Welcome to the Children's Ministries Agency web site!
The National Children's Ministries Agency exists to serve the local church, its pastors, and laity in their pursuit of excellent ministry to the children of their church and their communities. We endeavor to unify the many facets of a local church's children's ministry and strive to help grow the local church by attracting, reaching and discipling children and their families. BGMC is a major focus as we "reach the children of the world" and "create a heart of compassion in children" in the local church.
- To be a resource for the local church and children's leader.
- To provide a coordinating effort for all ministries to children within our national headquarters.
- To network with our children's evangelists to "reach kids until He comes."
- To promote the natural link between children's ministries and BGMC.
A brief overview of the inception of the National Children's Ministries Agency of the General Council of the Assemblies of God.
In June 1999, the Executive Presbytery of The General Council of the Assemblies of God voted unanimously and enthusiastically to create the Children's Ministries Agency. This ministry to children, which once operated in part under the national Sunday School department, gained mass momentum. Rev. Thomas Trask, former General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, along with the Executive Presbytery, extended the invitation to David Boyd to serve as the director of CMA and for his wife Mary to serve as the assistant director. David had served over 25 years as a children's pastor, while Mary had served in ministry to children over 30 years.
The Children's Ministries Agency was created as a new initiative within the Assemblies of God to provide a networking relationship among all the ministries in the Fellowship that provide ministry to children.
- It brings together all the ministries that provide ministry to children in the Assemblies of God in a networking arrangement, thus providing a context for cooperation and coordination. It should be noted that it does not pull ministries out of their present structural alignment. It should also be noted that this does not change the role of the age-level training consultants.
- It creates a high profile national committee made up of people involved in children's ministry on the field as well as headquarters personnel to address issues of children's ministry strategy, programs, and resources in the Assemblies of God and make recommendations for implementation.
- It provides for representation and promotion of all the children's ministries initiatives of the Fellowship on the field.
- It brings on board a high-profile children's pastor, thus giving children's pastors in the Fellowship a voice, a point of advocacy and support.
- It provides a point of reference for such important programs and ministries as Kids Council, children's camps, etc.
- It brings the Children's Ministries Agency and BGMC together in much the same kind of relationship as the one that exists between the National Youth Department and Speed the Light.
- It provides a formal avenue for the planning and coordination of large children's ministries conferences on a regular basis.
Purpose.
The purpose of the Children's Ministries Agency is to cooperatively act as an agency of the Church in fulfilling its threefold mission in the sphere of children's ministry.
Functions.
The functions of this agency include the following (not an exhaustive list):
- To facilitate communication and cooperation among those General Council entities involved in children's ministries.
- To provide a regular forum for communication between those engaged in children's ministries on the field with those General Council entities involved in children's ministry.
- To provide for the networking of ideas, information, resources, and personnel related to children's ministry.
- To develop shared strategies for the evangelism and discipleship of children within the Assemblies of God.
- To heighten the visibility of children's ministry within the Assemblies of God.
- To promote the various children's ministry initiatives within the Assemblies of God.
- To provide a forum for the discussion of curriculum issues, resource development, and other concerns among General Council entities that provide ministry to children.
- To research the needs of children and children's ministry and recommend new ministries and resources as needed.
- To supply leadership and coordination of an association of children's pastors, evangelists, and workers within the Assemblies of God (children's evangelists, educators and pastors).
- To provide oversight of Kid's Council activities as a General Council activity.
- To provide resources and information regarding children's camps for the Assemblies of God.
- To provide oversight and promotion of BGMC within the Fellowship.
- To prepare and publish brochures, newsletters, and other literature as may be needed.
- To coordinate national or regional children's ministries conferences and conventions.
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