At RMCM, our philosophy about children’s ministry is that it should be genuine ministry, and not just day care or baby sitting. We believe that God has commissioned us with the responsibility of raising up the next generations to know and follow the Lord. Our children are the next generation of Christians who, should Jesus not return in our lifetime, will carry the message of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. We believe that children have the same ability to know God, hear His voice, and minister in His name as adults do. In many cases, children are more sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit because of their innocent heart attitude. We want to be sure that in all we do we are equipping our kids to be strong relevant Christians in the world in which they live.
With that in mind, the goal of our children’s ministry is to help them develop their own life-giving relationship with God. This is accomplished by teaching children the scriptures, encouraging their own personal growth in Jesus Christ, giving them opportunities to serve, and modeling the Spirit-filled Christian life for them. To accomplish this goal, we maintain a team of Children’s Church teachers, and assistants that serve on a rotating 5-week schedule.
The first week is known as “Kids For Countries.” This is our opportunity to introduce children to the idea that they, as believers, have a global, as well as local, mission. We try to make our teaching about missions relevant by focusing on a particular country. We talk about culture, economy, religion, etc. and encourage kids to intercede on behalf of that country.
The next three weeks of the schedule are spent teaching from a Bible-based curriculum. We teach from units that focus on subjects like the Fruit of the Spirit, the Armor of God, and loving God through worship.
The last week of the schedule is called “Operation Outreach”. The children and teachers go to the local nursing home to minister to the residents there. This gives the kids an opportunity for hands on ministry to hurting people. It encourages a vision for local ministry and service and helps kids to recognize the value of the elderly.
At this time our children’s ministry is for children ages 5 – 11. As our children’s ministry expands, we look forward to offering an infant nursery ministry, preschool, and early and late elementary classes. We also look forward to encouraging more local evangelism by offering “Backyard Bible Clubs” in the summertime, and more missions involvement through prayer, letter writing, and financial support. Children’s ministry is an essential part of God’s plan for the entire family. Find out how you can be involved!