What is Your Framework for Ministry?

Ministry is a profound responsibility. If we get it wrong, we risk teaching error and believing falsehoods. Our theology should not be based on feelings or circumstances. Instead, our understanding of theology—and, by extension, ultimate truth—comes from God’s word.

The Importance of Sound Theology

When it comes to children’s ministry, no one is comfortable with the idea that a child could go to hell. However, people are not saved simply because they are cute, young, or well-liked. Conversely, a child does not need salvation because they are disliked, struggle academically, or lack life experience.

The dividing line between the saved and the unsaved is both simple and divine: those with sin are in need of a saviour.

Sin is simply missing the mark. For the Jews, it means breaking the law, while for Gentiles, it refers to breaking their own internal law. Access to God’s forgiveness comes through embracing Christ—believing in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead and confessing with our mouths that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9).

Understanding the depths of depravity that sin leads to, especially in the presence of a righteous God, makes the work of the cross even more glorious. This is the theological framework upon which our entire faith is built, and we must not dilute it.

The Impact of Our Understanding

Teasing out the minutiae of whether an individual child goes to hell may seem irrelevant for most of the children in our care. Yet, our understanding of this issue will frame every aspect of our ministry. After all, most children will grow up to be adults. A strong theological understanding of the need for salvation will impact how we minister.

If we believe that children do not need to be saved, we will lack the urgency that Jesus expresses concerning children. In Matthew 18, Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep, concluding in verse 14: “Even so, it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”

If we do not see the need for children to be saved, we will simply be laying a foundation for a future time. Instead, we should seek to bring them into a living relationship with God while they are young.

The Role of Love in Ministry

Where there is sin, there is a need for a saviour. However, our responsibility as ministers to children does not end with sharing the truth. We must do so in a godly way. As we serve the children we work with, we are in this for the long haul.

We do not want to scare children away from hell; rather, we aim to usher them into heaven with the truth of God’s word. Standing before children and telling them they will all burn in hell unless they accept Jesus immediately may be true, but it is not delivered with a demonstration of God’s love. This approach can ultimately be counterproductive, as it does not reflect the Father’s heart.

To put it another way, we must build other frameworks on this theological base. The second framework is a pastoral one—everything we do must be done in love. We do not hide the truth, but we also do not use it as a rod to beat children into submission. The grace and love of God expose sin and draw people to Him.

If parents are mourning the loss of their child, we would lack compassion if we only looked through a theological lens and told them their children were not saved and were now destined for hell.

Deepening Our Understanding

If a truth makes us uncomfortable, we, as mere humans, do not have permission to change it. Instead, we must deepen our understanding of God’s truth by searching the Scriptures and seeking His perspective on humanity. The pastoral framework must not dictate the theological framework, but the theological framework does shape the pastoral.

If we allow the pastoral to change the theology, we open ourselves to deception—a state we are warned to be alert to.

Building a Ministry Framework

On top of the pastoral layer, we build the ministry framework. In light of the theological and pastoral considerations, how can we effectively minister the truth of God to the children and young people in our care?

We must not shy away from speaking about sin, but we should do so with the humility that comes from knowing we are sinners, perhaps greater than the children in our care. This was the Apostle Paul’s attitude when he described himself as the chief of sinners. We do not stand and wag a finger at their sin; instead, we create space for the Holy Spirit to convict them. We should not rush from a place of conviction that leads to the freedom found in Christ.

A Helpful Framework for Ministry

As we reflect on different aspects of ministry, I have found this to be a helpful framework for thinking about our practice with children:

1. Discover the Theological Truth: Begin with the foundation of truth.

2. Consider the Pastoral Heart: Reflect on the pastoral heart required when expressing this truth.

3. Plan Elements of Ministry: Develop ministry elements that do not deviate from the theological truth and are wrapped in the pastoral heart of God.

   
   

To do anything less is to deprive children of an encounter with the true and living God. This is our privilege. This is our responsibility.

Frameworks for ministry