100 Best Ideas to Turbocharged your Preschool Ministry (28 page)

Whether you’re building a house, your life, or a preschool ministry, the same principle applies.
If you want to be successful, you have to start with the right foundation.
When it comes to building a preschool ministry, I’ve identified two building blocks that determine success.

Transformational truth
—The first building block of a successful preschool ministry is found in the Great Commandment.
The transformational truth that we build our preschool ministries on is
love
.
It begins when we love God.
We put God first in everything we do; then based on our love for God, we’re able to love ourselves.
This means we teach preschoolers that the choices they make matter.
All of their choices have either good or bad consequences.
The decisions we make in life move us closer to God or further away from God.
When we properly love God and love ourselves, then we can properly love others.
This means we also teach preschoolers that the way we treat other people matters and that we need to look out for the interests of others.

As preschoolers learn to love God, love themselves, and love others, God will begin to change them from the inside out.

Relational connections
—The second building block of a successful preschool ministry is the relational connections we create.

• We connect with parents. The key here is partnership. We come alongside parents and work together to help their preschoolers develop a relationship with Jesus. We provide them with tools and resources to help them guide their preschoolers on their spiritual journey.
  
• We connect with volunteers. The key here is teamwork. Realize that every volunteer has a role to play in the spiritual formation of preschoolers. We also need to design ways for volunteers to build relationships with each other. To build an effective team with our volunteers, we need to create a culture of trust.
  
• We connect with preschoolers. The key here is relevance. Our lessons, songs, crafts, and activities need to be relevant to preschoolers. They need to be age-appropriate and connect with kids on their level. Every week our preschoolers need to learn the Bible in a fun, engaging environment.
  

Every builder knows that the right foundation is fundamental to the success of each building.
As we instill in our preschoolers love for God, themselves, and others and connect with parents, volunteers, and kids, we’ll be well on our way to designing a preschool ministry that stands the test of time.

—Eric

In a preschool department, injuries will happen.
To make sure that every injury is handled in the best possible way, every staff member and volunteer needs to know the correct safety procedures.
We place large posters in every room that give step-by-step instructions for what to do in an emergency.
Here are the posters’ basic guidelines, plus suggestions for adapting a first-aid kit to your preschoolers’ needs.

Stop and think.
The first thing to do is to stop, look at the situation, and answer these questions:

Is the child unresponsive?

Is the child having difficulty breathing?

Is the child’s cry unusual?

Don’t panic.
Panic is extremely contagious, spreading in a matter of seconds and adding chaos to an already bad situation.
Evaluate the situation and the answers to the questions above, and then decide what to do.
If you’re not sure what to do, seek assistance.

Locate the first-aid kit.
A first-aid kit in a church should be readily available, well-stocked, and clearly labeled.
If you’ve purchased a first-aid kit, it likely includes many items that are inadequate for the needs of preschoolers.
Make these changes to adapt your kit:

• Replace adult-size bandages with kid-friendly character bandages in small sizes.
  
• Replace adult medications with children’s medications.
  Note of warning: Never dispense medication.
  You may have it available, but a parent or a doctor should be the only one who ever dispenses medication.
  
• Replace ice packs with child-size boo-boo packs, which are available in most drugstores and usually designed around popular cartoon characters.
  
• Butterfly closures need to be cut and overlapped to work for a child, so make sure a small set of scissors is available.
  
• Add a battery-operated ear thermometer.
  

In case of emergency, use this call list.
A list of emergency numbers by the first-aid kit and the nearest phone needs to include these numbers: doctors and nurses who attend your church, the local hospital emergency department, poison control, and the fire department.

Fill out an injury report.
Any time a child is injured at church and requires any medical attention, fill out a report in duplicate.
One is given to the parent; one is filed in the church office.
This report needs to include information about the child, the date and time of the accident, how the child was injured, action that was taken to treat the injury, and a list of names and phone numbers of adults who witnessed the injury.
Parents, the teacher, and the director need to sign both copies of the report.

—Barbara

Proverbs 29:18 (NASB) says, “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained.”
When I think of the word
unrestrained
, I think of complete chaos.
Maybe your ministry is unrestrained or in a state of chaos right now.
Could it be for lack of vision?
That’s a tough question to ask, but one that must be addressed.
Here’s what you need to know about vision for your ministry.

God is the giver of great vision.
And God alone instills in us the passion for what we do.
If you’re struggling, you need to go back to your calling.
Go to the very moment God called you, and ask yourself,
What compelled me to ministry?
I once heard a pastor say, “If you want to know your passion, find out what makes you angry.”

In my tenure, God has birthed many new ideas in my heart and mind— some that took years to fulfill.
Nothing is more exciting to me than for God to do exceedingly, abundantly beyond all I could ever ask or think.
I love it when a dream or vision comes to complete fruition.

However, we can’t stop there.
We can’t sit down, fold our hands, and say the work we’ve set out to accomplish is done.
We must pull ourselves back up and dream again.
This is what creative ministry is all about.
We need to constantly be reaching, learning, and seeking new ways to effectively reach preschoolers and their families.

Our ministries will only grow as deep and wide as our God-given vision.
When our vision is small, our ministry will be small.
If, however, our vision expands even beyond what we’re capable of doing, we’ll be amazed at what God will do.

Once we’re clear on our vision, it’s imperative that we share it with our teams.
It’s not uncommon for a leader to share his or her heart, vision, and dreams for the ministry and for one or two team members to completely miss it.
With all due respect, if this happens to you, those team members need to step down.
God has called you to lead your ministry.
He’s instilled the vision and dream in your heart.
You need a team that’ll go the distance with you.
When all these elements fall into place, the foundation of your ministry will grow wider and deeper than you ever imagined.
And the impact of your ministry will reach far beyond what you thought possible.

So dream, re-dream, and dream again.

—Gina

Every preschool ministry leader has aspired to his or her position out of love and a desire to change young lives through the Word of God.
Most likely you worked as a volunteer for years, gaining experience and training by being a vital part of a children’s ministry.
Then the great day arrived when you got paid for doing a job you’d have gladly done for free.
Even though the weight of responsibility is heavy on your shoulders, it’s a burden you bear with joy as you watch a ministry blossom under your supervision.

Unfortunately, you may find yourself bogged down in administration and overwhelmed by policymaking, budgeting, meetings, curriculum, and volunteer management.
You wanted to work with children, but instead you’re struggling to get your job done and spend time with your family.
What’s happened?
Those creative juices that used to flow freely have gone deep underground, and you find yourself slipping into survival mode ministry.
There’s no cure for the “administrative blues,” but these simple steps can help you continue to enjoy ministry.

Keep your eyes on the children.
Preschoolers require a different level of attention than elementary children because of issues such as separation anxiety, contagious crying, and even restroom or diaper situations.
It’s easy to lose focus and become overwhelmed with running your department, but don’t let leadership keep you from living out the child side of your dedication.

You once were an active teacher of preschoolers and worked with them one-on-one.
Make a point to engage in preschool ministry with different age groups at least three months a year.
It’ll keep you refreshed, give you insight into your curriculum, and allow you to build relationships with preschoolers.
If you can’t find the time to do this, rethink your delegation strategy.

Keep in touch with your leadership.
Many church leaders don’t realize the details involved in a children’s minister’s job.
It’s up to you to keep them informed of the changes or challenges you’re facing.
They need to know
when you’re feeling overwhelmed.
Seek their wisdom, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Don’t overcommit yourself.
This is much easier said than done because of the numerous demands on your time and the great ideas you want to pursue, but you must learn to say no.
Not every opportunity is worthwhile.

Make time for creative and physical outlets.
We all have something that decompresses our tension.
It’s necessary to identify what works for you and commit to keeping yourself spiritually, mentally, and physically refreshed.

Take your vacation time.
Use the vacation time you’re given, and take it in blocks of time, not a day here and a day there.
One day off will not give you the break you need and deserve.

Pray and study.
God has placed you as a leader for a reason.
Keep in constant relationship with him through prayer and by reading the Bible.
A prayer journal is a wonderful way to keep yourself disciplined and to express your prayers in a tangible way.
A journal also lets you look back to see how God has answered your prayers.

—Barbara