Urban Myths of Children's Ministry

An urban myth is a strange or surprising story that many people believe, but which is not actually true.

You probably remember some you heard growing up. Here are a few of them.

Alligators in the sewers of New York City. The myth is that someone (probably a snowbird) brought some baby alligators back from Florida and flushed them down the toilet. They ended up growing into giant gators roaming the sewers.

The fake moon landing. The myth is that NASA faked the moon landings in a movie studio.

The Jedi religion form. This myth claims that if enough people fill out "Jedi" as their religion on their census forms, the government will have to make it an official religion.

Walt Disney cryogenically frozen. The myth says his body was frozen when he died with the hopes he could possibly be brought back to life from technological advancements. It says his body is stored in a deep-freeze chamber under the "Pirates of the Caribbean" attraction.

Pop Rocks and Soda explosion. This myth says if you mix pop rocks and soda, it will explode in your chest.

The truth is, these are just myths. There are not alligators in New York's sewers. We really went to the moon. Jedi is not recognized as a religion by the government. Walt Disney was cremated in 1966. Mixing pop rocks and soda may give you hiccups and burping for a few minutes, but it won't explode in your chest.

Over the years, there have been some "urban myths" that have circulated about children's ministry as well. While they are not true, they have been believed by many. In fact, walk into many churches and you will hear these myths still being perpetuated. Let's examine some of these and talk about why they are just myths.

Urban Myths of Children's Ministry

Children's ministry is just childcare. This myth sees children's ministry as a baby-sitting service that is used to keep kids in check while the real ministry to adults happens.

The truth: Children's ministry is ministry at the most critical time in a person's life and is the most important ministry in the church.

If you serve in children's ministry, you are entering a black hole that you will never escape from. This myth causes people to run from serving in children's ministry. People fear they will be cut off from other adults forever and be doomed to corral hyper-active kids for the rest of their time on earth.

The truth: Children's ministries want people who love serving with kids. Serving in children's ministry is one of the best ways to grow in your faith. And you have the opportunity to form friendships and deep relationships with the other adults you serve with.

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