2 Things That Cost Nothing But Are Incredibly Valuable: PASSION & URGENCY
Passion and urgency. These 2 things cost nothing and yet are so incredibly valuable to anyone involved in kids ministry. When you actually believe what you’re saying and when you know that you’re not just filling a spot or wasting time ‘hanging out with kids’…that’s when a fiery passion starts to burn in your heart. When you know that the lesson you’re teaching is actually making a difference in a kid’s real life…that’s when a sense of urgency kicks in.
So, let’s first talk about teaching. This might sound silly, but it’s possible to teach lessons that you don’t really believe. It’s possible to just look over a teaching outline, maybe even memorize something you’re supposed to say, and then stand before a group of kids and regurgitate it. What that teaching undoubtedly lacks is conviction and passion. Passion comes from something much deeper - a personal connection to that very thing you’re teaching about. It is a belief that what you’re saying is indeed true because it has been true, important and helpful in your own life first. When you take the time to apply the teaching to your own life it gives you a different kind of connection because it has become real to you first. That, I’ve found, is the root of passionate communication. You’ve got to actually connect with and believe the stuff you’re talking about.
Now, about urgency. If you don’t have passion and conviction that what you’re saying is true, important, helpful and even necessary, then why would you feel any type of urgency in teaching that message? Quite simply: you wouldn’t. Urgency says, “Shoot! This teaching can actually make a difference in a kid’s life! It can help them understand God, guide them, help prevent them from making big mistakes, teach them wisdom and how to make good choices, and instruct them about what’s right and wrong. This lesson actually matters!” And when you truly believe that what you’re teaching is relevant and impactful, that it matters in a real way in the life of a child, a sense of urgency to share it with them seems to happen quite naturally.
This takes us though to the actual content itself and the necessity of good quality curriculum resources and lessons, because passion and urgency aren’t engaged with light and fluffy, boring, irrelevant and meaningless talk. Passion and urgency cannot be stirred up within a Sunday School teacher with a lesson that doesn’t connect on the ground in real-life or is just designed to be an activity to keep kids busy while the adults are in their service.
To be clear, I love fun and games, crafts and snacks just as much as the next person. I’m all about making the entire Sunday School experience epic and of the highest quality possible. This is super important. Still, all of that is secondary to the main thing: the lesson. The teaching. If that’s not actually the main focus, I’m not sure what we’re really doing here. No game has been that amazing that it’s changed the way I make life decisions for the better. No snack has been so incredible that it’s led me closer to Jesus. Well, there was that one time I ate baklava in Turkey, it was heavenly…but still no. Understanding Biblical truths, breaking them down in a simple way that is relevant and applicable to my real life, that has impacted me for sure. And that is the very thing that will impact kids and change their lives.
So the key is this: in order to have passion and urgency you’ve got to start with good content. Solid lessons. Great curriculum. Stuff that is relevant and applicable in the real life of a child. If you’ve already got that, amen! But if you’re taking an honest look at things and realizing that passion and urgency is lacking in your kids ministry, within yourself or among your team members…then I encourage you - it’s time you start looking for better stuff. The next generation deserves the very best from us, and because passion and urgency should be minimum requirements for kids ministry.
