1. The senior pastor needs to have a passion and vision to minister to kids. Very rarely will you see a church who has a great kids’ ministry where the senior pastor isn't passionate about the next generation.
2. Fund the kids’ ministry: A church who is passionate about helping kids know and grow in Christ has to put their money where their mouth is. It's easy for a church to say they want to minister to kids, but then, turn around and spend all of the money on the adults. You have to spend money with staffing, decor, games, safety, supplies, curriculum, etc.
3. Staff the kids’ ministry: If kids’ ministry is a priority at your church, you want some of the sharpest people leading and serving in the kids’ department. You can't have a great kids’ ministry without sharp, loving and caring people leading and serving in the area. Recruit the best people to lead and serve with the next generation.
4. Do things with excellence: Excellence doesn't mean you have to spend a lot of money, but it does mean you do the very best with what you have. The kids’ environments should be clean. Paint isn't all that expensive, so be sure the walls are painted with a bright color that kids like. Make sure the carpet and toys are clean. The bottom line is do things with excellence in the kids’ area.
5. Have a secure and safe environment: You need to have policies and procedures to provide a safe environment. You need to make parents aware of the policies. You MUST do background checks on everybody leading and serving with the next generation. You need to have some type of check-in and pickup system that provides safety when parents drop off and pick up their kids. If possible, have all the bathrooms inside the classrooms so kids don't have to leave the room. Do whatever you can to provide a secure and safe environment for the kiddos.
6. Make sure kids have a blast: The last thing you want is for kids to dread coming to your church. Make it fun. Have games, moon bouncers, video games, candy, etc. Just make sure kids have a blast at church. Church shouldn't be boring for the kids. When kids are frequently bored at church, it's because adults aren't putting the time and energy into the kids’ area and services. Plan a great experience for kids each week. If kids have a blast at church, they will bring their parents back to church each week!
7. Teach kids to love Jesus: Teach the Bible to kids. Find some good age appropriate curriculum and teach kids to love Jesus. Challenge them to read their Bibles and memorize Scripture. Challenge them to bring their Bibles to church. Challenge them to live out the Bible lessons they are learning each week. Invest spiritually into the lives of kids!
