RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Halloween is only a few weeks away. If you're going to host a Fall Festival, it's time to start planning. 

I will be hosting a Fall Festival at the church where I am the children's pastor. We will host this on Halloween night. I know many churches do their fall festival on a different night other than Halloween. Personally, I prefer to do this on Halloween night since that is when the most families will be out looking for good, safe options for their children.

One big component of our Fall Festival will be sharing the Gospel with the families who attend. 

Here is our strategy for this. 

We will direct families to our worship center to start with.  They will funnel through the worship center to get to the trunk or treat area. 

We will start with a 10 minute family show in the worship center.  Here are some of the elements of the family show.

• We will sing a fun, high-energy song. 

• Family game - We will bring 3-4 families on stage who will participate in a high-energy game. I will give the families a prize for playing the game. 

• We will then share the Gospel using black lights.  We are currently writing the script for this. If you'd  like a copy of the script, feel free to email me.

• Prayer for families. 

• We will give each person a glow bracelet as they exit. 

Families will exit to the trunk or treat area.  

We will repeat the family show every 20-30 minutes during the night. 

I am excited to try this strategy.  I believe we are going to plant a lot of seeds that will bring fruit in the weeks and months that will follow the fall festival. 

What about you? Are you hosting a Fall Festival?  What is your strategy for this? Share your ideas in the comment section below. 

I'm giving away a curriculum series. 

Connect12 curriculum is an elementary curriculum that can be used for weekend services, Bible clubs, small groups, mid-week programming, and more.

Connect12 helps kids connect with 12 key discipleship truths. It takes kids from salvation all the way to spiritual leadership.

Connect12 uses videos, hands-on activities, active learning, relevant music, Bible memory, learning styles, experimental lessons, and more to communicate with today's kids.

This link will take you to the series. Pick which series you would like and email me.  Next week, I will pick one person to win. 

Here is a video overview of Connect12.

In fact, I believe ministry to the new kids on the block is one of the most important ministries in the entire church. It's not babysitting. It's not childcare. It's ministry at one of the most important times in a person's life. Research backs this up.

Teaching babies and toddlers is crucial because the first years are a period of rapid brain development. 80% of the brain develops by the age of three. This early learning lays the foundation for all future learning, behavior, and health.

Here are some ways you can minister to the new kids on the block.

Teach them.

Yesterday during services, I went into our nursery and ministered to a baby boy. It was his third visit to our church. I held him and read a Bible story to him. Did he say, "that was an awesome Bible story?" Of course not. But I believe that I planted a seed in his mind. It made a difference.

Yesterday, I also went into our toddler room. I taught a short lesson to our 2-3 year olds. It consisted of short stories about Jesus with pictures. I had the children point to Jesus in each picture and I told them that Jesus loves them. Again, I believe I planted a seed in their mind. It made a difference.

Pray for them and their parents.

Pray over the new kids on the block while you are rocking them. Pray over the new kids on the block while you are playing with them. Put a prayer verse in each room on the wall. Pray that prayer verse over the kids sometime during the class time.

Dedicate them.

Parent and Child Dedication is an awesome way to welcome the new kids on the block and their parents. I have an awesome parent and child dedication class and ceremony that you can get for your ministry. Hundreds of churches across the country use it.

It includes everything you need to host a parent and child dedication class and ceremony. It is available at this link.

Welcome them with a gift.

We have a wonderful group of ladies in our church that make blankets for the new kids on the block. Think of something you can give the new kids on the block. Welcome them. It will mean the world to their parents.

Invest in the parents of the new kids on the block.

What a great opportunity you have to come alongside these new parents and help them grow and flourish.

MomCo is a great program for young mothers. We use this at our church and it is a blessing to those who attend. You can get more info. about MomCo at this link.

Offer parenting seminars.

Twice a year, I teach a parenting seminar here at our church. This is a way I can invest in young parents and encourage them in their parenting journey. I also do parenting seminars at other churches. If you are interested in booking me you can get more info. at this link.

The new kids on the block are the future of your church. I often say, "If there is no crying (from the nursery), your church is dying."

In the next few years, billions of new children will be born. We have an incredible opportunity to reach them for Jesus. Let's go all out for the sake of the new kids on the block. Jesus loves each of them. Let's tell them about that.

How is your return rate for your guests?  The national average is like 7%.  The vast majority of guests don't return for a second visit. 

Let's be real. If a family has a bad first experience, they are not going to return. I don't care how many times you call them, text them, write them a postcard or even go to their house, they are not going to return. 

You only get one opportunity to make an impact.  The first impression truly is a lasting impression. 

Here's five reasons why a family will not return to your church. The good news is this...with a few tweaks or adjustments you can change this and see many more families continue to attend and get plugged in.

You are not maximizing the first 8 minutes. 

Did you know that people decide in the first 8 minutes if they are going to return to your church or not?  You do not want them spending those 8 minutes trying to find a parking spot or wondering where to enter the building or trying to find out where to check-in. 

Keep track of those 8 minutes. Look for ways to cut that time down. Maybe it's making sure you have plenty of guest parking right by the building or clearly marked entrances on the outside of the building or having greeters who can help guests know where to go. 

The more people you can help maximize those first 8 minutes, the more guests you will see return. 

You are making people wait in line. 

People hate to wait in line. As much as I love going to Disney World, I also get frustrated when I have to wait for an hour to ride something. You don't want your guests to feel that frustration on a smaller scale.

Have a separate check-in area for guests. 

Make sure you have short wait times to drop-off and pick-up kids at their rooms.

Someone was rude to them.  

People will remember how you made them feel. You can have the best children's program in the entire world, but if someone is rude to a family, they are not going to return.  Remember...while no one owns the guests and their time... everyone does own the time they are with them. 

Your front door greeters may be nice to guests, but if the person at the classroom door is rude to them, that is what they will remember. 

A guest's experience is the sum total of all of their interactions with the people on your team.  Train your volunteers to smile and go the second mile to make guests feel welcome and loved. 

Your security is lacking.  

One of parents' greatest expectations is that their child will be safe in your care.  And rightly so. We live in a time of abuse, school shootings, church shootings, kidnappings, trafficking, and more horrible atrocities. 

If parents don't feel safe leaving their child in your care, they will not return. You must build walls of security around your ministry. This includes background checks, no one ever being alone with a child, an armed security team in place, check-in and check-out plan, windows to be able to see in the rooms, and more. Explain to guest parents your safety plan so they feel secure leaving their child in your care.

They didn't make a connection with anyone. 

Yes, you shook their hand when they walked in, but then they were left to fend for themselves.  All of their interactions were superficial.  No one took the time to really talk with them and make them feel welcome.  

They didn't see anyone else who looked like them. Make sure you have some young adults and parents serving as greeters. If all they see is grey hair when they walk in, they may not return.  A healthy church has all generations represented 

Take time to talk with your guests and get to know them. It's all about relationships. If they don't make any connections, they will probably not be back. 

 Have you gotten your copy of my new book - Be Our Church Guest...Pursuing Excellence in Church Guest Services? You can order the book at this link.  

Your turn. What are some other reasons why guests don't return?  Share your thoughts in the comment section below.