There are a lot of moving parts in children's ministry. And to make sure all of these parts are smoothly working together, systems must be put in place.

When you have effective systems in place, you are able to minister each week without the unnecessary distractions and confusion.

Here are three systems to incorporate in your children’s ministry:

A system for onboarding & training volunteers.

Communicate role expectations for every volunteer. Have new volunteers shadow experienced teachers so they can learn practical techniques and see what’s expected. Here are a few things each volunteer should know:

The children’s ministry mission statement
Clear expectations for their specific role
A consistent scheduling process that allows for them to accept/decline each month

A system for following up with students.

Follow up on new students that attend your children’s ministry. One of the greatest ways to do this is hand-written letters - kids love mail! Here is a simple system you can use when following up with students:

First time visit - Send a letter welcoming them to your children’s ministry. Include a small gift card if the budget allows.
Second time visit - Send a second letter saying it was so good to see them again and that you can’t wait to see them next Sunday.
Third miss - when a student misses a third week in a row, send a letter letting them know you miss them and hope to see them again.
And of course, don’t forget birthday cards!

A system for checking students in/out of class.

Safety is a high priority in children’s ministry. A consistent check-in system ensures children safely enter and exit your weekly program. There are many systems you can utilize when checking students in such as Planning Center and FellowshipOne. If you don’t have a third party system, start with a physical check-in/check-out sheet and assign a volunteer to oversee the process each week. Even if it takes some time to implement a system, parents will appreciate that you are putting their child’s safety first.

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