Stop! Before You Drop (Them off, That Is)

Sometimes we drop our kids off at church and take it all for granted – they’ll have good teachers teaching good things in a good way. And true, that’s what often happens, but here are some suggestions to help your child have the best year ever in children’s ministry.

1. Check out the children’s ministry information on the website (before the year begins). Some churches have little, but others are quite detailed, including policy manuals, schedule of events, etc.

2. Ask if the children’s ministry has a Facebook page, blog or Twitter account to keep you up to date on what’s happening.

3. Don’t just leave your child at the door, but walk in with him and meet the teachers/leaders. Even if this is your home church and you know everyone there is to know, your child might not. Introduce your child to the adults in charge.

4. If this is a new church or ministry, do your homework. Have the leaders been through the church’s child protection program and any other training the church requires?

5. If your child will be attending a new church or is in a new situation in a familiar church, see if you can connect her with another child who will be in the group. Often a child’s enjoyment of a group is more about who’s in the class with her than what actually happens in the class. You don’t want a child to dislike a class – not because of the quality of the teaching, etc. – but because she doesn’t know anyone. (This is especially important if your child is shy.)

6. Make sure you’ve filled out any registration form correctly with phone numbers and email addresses clearly are written. And, even if you don’t think someone else will need to pick up your child, add the names of a couple relatives or friends who can do so. (I remember a mom pulling a muscle in her back while her child was at preschool and could not return for her child. She explained the situation to us and told us her neighbor would come – but the child was having no part of it. So put down a couple of names and let your child know who those people are.)

6. Get to know the teacher/leader (if you don’t already). If possible invite him and his family to your house for dinner. Or, if that’s not possible, invite him and his family out for ice cream after the meeting one night. Not only does this give you an opportunity to get to know him better, but if the child knows and likes a teacher, he might be more attentive and interested in what’s being taught.

7. Ask if you can have the lesson themes. If you know the teacher/leader well, you could suggest she list some questions parents could ask their children after each week’s lesson. The teacher could post this on the class Facebook page or write it out and make copies for all the parents. (You could offer to do this for her if she’s not media savvy or too busy.)

9. Make sure he has his Bible, his handbook, offering/dues or anything else he’s supposed to have.

8. Teach your child to thank the teacher/leader as he leaves club/class each week. Many of the parents (at one of the church where I’ve served) did this and it meant a lot, especially on weeks when the children were rather chaotic! (Ok, this isn’t dropping him off, but it’s good to remember.)

10. Ask if your child if he has any fliers, newsletter or notes from his teacher/leader as you pick him up. (Oops! This one isn’t dropping off either – but again, good to remember.)

12. Find out if there are any parent classes or Bible studies you could attend while your child is in club/class.

13. Stay and watch the club/class in action. (But remember, you can’t work with the children without child protection training.)

14. Pray for the leaders/teachers and encourage your children to pray for them too.