Continuing with our look at how to make church more appealing to those who only darken the door for weddings and funerals, one of the best ways is through a proper security set up for the children's area, and quality children's programs.
I personally believe that churches should spend the majority of their budgets on children. Their demographic is more receptive to the Gospel message, and they are much more likely to accept Jesus than adults. If your church is struggling to make gains in the youth of your neighborhood, I'd ask how much are you investing in them. It takes more than a youth pastor. It takes all kinds of resources. A church can't skimp on the youth while fully funding the cemetary fund.
Newcomers who notice a well-invested children's area will feel good about leaving their kids there. And, if the kids love it, they'll want to keep coming back.
But, the children's area isn't limited to investment. There's one other item we need to check -- security.
You can have a great children's area, but without proper security, all that investment can go up in the smoke of a lawsuit if something happened to one of the kids. It all starts before it ever begins. The first thing you should do in your church is make sure a background check is conducted with your local police or sheriff's department on every childcare worker. Let me stress that...EVERY childcare worker. You do it from the top down, so no one can cry foul. This can help you weed out any legal problems before they ever get to the classroom. One lawsuit could wreck a church.
Your visitors will never see this process, but they will appreciate that it's done. And, I think the parents already in your church will, too.
The next security feature involves the check-in process. It should be easy to do, but thorough enough to ensure security. There are a variety of ways to do this: buzzers, name tags with ID numbers, ID cards, etc.
For newcomers, the process of getting the kids signed in should also be quick and easy. I don't know about you, but I hate to fill out a bunch of paperwork just to drop my kid off for an hour. But, at the same time, I am comforted to know that enough information is gathered that a stranger won't be walking up to take my child.
To that extent, I really like the churches that have a check-in desk for kids, and the kids classrooms are blocked from general access. Newcomers appreciate security. One thing to remember, though, is that a new person may not realize the importance of the security tags they are given, so that should always be stressed. It's better to let a parent know they need that tag to get their kids before they toss it and come to collect their children.
One last thought toward making the new family feel welcomed in your church. Instruct your teachers to show the new kids some extra attention. Just like the first day in school, they're nervous and don't really know what to expect. Making the room fun and inviting will make them want to come back.
Do you have any ideas or thoughts? Share them.
I agree that the children's department is very important! I also agree that a secure children's areas is a must because two of the churches we have visited in the past have lost one of our kids. I kid you not... So, as you can guess those churches were not our choice. A lot of young families that visit are mostly looking at the kids area and the way it is set up. If you want to gain young families then you have to spend the time and money to make it safe and inviting.
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