Why don't more Black Churches invest in Children's Ministry?

[Ricardo Miller Ministries]

I've been a children's ministry consultant for more than thirteen years and I've noticed something, that Black Churches make very little to no investment in children's ministry. Why is that?

[Scott R. Newman]

Childrens ministry? I was just discussing this with a good Christian friend of mine about having our children snatched out of our hands as parents as soon as we walk into a "cherch". I used to believe highly in a church that has a good "childrens ministry" until God had opened my eyes to that deception.

Firstly, since we are a family with two small children ages almost 7 years old and my daughter who will turn 5 years old next month. I don't want my children whom I'm charged over as their father for my son to be removed out of my presence by a stranger in a "cherch" to be sent into some back room as well as my daughter being ushered kicking and screaming into a strangers hand to another room that is broken down by age for the proverbial "childrens church". I've seen a lot of these "children churches" that for the most part have very little to do with the Gospel of Christ, but engage in I believe fairy tale like lessons with no real meat of God's Word.

I felt horrible when for the first time I was stressed to have my then 4 yr old son to go with strangers to another room outside of the sanctuary to be taught separate from what we as his parents were being taught, and taught what?

Why can't we all sit together in the sanctuary in the pews together? Why divide families even more as we are in the name of "childrens church". The same message we hear from God through the angel of the church (pastor) is the same message I want my children to hear.

I had finally put my foot down in disallowing my children, especially my son who just recently asked me, "Daddy, why don't you want me to sit with you and mommy in church?" He felt we were abandoning him in the name of God. As if he was being punished for not being allowed to listen with his father and to worship and to praise our Lord and Savior as ONE family. That will never happen again. I want to know what is being fed to my children. First of all, the pastor is not the one who is charged and commanded to teach my children, I am as their father and as the head of the household. The pastors job is to confirm what I taught throughout the week as we have daily devotions in our home. Sunday is just and should be confirmation day. I am called to teach my children the ways of the Lord so they shall not depart from it.

So when I decided to keep the family together at "cherch" as we all sat together among the other congregates, something powerful started to happen. My son who is on my right and as my daughter is next to him and my wife is at the end. And as we open God's Word, I share my Bible with my son and my wife shares her Bible with our daughter as my son see's the same word as his father that the pastor speaks from. And the most powerful example and move of God happened just a couple of months ago as we all were in church and the pastor spoke about the law of God, the ten commandments in the book of Deuteronomy. My son's eyes looked up at me and he smiled. You know why? Cause his daddy, me taught him the law just the day before on Saturday as confirmation from the Lord. He was thrilled that he already knew this and when we were driving back home afterwards he said to me, "Daddy, can we sit together again at church cause it was fun reading the bible with you and singing the hymns together as a family"....

Never again will I allow sista sapphire snatch God's inheritance and my seed out of eyes and ears reach from his parents again. Childrens church to me is for parents who don't have time or are not feeding their own children at home and just need a break from them in church. That is not how we roll.

[Lester Demings Jr]

That's an easy question.
The leader can't get any money out that.
The leaders in some churches will only invest time and energy out of what they can get a financial investment in.

[Adrian Lamar West Sr.]

Where do we get all of these different ministries from, When the MASTER himself taught ( Suffer meaning permit, the little children and forbid them not.) If we are truly teaching it is for all. Do not need to invest. Just preach/teach the Gospel of the Kingdom.

[Scott R. Newman]

Amen brother Lamar and the same pastor that can preach to me and my wife is the same pastor that can preach to my son and my daughter, that is if the spirit truly dwells within him. And that's what is so powerful and great about God's Word it can speak to the hearts of the old and the young simultaneously.