• Next Generation Partnership
Partners for the Next Generation
Recently, our church sponsored a Photo Contest. However, the photo submitted had to answer the question: What do I love about my Church?
After a lengthy process, I concluded, “I love my church because it has been willing to partner with me to influence the next generation of the children.” That was it.
That really narrowed down the picture options. Our mission program—global impact—focuses our global emphasis on a few regions of the world, developing long-term relationships.
So I have partnered with our church’s short- term missions program doing children’s ministry. Together we are investing in the next generation of leadership that will make a difference. My church helped support many of my overseas Kid-Mission Trips. Now after twelve years those children have grown up. We have stayed involved with their leaders and churches only to discover that the partnership is working.
I have partnered with my church, other missions and missionaries that have included:
- Organized and Conducted Evangelistic campaigns for children.
- Conducting Vacation Bible Schools and rallies for kids.
- Mission Conference—children’s program for missionary kids.
- School Assemblies in public, private and mission schools.
- Children’s outreach programs while Medical Teams help adults.
- Distribution of two Containers of Rice—Meals of Love for India.
- Building Playgrounds (three of them)
- Distribution of a Container of Books and Bibles
- Resource Centers (7) Set up and provided training for outreach.
- Leadership Training Events
- Village Evangelism ministries
- Training Children’s Ministry Teams (Puppetry, music, testimonies, object lessons, dramas/skits, gospel magic, and Bible Storytelling)
- Translation, printing of children’s follow-up booklet and resources.
Here are some observations that I have made about this partnership that has made this work for us.
- Joining in your churches missions work enjoys more support for you and your ministry.
- You are only as good as the “man on the ground.” Working with qualified admin types who make all the arrangements can make a huge difference in the kind of success your ministry can enjoy.
- Focus on the aspects of your ministry that you do best—those ministries that fall within your giftedness and the scope of what your children’s ministry is about at home.
- Developing long-term relationships will enhance the impact the future of your mission work in that region or country.
- Being able to contribute to meeting capital needs—like building churches, schools, water wells, and playgrounds advance kingdom infrastructure.
- Participating in meeting real needs like medical, dental, clothes, shoes, books, personal items and food open up incredible doors for the advancing of the gospel.
- Developing leadership training and helping to provide resources advance ministries and leadership for future growth on the church.
- The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. I challenge you to consider just how God would use you and your ministry in foreign lands of opportunity.
We are influencing the next generation of church leaders by taking the gospel to the children. Are you open for God to use you? Look for Partnerships to help you!
(Above is the photo I submitted, my photo did not win, but by my partnership is what matters most!)
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