8 Checklist Items To Ensure You Have A Welcoming Children’s Ministry Space For Guests

8 Checklist Items To Ensure You Have A Welcoming Children’s Ministry Space For Guests

How you provide for kids tells parents who you actually are as a church.

Every church desires to be friendly, kind, loving, and invested. We all want our churches to teach the Word of God in love and walk alongside of individuals and families as they navigate each phase of life. But every now and again churches must take a step back and see if they are organized and functioning in these ways.

Children’s ministry is a unique area in the church because of the investment each parent has to their kids safety and comfort. Yes, parents of teenagers care about their child’s safety too, but we have to agree there is a different dynamic when we talk about caring for a preschool or elementary child for several consecutive hours. This is a great responsibility that most parents limit to their extended families.

Since caring for children is such a great responsibility, children’s ministries must go the extra mile to ensure that they are providing for the family’s needs when a guest arrives on campus.

Below are eight checklist items that serve as a foundation for a church to examine their ministry space to see how welcoming and warm their ministry space is for a first time guest. Now, this list does not provide specifics about room designs, check-in systems, or security processes. This is simply an entry point to create a welcoming culture in your children’s ministry.

8 Checklist Items To Ensure You Have A Welcoming Children’s Ministry Space For Guests

The Rooms And Lessons Are Ready Before The Kids Arrive

You should not be cleaning as parents and leaders are showing up to drop off their kids. In the same manor, you should not be running around the church collecting craft supplies and games for your lesson. The rooms and your lesson should be ready to go when the doors of the church are opened.

The Teachers Arrive Early

It is a rarity that first time guests will show up late to a worship service. Guests will always arrive earlier than your regular attenders. Why? Guests want to make sure they know where to drop their kids off, speak with their children’s teachers, and find a seat in the worship center before the service starts. To ensure that your team is ready for guests, family ministry leaders must arrive at least 20 minutes early.

The Facility Light Are On

Nothing says, “We are not ready for you” as loudly as having facility lights turned off. Do not try to pinch pennies and save energy by turning off lights to hallways, stairwells, and bathrooms. Trust me, if someone falls because you were being cheap you will pay more in legal fees. Your facilities must be lit. If the lights are turned off it communicates that you are closed and unwelcoming to the community.

The Welcome Team Is Approachable and Informative

The children’s pastor isn’t the only person who can welcome a new family and lead them to the check-in area. Your front lines (welcome team and check-in leaders) need to have kid and adult class information, understand the process for guest families, and be attentive to needs. Doors should always be opened for people as they arrive in your building. It is the small acts that communicate that you value others. Within this conversation is adequate exterior and interior signage to direct parents to the family ministry entrance.

The Check-in System Is Easy To Operate

The parents must know where the check-in system is located, how to check-in their children, and the process for checking their child out after service. Our church has a worker in both kiosk locations (preschool and kids ministry entrances) to assist first time guests and ensure their questions are answered and that they are correctly entered into the system. An easy way to make this process quicker for first time guests is to provide a fillable or downloadable form on your website for parents to complete before their visit.

The Teachers’ Names Are Posted

First time guests have a hard time remembering all of the names of people they are meeting in their small group, worship services, and their child’s leaders. Make sure that every volunteer has a name tag on each week and that the leader’s picture and name are visible by the room door so parents can avoid awkward name exchanges in the coming weeks.

The Teachers Are Attentive

Does the guest family have any allergies that need to be discussed? How about questions about feeding bottles? It is best to have two leaders per room so that one leader can stand by the door before and after bible study to answer questions, transfer information on upcoming events, and brag on the kids to their parents. When teachers are attentive to a family’s needs parents are more comfortable leaving their kids.

The Parents Are Contacted Within Three Days By The Small Group Leader And Church Staff

It is important that both the small group leader and the church staff contact guest parents within three days of their visit to the church. To have one and not other contact will limit the potential relationship the church can build by supporting small group leaders as they minister on the front lines in the children’s ministry. Use this as a non-threatening, informal survey about their experience. Ask them about their visit, if their kids enjoyed their room, if there are any questions that you can answer for them, and inform them of the next event that is coming up.

Now What?

As a small group leader: How can you ensure guests are noticed, cared for, and comforted? 

As a children’s leader: How can your team ensure hospitality and care is extended to every family this Sunday? 

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