I wasn’t one of those people. I didn’t dream of working with kids. I didn’t choose a career that involved kids, and when I was asked to serve in Grace Kids as part of my role at Hoboken Grace, I had to reassure myself that it would only be a temporary thing.

However, several months (and now years) into being on the kids team, that has all changed. It’s shocking to me, but I can honestly say that serving in Grace Kids has drastically changed my life and transformed my perspective on the opportunity God has given me to impact kids.

Here are a few things I’ve learned about how God values kids, and why I now say that serving those children who walk in our doors is the most meaningful part of my week.

Make no mistake about it, children are important to God.
Did you know that God talks about the importance of children over 200 times in the Bible? He clearly tells us that children are a blessing (Psalm 127: 3-5). When Jesus was here, he made a point to welcome children and to affirm their value. He even talked about punishment for anyone who abused a child. He made it clear that children are a priority to Him, and since God’s priorities matter to me, I want to be a part of working with kids.

The long-term impact is limitless.
Working in the kids ministry allows me to have a direct impact on the future. When I serve, I’m not just impacting that child in that moment. I’m potentially helping to shape someone who could be a world changer. The children I’m pouring into could change the entire future of their family and other families to come for years down the road! By showing up to serve on Sunday, I’m doing my part to help create a better story.

My character is growing.
When I’m preparing for a class on Sunday, God makes sure I understand that the lesson is just as much for me as it is for the kids. God never wastes an opportunity to reveal things in my life through the lessons we teach. He has also done some serious work on my humility (you can’t take yourself too seriously as a kids teacher) and my patience (we don’t see a return on our investment right away every Sunday). So, believe me, I’m growing just as much as the kids in my class.

I have never felt so loved in my entire life.
God knows exactly what I need, and when he delivers it’s better than anything I could ever imagine or put in place for myself. There is no greater feeling in the world than when the kids come upstairs on Sunday, look for me, call my name and run to me with a big hug. They KNOW me, SEE me and LOVE me. This is a gift from God, and every time it happens I experience God’s perfect love for me directly through the kids.

It’s okay to be silly.
It took some time for me to understand that I don’t have to be serious 24/7. God wants me to have fun and laugh and be silly. He wants me to channel my inner child and be free of the expectations of the world. The kids ministry gives me the perfect place to do that. It was hard for me at first, but once I tried it there was no turning back. You will often find me and the other teachers dancing in the hallway to kids songs. Right now, our favorite is the “Books of the Bible” rap, and we don’t care how silly we look because we’re having a blast!

Are you curious what we do upstairs every week? Regardless of your experience, I invite you to come hang out one Sunday and see what it’s all about. Come be silly with us!

Interested in serving in Grace Kids? Sign up to take a tour.