You just came through one of the busiest seasons in ministry. You had Vacation Bible School, Creative Arts Camp, Sports Camp, Family Camp, Music Camp, Camp for early elementary, camp for upper elementary, and Family Fun Night! It was nonstop! Lots of planning made each of these events successful. You recruited volunteers, you had great participation, and you saw new faces. Most importantly, you introduced Jesus to those who participated, and some invited Jesus to be their Lord and Savior and forever friend!
It’s been a very good, but very busy summer! You know what has happened, your volunteers certainly know what has happened, and you might have shared some of the highlights of the very good, busy summer with your fellow pastoral staff members. But have you really shared the news with your congregation? Simply put: Do people know about what your children’s ministry team has been doing this summer? Don’t assume that people read the bulletin, saw the creative decorations, or even paid attention to what was going on in children’s ministry. Sometimes you just have to tell people what is happening!
Remember Jesus’ words from Matthew 11: 4, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see.” As a matter of fact, have you ever stopped to count the number of times Scripture mentions, “go and tell”? If you don’t tell, who will?
Let me give you permission to be the talk of the church. “Ministries and leaders experiencing momentum have fun, celebrate, and give all the glory to God” (Reynolds, 2017).
Be careful about what gets communicated about your children’s ministry. If all people are hearing is, “We need more volunteers,” “We can’t do this because we don’t have enough kids,” or “Our volunteers haven’t been vetted or trained,” “Our facilities are inadequate,” what impression does that make? Who wants to be part of a ministry when all that is being communicated is negative?
Look for the positive messages that you can communicate about your children’s ministry. Emphasize the number of new kids you are seeing involved in various ministry activities and events. Talk about the kid who prayed in class for the first time. Talk about the kids who were baptized. Talk about the kids who experienced their first communion. Talk about the kids who went to camp for the first time or the parents who allowed their children to attend a children’s ministry event for the first time. Talk about the number of teachers who have completed the required training and are now serving in the children’s ministry.
Lin (2017) reminds us, “Momentum begins with something that ignites your passion and fuels your dreams. It propels you and your ministry forward insistently, relentlessly, and consistently.” And before you know it, you could have some new volunteers or people wanting to serve alongside you, because they want to be part of an exciting and positive ministry.
Strive to become the children’s ministry cheerleader! If you don’t advocate and speak positively about your ministry, who will?
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