I shared this story in my book all about digital discipleship in children’s ministry, and it’s one I think of often (it brings a smile to my face every time)! It sets up this week’s blog post perfectly:
One day while helping me clean out my home office, my then 2-year-old found one of my old laptop computers. She immediately slid it in front of her on the floor, opened it, and began tapping on the keys. I haven’t touched it in years, and I don’t think it even turns on anymore, so I let her play with it. She spent almost 45 minutes “working on projects” and even having online meetings about planning for VBS. (Can you tell she’s a ministry kid?). She even grabbed her Minnie Mouse cell phone while working to “text a friend” and take a selfie with her new computer.
I never sat her down and explicitly taught her how to use a laptop or a cell phone. But she knew exactly how to play with that old computer because she’s seen me working on mine.
The children (and even parents) in our children’s ministries are digital natives, meaning they do not know life without the Internet, and their interactions with this constantly-connected world are shaping the way they learn, process, and engage.
Because of this, teaching kids on a Sunday morning can feel a little like launching a rocket ship: you’re working with something powerful, fast-moving, and full of potential, and engaging them in teaching requires a different approach than it used to.
So here are 3 key characteristics to keep in mind about today’s rocket ship learners:
- Today’s kids are fast-paced. They are used to constant movement, quick transitions, and immediate feedback, which means long stretches of talking are one of the quickest ways to lose their attention. Instead of trying to slow them down, effective teaching meets them where they are by building in short segments, changing things every few minutes, and creating regular moments where kids respond, move, or interact. This doesn’t mean you have to turn your lesson into entertainment, but it does mean you have to be intentional about pacing, recognizing that engagement increases when kids are actively involved instead of passively listening.
- Today’s kids are exploratory. They are used to tapping, swiping, clicking, and discovering, which means they don’t just want to be told something; they want to figure it out for themselves. This has huge implications for how we teach the Bible, because instead of explaining every detail, we can create space for kids to observe, ask questions, make predictions, and wrestle with what they’re learning. When kids are given opportunities to explore truth rather than just receive it, they move from passive listeners to active participants, and that shift is where deeper understanding and ownership begin to take place.
- Learning for today’s kids is sparked by curiosity. Curiosity is the engine that drives their attention, and if something captures their interest, they will go all in. If it doesn’t, they will quickly disengage. That’s why the way we introduce a lesson, the questions we ask, and the moments we create matter so much, because starting with curiosity invites kids into the story before we ever get to the main point. Asking questions like “What do you think will happen?” or “Why do you think they did that?” creates an entry point for engagement, helping kids connect emotionally and mentally before we ask them to apply spiritual truth. Find a full list of 20 plug-and-play curiosity questions to engage kids here!
We don’t need to throw out everything we’re doing, but we do need to adjust how we’re doing it, because we’re not teaching the same kids we were years ago. If you’re ready to take these ideas and actually apply them to your Sunday morning teaching, that’s exactly what we’re diving into in my online workshop on interactive teaching methods for elementary kids, where we’ll focus on practical ways to engage kids with God’s Word in ways that actually stick. Learn more and save your spot here.
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