Relaunch, part 3: Wait ... who's the target?

We don't spend our time & energy creating a Kids' Church experience for "churched" kids.

 Let me say that again.

 My team doesn't spend all the time & energy & sweat & prayer that it takes to create a Kids' Church experience with "churched" kids as our primary target.

 You praying for me yet? 😊

 Let me explain.

 As we began to think about a relaunch of our Kids' Church, one of the first questions that my team grappled with was this: "Who do we do this for?".

 Sure, the Sunday School answer is "Jesus". I get that.  But, if we begin with the end in mind, what kids do we do this for? Which kids are our target audience? We've got to ask these important questions, because what our Sunday experiences look like hinges on how we answer.

 Here's what I know about the community my church is a part of. And the community your church is a part of. It is increasingly less Jesus-y. George Barna's polling suggests that only 59% of people in Gen Z identify as Christian or Catholic. And, for many, identifying as a Christian is only a matter of culture and/or tradition.

 In reality, less than 1/2 of the people in your community know the Good News of Jesus' love for them. You meet more people every day who don't know anything of Jesus than those who do. Who are desperate for hope. Peace. Love. Forgiveness. Life.

 Whoa.

 So, for my team, when we began to ask questions about who our target audience was, the answer was pretty simple. It's those who don't yet know Jesus as Savior & Lord. 

 This is who our hearts break for. This is why we're here.

 It's not that "church" kids don't matter. They do. Immensely. There are lots of "church" kids who show up to my church every weekend. I've got some of them in my own house. 

 But I know some things about "church" kids:

  • They have "churched" parents who can & should be equipped to pass faith along at home.
  • They live in a post-Christian society, and need to hear the "basics" of faith & Jesus again and again and again.
  • They have way more in common with "unchurched" kids than we're comfortable admitting.
  • They rub shoulders with "unchurched" kids every day at school ... kids who desperately need someone to show them Jesus, tell them about Jesus, and invite them to a church that can meet them where they're at.

Besides, if more than half of the people in our communities don't know anything about Jesus, why would I target the "church" kids? That's easy. Most children's curriculum is written with "church" kids in mind. And, quite honestly, there's plenty of churches out there who already do that.

And I guess I've never been one to take the easy, well-travelled path.

So, what does all this make you think? And, what does Kids' Church for the "unchurched" look like?

See ya' next week.

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