Welcoming New Kids Into Your Ministry

Welcoming new kids into your ministry is an essential part of what you care about as a leader, but it often happens in the middle of the rest of the “crazy” of the ministry. What can you do to help do this better? 

Be ready

Have greeters ready and looking for these kids and their families. Do you have a visitor information card ready? Do the greeters know the exact procedure to get a new family set up for the child to be dropped off? There is a sense of security in children that comes when they feel like someone was expecting them and is ready for them. Don’t we all feel this way, really?  

Be visible

Make it obvious in a fun way when there is a new kid with you. Could it be a special nametag you use, or a flashy pin or a glow necklace? There are plenty of low-cost ways to give something for your visiting kids to use that makes him or her feel special, and also lets everyone in your ministry know that this child is a special visitor who can be greeted and may need extra help. 

Be a connector

As immediately as possible, connect a new child to someone who can be a buddy for the duration of the time. Ideally this is a volunteer (student volunteers can be great at this), who can keep tabs on the new child while also doing their regular responsibilities. Is the visitor outgoing? It might be that the buddy will only have to introduce a few kids and then just keep an extra eye on the new child. Is the visitor shy? It might be that the new child is more comfortable as a “helper” to the volunteer, with tangible jobs to do, like helping set out snack or craft supplies. Whatever the new kid does, the leader buddy can help make sure there was help provided when needed and can report back to you or the parent about the child’s experience in your ministry. 

Be a closer

As the time the child is with you winds down, check in with their buddy to see how the visitor did while he or she was with you. Be ready to be there, or have someone else be there, to give a report to parents on how the child did, and to say you hope to see them again!