What place does technology have in children’s ministry? Find out the dos and don’ts about AI, YouTube, and more! Learn how to teach kids discernment and help them navigate the world of tech.

Technology is everywhere. We can’t ignore the reality that even the littlest of kids in our care are growing up in a world heavily influenced by technology.

But what does that mean for our children’s ministries? Do we embrace it, compete with it, ignore it, fight against it? Let’s look at what role technology might play in children’s ministry—and where it might not fit.

Using AI Technology

It seems like generative AI just kind of happened suddenly, doesn’t it? One day no one was talking about it, and the next day it was everywhere!

With that kind of sudden appearance and its ever-evolving nature, many people were left with a lot of questions. What are the ethics of using it? What are the dangers? How can it benefit me and my ministry? At the onset of AI, it was met with a lot of skepticism and fear. And although those feelings have largely stuck around, most people are using AI—often without even realizing it.

According to Barna’s research, 49% of practicing Christians use AI to help with personal growth and understanding. Andy Crouch, a guest speaker on the Faith & Culture Report Podcast in April 2026, predicts that in 3-5 years, most teenagers’ best friends will be AI. That means the kids and preteens you’re serving today could be growing up in that reality.

Crouch also warns that while AI can generate encouraging words (in fact, it can be the conflict-free friend who never disagrees with you, no matter how wrong you may be), kids need real people in their lives to help with fears and struggles.

AI is a great tool when used for efficiency solutions, but it shouldn’t be used to seek wisdom. That’s something we need to model for kids in how we use AI, and also teach them discernment.

Bottom line: It’s not a bad idea to use AI in your ministry for logistics—like schedules, volunteer planning, policies, and so forth. Even then, make sure you’re vetting what it spits out! (And beware of copyright violation; many publishers prohibit their lessons from being uploaded into AI engines.)

When it comes to things you’re teaching children or ways you’re building relationship with them, don’t rely on AI. They need your personal, relational real-life self more than ever!

Using Canva to Create

Canva can be a great tool for designing graphics on a budget. Need a poster for an event? Or a slide to help kids know your rules and guidelines? Canva can be your friend! More and more children’s ministry leaders are turning to Canva to design things they wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise.

That’s great! Just remember to be mindful of copyright law; avoid uploading other people’s content without permission, such as logos or graphics. Don’t create a new teaching series that’s based on the latest and greatest kids’ movie and looks suspiciously like the movie thumbnail. While those ideas may connect with kids, they’re not legal—and companies like Disney and Pixar have been known to come after churches violating their copyright.

Using Streaming Platforms

Using streaming platforms like Spotify and YouTube is another way children’s ministries have hopped on board with technology. These sources, too, have great potential—and need discernment.

Most streaming platforms, including Spotify, have terms of use that prohibit you from using them in a public setting, like a church. (Read more on that here.)

YouTube also has limitations; you may have to get through ads which will disrupt your ministry, and some videos have restrictions against downloading and incorporating it into a PowerPoint presentation.

So if you don’t have permission from the publisher but you really love a song, what can you do? For some songs, you may be able to buy a license and download the video to view in your ministry. (Looking to download Group VBS music videos? Click here!)

You can also recommend Spotify or YouTube channels and playlists to your families to enjoy at home! That’s a great way to give parents something that’s easy and natural to fit into their daily rhythms and gets God’s Word and worship into kids’ homes.

Other Technology Tools

There are a lot of great tools out there to help streamline the logistics in your ministry so you have more time to focus on relationships.

• Planning Center is a great way to manage volunteers and make communication with them go smoothly.
• VBS programs from Group can pair with VBS Pro, a tool that promotes your event, automatically sorts kids into Crews, and makes registration a snap.
• Shepherd’s Watch Background Checks can help you vet your volunteers to keep kids safe.
• Dig In and Wonder Ink are two excellent curriculum options that offer online tools to create your customized lessons, with additional digital features included.

The Pros and Cons of Technology in Sunday School

Many of the above solutions have been about using technology outside of a lesson. But what about when the kids are there?

There are varying perspectives on using technology in the classroom. Some churches are moving away from using technology much at all because they’re realizing it’s hard to compete with what kids are watching online in their own time.

And kids may just need a break from screens! As screens take over more and more of kids’ lives, you may find that kids are starving for face-to-face time (whether or not they can vocalize that). I remember a fifth grader saying to me, “I don’t want to go to large group; all we do is watch videos and I can do that by myself at home.” She didn’t need more screens; she needed connection.

In fact, the American Psychological Association links screen time with socioemotional problems and indicates screens create a vicious cycle—the more kids use them, the more they experience anxiety, depression, aggression, and hyperactivity. The more kids have these problems, the more they turn to screens to cope.

Relational connection is an asset your church can offer that screens can’t. Your best way of “competing” with screens might just be to offer something more meaningful and fulfilling: connection. Leaning into this point of view, BE BOLD is a no-tech curriculum for preteens.

On the other hand, some people lean the other way. They feel that using technology gets into kids’ worlds and realities and holds their attention spans better. It’s great to meet kids where they are! Just be sure to watch those copyright violations, and keep all kids in mind.

For example, if you send kids on a photo scavenger hunt around the room, don’t assume all kids have phones. Due to socioeconomic differences or parent boundaries, not everyone will. Know your specific setting, and have kids form groups that each have a phone to take photos.

Teach Technology Discernment

Whether you use screens or not in your ministry, it’s important to recognize that kids are growing up immersed in technology. It’s more crucial than ever to teach kids discernment. Ask kids about what they like to watch. Ask questions like:

• What do you like about that?
• How do you think watching that has changed the way you think or act?
• Do you think that person/channel/show promotes good things that honor God? Tell me more about that.
• How could watching that help you worship or serve God?

If you get into a specific example of what they’re watching, you can ask more dialed-in questions. For example, let’s say a child shares they watch a YouTube channel where someone pranks people. They recently watched an episode where they pranked someone in a grocery store. Ask questions like:

• What do you think the Bible says about that choice?
• Is that a choice you’d make, too? Tell me more about that.

The key is not to answer the questions for them with blanket, judgmental statements like “that was wrong” or “you shouldn’t watch that.” Instead, help kids think about how their technology and entertainment choices influence their hearts. Hopefully, this will give kids a more mindful approach to what media they consume.

Emphasize That God Is Real

Growing up in a world of AI, it can be increasingly difficult to discern what’s real and what’s not real. And while kids tend to be better than adults at identifying AI, there’s still plenty of room for confusion.

I recently spoke with a teacher from Alaska who shared that her kids didn’t believe that narwhals are real animals. They look like AI. On the other hand, kids fell hook, line, and sinker for a non-existent species of owl that AI had created. So she’s spending extra time teaching kids which animals are real and which are AI.

It may not matter for their spiritual lives if kids believe narwhals exist, but it’s absolutely critical that kids know God is real and the Bible is true. Remind kids of these things as often as you can. Help them turn to the Bible as their source of truth.

We can’t ignore technology—or we’ll be ignoring kids’ realities. We also can’t dive in without seeking God’s wisdom. So let’s find ways to use technology wisely, in ways that honor God and help us to prioritize what’s most important in our ministries.

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For more on this topic, find out how to guide families through online content, or learn more about how to help kids navigate and discern during screen time.