Baptism

Are you getting ready to have a baptism in your children's ministry.  Make sure that you not only talk with the kids but with the parents as well.  Below are some great stories from the Bible about baptizing. 

Jesus is baptized .........Luke 3:21–23

Three thousand new Christians are baptized ...... Acts 2:36–47

Philip baptizes the Ethiopian ...... Acts 8:26–40

Saul is baptized ........ Acts 9:1–19

A Few Important Keys To A Positive Lasting Impression In Your Church Nursery

I remember when we first attended the church we are members of now.  The day I had to take my little boy to the nursery was very uncomfortable for both of us.  When we arrived the ladies working did not greet us.  They did not act welcoming at all.  So, for a mom,  that did not make me want to leave my child there and as for my little one, well, let's just say he didn't want to stay. So, when I became the children's pastor I did my very best to impress upon our workers and volunteers how important it is to greet the kids and the parents.  How important it is to have an inviting attitude and an inviting area.  Some people have no problem at all dropping their infants off in a strange, unknown, germ-filled room….but just in case they do, it’s good to be prepared.  Here is a quick list of s few pointers they I have learned along the way. 

1^st impressions are lasting impressions.

Appearance: Whoever said appearances aren’t important wasn’t a first time mommy dropping off their precious child. When parents drop off their infants, they want to be able to see the environment they are going to be in for the next hour and a half. It’s important when you’ve got kids crawling around that the floor is vacuumed, the outlets are covered and it looks and sounds (music!!!!) like a fun place to crawl around.

Greeter:

This is a KEY position that someone who knows what they are doing and happy to be doing it, welcomes nursery parents at the door. If they don’t feel comfortable with the person they are leaving their child with, they will not continue to go to this church. I’m serious…their kids are choosing their church right now, not the parents. And if they aren’t greeted with a knowing, confident loving smile then they won’t continue to go to your church. It’s important too that this person can tell them what to expect, takes the time to answer questions (no matter how long the line behind them is) and makes them feel safe.

Information:

After their sweet child has spent most of the morning with strangers, it would be nice to know what they did. Here is a little ¼ sheet hand out that you may want to use.  When you fill it out stick it in the diaper bags:

• I played with:____________________________
• My favorite toy was:____________________________
• I really enjoyed:____________________________
• I got sad when:____________________________
• Diaper changes:____________________________

It takes very little time to fill out, yet means the world to a parent to actually know what went on with their child while they were in church. If you can’t do this, think of one thing about every child that you could say to the parents: “Jonny loved the music today…he was dancing the entire time” or Sara had a difficult time getting to sleep today, but our volunteer Nancy has the magic touch and rocked her to sleep by 9:30”. Parents appreciate that unique touch.

In the nursery, 1^st impressions make lasting impressions. I believe it can be a true expression of Jesus’ love for these precious little ones and their parents, by taking the time to make your nursery: a place filled with loving leaders, and not just a place where you put people who have no where else to serve; a place that feels and looks warm and welcoming and it looks like you have put time and thought into making it a safe place for the little ones…trust me….they are watching and noticing and you are making lasting impressions…good or bad.

We all know how important volunteers are to the ministry that God has put us over.  Volunteers are hard to find and harder to keep.  But the reality of it all is that we need volunteers. All ministries need volunteers.  The success of your ministry depends on your volunteers.  I just  happen to focus on children's ministry. The hard fact is: The success of your Children's Ministry depends on the strength of the volunteer team you build. Here are 10 people that can help make your team strong.

The Veteran

 

Profile:
a pillar of the Children's Ministry, many years of faithful service, has a heart to mentor new volunteers, someone you can ask for advice when making decisions, solid relationship with Christ
Positions:
large group teacher, oversee group of volunteers, advisory board, small group leader


The Young Gun

Profile: teenager or college student, passionate for Christ, brings new ideas to the table, kids think he is "cool", good role model
Positions: classroom helper, small group leader depending on maturity level, skits, games, greeter, tech, sound


The Encourager

Profile: positive attitude, smiles, sensitive to the needs of others, compliments and builds up others, kind, welcomes new volunteers to the team with open arms
Positions: teacher, volunteer coach, nursery


The Prayer Warrior

Profile: heart for prayer, ask others how he can pray for them, prays consistently for the ministry
Positions: prayer team leader, teacher, small group leader


The Party Person

 

Profile: fun, spontaneous, people person, brings humor and laughter, life of the party, great at hosting people in his or her home, loves to help plan parties and celebrations
Positions: event planning, event host, teacher, party planning, party host


The Rock Star

Profile: high energy in a large group setting, knows how to communicate with kids, gets kids excited about God's Word, does song motions with enthusiasm
Positions: large group leader, worship leader, large group teacher
   

The Grandmother
 
 Profile: loves kids, kids love her, parents know her and ask for their kids to be in her classroom, gives appropriate hugs to kids, expert with crafts, brings extra cookies or snacks for the kids
Positions: teacher, small group leader


The Talk Show Host

 

Profile: outgoing, friendly, knows how to make new people feel welcome and comfortable, takes a personal interest in people, good at conversation, never met a stranger
Positions: greeter, guest services


The Kid Magnet

 Profile: loves kids, kids love her, kids are drawn to her, makes kids laugh and have fun, connects well with kids, kids know her by name
Positions: teacher, small group leader, greeter


The Second Miler

  Profile: willing to give lots of volunteer hours, dependable, first one to arrive and last one to leave, servant's heart, goes above and beyond when given assignments
Positions: special events, teacher, preparation

Do you have any of these people on your team? They are in your congregation...just waiting for you to ask them to join your team. Get them on board and watch your Children's Ministry flourish.