There are at least ten "rats" commonly found in children's ministry. Some of these are also fairly common in church activities for teenagers and adults, but are particularly common in children's ministry. Not all churches have all the rats, of course, but not many churches are completely free of these nasty creatures.

What do we mean by "rats?" They are largely hidden things in the church that chew away at some of the foundations of spirituality and faith. They steal the spiritual food that really belongs to believers. They are ideas and practices--educators sometimes call them the "hidden curriculum"--that are unconsciously taught to children through our actions, songs, and materials. They often go against good theology and are often contrary to what most people in the church would say they believe. Yet they are widely practiced by church folk, kids easily pick them up and think they are what the church is about. They may be part of the reason children grow up to be teenagers and young adults that leave the faith. We need to get rid of the rats!

So what are the rats? There are at least ten--and probably more than this--that can be listed. Several were mentioned at the annual children's ministry conference at Willow Creek in March, 2009. Again, not all churches are equally guilty of harboring these rats, but they seem to be relatively common today.

1. Memorizing excessively, finding Bible verses quickly, and other religious activities that have little or nothing to do with spirituality or faith. Those that do well at these things can develop pride, because they get attention and rewards for such things, while those who are less skilled come to believe they are inferior spiritually, and may also feel rejected. Knowing scripture is important, and it can be helpful for children to memorize passages they can connect with everyday life. But it is much more important to understand the principles behind the words and practice those principles. These were central to the teachings of Christ, and the source of many struggles he had with the religious leaders of his day. Precisely reciting the words of a passage is not as crucial as knowing, loving, and following the God they point to.

2. Teaching people they are spiritually incompetent, so pastors and teachers are considered the experts and kids learn to be passive receivers (who grow up to be adults that receive in a passive manner). There are very few things in life that are worse than feeling you have nothing to offer to others. That is why ALL believers are gifted in one or more ways, and should be using those gifts. This definitely includes children--they CAN minister to others. The belief that professional ministers do spiritual formation better than parents can steal the most important ministry possible--the ministry parents have with their children. Parents may feel that if they make mistakes, they have caused spiritual harm to their kids. Yet many research studies continue to show that parents influence their kids spiritually far more than church or school.

3. Doing good things, and avoiding or hiding the bad, will make us more acceptable to God. Thus we can take credit for our spirituality--because God has little or nothing to do with it. Spiritual formation is not a matter of doing good things so we look good to others and God. Read So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore by Jake Colsen--especially the chapter on Christian education--for more details (he also touches on some of the other points mentioned here).

4. Laughing or grinning at expressions of spiritual experience by young children, because they are so cute--and then we wonder why they don't want to talk about spiritual issues later in childhood, and may come to think of the church as a joke when they are teens or young adults. We need to honor and prize reports of spiritual experiences by children of all ages, even if they are imaginative or creative. Who are we to say whether a young child saw an angel or not?

5. Trying to be like a really good school. Kids often dislike school, and many schools emphasize rigid control along with less than interesting ways of learning. Churches that function like schools often come to be hated like schools--at least by some of the kids. Church should emphasize serving and experiencing God, not just learning about religion.

6. Insisting there must be a major crisis salvation event. Children that grow into the faith, usually because they are raised in a Christian home, may feel shortchanged because there is no "big story" to tell about involving "moving from the darkness to the light." Because they have not seen such a change, they may doubt their salvation, and thus try and try again to be saved, or they may come to feel they missed out on something by not being such a sinner before salvation. Thus they may give up on trying to become a Christian "because it never seems to work," or they may decide to give the wayward life a try as a teen or young adult, to see what they missed. There is more than one way God works with people; tiny steps of commitment throughout childhood may result in a faith just as strong as a major crisis event.

7. Maintaining a child-unfriendly environment. Thankfully, most churches use child-sized furniture, but often neglect to offer child-sized lessons. Too often teachers expect too much--or too little--from kids. Perhaps more often, the lessons do not captivate the interest and imagination of children. Visit a Montessori school for a day, and compare it with ministry with children at the typical church. Lessons that encourage spiritual experience by children, and reflective play, are crucial.

8. Assuming kids are incomplete Christians. They will be the church someday, it is sometimes said. No, they are the church today! They need to minister because they have a calling to do so, and they are gifted to do so. They are the best evangelists the church has, and many kids can minister effectively with adults--even to their parents. Children may need guidance and sometimes correction, but that is true for Christians of all ages.

9. Affirming a faith that is toxic. Faith in God is crucial, but sometimes that faith can be confused with the demands of church organizations or leaders. Toxic faith is an unhealthy commitment to serving the interests of religion, usually a rigid form of religion that emphasizes legalisms and obedience, rather than love and relationships. Often toxic faith adds "convictions" to the clear teaching of scripture, and in practice they can be elevated above biblical content. Toxic faith twists the Bible so that it works to the advantage of the organization or its leaders.

10. Encouraging people to adapt to the demands of culture. Some early research indicated that those churches who were able to resist culture in significant ways were more likely to keep their kids when they became teenagers and young adults. Instead of going along with culture, the church should critique the culture--engage it in a manner so that kids and adults are critical consumers, thinking through what should be accepted, what can be adapted, and what should be rejected about culture.

Let's get rid of the rats!