We all want our ministries to grow, right? The problem is we don’t always know how. But there are certain principles that, if applied over time, will cause growth in your ministry—automatically.
Here they are:
7 Steps to Automatic Growth in Your Children’s Ministry
1. Align your vision for Children’s Ministry with the vision of your senior leadership and church as a whole.
Children’s Ministry is not its own church. Neither is any other ministry. All ministries within the local church need to align with the vision of the church as set forth by its leadership. When we don’t do this, we set ourselves, our team and our ministry up for failure. Children’s Ministry must be going in the same direction as the church in order to allow for growth.
2. Grow yourself as a leader and focus on what leaders focus on.
The single greatest thing you can do to grow your ministry is to grow yourself. The greater your capacity to lead, the greater your capacity to develop leaders. And it is in the development of leadership within your ministry that will allow for the greatest growth in your ministry. See this post for more on this: The #1 Way To Grow Your Children’s Ministry
3. Grow your team through equipping and developing.
You can’t do ministry by yourself. You’ve got to grow your team (see How to Have a Great Children’s Ministry Team). That involves equipping and developing (see this post for more on the difference: Equipping vs. Developing Leaders In Children’s Ministry).
4. Build relationships for the sake of relationship and teach your team to do the same.
We say it over and over here at Children’s Ministry Leader: “Ministry always happens best in the context of relationships.” It’s true! But we don’t build relationship just so we can do ministry. Relationships matter outside of ministry. So build them for their own sake. The result of a relational culture in your ministry, however, will be that great growth with result.
5. Create excellent, engaging and relevant ministry for all age groups.
One of our five key elements in Children’s Ministry is Engaging Children. If people aren’t engaged in your ministry, they certainly won’t learn, and they probably won’t stay. And, for sure, your ministry won’t grow. Engagement drives growth, so make sure everything you do is excellent, engaging and relevant.
6. Be committed to expanding parent engagement in their children’s spiritual formation.
Spiritual formation of kids in your ministry will primarily happen only to the extent of their parents’ investment in that process. Not only is it primarily the parents’ responsibility, but they also have the greatest spiritual influence in their child’s life (good or bad). When we commit to engaging parents in what we do at church, it creates greater engagement at home. And greater engagement yields great opportunity for growth.
7. Don’t live within the walls of your church—create connections to your community.
Growth will come from outside the walls of our churches. So why do we so often remain within the walls of our church and expect growth? You as the leader, your team of leaders, and your ministry need to find ways to get connected beyond those walls with the community in which you serve. You might be surprised how being connected draws people to your church and ministry.
When I share these I’m always asked, “If I do these, growth will be automatic???” Yes…automatic. I didn’t say it was easy, or that it will happen overnight or the growth will look exactly like you expect it to, but apply yourself to these strategies and you and your ministry will grow. I guarantee it.
What have you discovered to create growth in your ministry?
This article originally appeared here.
