RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Your budget says a lot about your children's ministry.  Here are 3 things it communicates. 

PRIORITY
Your budget reflects whether or not children's ministry is a priority at your church.  It's not about how large your children's ministry budget is.  It's about how much of your church's overall budget is allocated to children's ministry.  Churches put their treasure where their heart is.

A church that says children's ministry is a priority will prove it with their budget.

This includes investing money in the children's ministry operating budget, personnel budget and facilities.

You can say you value children's ministry, but if the kids are stuck in the basement with old chairs and your volunteers are having to beg and scrounge for supplies, your budget is saying otherwise.

STRATEGY
Show me how you spend your budget and I can tell you what your ministry strategy is.  Is your strategy event-driven?  If so, you'll probably spend a lot of money on things like VBS.  Is your strategy equipping volunteers?  If so, you're probably spending money on things like training.  Is your strategy programs?  If so, you're probably spending money on things like Awana and Upward Basketball.  Is your strategy helping people take next steps?  If so, you're probably spending money on creating and communicating those steps.

FOCUS
Your budget shows what you're focused on.  Are you focused on the Great Commission?  If so, your budget will reflect this with money being channeled into outreach.  When a church loses its focus on the Great Commission, the budget shifts to only being about meeting the needs of those inside the four walls of the church. 

What's your budget saying?

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.

We all make mistakes in children's ministry.  But these are some of the worst mistakes you can make.  Avoid them at all costs.

Not running background checks on all volunteers.
You can't afford NOT to run background checks on volunteers before they start serving.  Please, please, please don't make this mistake.  You are putting your church in jeopardy when you do this.

Begging for volunteers.
When you beg for volunteers, it has the opposite effect.  People are not drawn to desperation, they are drawn to vision.  You may be desperate for volunteers, but don't ever show it.

Not partnering with parents.
No one has more influence in a child's life than his or her parents.  If you truly want to influence children, then influence their parents.  Always be thinking parents.

Placing a volunteer alone in a classroom. 
Never place a volunteer alone in a room with children.  You are putting your ministry in a precarious situation when you do this.  Always, always, always have two adults in a room.  No one should ever be alone with a child.

Being a one-man show.
If you do this, the ministry will be very limited and will plateau.  The best thing you can do as a children's ministry leader is build a team.  It's not what you can do, it's what you can empower others to do.

Placing volunteers where you need them.
Resist the urge to place volunteers where you have holes.  Place them in roles that match their gifts and passion.  If you don't, they will burn out and quit.  When people are in their sweet spot, they stay.  

Doing too many programs.
Don't make the mistake of stretching your volunteers, budget, and calendar thin with too many programs.  You can do a few things with excellence or a bunch of things with mediocrity.  Less is more.

Not aligning with the vision and direction of the church.
Children's ministry is not your kingdom to rule and reign over.  It's a part of the bigger vision of the church.  Make sure you are lined up with your leader's vision and direction.  Unity and alignment ushers in God's blessings.

Not partnering with student ministries.
Student ministry is not someone you compete with for volunteers, room reservations and calendar dates.  Work closely with the student ministry and partner with them to create a seamless ministry from the cradle to college.

Not giving first-time guests a great experience.
If you are not strategically giving guests a great first experience, you are missing a key factor in seeing them return.  People decide in the first eight minutes if they are going to return or not.  You can get more information about how to make those first 8 minutes a great experience at this post.

What other mistakes do you feel are critical to avoid?  Share with us in the comment section below.

Dear Pastor,

The church is made up of many different ministries.  All of them are vitally important.

I want to share with you why I believe Children's Ministry is one of the most vital.

• Children's Ministry was a priority for Jesus.  The disciples didn't think it should be, but Jesus did.  He made time to minister to children.  

• Children are the greatest mission field.  Stats show that 85% of people who come to Christ do so before the age of 18.  We must invest our time and resources where we will see the biggest harvest.

• Children's ministry can be a major growth engine for your church.  When you reach children, you reach parents.  We can have the greatest worship and messages, but if the children are not connecting, mom and dad won't stick around for long.  There's a reason people stand in line for hours waiting for their kids to see Santa.

• One of the best investments you can make for your church is a great children's facility.  It will pay for itself many times over by the families it brings.

• Children's Ministry is not childcare.  It is ministry at the most critical time in a person's life.  The early years are the most formative.

• Staff your Children's Ministry well.  There is no "slow" time for Children's Ministry.  Summer is our busiest time and we go from that right into the fall.  A good ratio is one full-time person for every 100-125 kids.  Your Children's Ministry staff is one of your most valuable partners in ministry.  Take good care of them.

•  If your Children's Ministry space is at capacity, your church will stop growing.  It doesn't matter how much space you have in the auditorium.  A full Children's Ministry space is a lid for the entire church.

• Student Ministry is vitally important, but don't let Children's Ministry get lost in it's shadow.   Remember, students can drive themselves to church.  Children are brought by their parents. If you want to reach families, reach kids.

• Children are not the church of tomorrow, they are the church of today.  A healthy family is made up of grandparents, parents, and children.  Involve them in the life of the entire church.  Give them opportunities to lead worship, greet, pray, read Scripture, serve, and more.

• Make the Children's Ministry budget one of your largest budget items.  God will pour out His financial blessings on a church that invests in reaching and discipling children.

Thank you for taking time to listen.  We're you're biggest fan.  We're here to serve you.  Our heart is to stand by your side and help you reach families for Christ. 

Dale Hudson

"No one wants to volunteer."

"I don't need to go to the adult service.  I get fed in the children's service."

"Numbers don't matter.  We're just trying to take the kids we have deeper."

"It's easier to just do it myself."

"Pastor, can you please make an announcement at the end of the service that we desperately need more volunteers for Children's Ministry?"

"I know it's my day off, but I need to work."

"Can you stay over and volunteer for one more service?"

"If I only had a bigger budget..."

"Don't worry about that small detail...the kids won't notice."

"We've always done it this way."