Sustainable Children’s Ministry by Mark DeVries and Annette Safstrom


Are you responsible for leading the children’s ministry in your church? Yes? Then read Sustainable Children’s Ministry. It will change your ministry and your life, unless you’re the “rare bird” out there who has it all together and feels there’s no room for improvement in your ministry. (Even then it’s likely that things aren’t going as well as you think.) And, if you’re not the person responsible, give this book to the person who is. They will thank you for years to come if they will just read and heed.

Thorough, Sound, and Practical

In Sustainable Children’s Ministry, Mark DeVries and Annette Safstrom have outlined a thorough, sound, and practical strategy for transforming the children’s ministry in your church into something that will transform more children, for a longer time, with less stress and less discouragement. As members of Ministry Architects (Mark founded it), Mark and Annette have “heard it all” and have also seen real ministries in real churches experience the change needed to create a truly sustainable children’s ministry.

But, their experience isn’t just as consultants. Both have been engaged in staff roles in multiple churches where they confronted the daily challenges that come with age-group ministries in today’s fast-paced and demanding ministry world. This experience reveals itself on page after page of this encouraging and practical book. It will encourage you because it will give you hope that YOU can do this. It will help you because it contains the “nuts and bolts” you need to make it happen.

Based on Timeless Principles

The thing I like best about this book is that the solutions they offer are built on sound principles that will still be true next year and into the next century. Consequently, this isn’t someone else’s ministry template that “will never work in my church.” YOU can do this. You SHOULD do this!

Buy the book. Read chapter 1. If you’re not convinced, stop reading. But in all likelihood you will want to continue. Then, after reading the entire book, keep it close. Refer to it often. Highlight the important parts. “Dog ear” the pages. Renew your commitment to your ministry and calling. Soon you’ll be leading a sustainable children’s ministry in your church!

Rick Edwards
Author, Speaker, Bible Teacher

See a list of other articles by Rick Edwards.

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