As you embark on building or revamping a Kids Ministry, you should start thinking about who you will take with you on this journey. The truth is that as the primary leader in your ministry, you will burn out unless you have some help. I have been there. I also understand just how hard it can be to recruit quality leaders, especially in a smaller church. But the truth is that if you are making the cookies, setting up the chairs, running games, speaking AND leading worship, you will quickly become a martyr. Here are a few thoughts...
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Take a few minutes to write down your vision, so that you have something tangible to hand to whoever you are talking to. Make sure that it is specific and compelling. Instead of, “I want to build a kids ministry because the board of deacons thinks it's a good idea”, say “We want to build young disciples of Jesus Christ, through regular creative outreach, teaching and worship opportunities.”
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Write down what you expect from each of the leaders so that you can clearly communicate their responsibilities. Many of the potential volunteers that we have in our churches are strong leaders in their respective jobs and in the community. Strong leaders are looking for clear objectives and responsibilities. By doing this, you eliminate confusion and save yourself a load of hassles in the long run.
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Brainstorm potential names. You can do this by sitting down with the volunteers that you already have, or by combing through the church directory and finding people that would potentially be the right fit and have a good track record (For instance, don't recruit your tone-deaf grandma to be the worship leader. Let her care for snacks) And don't worry about whether or not you think they will say yes...we sometimes make their decision for them by assuming they will turn us down.
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Make a personal connection with them. You can call them. Or better yet, treat them to to Starbucks and charge it to your Senior Pastor. Emails and texts are easy to ignore. I also find that announcements made from the pulpit are usually only effective when they are coupled with personal contact.
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Be mentally prepared to have people say no to you, but also be prepared to have God amaze you.
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Make sure that you are implementing a child protection policy such as “Plan To Protect”. By screening your leaders and having strict policy in place, you will not only keep your children safe, but you will also protect your church and your volunteers.
Through this process, remember that God cares about your Kids Ministry. He also cares about you. If at all possible, you shouldn't do this by yourself. I also realize that there are many churches that have a great deal of trouble finding volunteers. It may be that in your setting, there simply aren't enough people to go around. But if you can, make sure that you are not on this journey alone. It's a lot more fun when you bring others with you.
--Click here for other helpful articles from Discover Worship about building and growing a kids worship ministry.
