RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

When kids transition to a new ministry environment, it can be a nervous time for them and their parents. But a strategic plan can turn transition into a time of anticipation, excitement, and spiritual growth for the kids and families in your ministry. Here are some ways to build an effective bridge for transition.

Create a partnership between environments. Helping
environments work together is key to building the bridge.

Have key staff from the new environment come and meet the transitioning kids. Have them hang out before a service, greet the kids from the stage, or even teach a lesson. We start this process three months before transition. The key staff members come at least twice a month.

Communicate. Send out communication pieces to parents. Start communicating about transition at least two months out.

Send a welcome packet to parents of transitioning kids. Include a welcome letter, sample lessons, sample take-home papers, a calendar with important dates, sign-up forms, and any other pertinent information parents will want to know.

Announce the transition to the kids. Make it fun and exciting. Tell them about cool things that will be coming up in the new environment.

Take the kids to their new environment and give them a preview before they transition. This will relieve a lot of anxiety as kids see the environment and get a feel for what it will be like.

Have an open house. It’s a great way for kids and parents to visit the new environment, ask questions, get information, and meet their new leaders. Have key staff in the room to meet the new kids and their parents. Have information packets available and consider families’ busy schedules. Consider offering several options for families to attend.

Have a graduation ceremony. Offer families a spiritual milestone they will never forget.

Ask volunteers who have worked with the kids to share memories.

Ask graduating kids to share what they’ve learned, memories, and thanks to their leaders.

Ask parents to publicly bless their kids with Scripture, thoughts, and prayer. (Ask everyone ahead of time so they have time to prepare.)

Provide graduation certificates or maybe even gifts.

Have kids walk across the stage. This is visual confirmation that they are transitioning to a new environment.

Give a brief devotion or challenge to the kids and parents. Then close with prayer. Have parents and leaders gather around the children and pray for them.

Have a party, cookout, or reception after the ceremony. This is a great time for staff, volunteers, and students from the new ministry environment to connect with transitioning kids and parents.

I have created a graduation celebration milestone kit for kids who are transitioning up to middle school ministry. It includes everything you need for a great transition strategy and ceremony. It is available at this link. 

Keep kids grouped together as much as possible. Keeping groups together will provide security for kids and help them continue to deepen relationships.

Have volunteers move up with kids. We love it when volunteers want to move up with their kids! It helps calm kids’ fears, but more important, when a leader invests in a child’s life over the years, the spiritual impact is multiplied. 

Make yourself available for kids or families who are struggling during transition. I have found over the years that transition has a way of revealing kids and families who need an extra ministry touch. Perhaps it brings out the anxiety a child may still be feeling from a divorce; perhaps it shows parenting challenges a mom or dad is facing. How will you know who they are? Don’t worry…usually they will come to you. Whatever the need, be there to encourage them and walk with them through this time.

One of the great joys of being in children’s ministry for the long haul is seeing kids grow up and become fully devoted followers of Christ. It reminds you that all the time you spent building bridges for them was well worth it. 

The kids in your ministry will grow up fast. Be there to build bridges across the transitions.

Here are five things people won't tell you about Children's Ministry. I learned these things the hard way...ministry trial and error.  

Hopefully, I can save you some frustrating time and energy by sharing these things with you now. 

If you are a rookie, these may be surprising to you. If you are a veteran in children's ministry, it is helpful to be reminded of these things.

Ready? Let's talk about these five things .

Children's ministry is more about leading volunteers than it is about children. 

I often say this...

The success of your children's ministry rises and falls on the strength of your volunteer team.  

You can be great with kids, but if you can't build and lead a volunteer team, you will have a hard time building a children's ministry. 

You should spend as much or even more time investing in volunteers than you do investing in children. 

Learn how to enlist volunteers. 

Learn how to equip volunteers. 

Learn how to engage volunteers. 

Learn how to encourage volunteers. 

Learn how to empower volunteers.

If you haven't read my book "The Formula for Building Great Volunteer Teams" then get your copy today. It will reveal how I built a team of over 2,000 volunteers in a local church. It will give you valuable ideas and insight on how to build a great volunteer team.  It is available at this link.

You should spent a big percentage of your time connecting with and engaging parents in your ministry.  

Think about it. Parents have the greatest influence in a child's life. 

If you want to influence kids, then you have to influence their parents. 

Always be thinking about parents. 

How can you engage them?

How can you equip them?

How can you influence them?

One big way you can influence parents is by involving them in key milestone moments. 

Parent and child dedication. Salvation. Baptism. Spiritual growth. Transition into middle school. 

You can get more info. about Milestones kits at this link. 

No matter what you do...some families and volunteers will walk away from you. 

Volunteers you have poured your time and energy into will quit serving. 

Families that you have invested in will leave the church. 

Get used to it. It's going to happen and often there is nothing you can do about it. You have to let them go.

If you want to grow the ministry, you have to grow yourself first.

You can't have a 10 children's ministry, if you are a 5 leader. 

Look what Rick Warren said.

Years ago I stopped worrying about how to grow our church and instead focused on growing me. As I grew, our church grew. 

Growing churches require growing pastors. The moment you stop growing, your church stops growing. 

Focus on your own personal leadership growth. Read leadership blogs. Listen to podcasts that will help you grow. Read leadership books. Attend conferences. Join a coaching group. 

I have a 6 month coaching experience designed specifically to help children's ministry leaders grow. You can get more information at this link. 

Families will only attend your ministry one to two times a month. 

This can be frustrating, but it is reality. 

The average family only shows up a few times a month. 

Parents will make unwise decisions by putting their children in sports' leagues that play on Sunday.  

The family dynamics of divorce will cause children to only be able to attend every other weekend. 

Families' will have wrong priorities that hinders their church attendance patterns. 

Then we wonder why children grow up and don't make church attendance a priority. 

Encourage families to be faithful and consistent in their church attendance, but don't be surprised when they continue to make unwise decisions regarding this. 

May God continue to give you wisdom and insight as you serve in children's ministry.

Child dedication is the first milestone that you should celebrate with the families in your ministry.  

It is one of 5 important milestones that happen from birth to 5th or 6th grade.

Here are the 5. 

1. Child dedication

2. Entering school

3. Salvation

4. Baptism

5. Elementary graduation / move into middle school / student ministry.

I have milestone kits / programs for each of these. You can see them at this link.  

It all starts with child dedication. Most churches have a child dedication.  But what if you could take your child dedication to the next level with a few minor tweaks?  Check out these 10 tweaks that will make your child dedication even better.

1. Don't just call it "child" or "baby" dedication.  Call it "Parent and Child" dedication. The dedication is just as much about the parents as it is their children.  Let your title and teaching reflect this. This is such a great time to connect with young parents and speak into their life. It is one of the times when they will open their hearts and invite you in to help them navigate this early stage of their parenting journey.

2. Have a class that parents must go through before the dedication.  No exceptions.

3. In your class, spend as much (or even more) time teaching parents about making God a priority in their family's life.  This is a key time in the family's life. You have a unique opportunity to help them set their family priorities with God being the center of their home.

4. Provide ways for parents to invite their family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc. to the dedication. One idea is to provide invite cards that they can mail out to the people they want to invite. 

5. Have a reception after the dedication for the families and those they have invited to come. This gives you a great opportunity to get to know the people they invited.

6. Give each family a child's Bible / devo book.  Encourage parents to read it and talk about it each night with their child.

7. Give parents the opportunity to speak and pray a blessing over their child.  Let them know ahead of time so they can prepare what they are going to say or pray. This is best done before or after the dedication.

8. Have parents write a blessing in their child's Bible.  Encourage parents to keep the Bible long-term and show it to their child when their child is older and can understand what they wrote and why they wrote it.

9. Include the church congregation in the dedication. During the dedication, ask the church if they will love, support, and invest in the children.  Ask them to commit to pray for the young families, help teach and mentor the children, and invest in the family.  

10. Share the Gospel.  If the families invite people to come celebrate with them, there is a good chance that some of the guests will not know Jesus.  Take a few minutes to share the Good News with them in a group setting.

If you are looking for a dedication class, then check out the one I wrote.  It comes from real time ministry and is very effective.

What are some other tips you have for child dedication?  Share them with us in the comment below.

One of the ways you can make a big impact in the lives of parents and their children is to offer a Parent and Child Dedication class.

Here are some of the benefits that come with hosting a class.

You can help young parents see that they are the biggest influence in their child's life.  Most Christian parents don't think about this.  They feel a sense of duty to raise their child in church, but don't fully grasp just how big their role is.  

At each Parent and Dedication class, I remind the parents of this one simple, but powerful truth. 

No one has more influence in a child's life than his or her parents. 

You can help parents see that the dedication is just as much about them as it is their children.  That's why it's important to call it PARENT and Child Dedication class.

You can give parents a blueprint for discipling their children.  Deuteronomy 6 shares 4 ways you can disciple your children in the course of an ordinary day.

> Morning time

> Home time (when you are at home just hanging out)

> Drive time

> Bedtime

You can help parents see what the dedication is not.  It is not part of their salvation.  It is not baptism.  It is not a ritual or show.

You can help parents see what the dedication is.  It is a time to dedicate their children to Jesus. It is a time to pray a blessing over their children.  It is a time of asking the congregation to support the parents in the discipleship of their child by praying for them, serving in key roles in children's ministry and encouraging them along the way.  

It is a time to share the Gospel with parents and their extended family and friends.  Parent and child dedication is a great opportunity to share the Gospel with parents and family, friends, co-workers, etc. that are invited to attend the dedication.

It helps parents see what matters most.  Parents with young children are still forming their child's schedule, activities, events, etc. Parent and Child dedication is a great time to help parents see what matters most.   

It is a great time to help parents see the importance of attending church faithfully.  There are many options that tug for families' time and resources.  One of the biggest pulls is sports.  Sports are a good thing, but not when it causes families to miss church for weeks on end.  It is crucial that you help young families see that attending church should be their top priority on weekends. 

It's a great time to connect with families in your church.  When families go through the class with you, it creates a bond with them.  This will pay off now and in the years ahead.  Have everything set up a head of time so you can spend time talking with the parents before and after the dedication.

It's a great time to go over the logistics of the dedication if it is held during a church service or in another venue.  Where they should sit. When they should come up front.  Where they should stand.  What will happen during the dedication.

It's a great time to give families a gift to remember the day by.  Some ideas are a Bible.  A devotion book. A parenting book.  A framed portrait.

This past weekend, I had the privilege of teaching this class at my home church.  This Sunday we will have the honor of dedicating the children and their parents to Jesus.  Can't wait.  It's going to be awesome.

Do you need a Parent and Child dedication class?  Or maybe you have one but want something fresh and new.  

I've got you covered.  

One of the milestone kits I offer churches is a Parent and Child Dedication class material resource. This resource is just what you need for this. It was developed in a local church setting and has been used to help ground thousands of parents in the faith and set them on the path to successful parenting.

This resources includes...

Parent & Child Dedication Class. A comprehensive class that not only helps you teach parents what the dedication is all about, but also gives them insight into how to raise their children to love and follow Jesus. It is crucial to speak into the lives of parents while their kids are still young. By doing this, you can help them prioritize their lives and have a Christ-centered approach to parenting.

The class materials include:

• Teacher's guide (over 40 pages of teaching notes and insight).

• Media presentation files with teaching videos, graphics and music - ready to drop into any presentation software such s Power Point, Pro Presenter, Media Shout, Key Note, etc.

• Full color, ready-to-print handbook for each parent.

• Ready-to-print resources for the parents such as prayer calendars and prayer bookmarks.

• Class is fun, interactive and keeps parents engaged.

• Lots of great discussion starters and thought provoking insight.

• Includes teaching for single parents.

• Everything is editable and can be customized to fit your ministry.

• Available as an instant download. 
  

Parent & Child Dedication Celebration. A carefully planned format that will help you impact families and create a memorable experience that they'll cherish for the rest of their lives.

The Celebration includes:

• Two format options - one is held as part of your weekend service and the other option gives you a full format for hosting the celebration as a separate event, outside of weekend services.

• Dedication certificate template - ready to add your names and print.

• Detailed notes and layout to help you pull off an excellent celebration.

• Media presentation with teaching notes, graphics, and music - ready to drop into any presentation software such s Power Point, Pro Presenter, Media Shout, Key Note, etc.

• Invitation card template - so families can invite their unchurched friends, neighbors, co-workers and family to the event.

• Everything is editable and can be customized to fit your ministry.

• Available as an instant download.

You get both the class and the celebration resources for one price.  

Want to see more about the class?  Click here for more information, ordering, etc.  

A Parent and Child class is one of the most important things you can do for the children and families in your church.    

What does it take to build a growing, thriving children's ministry?

If you look under the hood, what are the nuts and bolts that cause a children's ministry to flourish?  

If we were sitting down for a cup of coffee and talking about this, here is what I would say.

A strong volunteer team.

Everything rises and falls on the strength of your volunteer team.  

First and foremost, our job as children's ministry leaders is to enlist and equip team members for ministry.

Get this going and everything else will fall in place. 

I often quote Walt Disney's thoughts about building a strong team.  He said these words right before he opened Disneyland.  

You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.                     -Walt Disney

You can get lots of great help in building a volunteer team with my book "The Formula for Building a Great Volunteer Teams."  It is available at this link.

A clear pathway for salvation and baptism.

The most important thing we do as children's ministers is to lead kids and parents to Christ.  We want to introduce as many people to Christ as we can. 

An effective way to do this is to have a clear pathway for salvation and baptism.  This means you provide clear next steps.  

For me, after trying different methods, I have found that the best way to do this is through milestone classes.  Have a salvation class and a baptism class for kids who are expressing an interest in taking a next step.  The next step would be the salvation class.  Parents must attend with their child.  Once the child has made a clear salvation decision, the next step is to invite them to the baptism class.  If you will also have parents attend this class with their child, you will see many parents get baptized as well.  

Here is the link for the salvation and baptism class that is being used in churches across the country with great success.

Leadership.  Just like every other ministry, everything rises and falls on leadership.  Show me a thriving children's ministry and behind the scenes is great leadership.  Leadership that connects with and motivates everyone from student ministry volunteers to senior adults who serve.  Here's a great book to help you grow as a children's ministry leader.

Vision.  A key component of children's ministry is a compelling vision.  As children's ministry leaders, it is crucial that we know how to cast vision and sustain it.  This starts with developing a strategic vision statement that the people on your team embrace.

Discipleship strategy.  There is a clear discipleship pathway that kids can follow.  Key steps are in place to help kids grow in their faith.  

The strategy is tied closely to where you want kids to be when they leave your ministry.  What do you want them to know from God's Word?  What kind of person do you want them to be?  What do you want them to believe?

These type of questions can lead you to implementing curriculum that follows the pathway you want to take kids down.

The Connect 12 curriculum does just that. It takes kids on a 12 month journey from salvation all the way to spiritual leadership.  Check it out here.

Parent strategy.  An effective children's ministry knows that parents are the greatest influence in a child's life and so they seek to partner with parents.  They are always looking for ways to involve parents, support parents and place tools in their hands they can use to disciple their children.  

One of the most impactful ways to do this is through family milestones.  These are key times when parents are wide open to your parent strategy and will engage with you at a whole new level.  You can read more about family milestones at this link. 

Your turn. What other nuts and bolts are an important part of kid's ministry?  Share your thoughts and insight in the comment section below.