Any sign of Vacation Bible School is gone at our church. We just completed our week and had a successful family night. Everyone is talking about getting some rest. Everybody is VBS tired. But my mind quickly turns to what is next. Midweek Ministries is on the horizon. Yes, we have a month and a half for kids to get back into school, but everyone in our position knows that it will go by fast. Let’s talk about Midweek ministries.
Why do we do ministry Midweek? What does a successful Midweek look like?? How do I pull off Midweek ministries?
WHY?
There are many stories of how churches started doing a Wednesday night service, but they all have the same purposes. It was an opportunity for the church to get together again and be refueled. It was and is that midweek pick-me-up that many people desire. Whether it is an opportunity for a prayer meeting, a bible study, or aged-graded ministries, it is an opportunity for everyone to gather and be encouraged in the faith. I love meeting on Wednesday nights. It allows me to be challenged and grow in my faith. As a kids’ pastor, it will enable me to help children establish and grow in their relationship with Christ. Your church might not meet on Wednesday like ours does but the principles are the same.
What does a successful Midweek Ministry look like?
The short answer to this is it depends. To judge success, you need to know your purpose. Is your Midweek a way to draw kids in to hear the gospel? Do you want your Midweek to be all about discipleship? Is it an opportunity to learn about missions? There is no wrong answer to this question, and it will likely change depending on your circumstances. I have served at two churches in the last ten years, and our ministry has looked different because the churches look different. Look at your church and see what the best fit for your church is.
Once you establish your purpose, you can judge whether it succeeds. Our church uses Midweek as an opportunity for discipleship. I evaluate everything we do and see if it pushes us closer to that goal. For example, last fall, we started a curriculum on the gospels. We were going through all four gospels throughout the year. As the semester continued, I noticed we relayed much information about the gospels. What we should have done was show these kids how the information changes their lives. The teachers were feeling it, I saw it, and the kids weren’t engaged. We were not being successful at discipling these kids. We were giving information, but discipleship isn’t about conveying information. It is about life change. We were not being successful. If your goal is discipleship, you should teach these kids to change lives. If your goal is evangelism, you should see the gospel being presented. You do not judge success by how many kids become Christians, or these kids grow to be more like Christ. Why? Because we do not control that. We cannot judge our success by something we do not control. Only the Holy Spirit can bring someone to Christ. Only the Holy Spirit can lead a child to deeper faith in Christ. We must be faithful in presenting the gospel and teaching kids how these truths should form their lives.
Tips for a Successful Midweek Ministry
- Start early.
- It is easy to get through VBS and coast through the rest of the summer. Or allow VBS to dominate your entire summer. While these are important, we must be ready for our Midweek Ministries. They are coming. Get started early with curriculum choices, staffing, and the calendar.
- Build Your Team
- Look for people who want to get involved in a kid’s life. Midweek Ministries can be more engaging than Sundays. Kids act differently midweek. They are more open to talking about things on a Wednesday. It is more relaxed. Your leaders need to be able to engage with kids on a more personal level at Midweek Ministries. Find people who want to get into a child’s life.
- Tell your church/community.
- We can have the best ministries, but if you never tell anyone what is happening in your ministry, they will never know. Don’t just announce that Wednesdays are starting. Tell people why they should bring their children. I answer these questions in our communication. What will we be learning this year? Why is it essential for their child to be involved? What is the benefit of bringing my child?
- Train your team
- Train for the results you want to achieve. It is so easy to plan and only partially share it with your team. Share with your leaders your goals and how you best feel we can get there. Share the expectations you have of leaders. After you train your leaders, update them on how we accomplish the task. If mid-year adjustments need to be made, share them with your leaders. Celebrate the wins you achieve throughout the year.
This list is not an exhaustive list of tips. Over the coming weeks, I will publish a series of blogs expanding on these tips and how to implement them as you prepare for your Midweek Ministries. I will also be writing about the different curriculum options that I have used over the years. Comment below what the purpose of your Midweek Ministries is.