Make Every Lick Count!

Meet America's most adorable grand sons,
Gavin (2-years-old) and Joey (5-years-old)

Here is a Billy Burns Kid's Ministry 101 teaching point. Young kids CANNOT eat ice cream without getting it all over their face. You don't even have to be in children's ministry to know this. EVERY parent and grandparent knows that once the cone hits the lips, the ice cream will soon be all over the child's face and on the clothes, right? Fortunately, the children eventually learn how to make every lick count and not a single drop of ice cream will be wasted. That will be a bitter sweet time. The face and clothes stay clean but you won't get to experience those beautiful ice cream smiles and kisses.

Here's a question for you. Are you making every lick count in your children's services? Is every second that the children are with you being used to its maximum potential?

Several years ago, I had an adult call my office and request that I officiate a memorial service for her 10-year-old nephew who had just been brutally killed by her sister's live-in boyfriend. She shared with me that her nephew had recently been in our Easter Extravaganza service. The boy had specifically attended because we have a helicopter fly over our soccer field in each of our 3 Easter services and drop 15,000 pieces of candy per service. (Watch the candy drop http://vimeo.com/10709393). In this conversation, I learned that this was the only church service that the child had attended in his entire life. After hearing this news, my first thought questioned if we had made every lick count. Did we effectively, clearly present the good news of a risen Savior? Did the message penetrate beyond a candy-obsessed brain and reach into his heart? Only eternity will answer my questions.

How about your children's ministry? Are you making every lick count? Are licks being wasted that could have impacted a child's life? You just might have a first-time and only-time child in your service. Let's make every lick count!