{"id":12913,"date":"2025-07-08T11:02:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T17:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/?p=12913"},"modified":"2025-06-26T15:10:17","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T21:10:17","slug":"8-ways-to-prepare-for-fall-childrens-ministry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/8-ways-to-prepare-for-fall-childrens-ministry\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Ways to Prepare for Fall Children’s Ministry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Humans have circumnavigated the globe, put men on the moon, and built satellites to explore deep space. We have invented planes, trains, cars, refrigerators, microwaves, smartphones, acid-wash jeans and bumper stickers that brag about our carnivorous dinosaur eating somebody else\u2019s straight-A student. Yes, we are an advanced race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet for all of humanity\u2019s achievements, each summer children\u2019s ministry leaders face a gargantuan task: preparing for the new kids ministry year!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Man your battle stations! Call in the National Guard! Set phasers to stun!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

INCOMING!!!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planning for a new kids ministry season isn\u2019t exactly raising the Titanic, but it sure feels like it sometimes! After all, it\u2019s a big job. Your role as a kids ministry leader is a high calling from God, who commands every generation to \u201ctell a future generation the praiseworthy acts of the\u00a0Lord, his might, and the wondrous works he has performed\u201d (Psalm 78:4<\/a>). And the precious kids we serve are an impressionable, vulnerable group that greatly needs our gentle, loving care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So we\u2019ve got to get it right. But there are so many details. It can all feel a bit overwhelming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Serving in the church (both in kids’ ministry and elsewhere) should be a cultural value within your congregation that the pastors and elders champion.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fear not! As you prepare to welcome families back this fall, we\u2019ve got you covered with tips for success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Woman
Credit: Getty Images\/DigitalVision\/Tony Anderson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Legends of the Fall: 8 Tips for Preparing for the New Kids’ Ministry Year<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Finalize Your Curriculum<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Knowing what your teaching curriculum will be this fall is a top priority! This will determine much of what will happen in your hallways on Sundays. If you haven\u2019t determined your curriculum yet, entering children\u2019s ministry curriculum<\/em> or something similar into an online search engine will give you more-than-enough options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choose one that fits your church\u2019s needs, but make sure the material you select focuses less on being trendy and more on teaching kids the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve selected your curriculum, create a weekly schedule (for the whole year, if possible) so you and your kids ministry team can plan accordingly. Make sure to accommodate special dates when you might pause your curriculum\u2019s normal sequence, such as the weeks leading up to Christmas and Easter, or see if your curriculum has options built right in (like with Wonder Ink<\/a>)!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll also need to create a system for your teachers, small group leaders, music leaders, etc., to access the curriculum and schedule. These dear servants will love you for giving them advance notice about each Sunday\u2019s lesson.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t

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Wonder Ink\u2019s 3-year, 52-week children\u2019s ministry curriculum offers kids space to fully find their place in God\u2019s Big Story. Children discover they are Known by God, Loved by Jesus, and Led by the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

Recruit, Recruit, Recruit!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For many, summertime is filled with popsicles, beach trips and lazy days at the pool. But for kids’ ministry leaders, summer is prime-time volunteer recruiting<\/a> season. Now is the time to be setting your volunteer rosters for the fall. Recruiting during summer will take a little creativity since so many folks travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So create a plan to consistently keep the opportunity of serving with kids (and yes, present it as an \u201copportunity\u201d more than a \u201cneed\u201d) in front of the church. You can do this through the church\u2019s website, e-newsletters, print bulletins and flyers, onstage announcements on Sundays, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warning:<\/em> Don\u2019t attempt this alone! Enlist help from your church\u2019s leadership. Serving in the church (both in kids’ ministry and elsewhere) should be a cultural value within your congregation that the pastors and elders champion. As that priority trickles down from leadership, kids’ ministry will benefit. If you\u2019re the only one banging the gong for volunteers each year, the noise is more likely to fall on deaf ears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Training Time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As a children\u2019s leader, you live and breathe kids’ ministry! But most volunteers probably don\u2019t. So it\u2019s imperative to set up kids’ ministry team training dates before the new year kicks off. (Note the plural \u201cdates\u201d since you\u2019ll never get 100 percent attendance on a single day!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your agenda at these gatherings should include curriculum, Sunday schedules, classroom management tips<\/a>, child safety<\/a> procedures and anything else your team needs to know to make Sundays smooth and successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But don\u2019t just go over administrative details; make these meetings fun. After all, this is kids’ ministry! Find ways to surprise, delight and laugh with your volunteers. Serving families is a joy, and your training meetings should reflect that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the Lord incarnated and came to earth, He stooped low, joyfully opened His loving arms and let the little children come to Him.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Child Safety<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Every kids’ ministry worker\u2014both adults and teens\u2014should be properly vetted by you and your staff. Create a system that includes a thorough volunteer application and a process where all kids workers go through criminal background screening and a national sex offender registry check. Everyone who has access to kids should be known by one or more trusted leaders in the church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now\u2019s the time to also make sure you have other child safety protocols in place, such as a secure check-in\/check-out process; a two-approved-adult rule; emergency procedures; restricted kids’ space that\u2019s only accessible by approved individuals; and safe, sanitary rooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping dozens (even hundreds!) of crumb-crunchers safe each week is no small task. But it\u2019s imperative. The greatest, most exciting Sunday programming in the world is a failure if we don\u2019t return kids safely to their parents at the end of service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Communicate with Parents<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Other than child safety and the gospel, nothing in kids’ ministry is more important than communication<\/a>! Before the start of your new year, make sure all parents know what to expect, where to go and what to do on kickoff Sunday\u2014and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Communicate with Volunteers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, make sure your amazing volunteer team knows what to expect<\/a>, where to go and what to do each week. Choose an easy, effective communication method to make sure your weekly teams are adequately informed and feel consistently appreciated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Host a Kick-Off<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Consider hosting a kick-off event to start your new kids’ ministry year. It can be as big or as simple as you want, depending on your budget, space, etc. Use the time to meet families, promote fellowship, communicate the values of kids’ ministry \u2026 and have fun! (Good food doesn\u2019t hurt either.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partner with Parents<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Our job as kids’ ministry leaders is not to replace parents in their roles as primary caretakers of their kids. Our job, rather, is to come alongside them and support them<\/a> as they point their kids to Jesus\u2014not just on Sundays but throughout the week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are countless ways you can do this: Write and send encouraging notes and\/or parent devotionals. Create a recommend resource list for parents. Hold midweek events. Whatever you choose, pick what works for your context and show parents that you\u2019ve got their backs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kick-off Sunday is approaching. The task before you is great. But so is your calling as a kids’ ministry leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your preparation for the new kids ministry year might seem like a monumental and thankless task. You might have already caught yourself thinking, Pffft. Those Apollo 11 astronauts had nothing on this!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But remember, dear leader, you are doing the work of the Lord God Almighty. For when the Lord incarnated and came to earth, He stooped low, joyfully opened His loving arms and let the little children come to Him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kick-off Sunday is approaching. The task before you is great. But so is your calling as a kids’ ministry leader.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":10958,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"Kick-off Sunday is approaching. The task before you is great. But so is your calling as a kids' ministry leader.","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"blog_topic":[29,26,28],"blog_type":[13],"ppma_author":[62],"class_list":["post-12913","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","blog_topic-families","blog_topic-leadership","blog_topic-volunteers","blog_type-blog"],"authors":[{"term_id":62,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"joshua-cooley","display_name":"Joshua Cooley","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/mlzai04amy7e.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:80\/f:best\/https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cooley-001.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/mlzai04amy7e.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:80\/f:best\/https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cooley-001.jpg"},"author_category":"1","user_url":"","last_name":"Cooley","first_name":"Joshua","job_title":"","description":"Joshua Cooley is a\u00a0New York Times\u00a0<\/em>bestselling author and a longtime children\u2019s leader who has written a variety of books for kids, teens, and adults. His books include the Heroes of the Bible Devotional<\/em> and two children\u2019s picture books, I Can\u2019t Believe My Eyes!<\/em> and Empty!<\/em> He is also a contributor to Tyndale\u2019s Go Bible<\/em> for kids and Crossway\u2019s upcoming ESV study Bible for boys. His writing has appeared in nearly 40 different print and online publications. In addition to writing and editing, he speaks at Christian schools, conferences, church retreats and summer camps. Joshua lives in Durham, North Carolina. You can visit his website at\u00a0www.joshuacooleyauthor.com<\/a>."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12913","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12913"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12913\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12963,"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12913\/revisions\/12963"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10958"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"blog_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog_topic?post=12913"},{"taxonomy":"blog_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog_type?post=12913"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wonderink.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=12913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}