My latest obsession is finding classic Sesame Street clips on YouTube (classic, sadly, defined as “from Jen’s childhood”). Those of you who are old like me will understand—remember the one about making orange crayons? Or the Pointer Sisters singing “one two three FOUR five, six seven eight NINE ten, eleven twe-e-e-lve” while the silver ball rolled through a psychedelic pinball machine? Or my favorite, Billy Jo Jive the crime-fighting ace?

Sometimes children’s ministry, especially to preschoolers, gets labeled “babysitting.” But Sesame Street‘s influence proves this age group not only soaks up new information but also remembers pieces of it years (and years, and years….) later. The hour or two a week we set aside to teach them about the Bible should be carefully planned, not disregarded as mere child care.

And even if none of the young children in our churches remember a Bible story fact, these early years are an important time to communicate other messages: Jesus loves you. God listens when you pray. Church is a happy place.

I’m thankful for the good people who created Sesame Street and its many moments still lingering around the edges of my brain. I’m glad the YouTube folks make it possible to access this nostalgia thirty years later. But I’m really grateful for the teachers who planned and prayed over my Bible lessons, flannel graph stories, and VBS crafts.

Sesame Street taught me to count; those very first Sunday school volunteers taught me to count on Jesus.