Sitting in the front row of a recent church service gave me a direct view of a pastor sharing his weekly children’s message. He immediately captured their attention by distributing currency and sharing that every time a dollar is placed into the church’s offering plate, 20 cents is sent to support missionaries through the Cooperative Program. He personally shared how he and his wife benefited from those gifts while serving as International Mission Board missionaries in South Africa.
Funding missions cooperatively is a hallmark of Southern Baptist churches. But here’s a question worth asking: Do the children in your church know that?
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Children learn what their church values from where they see its attention focused. When we intentionally emphasize cooperation, missions and generosity, we’re shaping their understanding of what it means to be a church. The Cooperative Program is a picture of Kingdom teamwork, showing that we can accomplish far more together than we could ever do alone.
When children grow up understanding and appreciating the Cooperative Program, they become adults who lead missionally, laypeople who give generously, pastors who prioritize partnership and missionaries who know churches stand behind them.
Next generation of missionaries
After all, the next generation of missionaries, pastors and church leaders is already sitting in your Sunday School rooms. Let’s help them grow up understanding the beauty of cooperation.
Teaching children about the Cooperative Program can be woven naturally into what you’re already doing. Below are links to children’s lessons and resources suitable for use in Sunday School, during Kids’ Worship or for a special missions event.
Here are some downloadable lessons to consider:
Free Cooperative Program “Better Together” Children’s Lesson and necessary Lesson Resources
Free Children’s Cooperative Program Activity Books
WMU Children’s Lesson “Cooperative Program: How Southern Baptists Work Together”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Michael Cabell and originally published by Kentucky Today.
