RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY: safety

Showing posts with label safety. Show all posts

7 Keys to Keeping Your Children's Ministry Safe

7:38 AM Dale Hudson

Making your children's ministry a safe place must be a top priority.

The first reason is to protect the children God has placed in your care. Not too concerned? Go to www.familywatchdog.us and put in your church address. You'll change your mind very quickly.

Secondly, to protect the ministry of your church. The evil one would love to hurt the cause of Christ and see the reputation of your children's ministry destroyed in the community.

Thirdly, is for parents to feel safe leaving their kids in your care. If parents don't feel their children are safe, they will not return. Your children's ministry will not grow because of this.

Here's 7 keys to making your children's ministry a safe place.

Key #1 - Background checks on everyone before they are approved to serve. Please, please, please don't skip this step. You can't afford not to.

Key #2 - Personal interview with everyone before they start serving. Sit down with each person and have a list of questions you ask them. This includes questions like, "Is there anything in your past that we need to know about that would make it questionable for you to serve with kids?"

Key #3 - Never allow anyone to be alone with a child. Do not open rooms until you have at least 2 volunteers present. This must be a non-negotiable.

Key #4 - Have a window so you can see in every room. There should be a window in the door or wall so people can see in the room at all times. (if possible also put a camera in every room that records the activities - there will be times when you will need to go back and watch the tape to see what happened in an incident)

Key #5 - Have "kid-only" restrooms. Adults should not be allowed in the bathrooms the kids use.

Key #6 - Have a check-in system that provides matching security tags for kids and their parents. Parents must have the matching tag to pick up their child. No exceptions. This is another non-negotiable.

Key # 7 - Only approved volunteers are allowed in the children's rooms. They should wear a name tag, shirt or badge that identifies them as an approved volunteers

One of these keys alone is not enough. The more you have in place, the safer your children's ministry will be. When you have all 7 in place, it creates a solid wall of protection.

What are some other steps you take to keep the kids in your ministry safe? Share with us in the comment section below.

7 Children's Ministry Guidelines You Can't Afford Not to Follow

6:53 AM Unknown

Here are 7 guidelines that you can't afford not to follow. These are things that can make or break your Children's Ministry.

No one is ever allowed to be alone with a child.
There must be two volunteers present before opening up a classroom for check-in.
All potential volunteers must pass a background check and personal interview before they can begin serving.
Parents must have a matching security tag to pick up their child.
Guests get the very best treatment. Roll out the red carpet.
Use direct communication. When problems, issues, or conflict arises, go directly to the person(s) involved.
Respond within 48 hours to phone calls and emails.

What other guidelines are critical to Children's Ministry? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Posted by Dale Hudson

What You Need to Know About the Rise of Tablets for Kids

6:11 AM Unknown

The number of kids using tablets is on the rise. A study shows that 44% of children wanted an iPad this past Christmas compared to 31% in 2010.

Sales are forecast to be nearly 250% higher this year than the 18 million tablets sold last year. PC sales, meanwhile, will increase by an anemic 3%. A new survey from the nonprofit group, Common Sense Media, finds nearly half of 2 to 4 year olds, and 10 percent of children younger than that, have used a smartphone, tablet or video iPod.

Tablets have become a communal item among families. One-third of parents share their tablet with their kids. 65% of mothers regularly let their children use their tablet. In many instances, parents are handing the tablet to their child to keep them occupied while they are shopping, waiting in line, in the car, or at a sibling's soccer game.

Educational leaders are recognizing the potential of tablets being used in education. Apple recently announced that it is targeting its products for classrooms. Many teachers are already using tablets to engage students and make learning more fun. Valerie Nash, the Director of the Peoria Unified School Distict says,"the power of having that in the classroom is that it’s a tool for learning." A tablet called the Nabi is linked to 33,000 educational and kid-friendly websites. Here's a couple of examples.

Online safety is a concern. With most tablets comes direct access to the internet. Not the most ideal place for a child to hang out if it is not filtered. Companies such as Fuhu, Fooz, and Playrific have developed apps that parents can install to protect their children while they are using tablets.

So what does this mean for Children's Ministry?

Should we be developing apps for tablets that teach kids God's Word?
How can we equip parents to use tablets as a discipleship tool for their children?
Do you think the Bible on tablet will eventually replace the Bible on paper?
How can we make tablets a creative, interactive teaching element in our classrooms at church?

Would enjoy seeing your thoughts in the comment section below.

Posted by Dale Hudson

Amp Up Your Preschool Ministry with the "Adopt a Room" Strategy

6:37 AM Unknown

You've seen it on the highway.

And if you're looking for a strategy to keep your Early Childhood rooms clean and prepped, it can work for you as well. One of our preschool leaders came up with the idea of "Adopt a Room." Families adopt a preschool room. Then they come in each week and clean, wipe down the toys, and prepare the room for the weekend services. Here 's a picture I took of one of the rooms a family has adopted.