10 Questions to Ask as You Plan Your Fall Ministry
While this season of quarantine might have limited our family activities in a number of ways, your role as a children’s ministry leader seems more complicated than ever.
We may not be at church by six on a Sunday morning or staying until 10 on any given weeknight, but our schedules have been busier than ever as our programming switched from in-person to virtual. You’ve learned new digital platforms, connected with families inside their homes, and remained committed to passing on the importance of discipleship to those you’ve been called to serve.
While quarantine restrictions have loosened for some, they have tightened for others. No matter your circumstance, here you are, looking ahead to the fall knowing with certainty that you have to do something. It’s going to be complicated and ever changing, and yet so deeply rewarding.
What successes do you want to continue?
Like you’ve been doing, lean heavily on the vision and mission of your church. Everything you offer should fall in line with what your church leadership has laid out in the mission and vision. Set up a time to safely gather and ask them to re-share that vision with you so you can best direct your children’s ministry in this upcoming season! Also, remember those quarantine wins. What worked well? What do you want to continue? What surprised you as being successful that you might consider offering on a consistent basis?
To get your creative juices flowing, we put together 10 questions you can ask yourself or your team to get your planning started!
-
-
- How many of our volunteers feel comfortable being back at church to serve?
- How are parents feeling about coming back to in-person church activities?
- Will we require temperatures to be taken and masks to be worn?
- Do we have a plan for families and volunteers to enter and exit the building that upholds local mandates?
- How will our check-in and release back to parents work?
- What new procedures do we need to implement to allow for social distancing and sanitization?
- What additional rooms will we need to accommodate smaller groups due to distancing requirements?
- How do our games and activities need to be adapted for smaller groups?
- Which parts of our ministry could continue virtually?
- How will we continue to reach the families that choose to stay at home?
-
If you were to admit that you’re tired, you wouldn’t be alone.
If you were to admit that you loved the opportunity for creativity, you wouldn’t be alone.
If you were to admit you cried tears of JOY and frustration, you wouldn’t be alone.
If you were to admit your dedication and passion for reaching kids with the Gospel is stronger than ever, you wouldn’t be alone!
Friends, take each day one step at a time. What you plan today is important, and flows out of your own personal relationship with Jesus. So draw near to the Father and spend time with Him. Listen to His voice as you seek to guide those precious children to become more like Him.
Melanie Hester is the Partner Communications Specialist at Awana. She grew up serving the church and finds it a privilege to continue doing that through both her career and as the 4’s and 5’s teacher at her local church. She has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and desires to always be in a learning mindset. She is a wife and mom, a lover of craft coffee, and an avid shopper at Trader Joe’s.
