What about the children who are there for more than one service because their parents attend one service and serve or go to a class for the second hour? What do these children do for the second hour?
Many times they have to sit through the same service again. And no matter how engaging your service may be, the exact service again can be boring for a child. This can lead to behavior issues and children dreading that second hour.
And many times it's the children of your most committed families. Families who are serving in your ministry and other ministries. What should you do?
A few years ago, I was experiencing the frustrations of this issue and came up with a solution that has worked well for us. It's called Kid's Place. Kid's Place is a room where children can go for the second service. Kid's Place doesn't have a structured lesson or classroom schedule. It's a place where children can just hang out. They can choose from a variety of activities such as coloring, puzzles, crafts, board games, building blocks, video games, books, and more. They are also provided with a snack and drink.
Children look forward to going to Kid's Place for their second service. Parents love it. It also helps you enlist many more volunteers. Many parents in your ministry may not be serving because they don't want their child sitting through the same service twice. But when you provide a room like Kid's Place for their children the second service, they will be a lot more willing to serve. The time you spend enlisting volunteers for Kid's Place will be multiplied many times over in new volunteers who join your team because you offer it.
We want children to leave our services wanting more. We want them excited about coming back. A room like Kid's Place can be a key factor in that happening.
