Effective Family Ministry spaces

I read somewhere years ago that when families come to your children’s ministry, they are asking 3 questions. First, “Is it safe?”, second, “Is it fun?”, and third, “Is it Biblical?” Now, depending on the family and where they’re at in their faith, number 3 may not even occur to them. But it’s a question you should be asking, for sure. But theological questions aside, parents and kids mostly want to know two things. Parents want to know that your team can be trusted to care for their child and help them feel safe and loved. And over a certain age, aside from a little shyness or jitters, most kids just want to know if it’s gonna be fun.

So how can your spaces convince parents that their children will be well cared for? Well, does it look like the room is well cared for? Is the furniture in good repair? Is there ample storage for toys and supplies so there’s not clutter in every corner? Is the lighting adequate? Is there a soft surface for little ones to crawl on? Are the spaces generally clean, and do they smell that way? When was the last time you replaced the carpet? Does it have a few mysterious stains? Each of these considerations has the potential to communicate to parents: we care about what we’re doing here, and we’re giving it our best. Your child is in good hands.

For bigger kids, when they walk into your children’s spaces, does it look like something fun is about to go down? Or does it look like they’re about to sit in school for the next hour? Are kids all seated around a table with books & pencils? Or are there art supplies, activities, or games within sight and reach? Is there some color in the room? Not headache-inducing shades of neon everywhere, but enough that it looks like a happy place to be, and not like the principal’s office?

It really doesn’t take a lot of expensive design to create effective Family Ministry spaces. But it absolutely requires intention, execution, and regular inspections to make sure that things are clean, fresh, fun, and holding up to the wear and tear the kids bring to them every week.