Children's Ministry is like Baseball

We've all heard of baseball and most of us have probably even played the game. A baseball team is made up of many players. An extremely important player is the pitcher. Ideally, the pitcher often has a lot of control over the starts and pauses during a game. When the pitcher is on the pitcher's mound with the ball, the game has to wait for him to throw the next pitch. Once the pitch is thrown the game is on and lots of different things can happen. The opposing team's batter could walk, get a hit, hit a home run or the team in the field can catch the ball or throw the ball and get the batter out.

A really good pitcher can often strike out the opposing team's batter. However, rarely can a pitcher win a game by striking out everyone that comes up to bat. The whole team is needed for a successful game and season. If a batter gets on base, he can steal to second, etc. Coaches are in charge of training and strategizing. However, it is important to remember that once the game begins it's up to the pitcher and the other players to make it a winning game. A coach can prepare and teach the players but she can't force them to remember what they've been taught, to come prepared or to stay focused when they are out on the field.

So how is Children's Ministry like baseball? Let's think about it this way.

Season = months worth of church services

Game = a particular service (Sun 11am on June 16th)

Field = classroom/hallway/playground

Ball = the children

Coaches = coordinators and directors

Pitcher = lead teacher

Other players = all the other youth and adult assistants in the classroom, registrars

The opposing team = crying, frustration, hunger, accidents, hitting, biting, talking too much, not paying attention, yelling, running, climbing, and many, many others

Sample 2yr old Game: Sunday service, 11:00am:

The coaches, pitcher and all the players are supposed to be on the field to pray and warm up before the game. Only the coaches and the pitchers show up on time. By the time the game is supposed to start 2 of the players have arrived but they aren't warmed up and have to go into the game "cold". The pitcher is stuck doing registration because the registrar player hasn't arrived and the other players aren't trained in that position.

The game begins and the opposing team sends up "Crying". Crying is a 2 year old who doesn't want to leave mom. The pitcher checks in the opponent. Player #1 goes over to the pitcher and takes Crying from the pitcher. Crying still misses mom and is very loud about it. Crying just got to first base.

Next up is "Not Paying Attention". The pitcher is able to check her in and get her attention directed and Not Paying Attention goes off to play with some toys. Out #1 "whew"...

Third in the line up is "Running". The pitcher is still covering the registration desk. Running takes off into the classroom. Crying is still crying in player #1's arms. Running has gotten on base and Crying has moved to second. Player #3, the registrar finally arrives. "Whew", says the pitcher...

Next up is "I'm OK". The pitcher easily strikes this one out. The child enters without problems for Out #2.

"Hitting" is up next. The pitcher looks for player #3 but she's nowhere to be found. This means the pitcher has to go back to man the registration desk. There's not enough players to handle all the kids, so Hitting walks. That means, Crying moves to third, Running is on second and Hitting is on first.

Player #4 arrives and goes straight to I'm Ok. He appears to not even notice Hitting, Crying or Running. It's like he's looking at the sunset instead of keeping his eyes on the ball. By now, the pitcher is frustrated. He's not even supposed to be covering the registration position, so he can't do the praise and worship that he had planned.

Finally most of the kids seem to have arrived. Throughout the game, player #3 seems to come and go as she pleases. The coaches and pitcher never know when she's going to be alert and on the field. Sometimes when she's there, balls fly right past her because she's too busy thinking about player #4. Player #4 spends 90% of the game with "I'm OK. He just adores the child and he's really good at making the child laugh and play, but he's supposed to be in charge of all of center field, not just 5 ft around him. The pitcher and players #1 and #2 have to field all the balls by themselves. The coaches have talked to players 3 and 4 but they can't force them to play the game well. They may be left with no other choice but to take them off the team.

Out of nowhere, Hitting hits Not Paying Attention and Crying squirms to the floor and throws a full-blown temper tantrum. Crying just stole home. The enemy just made his first run.

Get the picture?

The team needs everyone to participate, engage, support and focus! Play the game hard, play to win and play ball!