How Do We Minister to Children When There Are Few?

Our church is filled with retired people. We don’t have many children. How can we minister to the children if there are so few of them? 

Every church would love to have a nice mix of young and old people, but there are times when, for a variety of reasons, that doesn’t happen. In setting up a ministry to children, the default position is to set up classrooms separated by age, like a school. If you have just a few children, though, that might not work for your church. But there are resources designed specifically for small churches. Dwell Flex, available from Faith Alive Christian Resources, suggests ways to teach multi-age classes. 

You have a unique opportunity to use the rich resources of an older congregation. Older church members’ experiences can provide stories, wisdom, and perspective for all the people in your church. Work specifically to connect children with some of the seniors in your congregation to be prayer partners or pen pals.

Children, teens, and adults can learn together. Talking about personal connections with a Bible passage or story instead of asking only fact-based questions can engage everyone. Having people respond to Scripture by creating something artistic also makes space for everyone’s involvement. Participants will not only learn about the BIble but will build relationships.

A variety of publishers offer resources to help you connect generations. Our go-to resource is the intergenerational We curriculum from Faith Alive. Using We’s lesson outlines, you can create your own intergenerational events too.

Intergenerational connections strengthen community and enhance the faith formation of all members of your congregation. A church with many retired people, like yours, seems well positioned to make this a significant part of your ministry.