Yesterday I wrote about our experience with kids in a Large Group Ministry Time, and wondered how we could move some of these positive Large Group moments into our Small Group ministry times. I’ve come up with two ways we can help make this happen.
Video from Granger Community Church
First and by far the easiest way to accomplish this, and often the most overlooked by Small Group Leaders (SGL) is to simply pray with the kids. I’ve lead my fair share of small groups, and I know that sometimes it can get busy, wild, and loud quickly. Most SGL’s are simply concerned with maintaining order, and getting through all the steps required to get them to the end of their time together. It’s not that they don’t care about praying with kids, but that they forget. Or if they do pray with the kids it becomes something they do to maintain order.
But, what if? What if our SGL’s prayed with kids in a deliberate way? What if the SGL, or better yet the kids, spent time journaling the prayers of their group, and celebrated the answers? What if the SGL would be willing to skip other elements, if a heavy prayer request was made so that ministry could happen in the small group environment? What if we created an atmosphere of ministry time within the context by small groups, by training SGL’s to lead their own ministry time?
I’ve been convicted that maybe I’m not working to train SGL’s in the right context. Maybe I’m helping them all by teaching them the basic elements of small group leadership, but leaving out the one thing that will help transform a child’s life. The ability to help a kid hear God’s voice.
Do you have any testimonies of SGL’s that are teaching prayer to kids in a real and relevant way? Testimony time?
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