KidMin leaders often measure what’s easy to count. We keep track of attendance numbers, event participants, volunteers, coloring sheets, and snack supplies.

While this is important information, it tells us nothing about the spiritual growth of children in our ministries.

That’s a problem. Because our goal isn’t just connection, but transformation.

If we’re serious about raising up Spirit-empowered kids who love Jesus and live on mission with Him, we need a better way to evaluate progress.

Beyond counting how many children show up, we need to consider what kind of disciples we’re forming.

To measure what matters most, pay close attention to the following areas.

Transformation

Just because children are in the room doesn’t mean the lessons are connecting at a heart level.

Some kids attend weekly without taking steps of faith. Others actively live what they’re learning in church, despite less frequent attendance.

To find out where life change is taking place, you have to look for it. Consider adding a “spiritual wins” column to your team reports. Instead of just tracking who shows up, note moments of transformation.

Watch for altar responses, consistency in activities like Bible reading, and a willingness to serve others.

Ask volunteers what they’re noticing. Firsthand observations reveal insights data can’t capture.

Relationships

Children’s workers spend a lot of time crafting lessons, preparing activities, and creating experiences. Yet discipleship often happens in the space between the plans.

Spiritual formation is relational. It thrives in environments where kids feel seen, safe, and comfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings.

Equip volunteers to ask good questions, listen well, and follow the Spirit’s lead during conversations.

Instead of just having kids recite back the lesson details, ask questions such as these: How did God speak to you today? Where do you see God working in the story? Did anything in the lesson make you think differently about your life?

Boys and girls need opportunities to process out loud what God is saying to them through His Word.

Slow down small group time. Give kids a chance to share what’s going on in their lives — even if it means not finishing an activity.

Celebrate Spirit-led moments. When a child opens up or prays for someone without being asked to do so, highlight it. That’s discipleship in action.

Growth

Kids who excel at memorizing Scripture or show natural leadership qualities stand out from the crowd, but the fruit of discipleship isn’t always flashy.

Spiritual growth often shows up in quiet, consistent behaviors. That’s why it’s important to look for deeper signs of transformation.

The Assemblies of God identifies seven practices of Spirit-empowered disciples: learning and applying Scripture; surrendering to the Spirit’s work; praying; participating in God’s mission; worshipping; serving; and practicing generosity.

Jesus never commanded us 
to fill chairs in classrooms. He 
did call us to 
make disciples 
and teach them 
to obey His Word 
(Matthew 28:19–20).

These practices provide a meaningful framework for defining — and spotting — spiritual growth.

For example, a child who comforts a hurting friend is growing in compassion and service. One who contributes part of his or her allowance to a missions offering is learning generosity. Another who reads the Bible without being told to do so is deepening engagement with God’s Word.

Discipleship is not just about knowing, but becoming. The most helpful evaluations take into account the fruit of changed lives.

Track such fruit by debriefing weekly as a team. Ask team members, “Where did you see signs of spiritual growth today?”

Keep a running “fruit board” or journal reflecting the data you gather. Capture short stories of growth for team celebration and encouragement.

Teach volunteers the seven practices of Spirit-empowered discipleship, providing simple language to identify those traits in action.

Milestones

Meaningful moments in a child’s discipleship journey often occur outside of the lesson itself. They might happen in the hallway, during snack time, or when a volunteer kneels beside a child at the altar.

Recognizing spiritual milestones calls for sensitivity and awareness.

Are your volunteers trained to spot signs of growth? Do they know how to respond when a child asks spiritual questions or takes a step of faith? Do team members have opportunities to tell these stories?

You can’t evaluate what you’re not noticing. Develop a team culture that celebrates spiritual milestones — and shares them often.

Before each service, meet briefly with volunteers. Remind them to watch for signs that God is working in children’s lives.

Regularly share examples of spiritual growth so leaders learn what to look for.

Empower volunteers to respond to children’s milestone moments. Be sure every leader knows how to pray with a child, explain salvation, and answer spiritual questions.

Margin

In our efforts to keep things moving during children’s services, we sometimes rush through the moments that matter most.

Spiritual growth is rarely neat, predictable or efficient. To create space for real transformation, we must leave room for the Holy Spirit to work and children to respond.

That might mean allowing more time for discussion at the end of a lesson or quiet reflection after worship. It could involve following up on something a child said during small group time — even if it wasn’t in the plan.

Build in response times during each service. Provide flexibility for pausing or changing directions as the Spirit leads. Encourage volunteers to notice and lean into ministry moments.

Families

Discipleship shouldn’t stop when the service ends. Families play a large role in the spiritual development of young people.

The more we know about what is going on in kids’ lives outside of church, the better we can assess where they are spiritually and how to help them grow.

Communicate regularly with parents and guardians. Ask what they’re seeing at home.

When you notice a spiritual milestone, let the child’s family know. This builds trust and reinforces partnership. Celebrate spiritual wins together.

Provide families with helpful resources, such as prayer guides, devotionals, and discussion questions based on the week’s lesson.

When church and home align in language and purpose, spiritual formation deepens — and becomes more visible.

Disciples

What we measure reveals what we value. If the only thing we track are attendance numbers, we’re missing the mark.

Jesus never commanded us to fill chairs in classrooms. He did call us to make disciples and teach them to obey His Word (Matthew 28:19–20).

Our priorities must match this mission. Attendance is easy to count, but it provides an incomplete picture of what is happening within individual lives.

Ultimately, our calling is not about temporary gains, but eternal ones. Therefore, we need to find ways of measuring what matters most: children experiencing spiritual transformation, growing in the Word, listening to the Holy Spirit, and living like Jesus.

This article appears in the Summer 2025 issue of Influence magazine.