Investing in the Youngest Generation

Many churches don't have a vision or strategy for ministering to babies, toddlers, crawlers, walkers, etc.

This is a tragic miss. Look what it says abo Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:15.

...and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Paul says that Timothy was invested in spiritually from the time he was an infant.

The youngest generation is called Generation Alpha. These are children born between 2010 and 2024. There are 2,740,000 Gen Alphas born each week.

According to Mark McCrindle, a social analyst, some words that describe Gen Alpha are global, digital, social, mobile and visual.

Global - Gen Alpha is being raised as a global community. With access to the internet from an early age, they are being raised with shared customs, values and experiences.

Digital - Gen Alpha is being born with information at their fingertips. They have high expectations for on-demand content, products and services.

Social - with social media at their fingertips, they will be more socially connected than any previous generation.

Mobile - they are always on the go with mobile.

Visual - Gen Alpha is being raised in front of screens and the beginnings of the Metaverse. They are more visual than any generation before them.

Their iconic toy is the fidget spinner.

Their music device of choice is smart speakers.

Their leadership style will be inspiring.

Their screen content will be streaming.

These are the babies in your nursery. These are the toddlers, crawlers, walkers, etc. in your ministry.

One big reason why Timothy grew up to be such a strong, spiritual leader was because his mother and grandmother invested in him spiritually from an early age. The spiritual foundation that they helped him build prepared him to be used by God in a great way as he grew up.

If you work in the nursey, let me remind you of something. You are not babysitting. You are investing in the youngest generation.

You are not doing "child care." You are ministering to people at one of the most critical times in their life.

You are not just changing diapers. You are also changing lives.

Trust me...you are. It can be hard to see the spiritual fruit that is coming from your ministry at this moment. But it is there and it is abounding...even if you can't see it yet.

You are serving by faith. Faith that the time and energy you are investing is producing spiritual fruit. Some of the fruit you will see now...but the majority of the fruit you won't see until later as Gen Alpha grows up.

The enemy is trying to get to the heart and mind of the youngest generation. The enemy knows that the earlier he can capture the heart of a person, the more influence he can have.

We must determine to get there first. Remember this quote as you serve in the nursery and early childhood ministry of your church.

In the race to a child's heart, the first one there wins. George Barna

The enemy won't let up. And neither should you. If you are not doing a lesson in your nursery, it is time to start doing so. If you are not teaching the little ones in your ministry, it is time to get a strategy and content to do so. If you are not praying over the youngest generation while they are in your care, it's time to start doing so. If you are not equipping and empowering parents to step up and be the biggest spiritual influence in the life of Gen Alpha, it's time to do so.

Will you invest in the youngest generation? Will you seek to capture their heart for Christ as Timothy's mother and grandmother did?