When Walt Disney was designing Disneyland, he had the engineers get down on their knees to ensure they built Main Street on the eye level of a child. He wanted to make sure Disneyland was built with kids in mind.
One of the keys to growing a children's ministry is the ability to think like a child. But how do you think like a child when you're an adult? Here's five ways to think like a child and grow your children's ministry.
Think like a child when you decorate. Think about what colors kids like. Consider what themes are popular with kids. Take cues from companies like Disney and Nickelodeon who are leaders in decorating for kids. Ask kids for their input when you are planning your children's ministry areas.
Think like a child when you plan lessons. What are their learning styles? How long is their attention span? What do they find engaging?
Think like a child when you pick music. What style of music they like? What's coming through their ear buds during the week?
Think like a child when you talk. Keep your words simple. Justification, regeneration, atonement and other words are not in a child's vocabulary. When you use illustrations, use illustrations that kids can relate to. And when you are talking to kids individually, think about their interests. Talk to them about video games, movies, sports, school, etc.
Think like a child when you advertise. This goes along with the first point. Use kid-friendly colors, images and wording on your flyers, posters, invite cards, etc.
One final tip. Want to know if you're thinking like a
child? Ask them. A kids' focus group is a great way to evaluate how
well you're connecting and get new ideas for thinking like a child.
You can read more about how to host a kids' focus group here.
