RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

The summer slump.  It's become an accepted reality in most churches.  Attendance dips and volunteers are sporadic.

But what if your summer months actually became one of your highest attended times of the year?  What if you had lots of first-time guests walk in your doors during the summer months?

Guess what?  It is possible to grow your children's ministry during the summer months.

Last year we decided, instead of forfeiting the summer months, to think outside the box and see if we could find a way to actually grow during this time.  We decided to try a church-wide series called "At the Movies" for the month of July.  Each week, from adults to kids, we shared a lesson that used a major movie to illustrate Biblical truth.  We themed out our hallways with props we created from the movies, provided free popcorn and gave people invitation cards to invite their unchurched friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc.

The response was phenomenal.  Instead of slumping during these summer weeks, attendance shot up and we had some of our highest attended weekends of the entire year.  You can see more about what we did last year in this post.

We're doing the same thing this year and can't wait to see what happens.  Below is the invite card our kids will be using to invite other kids and families to come with them.  We're expecting another huge summer. 

I want to encourage you to think about some ways you can grow your children's ministry this summer.  Yes, lots of families are gone on vacation, but there are just as many families who are looking for something to do with their kids and all they need is an invite to an exciting event at your church.  I'm praying with you that this summer instead of seeing a slump...you'll see new families walking in the doors...that you'll see kids and families reached for Christ...that you'll see lives changed...and that you'll see growth instead of decline.  Yes...it can happen...even in the summer months!