Recently I was at a Walt Disney Resort. This sink caught my attention. Notice the height. It was made for children. Whoever designed it had the insight to bring it down to a child's level. Effective Children's Ministries have the ability to get down and look through the eyes of a child. They are able to connect with children by entering their world.
Here's some ways looking down can take your Children's Ministry up.
Look down when you are choosing paint colors. Bring kids in and let them help pick out the colors. Kids like bright, fun, cheerful colors. Enough already of the beige walls and brown folding chairs.
Look down when you are choosing chair and table sizes. Take the time to find out which table and chair sizes are the best fit for each age group in your ministry.
Look down when you are choosing sinks and toilets. The sinks and toilets in your children's area should be the right height for children to easily use them as pictured above.
Look down when you are writing or choosing lessons. Make sure your lessons are age-appropriate. Effective teachers know how to share the truth in simple, easy-to-understand language that children can understand. (by the way...it's the same for teaching adults)
Look down when you are theming your children's area. The children's area is for CHILDREN...not adults. The children's area should say to kids, "We designed this with you in mind."
Look down when you are creating children's worship and classroom environments. They are kids. They were made to laugh...giggle...move...bounce...wiggle...and have fun! Are you expecting them to act like adults at a funeral?
Look down when you are talking to children. Get down so you are on the same eye level as the child. We forget what it is like try to talk to someone towering over us. Getting down on the child's level makes it easier for them to talk with you.
Here's a challenge:
Get down on your knees so you are on the same eye level as a child. Go through your children's area on your knees and look at it through their eyes. Look for things that need to brought down, adjusted, or replaced so they can be kid-friendly.
Looking down can take your Children's Ministry up to a new level of effectiveness!
Posted by Dale Hudson
