I imagine you are looking forward to returning to in-person church services. Online services have been really great to fall back on during the pandemic, but nothing beats being in the church building together worshipping God and hearing from his Word.
When church services resume again, one of the first things that it will be important to get up and running again is Sunday morning children’s ministry so that families with younger children will be able to more easily find their way back into the rhythms of coming together to church.
There are some crucial steps that we need to think through to enable that to happen as smoothly and effectively as possible.
Reimagining children’s ministry
The easy thing to do would be to simply try to return everything to what we did before. However, I wonder is that the best thing for the discipleship of the children to whom we want to minister?
As restrictions begin to ease in the coming months, it will be joyful to see the children face to face and to spend time with them again after so long apart as we walk with them in a small part of their journey of faith. My heart feels glad at the prospect of that day. What would make me sad though is if we simply go back to the way things always were without taking a little bit of time to think about whether there is a better way, as opposed to the way we have always done it.
The warmer weather of spring and summer may give us the opportunity to begin by doing something different to reconnect with the children and families attached to our congregations. We may not need to be indoors all the time. Are there activities that you could plan to do when restrictions allow that are outside instead of in the church halls? Do you have space in the church grounds to run a programme on grass instead of in rooms? Outdoor worship zones may be something that you could consider. Some ideas can be found here. This is a theme that we hope to explore further as part of an upcoming webinar for which details will appear in the Refined section of the PCI website.
While exploring some of these different ideas to help children and families reconnect and rebuild relationships with the church family, you could also take some time to reimagine the purpose and programme of your ongoing Sunday morning children’s ministry for the time when church life settles once more into a more regular and consistent pattern. Why not take some time to ask yourself these questions:
- What is really good about our Sunday morning children’s ministry?
- What no longer works in our children’s ministry?
- How do we ensure that children learn and take home the message on a Sunday morning?
- How does our Sunday morning children’s ministry fit into the bigger picture of our congregation’s life and witness?
- Are there other ways that we could do Sunday morning children’s ministry that would make it more intentional in the discipleship of the children and support their families?
If you would like to think through some of these issues more, check out the Sunday morning children ministry resource on the PCI website here.
Rebuilding your team
Your team of volunteers have had a long break from face-to-face children’s ministry during the pandemic. Perhaps you need to start by simply inviting them to get together for some team rebuilding.
Volunteers are essential to children’s ministry. Start thinking now about how your team may look different when you return. Don’t assume that all of your volunteers will be able to continue to serve. Some leaders may be hesitant to serve due to health concerns. Others may decide not to resume a ministry in which they have been involved for many years. You may find you will need to recruit additional volunteers.
Now is a good time to start having informal conversations with your current team to ascertain who may, or may not, be back. Use this time of preparation to communicate and minister to leaders. Begin casting new vision now, so you can formulate an action plan before you meet again.
Some tips as you think through rebuilding your team:
- Review your list of volunteers and when you contact them listen to what they say about coming back to the ministry. Respect the decision of those who choose not to return.
- Make sure your leaders know that you are considering all you may need to put in place in terms of safety and managing any ongoing restrictions to reassure your team.
- Make things as simple as possible for leaders who are returning when things open up again. Many have had extra burdens over the last months, so choose resources that make teaching and reconnecting with the children the priority. Have everything a leader will need ready for them.
Remembering your calling
It is good to regularly reflect on what God is calling us to do in children’s ministry and why we are doing it. At this time, there is even more reason to remind ourselves of its importance after a long break from face-to-face ministry.
Psalm 78:1-7
My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old— things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.
He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.
Ready to be back together again
What a joy it will be to teach children face to face again, to see their smiles and to help them on their journey of faith.
So, let’s do some work now to prepare ourselves for when that can happen again. Think through the next steps as we prepare to regather in our church buildings when restrictions allow. And let’s trust in our faithful God that he has been working in the children’s lives over the last year as they grow in faith and their knowledge of him.
Ruth Bromley is PCI Children’s Development Officer.
This blog is part of a wider series under the campaign, Refined to help members and congregations during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Visit the Refined hub here.