M I N I S T RY | K I D S
Using Digital Tools to Reach Kids How to bridge the gap from Sunday to Sunday By MICHAEL LENAHAN
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hen our church closed amid the pandemic in March 2020, we had two days to put together a digital service for Sunday. Like churches across the nation, we had to adapt quickly as a kids’ ministry. Our adult service has been online for more than 12 years. However, our children’s service had never been online. Suddenly, the only way to connect with our church family was online. But as we came together from a distance, we also gained new skills. We learned to minister in ways we previously had never even considered. COVID brought us out of our comfort zones and forced us to think creatively. At least for a time, COVID changed the way we do church. At the start of the pandemic, I helped the Assemblies of God National Office put together a relaunch program for churches. One thing we stressed to children’s pastors was this: Don’t stop! Don’t stop your online presence. Don’t stop
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connecting with kids and families who can’t show up for in-person services. Don’t stop thinking outside the box when it comes to digitally connecting and discipling through online resources. COVID helped children’s pastors answer a question that was always there: How do we connect with kids and families through the week, and how do we keep them connected when they miss a weekend service? The bigger picture is that churches need to bridge the gap between Sundays for all kids, and not just because of COVID. For a variety of reasons — divorced parents, vacations, transportation challenges, sports travel, illnesses, and more — many children can’t make it to our physical building every week. Kids can become lost in the shuffle when we don’t have the opportunity to check in with them on a weekly basis. There are so many other things competing for kids’ attention, they can easily get out of the
