo.
Children’s ministers
worship during a general session.
"I am challenged to find a place of ministry for every child in
our church," says Vicki Hopkins, children’s pastor at Oak
Hill Christian Center (A/G) in Evansville, Ind., as she waits for a
session to start.
Hopkins says she was disturbed to learn that churches lose more than
a third of their children during the transition from elementary to junior
high school. "I want the children to have such an experience with
God that we don’t lose them," she says.
The four-day conference, held in late April, was hosted by the Children’s
Ministries Agency. David Boyd, director of the agency, says the conference
built vital relationships among children’s ministers, some who
had traveled from as far away as Africa and Asia to attend.
"Friendships were built that allowed veteran children’s ministers
to share their insights and years of experience with the next generation
of children’s ministers," he says. "They in turn learned
new ideas and evangelism tactics from the younger children’s ministers."
Looking ahead with God-given goals became the underlying focus of the
conference. Participants at every level of leadership echoed their commitment
to use the resources and training they received to improve children’s
ministry in their communities. "I have pushed my goals ahead and
I’m going back with a recruiting spirit," says Sue Fugate,
who works with 6- to 12-year-olds at Riverside Church (A/G) in Sebastian,
Fla.
"This conference touched almost every area of children’s
ministry," says Glorious Shoo, who directs children’s and
youth ministries for the A/G in Tanzania. In addition to taking what
he has learned at the conference to children’s ministers, Shoo
plans to reach the students of Tanzania’s public schools with the
gospel and to warn them of the dangers of AIDS.
More than 250 workshops were held at the conference. "I can’t
attend all of them," says Lorinda Butler, who ministers to children
at Evangelistic Temple A/G in Nassau, Bahamas. "But I will take
some of the tapes back."
Exhibitors filled two floors of Central A/G, the host church, offering
the latest tools in reaching children for Christ. Whether the subject
was clowning, gospel illusions, Christian comic books or ventriloquism,
the emphasis remained the same – to tell children that Jesus is
the Savior of the world and He wants to have a personal relationship
with them.
Many conference attendees also took advantage of a free leadership
seminar conducted by Ron McManus of The INJOY Group a day before the
children’s ministries conference began. McManus told those gathered
that a church must have ministry to children. "If you don’t
have a children’s ministry," he warned, "your church
has no future."
