So You're a Small Group Leader

So you’ve signed on to be a small group leader in children’s ministry. You’ve met with your director and know the expectations and basics for service on Sunday. They’ve shared the vision for the ministry and what the lesson will be for the series coming up. You have your t-shirt and are ready to serve next weekend.

Then it hits you…the kids might ask you questions…questions you might not know the answers to!

First of all, don’t panic. You don’t have to know all the answers.

Second, I would like to share some resources that will help you feel more comfortable answering these questions and researching when you aren’t sure of the answers in the moment when a child might ask.

When it comes to questions about salvation and being able to communicate it on a child’s level, the best book I have read to date is “Leading Kids to Jesus” by David Staal. The author explains that you will need to use child friendly words in communicating with kids. For example using the phrase “asking Jesus into your heart” might confuse a younger child as they try to figure out how Jesus could fit into such a small space. The author talks about various topics from sharing your testimony to answering questions about faith. This is a valuable resource for anyone serving as a small group leader.

Another great book to reference is “The Holman Bible Concordance for Kids.” This book lists words from the Bible in alphabetical order with simple definitions and shows the scripture verses where those words are used. You can bring this to your small group to use when those questions come up or even allow the kids to look up the answers.

Another way to find answers to the questions your small group kids might ask is to find a book all about the questions they might ask. Two of the ones that I use regularly are “801 Questions Kids Ask About God” by Focus on the Family and “If I Could Ask God Anything” by Kathryn Slattery. Both books list the question, give the answer, and reference the scripture to back up that answer.

Lastly I want to reassure you that no one is expecting you to know all the answers to every question that your small group kids will ask. Be as prepared for the lesson as you can be and when in doubt tell the child you will find out that answer for next week.

Get ready for the most rewarding and challenging experience you will have in your lifetime. You are getting ready to build a relationship with your small group kids that will give you an opportunity to love on them and share God’s Word with them.

Praying God blesses you and your small group kids!