I cannot speak for my father, but he is an example of several that I know that moved from children's ministry to another ministry when they got older. Will I ever be too old for Children's Ministries? Some move on because they receive directive from God to do something different. Some do it because of physical limitations. But some do it because they feel they have ceased to be relevant to an ever changing culture of new children flowing in to their ministry. To this last group I reply, "Hogwash."
Several teachers in my ministry still serve and teach children in their 70s and they are still doing an amazing job. I remember people who made a difference in my life when I was a child that wouldn't have recognized a single TV show, toy, or video game I liked. They loved. That's all. They loved me and taught me the Bible. You don't need cool illustration videos, flashing lights, and a large VBS to reach kids. As the song says, "All you need is love."
A person does have to pour quality and energy into what they present to kids, but love far outweighs the latest ministry trends. If you do flannel graphs and object lessons well enough, any child will still listen to you if you're giving them a good healthy dose of love. It's not the method that captures a child's attention, it's the deliverer. Anyone who still loves kids and can communicate with quality is still qualified to work with kids no matter how far out of touch they are with current trends. This doesn't diminish the value of such trends and technology as useful additional tools to help you minister effectively, it just means that these are not essentials in order to make a valuable impact.
So someone over 50 please read this and serve in your children's ministry. And to my future self: Please remember what got you into this thing in the first place. Serve the kids. They're more important than the communication methods you choose. You're never too old.
