Many churches say children's ministry is a priority. But actions speak louder than words.
Here are 5 telltale signs that children's ministry is NOT a priority at a church.
1. Lack of Personnel
The people in the church see serving in children's ministry as a punishment that has to be endured. There are lots of people in the choir loft while the children's ministry has to beg for volunteers. Adult Sunday School classes are full while the children's Sunday School classes often have to be combined because of lack of volunteers.
Take a look at where people are volunteering in your church. It speaks volumes about how important children's ministry is.
2. Lack of Promotion
You never hear children's ministry mentioned from the platform. If there is an announcement about children's ministry in the bulletin, you need a microscope to see it. There are full color brochures about adult ministry but black & white brochures about children's ministry. If a new family didn't ask, they would never know you had a children's ministry.
Take a look at what your church promotes. You promote what is important to you.
3. Lack of Program Funding
The percentage of your budget that is spent on children's ministry is miniscule. While money is spent on fresh flowers for the table at the front of the church every week, the children's ministry funding withers away. Sunday school teachers recycle what little resources they have, while a brand new church van sets in the church parking lot.
Your church budget reflects what its priorities are.
4. Lack of Physical Space
While women's ministry has the best rooms in the church, the children's ministry is banished to the basement. The carpet in the children's ministry area is stained. The chairs in the children's ministry area were brought off the ark by Noah. And when it's time to build, children's ministry is an afterthought.
Your church building speaks volumes about how important children's ministry is.
5. Lack of Percentage of Kids
The percentage of kids in your church is very small. There are lots of empty chairs in your children's ministry rooms. It's been a long time since the giggles of children was the predominant sound in the hallways and the cries of babies spilled out from the nursery.
The percentage of children attending your church reflects how important children's ministry is.
If these telltale signs describe your church, be encouraged. You can turn things around.
In this post, I share how you can make your church a place where kids want to be.
And in this post, I talk about how children will bring God's blessings to your church.
