Not business as usual: Ministering to kids during quarantine
The COVID-19 crisis has done many things to our kids ministries. It has made us rethink, redirect and refocus the ways that we connect with kids and their families. In a recent online meeting with more than a dozen children’s ministry leaders in New England, the hands-down thing they miss most are the hugs and interaction they had with their kids on a weekly basis.
Creative ways to connect right now
While many are still trying to figure out the best ways to interact and connect, children’s ministry leaders are beginning to make positive shifts to making meaningful opportunities for kids and their families. Creative connections included:
Delivering goodie bags/boxes with special treats like devotionals, activity pages, sticker sheets, wiki stix, plastic eggs, flower seeds, candy and more to the kids. (When delivering stuff to kids and families, snap a few photos and utilize them on your social media page or website to let others know that your ministry is still connecting with people.)
Doing a daily devotional for kids online.
Choosing a consistent time each week to deliver online content to your kids. Be sure that you engage parents/families; using your content as a starting point may be a way to encourage parents to have spiritual conversations with their kids.
Enlisting others in your church to help deliver online content or make door stop visits to kids and their families. Don’t try to do everything on your own! This is a great time to lead other leaders and volunteers to be proactive and to even do some leadership development.
Using technology, like Zoom, FaceTime and other apps to have one-on-one time with kids and their families. If parents give permission, record a portion of the visit to share with other families or on your church or ministry’s private Facebook page.
Using Zoom and FaceTime to set up coffee chats with parents and find ways to encourage them and pray with them. Ask questions that will help you know how to minister and equip them better as they spiritually lead their families. Find out what resources are working and what they would like to see more of.
Questions to ask going forward
We know that this time of isolation and social distancing won’t last forever, but it really has given us pause to rethink how we interact and deliver spiritual content to the children and families that God has placed in our care.
I encourage you to take this opportunity to stop and ask some probing questions that could help you to refocus your ministry.
Are you meeting the needs of your kids and their families by providing relevant and appropriate care and biblical teaching?
Are you intentionally partnering with parents to provide them with the tools they need to carry on the discipleship of their children?
How can you take what you are doing now to continue to help families disciple their kids once the church is able to meet again?
What adjustments do you need to make now and after stay-at-home to strengthen your care and discipleship of kids?
Sandy Coelho serves as lay leadership development coordinator at the Baptist Convention of New England.