“Kids are like sponges! They are soaking in so much of the world around them and forming their worldview and basic beliefs about God.”
Danielle Whitley, Centreville Baptist Church’s children’s director, grew up as a missionary kid, and her passion for children’s ministry started early. When she was a teenager, she led the children’s ministry at her father’s church. Early on, she began writing children’s curriculum and outreach strategies because she saw the life-changing impact of Gospel-centered teaching.
“Kids are like sponges! They are soaking in so much of the world around them and forming their worldview and basic beliefs about God,” Whitley explained.
“Barna studies indicate that a child’s basic moral foundation has already been formed by the time a child is nine years old. What an amazing opportunity for a children’s ministry to reach people during those influential years.”
“Rather than waiting until kids have already formed their worldview,” Whitley continued, “the children’s ministry can invest in these precious little ones; and instead of having to undo years of the enemy’s deception and hardening to the things of God, the children’s ministry seeks to lay a solid foundation in the hearts and minds of our kids. We desire to anchor them in the truth.”
Whitley graduated from Liberty University and received degrees in Family and Child Development and Biblical Studies. She then attended Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, receiving her master’s degree in Children’s Ministry. After graduation, she joined the leadership staff at a multi-site church. There, she helped start the children’s ministry at several campuses from the ground up. She saw how God had used her past experiences to build the framework and knowledge of basic steps needed to lay the foundation for the ministry. This led to helping other church plants.
Danielle and her husband, James, created a non-profit called Solid Foundation Kids to help train, equip, and advise churches and church plants about laying a solid foundation for their children’s ministry.
Whitley partnered with an organization called New City Church Planting to create a seminar, “10 Steps to Developing Your Children’s Ministry.” She has taught this seminar in person to over 70 church planters and children’s directors. She is now partnering with NAMB and the SEND Network to produce and film the training. The “10 Steps” seminar is for church plants, children’s ministries, and churches seeking a fresh start and a Gospel-centered vision to reach children for Christ.
In the seminar, Danielle Whitley gives practical advice for creating a strong foundation and clear steps for starting and developing a children’s ministry. She shares her passion for children’s ministry and the biblical perspective a children’s ministry should have.
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You can find the “10 Steps” seminar online at: tinyurl.com/Whitley-10Steps. ■