Your children’s ministry environment matters…a lot! But that doesn’t mean everything you do has to be hard or expensive. Easy ways exist to improve a kidmin ministry or program. Certain steps will instantly make the programs more inviting to parents and children. Start with these 10:
10 Children’s Ministry Tips
1. Start with the parking lot.
I visit a lot of churches and am often amazed at two things. First, how poorly cared for the parking lot area is. Second, how difficult it is to find the Children’s Ministry (which is what I’m usually looking for). Next time you drive into your church parking lot, look at it from the perspective of a first-time visiting family. Then make changes accordingly.
2. Make it obviously safe.
Signage, check-in requirements, people with bright orange vests… Do whatever you need to do to communicate that people are entering (and dropping their kids off in) a safe environment.
3. Brighten things up.
Have you ever walked into a dark area that was supposed to be for kids? Enough said.
4. Music matters.
Have you ever walked into a room that was supposed to be for kids but was dead silent? Enough said.
5. Be ready and waiting.
Don’t make families figure things out for themselves. When they arrive at church, they need to figure out how to check in their kids, where they’ll drop them off, where the bathrooms are, how to get from where they are to the Worship Center, what they’ll do with the pager, and on and on.
People must figure out a lot, usually in a short period of time. (Because what visitor wants to walk in late to the worship service?) Greeters ought to be as much a part of your team as teachers.
