5th
Great post by fellow Children’s Pastor Justyn:
Last week my wife and I took our four kids to the children’s museum right here in Las Vegas. We have an annual pass and our kids absolutely love it. This is an interactive museum. Kids can feel, touch, play and interact all while learning.
I was sitting down just looking around this two-story structure watching kids explore their world and having tons of fun doing it. All of a sudden I had a “what if” epiphany. What if children’s ministry was like this? For the most part most churches gather all the kids into a large group environment and/or small groups and teach kids about the Bible, etc. But, what if kid’s church had interactive exhibits instead? What if kids were dropped off into a place where they could explore the Bible, what it means to be a Christ follower by moving from one exhibit to another at their own pace? “Teachers” would be stationed at each exhibit ready to answer questions or help students engage in the activity. At the end (or beginning) they could all gather to worship and wrap up the church experience.
I don’t know any other church that does this. Our younger kids go from one room to another with different activities in each room, but this would be much different. This would be a huge facility that truly captures kids attention and allows a platform for leaders to build relationships and encourage kids like never before. Let’s be real, in every children’s ministry—including my own—some kids get bored. This structure allows kids to spend almost as much time as they want at one “exhibit” or they can visit as many as they want. Change the exhibits a few times a year—even rotate them to other children’s ministries. We could start a network where everyone shares exhibits just like real museums.
What are your thoughts? Could this work?
Justyn
