Wouldn’t it be great if you could pick up your local paper and find articles thanking your Sunday School teachers for the great work they’re doing with kids on a Sunday morning?
What if your local newspaper headlines were all about the great stuff happening at church…
“Kids make Tasty Snacks!” (Ooh, that could have been worded better.)
“Class Helps Dog Bite Victim.” (You know what I mean – Class Helps The Victim of a Dog Bite.)
“Kids on the Church Bus Should Be Belted.” (Uh, seat-belted, that is. Oh my – this isn’t going well!)
Since your local paper probably isn’t going to run a volunteer appreciation article, feel free to share this Children’s Ministry Teacher Appreciation Video with your teachers to show them how much you appreciate their service, and even more importantly, how much God appreciates their service!
We Need To Appreciate Our Children’s Ministry Volunteers
Hi, I’m Curt Nelson, and I have one of the best jobs in the world – I’m a children’s pastor.
And sometimes I feel like the most important task I can do on Sunday morning is walk around and tell each of our volunteers, “Good job! Keep up the great work!”
And sometimes people ask me, “Curt, why do you walk around saying that?”
No, seriously, sometimes people ask me, “Curt why do you walk around saying that?”
Okay, I’m going to keep waiting until you ask me.
Great! Thanks for asking!
I’ll tell you why I like to walk around and encourage volunteers. It’s because children’s ministry service is hard – seriously hard to do week in and week out – and it doesn’t get recognized enough.
At least — it doesn’t get recognized enough by other people.
Jesus Appreciates Our Children’s Ministry Volunteers
People may not appreciate our Sunday School volunteers enough, but you know who does take notice of and appreciate everything that happens in children’s ministry?
Of course, you know who it is — Jesus. I love Matthew 10:42, where Jesus describes how He notices every single little thing we do for the kids at our church.
That’s encouraging because we all know that working with kids is the hardest and most rewarding ministry you’ll ever have.
Let me say it again – the hardest and most rewarding ministry you’ll ever have.
Share this video to thank the volunteer teachers and childcare providers at your church. It’s free, and it just might lift someone’s spirit today.
Complete Transcript Below, But First…
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And if you’d like to show your teacher appreciation by giving each teacher a gift, we have a pretty cool article about making air-plant terrariums for your teachers for under $5 right here.
And finally, if you want to learn more about Children’s Ministry Teacher Appreciation, check out this great video from Michele Triplett at Creative For Kids.
And If You Want To Adapt This Children’s Ministry Teacher Appreciation Video For A Talk You’re Giving, Here’s A Complete Transcript To Help You Out…
I’m Curt Nelson, children’s ministry pastor at Northwest Hills Community Church in Corvallis, Oregon.
And today I’d like to share a story with you, back from when my daughters were still little kids, and my wife and I would read them a bedtime story, tuck them into bed, pray with them, and say goodnight.
That should have concluded our parental responsibilities for the evening, but one of my daughters, my little Emily, wouldn’t give up that easily. As I’d walk out of the room, without fail she’d ask a question like, “Dad? Do my fish sleep at night?”
“Yes,” I would say and start to leave her room again.
“Dad, do they close their eyes?”
“No, but you need to, now go to sleep.”
“Dad? Are fish scared of the dark?”
“No, Emily.”
“Dad…”
Just over and over, making up any excuse to stay up a little bit later, so finally I’d just have to cut it off with, “Goodnight. I love you, now go to sleep.”
Then, just as I’d get halfway down the stairs, I’d hear the question that kids always pull out as their last-ditch effort to stay up just a few more minutes: “Dad… I’m thirsty. Can you bring me some water?”
By this time, the day’s work had caught up to me and I just wanted to sit down in front of the TV and relax for a few minutes.
It was all I could do to trudge downstairs and get that cup of water and drag myself back upstairs to her room. Here you go! Now… sleep! I admit I didn’t always do it with a good attitude.
But then one morning, I was reading my Bible, and I came to Matt 10:42, and you know how you can be reading but not really paying attention. That was me, and I read, “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”
Wait, what was that?
“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones…”
Wait, God, are you talking to me?
“Truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”
Are you kidding me? God notices and cares about those little things?
That verse changed my life! Instead of grumbling and having a bad attitude when Emily asked for water. I’d be walking down the stairs after tucking her in, going, “Wait for it, wait for it…”
“Dad…”
Yes!!! Kapow!!!
“I’m thirsty…”
I’ll be right there, honey! Sweet – I get to serve Emily by bringing her a cup of cold water, and God notices and appreciates that. Even though it’s just bringing a cup of cold water!
And you know what that means? He appreciates everything we do in children’s ministry, not just when you present the Gospel, or baptize a kid, or visit them in the hospital, or train up a new volunteer, but also when you order butcher paper for the resource room, when you scrub a dirty whiteboard, when you run to the dollar store for last minute prizes, when you pick up trash after a meeting, etc.
God notices and appreciates every single thing you’re going to do this week. So let’s make Him proud, let’s go serve our little hearts out.
And if a kid tells you they’re thirsty and asks for a drink, just say, “Yes! Kapow!!!”
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