- Money
It goes either one of two ways: Spending too much money on things that don’t matter or not spending any money at all. The Kidmin director should be very careful to be sure they’re using their funds wisely. If you’re not sure what to spend or where to begin, check out this link from the International Network of Children’s Ministry on “How to Handle Children’s Ministry Money like a Rockstar”
Other links on money: “How to set up a Children’s Ministry Budget” - Safety
Do you have a safe Kidmin? I’m not talking about a kid tripping… because that can happen anywere! I’m talking about keeping policies in place so kids won’t be victim to verbal, physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. If you’re not sure if your kids min is a safe space, now is the time to establish policies and begin training teachers on how to be safekeepers for kids.
If you don’t have a background check process established, I recommend starting right away and contacting your church’s insurance policy to see if they have any recommended vendors. More than likely, they do and you’ll even receive a discounted price for using their recommended vendors.
Other links for establishing background checks:
Church and Casualty: Child Abuse Prevention and Background Checks
Protect My Ministry: A Guide to Background Checks - No rest
Having KidMin services 52 weeks a year, 1+ times a week, with 10+ kids each service is a daunting task. I come from churches with combined childcare and KidMin services done every week, 9+ times a week, with a guaranteed 10+ kids a class with a total of 600+ kids a week and I can confidently say…. we schedule rests. A ministry isn’t sustainable if there’s no rests in place.
At my church, we protect our families and volunteers by having scheduled rests. While Sundays operate every week, our midweek programs take regular scheduled breaks. When the public schools are on breaks (winter, spring, summer, fall, etc.) our midweek childcare and KidMin programs are on break as well. We found that these school breaks mean that we experience less attendance during our midweek programs for both kids, parents, and volunteers. This leads us to a natural ‘sabbath’.
I understand how hard it can be to convince a Senior Pastor to be on board with the idea of KidMin taking a break. However, if they were serving weekly with us in KidMin, they would likely see this as a gift of sustainability not an excuse to be lazy.
Here are Biblical references for why we need to rest: Genesis 2:2-3 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. Exodus 20:8-10 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. - No refresh
Refresh… freshing up the KidMin space. That means getting rid of what’s broken or repairing what needs to be fixed. This can be anything from the broken crayons in your classrooms or the ‘broken’ check-in/out systems you’ve established. It’s a good idea to regularly checkout the spaces and systems in your Kidmin and giving them a refresh. If you’re not sure what needs fixing, check out my free quiz to see where you need to improve. - Ignoring parents
The next generation of parents are feeling the pressures of social media just as bad as teens. I believe the safest place for a parent to grow is under the wing of an experienced and seasoned grandparent or even through parenting classes. Let your church be place where single parents can be emotionally supported, marriages can be strengthened, and parent/grandparenting skills can be sharpened.
Ministry support ideas for parents: Mom Co. (formerly MOPS), Conscious Discipline (parenting course), Joni and Friends (For parents of those with special needs) - Ignoring teachers
Our superheroes, champions, and selfless teachers! Yes, they need to feel loved, needed, and purposeful. We can do this by thanking them often, knowing their names, and always finding different ways to plug them into our ministry.
ATTENTION. If you’re prone to ignoring the teachers and leaders in your classroom, it’s time to get someone on your KidMin team who’s goal is to give your teachers attention! You can also establish a KidMin appreciation Sunday! Get the kids and parents involved in loving on your team! Orange Curriculum has a great article on How to Appreciate KidMin Volunteers. Lifeway also is establishing a “Children’s Ministry Day” and has free resoures for you here.
TRAINING. Teachers need training. While being a KidMin teacher doesn’t require a degree, it DOES require training and growth in skills with teaching kids.
For a complete idea on how to schedule a training, check out my T.I.M.E. Teacher training bundle.
For skills in creating a Church-Family atmosphere that welcomes kids like God does, become a church that’s certified in conscious discipline. - Ignoring Kids
I know it seems weird to state this, but it’s a good reminder. Are we paying attention to the kids in our class? Are you noticing who wants to help in the classroom? Do you know who wants to be a leader? Can you write a page worth of details about each kid in your class? Do you know their strengths, weaknesses, favorite activities? When we pay attention to the kids, we have a greater chance of sharing the gospel with them and being a reliable spiritual leader in their lives. Jesus noticed kids, gave them special attention, and blessed them. We have a chance to do this weekly with our KidMin too!
For more free and paid resources on KidMin, check out my Teachers Pay Teachers library.