Our couch cushions are lounging in the bathtub upstairs.  Our reading lamp hides its light under a bushel because it’s tucked in our walk-in wardrobe with the hall table.  The dishwasher is under wraps on the back patio.  We are renovating our kitchen, dining room, lounge room, entryway and study.  However we decided to remove the old tiles and carpet and replace them with vinyl floorboards, so everything that belongs on the ground floor of our house has been moved upstairs, onto the patio, or into the shed.  We decided to leave the laundry and the downstairs bathroom untouched until later in the year and just as well because we’ve found that renovating is quite an undertaking.   

Why Renovate?

Renovating is the process of repairing and improving.  Why are we renovating most of our ground floor?  It’s thirty years old.  It’s an odd layout without flow.  The renovation is an investment that adds value and saleability to our home.  (Not that we’re planning on going anywhere after all this!)

As I inevitably look at most things through the lens of Kid’s Ministry I thought about how the steps we take in renovating could apply to a Kid’s Ministry space.  Are your rooms old and tired?  Do they flow?  Will renovation make them more inviting and welcoming for families and volunteers?      

Inspiration

As inspiration, my husband and I looked at magazines and visited showrooms and display homes.  Do you aspire to create an amazing Kid’s Church space?  I enjoy watching YouTube videos of companies contracted to design Kid’s Church spaces in America.  Whilst their clients are big Churches with a healthy budget I like to see the latest designs. Many of the spaces have a theme that relates to the area where the Church is located e.g. a nautical theme for a Church on a coast.  Some almost look like theme parks.  We may not be able to or want to replicate everything we see but it’s inspiring.   

Budget and Contingency

We have a budget for our renovation, and we factored in a contingency amount.  Just as well as we discovered our water main runs under the window that we’re replacing with a door.   Rerouting the pipes is doable but will cost more.   In my many years volunteering in Kid’s Ministry, the money allocated to the Children’s Department has not been substantial.  So don’t be shy about asking for donations of supplies or a labour force to get things done.  I have painted a wall or two with donated paint to freshen a space.  I’ve used upturned milk crates as seating with fake grass cable tied on as the chair pad.  (They looked so cute gathered under a tree mural painted on the wall.) I’ve had a donation box in the Kid’s Ministry room where families could leave craft supplies or food donations for special events.  People don’t mind helping or donating if you can make it easy.  Families appreciate what you do for their kids.                   

Decluttering

Before demolition I decluttered.  There was no point in double or triple-handling unwanted or unnecessary items.  Even my craft cupboard got a thorough clean-out despite it being hard to let go of things.  (You never know when you might need something!)  Realistically, I had too much and the cupboard itself is heavy.  What can you declutter in your Kid’s Church space?  Like my 35 flattened dog food boxes that make the best time machines, you may be able to throw some things away.  Culling and cleaning your Kid’s Church space will have benefits even if you cannot afford to take on bigger projects.      

 Timeline      

Everything takes longer than you expect.  My husband is a civil engineer with project management skills so we felt confident in the timeline of our renovation.  Ha!  There are some things you have no control over.  Anything you want to accomplish in your Kid’s Ministry space may take time unless you belong to a Church that does the equivalent of a barn raising.  Completed jobs can have a knock-on effect of creating other jobs you didn’t know about. 

I have taught Kid’s Church in a hired hall kitchen and storage room.  I have taught in a farm shed.  I have taught on the side of a dirt road.  So if a renovation is impossible remember it’s not about where you teach it’s about the children learning about Jesus.

We are close to the end of our renovation.  Any day now.  Or any week.  I keep picturing the finished rooms so I don’t get disheartened.  Keep the vision for your Kid’s Church space in mind.  It could take longer than you like and there may be compromise but it will be worth all the work and effort when you, your volunteers and children can enjoy the finished space.   

I will not be able to blog next week.  My computer will be in the laundry.