Dear David: I Feel Guilty About Using Video Lessons

Every once in a while I get questions from KidMin leaders that I know a lot of other leaders are wondering too. So today I’m trying something a little different — a KidMin version of “Dear Abby.”

Dear David,
I’m a children’s ministry leader at a mid-sized church. We’ve started using your video lessons more often because it helps when we’re short on strong teachers. The videos are incredible and the kids LOVE them. But honestly, I feel a little guilty about it. Shouldn’t the lesson always be taught live?

— Feeling Guilty in Kids Ministry

Dear Feeling Guilty,

First of all — take a deep breath. You’re not alone in feeling this way.

Yes, live teaching is wonderful. There’s something powerful about a leader opening the Bible and teaching kids face-to-face. And in a perfect world, every church would have a team of confident, gifted communicators ready to knock it out of the park every single week.

But that doesn’t mean video lessons are second best. In fact, when used well, they can be a huge win for your ministry.

Here’s why:

1. They help when you’re short on strong communicators.
Not every volunteer feels comfortable teaching a room full of kids — and that’s okay. Video lessons make it possible for churches to deliver a clear, engaging Bible lesson even when teaching volunteers are limited.

2. They free your leaders to focus on relationships and discipleship.
Instead of stressing over teaching the lesson perfectly, your leaders can focus on connecting with kids, asking questions, and helping them process what they’ve learned.

3. They help reduce leader burnout.

Teaching volunteers are the hardest ones to find, train, and retain. When the pressure to teach every week disappears, leaders often feel less overwhelmed and more energized to stay in ministry long-term.

4. Great videos can be incredibly engaging for kids.
High-quality visuals, storytelling, and humor can capture attention in ways that are hard to replicate every week.

This last reason is why so many churches love using The Journey Today Show and Topher Time videos.

These videos are designed to be interactive, pulling kids into the story while still leaving room for a live host to guide the experience and build relationships.

In other words, our videos don’t replace your leaders.

Our videos support them.

And when that happens, everybody wins — especially the kids.

P.S. If you want to see why churches LOVE the GO! videos, you can watch some samples below.