What Parents Want on Sunday Mornings:
Busy, hard-working parents look for a smooth and efficient check-in process when bringing their children to the church's children’s ministry. This allows them to quickly find their way to the sanctuary and focus on worship. For new families, knowing that their children are safe and secure provides peace of mind, allowing them to fully engage in the service.
What Children Want:
Children love engaging stories, fun games, and creative activities like music, art, and drama. They also thrive when they feel a sense of belonging and have clear rules and routines. A predictable check-in and check-out process helps them settle in and get excited about participating.
What Volunteers Want:
Volunteers seek purpose, fulfilment, and the opportunity to make a difference. Teaching and helping often provide a creative outlet as they design lessons and crafts. They also value the sense of community and fellowship with other volunteers and parents, and they find joy in watching children learn and grow. Church management software helps them keep track of everyone coming and going, ensuring they can do their job well!
Here are our best tips for streamlining Sunday morning check-in and check-out for safe and efficient transitions.
Check In
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Greet Each Child by Name and with a Welcoming Smile
Personalized greetings make children feel recognized and valued. In Sunergo Connect, church staff can access family directories, complete with photos, so that they can quickly learn the names and faces of children and their guardians.
Making eye contact and speaking directly to the children helps build trust and puts them at ease. Printing a name tag for each child to wear helps them learn each other's names, fostering a sense of belonging, and helping to keep them safe. Make sure they know basic safety rules, where the washrooms are, and what to do if they need help.
Clearly communicate the check-out procedure for an efficient process later. If parents see that the volunteers are well-versed in the protocols, it promotes a feeling of confidence that their children are in capable hands. -
Welcome and Settle the Kids with a Simple Activity
Provide engaging activities like puzzles, books, or colouring sheets to help children transition and stay occupied while waiting for others to arrive. If the activity and decor align with the day’s theme, that's even better. Whenever possible, have helpers—adult volunteers or older children—assist in finding seats, guiding them to the activities, and introducing them to new friends. -
Establish a Signal to Start the Lesson
Capture the children's attention by using the same starting routine each week. Whether it's a song, a clapping rhythm, or a special countdown, this signal lets them know it’s time to gather and begin the class on time. Keep the transition brief, and jump right into a quick, fun activity, story, question, or game to engage them in the day’s lesson.
Check Out
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Train Volunteers
Ensure that everyone serving in children’s ministry is thoroughly trained in processes and protocols, enabling them to manage the check-out process smoothly. For larger groups, assign specific roles such as signing out children, relaying information to parents, distributing take-home items, and managing the flow of people. Use an electronic system like church management software to track check-outs, creating a record of who picked up each child and when. -
Prepare Kids to Leave
Ensure the lesson is wrapped up and that the children have their belongings packed and ready before the check-out process begins. This helps avoid delays and keeps the flow moving smoothly when parents arrive. Set clear expectations for transition time and provide activities to keep energetic children entertained while they wait, preventing unruly behavior. -
Manage the Arrival of Parents and the Release of Children
Designate a clear check-out area, and if possible, stagger pick-up times by age group to prevent all parents from arriving at once. Ensure someone is supervising the release of children to confirm that each child is reunited with an approved adult. To speed up the process and maintain order, use cues like calling names or holding up signs to indicate when a child’s guardian has arrived.
Having clear processes for welcoming and releasing children is useful beyond Sunday mornings. Sunergo’s child check-in and check-out system can be utilized for midweek groups, day camps, VBS, and more.