RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Have you ever encountered a "Grouch" at a store or other place of business?

You know...the Grouch who glares at you from behind the counter. 

The Grouch who makes you fell like you are "bothering" them if you ask a question. 

The Grouch who never smiles.

The Grouch who points where you need to go rather than walking you there. 

The Grouch who ignores you until you finally have to initiate asking for help.

The Grouch who acts like they hate what they are doing.

The Grouch who always opposes change. 

The Grouch who constantly complains.

You're seeing a face and thinking about a person right now, aren't you? 

You have a grouch in your ministry and you're not sure what to do with them. 

Here's some advice - Move them away from people...
especially away from first-time guests.  You may have 20 people that interact with a guest.  But if one of the 20 is a Grouch, that is what your guests will remember.

If you think they are salvageable, you can meet with them and try to give them some pointers.  If that doesn't work, because their grouchy personality overrides everything else, then it's time to make a change.

I know it's not always easy to ask a grouch to step out of their role, but it's a must if you want to make a good impression on guests and regular attendees.

You simply can't afford to have a grouch directly interacting with kids and families.  All it takes is one grouch to keep a new family from coming back. 

Take a look around your ministry this week.  See any grouches?   If you do, then meet with them and find out if they are willing to change so they can remain on the team.

I realize most people are naturally either a pessimist or optimist.  Just remember, you have to have optimists on the front lines of your ministry.  Grouchy old Aunt Betsey, is not the person for that role no matter how long she has been part of the church.         

Have the courage to make changes so you have happy, smiling, friendly people on the front lines of your ministry.

Guest services matters.  Mucho.  In fact, it's one of the most important components of seeing people have a great experience at your church. 

Great guest services doesn't just happen by chance.  It takes intentionality.

Here are 10 Golden Rules for guest services.  Train your guest services' team to live by these and you'll get rave reviews from guests.

Smile.  When you smile, it communicates to people that you are glad they're here and that you're happy to help them.  

I often ask guests for feedback from their experience at our church.  I remember one time, a guest responded that we did a great job helping them register and taking them to their child's classroom.  But they said the lady at the classroom door never smiled at them.  It was a great opportunity to remind our team how important it is to smile. 

Use their name.  The sweetest sound to every person is their own name.  As soon as you find out the person's name, use it in your conversation with them.  When you use a person's name, it helps them feel known and valued.

Walk don't point.  Always walk your guests to their room or destination.  First, this takes away their stress of not knowing where to go (even if you gave them directions, they are dealing with the stress of trying to remember and follow the directions).  Secondly, it gives you a few more minutes to spend with them as you take them to the location.

Make good eye contact.  Look at people, not past people.  When you are with a guest, really be with them.  Focus your time and attention solely on them.

Never say "I don't know."  When you are asked a question that you don't have the answer for, say "That's a great question.  Let me find out the answer and I'll let you know." 

Better yet, equip your team ahead of time with the knowledge they need, so they do have the answer.  Practically, this means giving them a cheat sheet that has information about ministries other than yours, a list of upcoming events, etc.

Don't make people wait.  Everyone hates to wait.  Monitor the wait times for check-in, pick-up, coffee lines, traffic flow out of the property after the service, etc.  Make wait times as short as possible. 

I have often gotten in a pick-up line in the preschool or elementary areas and timed how long it took me to get from the back of the line to the pick-up door.  If it is more than 3 minutes, we look for ways to shorten the wait time.  

Acknowledge the person as quickly as possible.  When you do have someone waiting in line, acknowledge their presence.  This can be as simple as saying, "Hi, glad you're here.  I'll be right with you."  This simple step will drop their stress level of having to wait in line.

Courtesy and respect.  Treat people right.  More than anything else, they will remember how you made them feel.  And the truth is, they will return based on how you made them feel emotionally.

Be positive.  Here's an example.  The check-in computers go down right in the middle of check-in.  You have switch over and write out security tags manually.  The attitude you display during this challenge speaks volumes. 

Negative

"I hate when this happens.  What a pain!  Okay.  We're going to have to write out everyone's tags by hand.  It's going to take more time, so everyone hang!"  

Positive

"The check-in system is offline for a few minutes.  So let's write out your security tags.  Let's have some fun.  Pick out your favorite color of pen and we'll use that to write down your name.  And look, I even added a smiley face for you on your tag because you've got a great smile."

See the difference?  A positive attitude can turn a stressful situation into a fun situation.

Listen.
Take time to really listen to what they share.  This helps you learn about them and be able to mention specific details about them as you follow up.  Here's an example.  If you listen and remember that a new family has just moved from...say...Seattle...you can mention that the next time you talk with them.  This will show you are taking a personal interest in them.

I've made an infograph with these 10 Golden Rules that you can share with your guest services' team.  Download it now for free at this link. 

Guests will return based on how you treat them and make them feel on their first visit.  Here's 10 ways to have first-time guests smiling when they come to your church.

Give them premiere parking.  However you decide to make it happen, give them the best parking spot.  When you do this, they'll open their car door already in a good mood.  Think about the last time you lucked out and got a good parking spot in a crowded lot.  How did you feel?

Have a separate check-in area for them that is fast and efficient.  Instead of making them wait in a line, give them the VIP check-in treatment.  Their happy factor is now quickly escalating.

Smile.  Smile.  Smile.  Smile.  There's a reason this is one of the rules Disney employees have to follow.  You have to have smiles to create the happiest place on earth.

Walk them to their destination.  Instead of pointing or giving them directions, personally walk them to their destination.  This not only makes them feel like a VIP, but it also gives you an opportunity to implement the next happy factor.

Talk to them.  Make sure you have engaging, happy people on your check-in team that are good at making small talk and making guests feel comfortable.  Ask general questions about their family without coming across as a used car salesman.  Here's a tool you can use to instantly become better at talking to guest families.

Give them a gift.  Present them with a small gift to remember their visit by.  And if you really want to make them happy, you can take it to a whole new level by doing what is mentioned in this post.  

Explain your safety and security system.  Parents want to know their kids are going to be safe in your care, so make sure you explain your safety and security measures.  This will reassure them and make them feel more at ease about leaving their child with you.

Provide them with a pager.  If you want to make young couples with babies/preschoolers happy, then provide them with a pager.  Let them know you will page them if any issues arise or they are needed.  Ask them if their child does start crying, how long they want you to wait before paging them.  Some will say "5 minutes" and some will say "10 minutes."  This proactive measure reassures parents and takes the guessing out of it.

Give them the option to remain anonymous.  Most people want to remain somewhat anonymous on their first visit.  Honor this by not putting them in situations where they have no choice such as having members sit down and guests remain standing, having them stand up and say their name, etc.

Greet them when they are leaving.  Many churches do a great job at greeting guests when they arrive but neglect to greet them as they are leaving.  Have your greeters at the doors after service and engage guests by saying things like, "thank you for coming" and "have a great week" and "see you soon."

Your turn.  The floor is yours.  What are some other ways to make guests happy?

Did you know the experience you give guests on their first visit is the single most important factor in seeing them return?

Let's define guest experience.  Guest experience is the sum of all the interactions a family has with your ministry.  It includes everything from the family's first awareness that your church exists to the totality of their first visit.  The critical moments during this time are touchpoints.  The touchpoints all add up to create the family's guest experience with you.

Here's 3 keys that will help you create an amazing guest experience for families.

Key #1 - The guest experience is everyone's responsibility.  Everyone the family interacts with is part of the guest experience.  Their experience will not only be shaped by the greeter at the door, but also by the person at the classroom door and everyone else they encounter along the way.

If you want to give guests a great experience, train not only your greeters and check-in team, but your people at the classroom doors and other key people guests will encounter as well. 

Disney has developed a great strategy for this that can be summed up in this statement.

While no one owns the guest, someone, in every case, owns the moment.

Everyone must be made aware of this and own the moments they interact with the guest.

Key #2 - The guest experience is shaped by everything the guest encounters.  You can have a great first-time family check-in process, but if they encounter a smelly, dirty bathroom it will negatively affect their experience.  You can have great hallway signage, but if the pick-up line is long, it will again cast a shadow on their experience.  Look at your guest experience holistically. 

Key #3 - Understand your guests.  If you want to meet the needs, wants and emotions of your guests, then you must know what they are.  Be intentional about identifying these and then create a blueprint for meeting them.  When you truly understand your guests, then you can truly give them a great experience.

Many churches use October 31st as an outreach event.  If you're one of them, you're probably asking yourself...

"How can we get unchurched families to attend?"

"How can we reach families with this event?"

"How can we get families who come to return on Sunday?"

These are great questions and it's why you do the event.  But the answers can often be hard to figure out.

Here's are some answers to these questions that will help you reach and keep families through your Fall Festival.

Get the word out in your community.  Families are looking for a safe place for their kids and will come if they know about your event.   Here's some ways you can spread the word.

• Cast vision to the families in your church that this is a great opportunity to reach families.  Encourage them to invite people to come.  
• Provide invite cards that they can use to invite friends, family members, co-workers, schoolmates, and neighbors.
• Provide posters that people can put up at places of business.
• Do a mail out to your community that advertises the event.
• Use social media to promote the event and have people in your church promote it to their social media contacts.
• Advertise on free local outlets such as the news, community channel advertising, etc.

Give families a great experience at the event.  It is vital that families have a great experience.  If they don't, they simply won't come back.  If people are rude to them, if their kids don't get enough candy, or if the festival doesn't match what was advertised...it doesn't matter how much you follow up.  They won't come back.  The first impression truly is a lasting impression.

Collect families' basic contact information.  You can't follow up without it.  Here's some ways you can collect it.

• Let them know up front that you are not going to show up on their door step the next week.  People will be hesitant to give you their information if they think you are going to show up at their house unannounced.
• Have people register for a free gift that they receive right on the spot.  It might be something as simple as a full-size candy bar for their kids.  With all the mini-candy bars being passed out, you'd be surprised how many people will give you their contact info. just to get a large candy bar for their child. 
• Have a drawing for some large prizes like a bike, family meal certificate to a local restaurant, movie tickets, etc.  Ask people to register for the drawing.
• Have a grand prize drawing on the following Sunday.  You must be present on Sunday to win.  This prize should be something significant enough that it would bring a family back on Sunday. (example - 4 tickets to Disney World or a major family attraction in your area) 
• Have a free photo spot with a professional photographer.  Offer to email them the picture. 
  

Have a table or booth set up with church information, brochures, etc.  Staff it with friendly volunteers who can answer questions.

Provide a family show during the event.  It can include music, puppets, games, and family fun.  Make it a soft touch to give kids and parents a feel of what weekends are like.

Follow up after the event. 

• Follow up as quickly as possible.  If you follow up within 48 hours, the likelihood of them returning goes up. 
• Send them an email thanking them for coming.  Include information about weekend services or other upcoming events.  Keep it short and simple.  If they had their picture taken per above, you can attach it to this email.  Here's a sample email.

Dear Parent,

Thank you for being our guest at the Family Fall Festival.  We hope you had a great time.  your church's name is a family made up of people just like you and me, who come together to encourage and support each other on this journey called life.

One of the most exciting and challenging parts of life is being a parent.  At your church's name, we want to help your kids learn more about God and discover the purpose He has for their lives.  We also desire to come alongside parents to provide parenting tools, resources, encouragement and support.

You can get more information about your church's name by visiting our website at your church's website or by calling phone number.  We also invite you to be our guest at any of our weekend services.  We're here for you and your family.

Hope to see you this weekend!

• Send them a handwritten note.  Include a coupon that they can redeem for a free gift the next time they attend the church.  It might be a drink for the parents and a small toy or t-shirt for the kids. 
• Invite them to your next big event.  Add them to your mailing list and invite them to your next event.  Even if they don't show up for a church service the next weekend, you may see them return for another event.  Keep planting seeds...God will bring the fruit.
• Call them.  A short...thank you for coming...if we can be of any service to you...phone call is appropriate.  I would encourage you to keep it light and not come across as pushy.

Fall Festival is one of your best opportunities to reach families.  I'm thinking of a family who came to our Fall Festival last year.  It was their first contact with our church.  They came back on the weekend, gave their lives to Christ and are now growing in their faith and serving in the ministry.

What a great opportunity you have this year.  Whether you're hosting a Fall Festival on your church property, participating in a community event off-site, or being a witness in your neighborhood, I'm praying with you for many families to come to Christ.

This past weekend, I spoke at a conference in Knoxville.  I shared about 4 topics.  If you'd like the notes, they are available below.

10 Simple Secrets to Building a Great Volunteer Team
10 Keys to Helping Kids Become Lifelong Followers of Jesus
The Return of the Guest (how to get new families to return)
Postmodern Family Ministry

I hate waiting in line.

Are you like me?  When you're pushing your cart toward the check-out lines at a store, you scan to see which line is the shortest.  I don't know anyone who looks for the longest line to get in.

And how many times have you asked how long the wait is at a restaurant, found out it was 20-30 minutes, and went somewhere else?

A recent study by Columbia University showed that a line of 10 people can have a large impact on purchases and increasing the length from 10 to 15 customers leads to a 10% drop in sales.

We hate waiting in lines...even at church.

Here's some steps you can take to ensure parents aren't "hating the wait" at your church.

See how long parents are having to wait in line.
Get in line with a timer and actually time the wait.  How long is it?  30 seconds?  3 minutes?

Look for ways to cut down the wait time.
What are some small tweaks you can make that will cut down the wait time?  Putting the preschool take home papers on the wall outside the classroom?  Stapling elementary papers together so you're only handing parents one thing instead of three things?  Having coats and jackets ready?

Create more lines.
No wonder we have to wait in line at Wal-Mart or Target.  They normally only have 2 out of 100 check-out lines open.  Okay maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but there is some truth to it.

Not sure why they build all those check-out stations...they only use a small percentage of them. (perhaps they could take the money saved from building unused check-out stations and buy some carts that don't go "clank, clank, clank" while you're pushing them.  Can I get an amen?)

The point is this.  If your lines are getting long, then create more lines.  Have two people checking out kids instead of one.  Have 4 check-in kiosks instead of 2.

Remember that unoccupied time seems longer than occupied time. 
Frustration comes primarily from being "aware" that time is passing.  Parents who have nothing to do but check their watches in line will be more frustrated.

What are some things you can do to help occupy parent's time while they're in line that will help take their mind off the wait?

Put a video monitor with scrolling announcements or trivia that is visible from the lines?  Theaters do this with the pre-roll before the movie starts.  Disney does this in their lines.

Talk to parents while they are waiting in line.  I like to walk up and down the line and spend a few seconds with parents while they are waiting.  It's a great opportunity to connect and build relationships.

Train your team to pull "line stopping" situations to the side. 
There are times when a parent needs to talk, an incident report needs to be signed, an issue needs to be addressed or a parent has questions.

These should not happen in line, but to the side, so the line is not slowed down.

Train your team to smile and be friendly.  Once you get to the door, being greeted by a smiling, caring, friendly volunteer helps soften the wait they just experienced.  Being greeted by a moody, negative volunteer amplifies the frustration they have felt waiting in line. 

Bottom line:  The longer the line, the lower the parent's positive reaction to the experience.  I want to challenge you to take a hard look at your line lengths and then take steps to shorten it.

Remember, the parent standing in line may be giving this "God thing" a try for the first-time.  Make sure a frustrating wait in line isn't a hindrance.

Words matter...especially when it comes to guests who walk in your church doors.  Your words will make them feel a certain way.

And they will remember how you made them feel...which will determine if they return or not.

These words may seem like small things, but they carry a lot of weight.  Do you find yourself saying them?  You may want to consider adjusting.

Enjoy the service.
Interpretation: You're a spectator.  Sit back and watch.  It's not about you...it's about what's happening on the stage.
Instead:  Welcome.  So glad you're part of the service today.

Are you new here?
Interpretation:  I don't know you.  Even if you've been coming for 20 years, you're not important.
Instead:  Hey,  I'm ___________ (name.)  I don't think I've had the privilege of meeting you yet.

Hey brother / sister so and so.
Interpretation:  We are family.  You are not. (and we're old school)
Instead:  Just use first names.

Thanks for visiting today.
Interpretation:  You're an outsider.
Instead:  We're honored to have you as our guest. 

You have to have your security tag when you pick up your child.
Interpretation:  We are in charge and you have to follow our rules.
Instead:  The security tag is to help ensure your child is safe.  Please bring your part of the tag when you pick him or her up.

Sorry.
Interpretation:  We are impersonal.  
Instead:  I apologize.

I don't know.
Interpretation:  I don't care and I'm too lazy to find out the answer.
Instead:  That's a great question.  Let me find out the answer for you.

You did not...
Interpretation:  It's all your fault and we want you to know you made a mistake.
Instead:  Let me help you...

Go down that hallway.  Take a left.  Go up the stairs.  Take a right at the water fountain...
Interpretation:  You're not important enough for me to leave this spot.  Good luck.  You're on your own.
Instead:  I'd be honored to walk with you there.

Let me TRY to help you.
Interpretation:  I may or may not be able to accommodate you.
Instead:  I can help you.

What are some other things that we shouldn't say on Sunday mornings (or any other time)?  Share them with us in the comment section below.

Give families the opportunity to make memories together.  What event or experience can you create for families to make memories together?

Make check-in easy for families.  This is their new check-in system.  No more turnstiles.  Just swipe your ticket across the mouse ears, place your finger on the indicated spot, and you're in.  How can you make your check-in for families easier and faster?

Use creative thinking to turn ordinary items into fun.  This is a computer screen.  They encased it to look like an old storybook.  Take a look at the ordinary items in your ministry.  How can you put a fun twist on some of them?

Provide good signage.  Look through the eyes of a guest family.  Make it easy for them to identify areas.

You've got ideas you've been waiting to try.  What are you waiting for?  Go for it.

Be committed to excellence.  Families are drawn to excellence.

Effective ministry requires effective planning and organization.

Make your ministry a fun place to be...for kids, families, and your volunteers.  If you hear laughter and see smiles, you're on the right track.

It takes a team to reach families.   It's not what you can do, it's what you can empower others to do.  The most important thing you can do is build a strong volunteer team.

It's all the small things that add up to make a big impact.  This painting on the street was done with a broom and water by a Disney cast member who was simply sweeping the street.  What are some small touches you can add that will make a big impact?

Your turn?  What are some ideas you've gotten from Disney that can help us reach kids and families? Please share them with us in the comment section below.

We recently implemented a guest reception strategy for our Children's Ministry.  As guest families check-in, we invite them to stop by a reception after the service.

We have a room set up with popcorn, snacks, etc.  Some of our staff and volunteers are there to greet them, answer questions, and spend time with them.

New families love it and it provides a great opportunity to build a relationship with them.  This initial touch gets many families to return and become a part of our church family.  Try it.  It works.

Here are some pictures of the reception room we have set up for them.