If you've ever watched the TV show, you know there are some pretty smart 5th graders out there. AND, you may also have concluded that you are not as smart as you thought you were! I'll confess that I don't always know the facts as well as those kids do but it does challenge me to step it up when it comes to ministry to kids.
I want children's ministry to push kids to think about how to connect God into their lives. I want to challenge them to think big about God and to see Him as a normal part of life, a personal friend without whom they could not function. A lot of the facts they memorize in school (remember all the dates you had to learn?!) are necessary for a well-rounded education but they don't necessarily translate into life application. Similarly, knowing a ton of Bible trivia might help a kid in a quiz format but unless he or she KNOWS God personally, they will find those facts to be of little help when they need spiritual direction. I want them to know God, not just know about Him.
It's the difference between knowing about prayer and knowing how to pray. I know about flying but you wouldn't want me in the pilot's seat because I don't know how to fly a plane. Whether you are a parent or a BayKids volunteer, let's be sure we know what we're teaching because we practice it ourselves and let's push kids to experience God at their level and learn to know Him for themselves.
