stephen R Harrison

One of the greatest honors of my life was serving as a children’s and preschool pastor for over ten years. Those I had the honor of teaching and discipling at the ages of 3 and 9 are now in their 20s and 30s. Some I’ve had the honor of preaching their weddings, praying over the birth of their children, and in rare tragic moments, preaching their funerals. A real joy is seeing those I ministered to now begin in ministry.

Jesus said in Matthew 10:42, “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

I often think back at my service in children’s ministry. While my other pastor friends and bible school classmates were pastoring adults and attending seminary, I was starting Kids Church, taking kids to camp, ziplining across stages at VBS, and leading children to Christ. What a reward. No regrets. What I gained from those formative years of serving the smallest of disciples trained me to value them today as a pastor of adults and a father of my own kids. Those years trained me to value kids, families, and those who serve them.

Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:42 show us a few important principles for ministry. That day, Jesus’ acknowledged the presence of children during His sermon. Don’t miss that – children were in church with Jesus and He noticed! This means our churches should be full of kids and we should notice if they are being discipled or not. He said these little ones are His disciples. They are not to be taken out of sight so real ministry can happen with adults. They are not to be babysat, but discipled. They deserve more than goldfish; they deserve the Bread of Life. Jesus said those that serve them even a cup of water would not lose their reward. Just serving them snacks gets you rewards from Jesus! Children’s ministry can be a thankless job. I remember going almost a year without attending an adult church service because I couldn’t get anyone else to help me teach Kid’s Church. Their loss, my gain.

Truly Jesus valued little sheep as He told Peter “Feed my lambs” (John 21:15) before He told him to take care of His sheep (adults). The reward of discipling the littlest disciples is unlike any other ministry. It is in the ministry to the youngest that you get to see a full lifetime of spiritual growth – from being bed babies to young adults with bed babies and beyond. No, you don’t lose a reward by serving those who others sometimes overlook as “insignificant”. Maybe that’s why Jesus said just giving them a cup of water, which seems insignificant, was worthy of reward. Perhaps we discount discipling and serving little lamb disciples too often, forgetting Jesus is the living water that that we are truly serving them that satisfies the thirstiest of souls.

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ Jesus called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. -Matthew 18:1-6

Serve and make disciples in preschool and children’s ministry joyfully – you’ll be eternally grateful and rewarded.