Children’s Missions Day
Join kids across the country in hands-on ministry in your community for Children’s Missions Day! WMU invites all children in grades 1–6 to participate each year.
WMU launched Children’s Missions Day in 2008 to move children out of their churches and into their communities to do missions. The goal is for children’s groups to create projects that meet needs in their own communities. From feeding hungry people to visiting shut-ins, boys and girls follow God’s command to “put your love into action” (1 John 3:18). Thousands of people have already taken part in this special day.
If you have comments or questions about Children’s Missions Day, please email children@wmu.org or contact your state WMU office. We look forward to helping your kids do hands-on ministry!
Save the date on your church’s calendar for Children’s Missions Day 2023!
September 16, 2023
WHY PARTICIPATE IN CHILDREN’S MISSIONS DAY?
Why should churches participate in Children’s Missions Day? It’s motivational. It’s easy. And it works!
Children’s Missions Day is motivational!
Children’s Missions Day is a great way to get the children in your church motivated and engaged in mission action in their own community. They are joining thousands of other children across North America to minister to people in their own community with the love of Jesus.
Imagine the impact the church of Jesus Christ could have in North America if children everywhere lead their entire church family to minister in their communities!
Children’s Missions Day is easy!
Children’s Missions Day is easy to implement. All the tools you need for planning and promotion are in the Missions Journey: Kids Annual Planning Kit 2023–24. The kit includes project ideas, learning activities, and promotional tools for your CMD event. The children’s digital packages for 2023–24 also include artwork for social media promotions, T-shirts, recognition certificates, and more!
Children’s Missions Day works!
Through Children’s Missions Day, God has used children to make a real difference in their communities.
We encourage churches to research the needs in their community and find ways children can meet those specific needs. We anticipate that many more lives will be impacted as children reach out in their communities with the love of Jesus.
Children’s Missions Day 2023
Theme: Operation Education
Scripture: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young. Set an example for the believers in what you say and in how you live. Also set an example in how you love and in what you believe. Show the believers how to be pure” (1 Timothy 4:12 NIrV).
What will you do?
- Serve your local schools through a project that demonstrates the love of God.
- Create a project that meets the needs of someone who works for your school system or is served by your school.
- Carry out your project and share God’s love with the people you serve.
How will you plan?
The Missions Journey: Kids Annual Planning Kit 2023–24 and the children’s digital packages for 2023–24 include everything you need to plan, promote, and execute your best Children’s Missions Day yet!
Don’t forget to order Operation Education badges/patches for your children to recognize their efforts!
Check out this “Quick Guide for Planning Your Children’s Missions Day 2023 Project.”
“Our three churches partnered together to go out into our community. One team visited and took care packages to a local apartment complex and our city fire department. We were able to pray with several of the residents and the firefighters on duty. The second walked around our town square giving out treats and praying with and for our local business community. The third group visited a local nursing home to play games and puzzles with the residents and bring treats to the nursing staff as well. One of the residents (who was 100 years old) shared with the children how she came to know Jesus when she was their age.”
— Darlington First Baptist, Mechanicsville Baptist, Mont Clare Baptist, South Carolina
“Our Children in Action partnered with adults, youth, and preschoolers in January to make over 100 Valentines and fill over 100 goody bags for folks residing in assisted living residents and Homereach elderly in our community. On February 9, the children delivered these Valentine’s Day treats to two assisted living residences in Warrenton, and they visited with and entertained the residents. We were also able to bless the staff of our early weekday education center with valentines and treats on Valentine’s Day. What a grand, rewarding time sharing Christ’s love in our community!”
— Warrenton Baptist Church, Virginia
“The Kennedy Baptist Church mission statement is ‘To Make Christ Known Across the Street and Around the World,’ so our children’s ministry group went across the street to the local convenience store (Kennedy Express). We are a small town, so this is the main gathering place. The children bagged up cookies, which included a memory verse and a church card during their Wednesday night class. On Saturday, February 16, we made our way across the street to the Kennedy Express and greeted patrons and employees with a bag of cookies and told them Jesus loves you. We had a wonderful time sharing the love of God with others in the community. We also visited a few homes in the community and shared the cookies with them as well. To finish the day we made “bank boxes” to collect for our Annie Armstrong Offering.”
— Kennedy Baptist Church, Alabama
“We hosted a Valentine’s party at Clara Verner Towers retirement center. We played checkers, tic-tac-toe, colored pictures, gave manicures, served punch and cookies, and sang hymns.”
— Gilgal, Alabama
“Our children took up money from our congregation during the month of January. They went shopping and selected items to fill gift baskets on February 9. On Saturday, February 16, they divided the snacks, packed the baskets, and delivered them. They packed peanuts, chips, protein bars, nabs, cheese crackers, cookies, beef jerky, popcorn, fresh fruit, fruit cups, pudding cups, candy, water, sports drinks, and handmade cards from the children. We then delivered the gift baskets to the local fire houses expressing our thanks and appreciation for their service to our community. One house even allowed the children to get in the firetruck and explore as he turned on the lights and sirens and blew the horn! The children enjoyed the whole experience and hopefully learned how important it is to do missions in our communities.” (For a glimpse of their awesome day, check out the photo to the right!)
— New Sight Baptist Church, Mississippi
Thank you for participating in Children’s Missions Day!
We’d love to hear more about your event. Please fill out this brief form so we can get a better idea how leaders are engaging children in missions in their communities. Thank you!