There are a lot of misconceptions out there about what Children’s Ministry is and isn’t. Here are the top 4 I’m hearing right now:
1. Children’s pastors aren’t real pastors
Some of the most caring and genuine pastors I know dedicate their life to serving children. We often focus too much on the “children” part of the title – the audience, where we should perhaps focus on the “pastor” part of the title – our job description.
2. Children’s pastors are just glorified babysitters
Many times church members think this because they drop their kids off, go out, pick their kids up, and go home; just like they would do with a babysitter. They don’t always get to see how hard our teams work to help kids experience meaningful worship, engage in meaningful relationships, and foster a desire to develop a meaningful role in their world.
3. Children’s pastors are all women
It’s easy to think this since there aren’t very many men in children’s ministry. A lot of people associate caring for kids as “women’s work” anyway. Thankfully more and more men are taking the call to children’s ministry seriously, but there’s still a long way to go on this one.
4. Children’s pastors aren’t fun
With all the schedules, meetings, crafts, lesson plans, and safety procedures, kids pastors don’t have time to have fun. Besides, they’re not real pastors and are just the church’s babysitters anyway. Lie!
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What other misconceptions are out there about Children’s Ministry?
Jeff McClung 
Thanks for the post. In our church, we’re slowing gaining men to work in Children’s Ministry. Any tips on how to get men interested in getting involved? Thanks!
Hey Lindsey,
I try do to these things when looking to gather volunteers, especially men:
1. Use cool fonts and colors for flyers. No pink papers or girlie fonts
2. Ask current guy volunteers to invite their guy friends on our team.
3. Share stories with guys about how other guys are making a difference in CM. That let’s them know that this important to other guys and they won’t be on a team of all girls.
4. I remind guys that they don’t have to be great teachers. They don’t even have to be teachers at all. Sometimes having men just hanging out with a group of boys each weekend is the most powerful ministry out there.
5. Lastly, and most importantly, I cast the vision for what CM really is. It’s not about crafts and games or memorizing verses or learning Bible stories. It’s about lowering the high school drop out rate now by giving kids a godly mentor now. It’s about doing something proactive about crime in our city for tomorrow because kids have someone to look up to today. It’s about help kids feel important because Jesus and a caring adult love them now so that they will want to be more like Him in their schools today and be the kind of adults that our world will desperately need them to be in the future.
Just some of my thoughts. Hope they are helpful.
Your note on item #1 meant a lot to me. Always good to be reminded that regardless of what others say, I am a pastor! 🙂
Thanks Chelsea. Having been a paid children’s pastor for almost 8 years that has been a perception I’ve had to fight hard against. It’s always comforting to know that I’m not alone.