Ministry metrics may not always be top of mind. But they matter because they affect the children and families you serve. I have written about what guests hate at church, such as waiting in line. That’s a big no-no. For a reminder, just visit your local DMV!
Every Sunday, ministry metrics impact your children’s ministry program. Families can get stuck in three places at church. So monitor these areas closely.
3 Children’s Ministry Metrics to Monitor
1. Guest registration
First up… Make the registration and check-in process for new families as quick as possible. One solution: Have a separate check-in area for first-time guests. Don’t make them wait in line with regular attendees.
Another idea: Provide a simple registration form. The more information you have to collect from them, the longer it will take. Trim down your form to the basic need-to-knows. You can also do away with paper forms and collect the information on a computer or tablet. Typing is quicker than writing. Plus, then the details are legible!
Recently I timed the check-in process for a new family, using the stopwatch on my iPhone. It took 5.5 minutes from the time they stepped up to the registration table to when they arrived at the classroom door. Not bad, but not great. I’m working to get that down to three minutes. We are moving to a digital form, which should shave off some time.
2. Check-in for regular attendees.
How long does it take families to check in? How long do they have to wait in line? If lines of people are backing up, it’s time to add more check-in stations.
If you’re using digital check-in, how fast is it? Are the computers or tablets running at optimal speed? Do you need to get a better internet connection? update some computers? invest in a new check-in system? Regular attendees should be able to check in with a time frame of one minute or less.
