If You Hear Kids Say This Word, Your Children's Ministry Will Grow


There is a word that kids say when they love something.  There is a word that kids say when something engages their attention.  There is a word that kids say when they have a great experience.  Wondering what the word is?  Here it is.  

AGAIN 

When a kid says "Again," you know they love something.  I've seen it happen many times.

A kid gets off a ride at Disney World and yells out, "Let's ride it AGAIN!"  

A kid remembers a movie that they loved and they say, "I want to watch it AGAIN."  

A kid hears a song that captures their imagination and they say, "I want to listen to it AGAIN."  

A kid eats at a restaurant that is kid-friendly and she tells her parents when it's family night she wants to go there AGAIN. 

A kid is captivated by a video game and he wants to play it AGAIN.  

Think about it with me.  If you want to see your children's ministry grow, then you've got to get kids saying AGAIN about your church.  When first-time guests walk out the door, you've got to get the kids telling their parents they want to come AGAIN.   When parents ask their kids what they want to do next weekend, you've got to get kids saying they want to go back to church AGAIN.  

So how are you going to get kids saying "AGAIN" about your ministry?  Here's 3 biggies...

People
Disney is the master at getting kids to want to come again.  Why do you think so many people purchase season passes?  Yes...I know...they have amazing rides and shows.  But don't overlook the biggest factor.  Look what Walt Disney said.
You can design and create and build the most wonderful place in the word.  But it takes PEOPLE to make the dream a reality.
It's the Cast Members that work at Disney that help create a place that kids want to come to again.  Without them, the parks would just be an empty shell.

I believe the same is true with your ministry and mine.  Volunteers are the biggest factor in kids wanting to come again.

Kids will want to come again because a volunteer smiled at them and welcomed them when they walked in the door.  Kids will want to come again because a volunteer called them by name and spent time with them.  Kids will want to come again because a volunteer made them feel important, loved and cared for.  Kids will want to come again because a volunteer listened to them and prayed for them.

Pour your time, energy and effort into building a great volunteer team and you will begin to hear kids say the word "Again." 

If you need help building a volunteer team, here's some tips.

Programming
If you want to hear "again," another biggie is programming.  Kids don't say "again" about something that is boring.  Kids don't say "again" about something that is not age-appropriate.  Kids don't say "again" about something that didn't capture their attention.  Kids don't say "again" about something that is irrelevant to their life.  

Our programming must be fun, exciting, engaging and age-appropriate in order to hear "again."  Here's some help for making your programming great for kids. 





Physical Environment 
A final big factor in seeing kids come again is your actual physical space.  When your environments are decorated kid-friendly, it says to kids, "We care about you.  We created this with you in mind.  You are important to us."
  
Whether your budget is $100 or $1 million dollars, everyone can do something to make their environment kid-friendly.  Even something as simple as painting the walls in kid-friendly colors makes a difference.  The time, effort and money you spend creating kid-friendly environments is one of the best investments your ministry can make.

This past weekend, at one of our campuses, a 9-year-old boy named Mark was baptized.  He first came to our church with a neighbor.  He loved it and kept coming back with the neighbor.  Eventually he talked his mom into coming with him.  The first time she came, she sat in the car, afraid to come in, she didn't know anything about this "church stuff" and was hesitant.  But she finally came inside and begin attending.  When Mark told her he wanted to begin a relationship with Jesus, he talked her into bringing him to our salvation and baptism classes.  Mark stepped across the line of faith after attending the classes.  His mom was there this weekend to watch him get baptized.  She is very close to accepting Christ as her Savior as well.  I believe within the next few weeks she'll step across the line of faith.  All of this because an unchurched kid was brought by a neighbor, had a great experience and said the word "again."

My prayer is that every child who walks in the doors of our churches will leave saying "AGAIN!"