Need convincing? Okay. A recent study showed that 13% of Gen Z said they decided to become a Christ-follower after they visited a church. The influence of a church building was more significant than attending a youth group, going to a wedding or speaking to other Christians about their faith.
Your children's ministry facilities matter. While we know facilities alone won't bring Gen Z to Jesus, it does play a role. I can personally attest to this. In ministries I have led, each time we built new children's ministry facilities, we took off and started growing exponentially. When you invest in your children's ministry facilities, you make a statement. The facilities say "Kids matter here...we care about your children...children's ministry is a priority at our church...we believe in investing in the next generation."
Some of you reading this may be thinking, "I don't have a big budget to build a new children's ministry facility." I get it. I've been there. But, here's the good news. No matter what size budget you have, you can do something to improve your children's ministry facilities. Fresh paint in kid-friendly colors makes a big difference. You can project graphics on the wall and paint them in. You can get props and other theming objects at yard sales. All you need to do is pick a theme, Google for ideas and go for it.
I'll never forget one of the first children's ministries I led. It was in a small, country church. We had no budget and no resources. The children's ministry space was in a dark, damp basement. We only had 2 to 3 kids attending. I decided to turn the children's ministry room into a clubhouse. I went out and gathered free wood, branches and any other free prop I could find. I hand-painted a sign and placed it at the entrance of the room. The kids loved it and began inviting others to attend. We started growing and reached several kids in the community.
All that to say this again. Your children's ministry facilities matter. Take what God has placed in your hands and use it. You will attract kids and families and see their lives changed by the power of the Gospel when they walk through the doors.
