Did you know that fewer than half of all Americans identify themselves as regular churchgoers? With the millennial and Gen Z generations rejecting organized religion and the lack of time for extra activities, it is no wonder that church attendance continues to fall in modern-day America.
One of the best church amenities a congregation can offer is church childcare. This will allow adults to take a break from their babies and children to focus on the church sermon or message every Sunday.
Have you ever considered Sunday school or Sunday childcare for your church facility? Here is a guide that will help you decide what you need to get started.
Sunday School vs. Childcare
There are two main types of Sunday morning childcare: Sunday school and nursery. Sunday school is for elementary-aged children, where they will go to a classroom area and learn a lesson that ties to the main sermon.
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Nursery is reserved for infants and toddlers. They may complete activities that are biblical in nature, but the main focus is on keeping them fed and clean while parents enjoy the Sunday church service.
Rotate Responsibilities
If you want to start up Sunday childcare, then you need to put out a call for volunteers. The best system to gain volunteers is to rotate the obligation to once every few weeks. You can have a schedule that you send around once you obtain your volunteers
This way, people will feel more comfortable with signing up. If they only have to do Sunday school or nursery, say, once a month, they will not have to worry about missing the church message.
Design Engaging Curriculum
For Sunday school, you should try to design a curriculum ahead of time so the volunteers know what they will be teaching. If your church does a series with common themes, then you can play off of those messages when you decide what lessons to teach.
Make sure that the activities are age-appropriate so that the children reap the full benefit of Sunday school. For infants and toddlers, artwork and tactile activities are usually best.
Include a Family Church Area
Some parents may not feel comfortable giving their infants to strangers during the church service. If this is the case, then you should set up an area where they can allow their children to play while watching the service.
Some churches have rooms in the back of the main sanctuary with toys and activities for babies and parents.
Is Church Childcare Right for You?
If your church has a lot of young children in its congregation, then it may be time to set up some form of church childcare. With this guide, you can determine what you will need and how to staff the church childcare so everyone gets to experience church amenities.
Want to learn more about how you can take care of children in any situation? Check out our site for more tips and tricks for raising infants.
