Children’s Ministry
Supporting faith formation for over 1 million children in the ELCA through resources, partnerships, and leadership opportunities that nurture lifelong discipleship.
Faith Formation for NextGen
Children’s ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) supports the faith formation of more than 1 million children within our church and reaches countless others with the good news of Jesus. We trust that children are innately spiritual beings, and nurturing their faith from the earliest years is vital for their growth and for the future of the church and the world.
Through resources, workshops, mentoring and intentional partnerships, we walk alongside congregations, educators and families to create spaces where children are welcomed, valued and encouraged to live as beloved children of God. We also connect early childhood education with the wider scope of ELCA colleges and universities, building a strong foundation for lifelong discipleship.
Resources for Ministry Today
A congregational study exploring beliefs, barriers to faith engagement, and inclusion within diverse communities, featuring insights from young families, LGBTQIA+ adults and ELEA schools.
A Lilly Foundation–funded initiative helping congregations reimagine how children and youth with disabilities belong in worship and prayer across church, camp, school and military settings.
The Academy, designed by ELCA Faith Foundations, equips ministry leaders and volunteers with training and resources to create impactful, first-third-of-life ministries that nurture faith today.
Curious Christian Children
About CCC + Why It Matters.
Curious Christian Children (CCC) is a multi-year, Lilly Endowment–funded initiative working to reshape how communities across the ELCA include children and youth with disabilities—in worship and prayer.
We invite ministry leaders to explore big questions:
• What makes worship truly welcoming for children?
• How do we make room for curiosity, creativity, differing physical abilities and neurodiversity?
• How do children teach us about God?
This project combines deep listening, leadership development and experimentation to create a church culture where children are not just included—they belong and lead.
Children should not be an afterthought in worship, yet too often worship life is designed without their voices, needs or leadership in mind. We want to change that by inviting faith leaders to reconsider how to engage kids as full participants in the Body of Christ.
The CCC initiative exists to:
• Equip leaders to navigate change toward child-centered, accessible worship
• Gather and test practices that work in real ministry contexts
• Share ideas, stories and tools with the wider church
• Foster spaces where kids can lead us toward wonder, prayer and presence
We believe when worship becomes more inclusive of children, it becomes more faithful, joyful and whole—for everyone.
Join a CCC Cohort!
Now recruiting 25 leaders for the 2026 Learning Cohort—a 9-month journey to reimagine how children engage in worship through training, coaching, and hands-on ministry experiments.
