Anyone who has tried it, even for a day, knows that children's ministry is challenging. Pastors Deepak Reju and Marty Machowski have been in your shoes and they want to help. Drawing on decades of family ministry experience, they have a passion to help children's ministry directors, pastors, and volunteers remember the "why" of children's ministry and gain a fresh vision for the "how" of effective discipleship and proactive nurturing of the next generation.
As you recruit volunteers, organize materials, set up safety policies, and manage the many needs that come your way, you may feel overwhelmed, discouraged, and wonder if your ministry is even effective. Reju and Machowski have a passion to help those involved in children's ministry remember that it more than just providing safe childcare so that parents can attend worship services; it's about raising up faithful believers who love the Lord, stand firm in the gospel, treasure Scripture, and have a heart for others. These goals can only be met if the whole church is committed to prioritizing time and energy into disciple-making and sets proactive policies for children's safety.
Listeners will learn about highlighting Bible-based content, recruiting church members, planning for emergencies, and partnering with parents. Build On Jesus equips ministry leaders with the right priorities, people, and practicalities needed for fruitful nurturing and care of the youngest disciples in the church.
Deepak Reju, MDiv, PhD, serves as senior pastor at Ogletown Baptist Church in Newark, Delaware, as well as a trustee at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF) and a member of the board of directors of the Biblical Counseling Coalition (BCC). He is the author of several books, including On Guard: Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse at Church, She's Got the Wrong Guy: Why Smart Women Settle, and The Pastor and Counseling, and is coauthor of Build On Jesus. Deepak and his wife, Sarah, have been married for twenty years and have five children.
Marty Machowski is a Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, PA, where he has served on the pastoral staff for over thirty years. He is the author of a number of family devotionals, curriculums (including the Gospel Story for Kids), children's books, and parenting titles. His latest releases include WonderFull, God Made Me for Heaven, Brave and Bold, and Build on Jesus (coauthored with Deepak Reju). He and his wife, Lois, have six children and several grandchildren, and reside in West Chester, PA.
