This blog is all about Real Life Children’s Ministry so here we go… I had to cancel an event. There’s always a part of my heart that is bummed when that happens. Who wants to tell a kid they can’t go to a church event? We were all set up for a huge Valentine’s Event. The first “in-person” event in over a year due to the covid shut down. The families would safely come to the church (one family at a time) and have their photos taken by a professional photographer. Later that evening we would stream a family event where we showed the kids how to paint. I was really looking forward to it.
Then a storm came in… the snow storm of the century. “Snowmagedden” as we began to call it. (It was 6” of snow in Texas.) So we postponed the event to keep everyone safe. When weather changes suddenly, or an unexpected crisis happens, how do you know what to do?
It’s time to SHIFT.
Over the next several blogs, we will discover how to SHIFT. Here’s the broad picture: S = Safe H = Help I = I don’t have to do it alone F = Follow God’s Voice
T = Time
Each week we will dive deeper into the words as we learn to SHIFT. Let’s start at the top. The 1st way to SHIFT is…
STAYING SAFE
I remember my first job at a church (I was 15). My Mentor’s motto was: “Safety First!” And really, that’s brilliant for Kids Ministry. On those days when you are trying to decide “Do we keep the event or postpone?” Conduct a quick evaluation of SAFETY. Ask yourself (or your team):
Is my family currently safe?
If we have this event, can we all get home safe?
If we ask people to drive in this, will they be able to drive safely?
Will families be safe in the building?
Will families be able to get home safely?
If the answer to any of the above is NO, you might want to think about cancelling the event. Consider the message you are sending to your kids and their parents. Perhaps one of the most valuable messages we could send would be: we value you and your safety. Even if they miss attending the event, they will feel that you love and care for them.
So, fast forward to the end of the story: During the Great Snowmageddon, we called off the event, quickly moved to online Kids Church only and shared game videos online. Everyone was happy to be in a safe place yet still worship together online.
Oh and yes, we did rescheduled the event - it’s never too late to celebrate God’s love!
