I’ve found volunteering in Kid’s Church that no two Sundays are the same.   Blame it on the weather, group dynamics or society, you’re serving in an area of ministry that is unpredictable!  Being prepared is the best way to equip you and your team for whatever may come your way.

            “Failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”  Benjamin Franklin

The Benefits of Preparedness

• Being prepared means you are proactive instead of reactive
• Being prepared increases your chance of running a successful program – it will flow
• Being prepared saves time
• Being prepared saves money – which is great for a Kid’s Church budget
• Being prepared keeps people volunteering – more fun less chaos where volunteers feel overwhelmed
• Being prepared builds trust – demonstrating competency and capability, especially comforting for parents and caregivers!
• Being prepared helps you make informed decisions so you can take decisive action – especially if you factor in contingencies for problems like weather and no internet connection
• Being prepared helps keep your Kid’s Church a calmer and uncluttered space

Hints on How to Prepare a Lesson

Allow yourself plenty of time.

Pray for yourself, the children and your fellow volunteers.

Read through your lesson notes, the earlier in the week the better, so you can think about it and give the Holy Spirit time to highlight things.

Be clear about what the lesson aims to achieve.

Be clear about what the children need to understand at the end of the lesson.

Ensure your introduction grabs their attention – do you have a hook?

Highlight the lesson’s key points so you know what needs to be emphasised.

Ensure your lesson is suitable and age-appropriate and helps children with different learning styles.

Ensure the conclusion of your lesson draws together the theme of the lesson.

Evaluate!  At the end of the program ask yourself:

What worked?

What could be improved?

Was the aim of the lesson achieved?

Being prepared is a discipline and easier for some people than others.  Practise being prepared and it will get easier over time.  It won’t bring perfection but the benefits make it worth the effort!