Limitless Kids: Discover what happened at the ELS19 Children’s Workers Track

LIMITLESS KIDS - Dani Johnston

Discover what happened at the ELS19 Children’s Workers Track

Elim Leaders’ Summit 2019 was another amazing week of gathering with thousands of other Elim Leaders from around the UK and further afield. Dani Johnston reviews what happened at this year's event.

What was so exciting about this year is that it was the 2nd year of the Children’s Workers Track where we saw yet again over 70 children’s pastors, workers and leaders gather for a week of connecting, equipping, investment, encouragement, inspiration and training.

It was so good to see so many familiar faces from 2018 and to also meet so many new faces and hear what God is doing in and through children’s ministries all around the UK.

We were able to welcome a few more children’s leaders to the Limitless Kids Team and it was an honour to meet them and serve alongside them in unity for the bigger things God is wanting to do in every country, region, church, family and child.

We are really seeing how God is strategically bringing together all of us to intentionally invest in each other as we seek to invest in the children and families we serve.

I really feel we are seeing an “Elevation” of children’s pastors, leaders and workers for the purpose to see God do something incredible not only in the lives of each child or family individually but in preparation to see God working through the children nationally for revival.

If we desire to see more young leaders paving the way in our nation and a youth culture that is passionate for Jesus, then it is our great and exciting opportunity to actively invest into the lives of families and all children from the youngest babies in our under 5’s ministries to those transitioning to our youth ministries each summer.

We had so much fun in all the sessions which were interactive and engaging with various games, creative ideas for prayer stations and ice-breakers.

We had a plethora of speakers who were all so inspirational in not only what they spoke about but in who they are and how they serve others.

Rachel Turner kicked us off on the first day sharing the importance of parenting for faith and how to create a culture of it. Very simplistically, her heart is for all families to have a culture of Faith in the home and she shared some top tips of how as children’s pastors, leaders and workers we can help create this environment from where we are in the one hour a week we have with the children.

The main thing I took away from this was how we can help families facilitate conversations around faith not just pass on information. One way to do this is to involve parents in what we are doing and to “turn” children back to their parents by having them ask parents to share their testimonies with them of how God has done amazing things in their lives as individuals but to also talk about what prayers God has answered on behalf of the whole family.

Nadia Bashir shared her story of how God intervened in her life in an incredible way as a Muslim child in a very strict Muslim family. She shared how God is moving massively in areas we do not always see.

As children’s pastors, leaders and workers we all have the responsibility to spread God’s Word and to welcome people from all walks of life but even more than that, to live knowing God can reach the unreached and no one is too far away from God that He can not meet them and transform them.

Are we creating a children’s ministry that welcomes all children into the presence of God and giving them opportunity to hear the Gospel and to become a friend of God?

Let us always be intentional and open to children of all backgrounds and faith knowing God but also being transformed by him.

This may need us to re-think what we do and how. As we move through this year let us have these conversations of “reaching the unreached” in our community.

Sarah Cornthwaite came and shared with us the creative ways we can bring the presence of God into the under 5’s Ministry. For so many years this has been seen as a “creche” ministry where we simply look after the children, but God is calling us to realise His desire and intention to speak to these little children and for us to be active in teaching them of Him and His presence.

Using her “Adventures with Jesus” tools Sarah shared with us how we can inspire this age group with creative ideas and practical fun to engage with God for themselves.

As a Church we embarked on this journey 2 years ago where we radically transformed the under 2’s and 3-4’s Ministry. These children are growing up being on fire for God, are praying for people and seeing them being healed.

“My son, who was 2 at the time prayed for me before church one morning. I was in bed with a really bad headache and had decided to stay home and rest. When he prayed for me, my head was completely healed and off we went to church”.

(Timi from LGCC)

Bex Roberts, children’s Pastor at St Albans City Church hit the nail on the head when she closed the week off on the last day sharing about us needing to be “HUNGRY “for God in our own lives and in the children’s Ministry we serve. Bex shared how God can exceed our expectations especially when we seek him with all our heart in all we do and where he has specifically placed us.

We finished this session off with a time of prayer, encouragement and prophesying over each other. Seeing God move in this session was incredible.

For those of you who attended as well as those who were unable to be there, we continue to pray for you to be “Hungry” for God and to live with the expectation that God is wanting to do something incredible in the lives of the children and families where you are placed.

Let’s live a life of intentional discipleship with each other as leaders and intentionally disciple every child we serve.

God is building his Kingdom from the youngest child. Let’s give every child this opportunity to be a part of it by not being comfortable with average Children’s Ministry especially when a little bit of intentionality and change of thinking can help change the world.

A massive thank you goes to all our speakers over this week as well as those of you who served faithfully to make this Children’s Track the success it was.

Thank you to “Blazing Glory”, “Adventures with Jesus” and “Parenting for faith” for your time, support and donation of resources.

For more information on the resources we recommend please see the links below.