Pray for Your Children’s Pastor

from the heart of a volunteer:

I have one simple piece of advice for all volunteers and children’s ministry workers out there. If you want God to bless to your children’s ministry:
PRAY FOR YOUR CHILDREN’S PASTOR!!!
I was meeting with our Children’s Pastor this past weekend about some changes to the children’s ministry at our church. As we sat and discussed those changes and curriculum and volunteers and staffing and supplies and kids and so many other things, one thought continued to run through my head:

Wow! She’s got a lot on her plate!

She was not lamenting the amount of work. Quite to the contrary, she was excited about all that God is doing in our church and our children’s ministry. For all the times I have prayed for the kids in my ministry and my fellow workers, I realized in that moment that I have not been consistently and fervently praying for the person God has appointed to lead the ministry. I have prayed for her from time to time, and about specific issues the she has been facing, but I realized that I have been less than intentional about praying for her in the position God has appointed her to. I took some time last night to repent of that failure on my part to God, and this morning I began a regimen of praying not only for the ministry but for my Children's Pastor
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If you are short on ideas of what to pray for, here is my list of things you can pray for for them:

• Wisdom to cast a God honoring vision for the ministry.
  • Vision is a lot easier to talk about than develop and implement.
• Perseverance to continue to run the race and not wear down.
  • I think we would all agree that children’s ministry is the most rejuvenating and the most exhausting ministry all at the same time!
• Inspiration in planning curriculum and events.
  • These people are responsible for what our kids learn about God every Sunday (and oftentimes in between). Pray that their inspiration in making those decisions would come directly from God.
• Patience in dealing with kids, parents, and yes even volunteers.
  • I don’t think I need to say much more about this!
• Guidance as they teach God’s Word.
  • Those who teach God’s Word will be held to a higher standard.
• The ability to “take a break.”
  • As we all know, children’s ministry can easily become all consuming. These people live children’s ministry in both their professional and personal time.
• Protection from the enemy and temptation.
  • Successful ministry are always under attack. As the leader of the ministry, children’s pastors/directors are particularly vulnerable to such attacks.
• Their spouses, children and extended families.
  • Ministry takes a toll on the family as well. Remember the family of your children’s pastor in your prayers.
• That all they do would be centered and grounded in Christ.
  • It is so easy to get caught up in the details and the day-to-day and forget that what we do is supposed to be all about Christ.

There is so much more that you could be, and should be, praying for for your Children’s Pastor but this list should get you started. If you have more ideas, please leave them in the comment below.

Whether you let them know that you are praying for them or not, your Children’s Pastor will feel the impact of, and benefit from, you talking to our Heavenly Father about them. Take a second right now and pray for them!