Cokesbury Kids Blog

January, again, already? Look around your office and children’s ministry areas. What do you see? Can you answer yes to any of the following?

• Red and green decorations in view

• Bible times costumes that haven’t been stored and placed in their right spot

• Thank you cards that need to be written and mailed

• Borrowed supplies sitting out

• Messy children’s spaces and resource areas

Okay, did you answer yes to any of those questions? Well, it’s a new year and your piling-in-files days have come to an end. Time to get going! Here are some simple tips for cleaning up your ministry space after Christmas.

• Place all Christmas decorations that are in good condition in clear containers. Toss items that are broken or donate unused items.

• Make sure those Bible costumes get back in the right places. Soon teachers will be asking about them. Contact people to help accomplish this task. Make sure items are clean and still in good condition. If not, ask for help to complete this task.

• Did children and their families give you gifts for Christmas? How many families have you thanked? Time for handwritten notes to be done. Even in this high-tech age, kids and families love to receive personal mail. Write a note to each family and use a personal stamp instead of running letters through the postage meter. Remember stamps are friendly!

• Return all borrowed items to the correct owners. People are more likely to help again if items are returned to them in a timely fashion.

• Time to tidy your office, children’s spaces and resource areas. Clean your own office area and enlist help to restore children’s spaces and resource areas to their pre-holiday look and feel. A messy office area communicates a non-caring attitude to many. Remember members of the personnel committee walk by to check out your office space!

We hope these tips are helpful as you reorient yourself and your children's ministry space over the next couple of weeks.

Check back with us next week to hear from author Sarah Flannery as she shares an article titled, Making Children's Ministry More Than Just Event Planning.