Temptation and Christian Education Programs?

This coming Sunday the gospel reading is Jesus’ temptation in the desert from Matthew 4:1-11. The devil comes to trick Him into turning away from God. And it would have been easy for Jesus in His weakened state after 40 days of fasting in the harsh wilderness to give in or miss what the “tempter” was trying to do. But He doesn’t, and instead fires scripture back until the devil leaves Him alone and angels come to look after Him.

I started to think about my time in Children’s Ministry and how temptation can play a role. I’ve listed some of the ways and leave you to reflect on how many of these impact your own ministry. Don’t worry – there are also suggestions for dodging them.

#1. Temptation to Compare – “The church down the street has a booming kids’ program and we’re lucky to have a handful if any on a Sunday. How could we be more like them?” But you’re not them, and you may have those few kids because they would be terrified in a big church. Trust in God’s call to this work, and spend time in prayer listening to what God is asking of you in this place.

#2. Temptation to Add/Build More – “If we don’t have a program every day of the week, we’ll lose opportunities to minister. If we don’t have something for every age group we won’t get the people.” Our culture tells us to never be satisfied, and in church that’s helpful to a point. We don’t want to be complacent or in a rut and not allowing fresh winds of the Spirit to grow us, but just adding more to the schedule doesn’t mean you’re necessarily closer to God’s will for your ministry. You may accomplish far more by trimming back to the things you do the best and having better follow up with families.

#3. Temptation to Reminisce – “Remember back when we were in Sunday school? We had two – one before and one during church and those classes were full. The sanctuary was full. What happened? I wish we could go back.” This isn’t terribly helpful. We can’t go back in time. The culture has shifted, which opens up unique opportunities to share the gospel. As has been said, if Sunday school was so great then, where did everyone go? Define where you are now and thank God for the blessings and opportunities in front of you.  

#4. Temptation to Please Everyone – “People want better snacks/more exciting crafts/more technology/more contemporary music/more fun/more field trips/more cool…” This relates to #2 and the culture creating unrealistic expectations of getting what we want all the time. The church is not a business and attendees are not customers. We can’t possibly compete with secular entertainment. What we can offer is true community, faith nurture and relevance to living life. Spend the time in discernment of what God is calling you to do and then offer it the best that you can to God’s glory.  

#5. Temptation to Leave the Spirit Out of it – “Who’s picking up the snacks? Who’s locking up? Who’s buying stickers? Where are the permission forms?” All of these things may be important to a degree, but how strong is the element that distinguishes what you’re doing from a secular program? I’ve been there, where it’s tough enough to get volunteers without throwing a lot of “faith” stuff at them. Many of these people can have little church background and if the expectations of the church are to continue to offer lots of things, you need those bodies. However, if the cost is toning down the faith piece, for both participants and leaders, the cost is too high. Spend time being intentional about how to nurture and disciple everyone involved in what you’re doing. Make that standard higher than the nuts and bolts and logistics.

#6. Temptation to Go on Cruise Control – “Let’s just pull out what we did last year. Let’s get those people back again. Let’s finish early and throw in a Veggie Tales.” Yup, I’m guilty of this. When the to-do list has piled high, it’s easy to go with tried-and-true and not to be seeking what new thing might really inspire your learners. If cruise control becomes default, your kids will know. Figure out why it’s happening and try to fix whatever the cause is (exhaustion from any of the above temptations perhaps?). Your learners deserve something chosen for them and where they’re at now.  

That’s my top 6 list of temptations to name and stamp out the best you can in your Christian education programs. I’m sure you can think of more, so feel free to add a comment.

After we enjoy pancakes this week and then move into Lent with Ash Wednesday, it’s a good time to be reflective of our spiritual walk. Pray for those who challenge you and replenish your own well, drawing close to Christ and feeding on the Word. Be sure, also, to take some time to reflect on the spiritual journey of your programs. Pray for them and the leaders and families impacted. May all that we do in these ministries be in worship of and serving only God.