Every Monday I post one of The Basics. The Basics are simple steps every church can take to grow. They are the same steps that led my church from 87 people in attendance to over 700. These steps have helped my church see hundreds of people saved and baptized in just a few short years. Most of these steps you can take this week without even having a board meeting. These are The Basics.

Children’s ministry may be the most important ministry in church today, and yet I see so many churches treat it as an afterthought.

Offering a Sunday School class for children is not enough. You have to be more intentional about providing an environment where kids can learn about Jesus on their level.

Nearly eighty percent of people in the church today decided to follow Jesus before the age of 18. Fifty percent decided before the age of 12. So, the best time to teach people about Jesus is when they are children.

By committing to provide an incredible experience for kids and parents, not only will you see more people come to Christ, you will see young families flock to your church. Your childrens’ ministry can be the greatest catalyst for growth in your church.

Here’s the thing, providing a great kids’ ministry doesn’t have to be that difficult or that expensive. Any church can do it. You just need to focus on these three key elements of a great kids’ ministry.

1. Safety – Safety has to be your number one priority because it’s a parent’s number one priority.

I recommend that every one of your volunteers serving in kids’ ministry undergo a background check. It’s not that expensive, and in this day and age, it’s become a necessity.

In addition, I recommend that you have security personnel monitor all kids’ areas. This doesn’t have to be a police officer. This can be a volunteer whose purpose is to look for anyone or anything suspicious.

And last, I recommend you implement a check-in system for your kids’ ministry that ensures your children can only be checked out of class by those who checked them in. There are lots of options out there. We use a program called Excellerate.

2. Creative Bible Teaching – The Bible is the most amazing book ever written, so we want to convey that to our kids in fun and interesting ways.

We strive to bring Bible stories to life by using songs, videos, live acting, small group discussions, and activities that keep the children engaged.

The best thing is, you don’t have to come up with this yourself. There are tons of great options available. Check out curriculum from Orange, NewSpring, and Elevate to get your started.

3. Fun, Fun, Fun – Your kids’ ministry has to be fun. It has to be a place kids want to come back to week after week. Every week we have kids dragging their parents to church because they don’t want to miss kids’ church.

So, make sure the adults you have volunteer in kids’ ministry not only love kids, but they also know how to have fun. Don’t just settle for anyone. Make sure you get the right people in the room.

And that’s it. Kids’ ministry needs to be safe, fun, and a place kids can learn about Jesus on their level. It doesn’t have to be complicated, and it isn’t that expensive.

You can do it. When you do, you’ll be overwhelmed by the blessings it produces.

How would you describe your kids’ ministry? How could you make it better?