Seen, Known, and Loved: The Calling of Children’s Ministry is Every Adult’s Calling

Whenever I think about children’s ministry, I return again and again to three simple words: seen, known, and loved.

Those three words sum up my deepest hopes for the kids in our church. I want every child to feel truly seen, genuinely known, and deeply loved by the church.

I say the church very intentionally. Of course, I mean Jesus, but the church is the body of Christ. When children feel seen, known, and loved by the church, they are experiencing the love of Jesus in real, tangible ways. And this language matters, because it’s not only about how children feel, it’s a calling for the adults of the church. We are invited (and entrusted) to be the ones who see, know, and love the children in our midst.

Think about what that means. To see a child is to notice them, not just as part of a group, but as an individual with their own gifts, needs, and personality. To know a child is to listen, to remember, to value their voice. And to love a child is to offer warmth, care, patience, and delight in who they are.

When we as adults do this faithfully in a safe environment, we create a foundation of belonging and rest. That foundation matters deeply, because as children grow, they will begin to wrestle with questions of faith. And questioning is not something to fear; it’s healthy, good, and necessary. If children have been rooted in an early experience of being seen, known, and loved, they will feel safe to ask those questions. They will know the church is a place that can hold their doubts and their wonderings, not just their certainties.

This is why “seen, known, and loved” is not just my goal for children’s ministry, it’s a vision for the whole church. Every program, every story, every interaction, every small gesture of care is an opportunity for the body of Christ to live out this calling.

Because when children grow up feeling seen, known, and loved by the church, they are also growing up feeling seen, known, and loved by Jesus. And that is a gift they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.