Schedule Omission

Schedule Omission

One Sunday, while listening to the church announcements, our pastor announced that the church would like to start a Children’s Church. As the pastor made his announcement, I sensed the Holy Spirit nudging me to step out and volunteer for this task. Though relatively new at this church, I had worked in Children’s Church in my previous church for about two years.

During the following week, I met with my new pastor and volunteered to head up the new Children’s Church. Soon the leadership approved me and the plans for the new ministry moved forward. A few weeks later the startup date for Children’s Church was announced before the congregation. After church that day I was blessed to hear that several parents had been praying for some activity or program for their children during the morning worship service.

Another blessing came when several teens volunteered to help me. I found out later that some of them were looking for an excuse to miss the morning service. But at that time I made up a schedule showing which days the teens were supposed to help, and hung it up on a bulletin board in the foyer.

Adult helpers for Children’s church were difficult to find. Each week I would make several calls requesting adults to help me. I continued calling until I had a minimum of two adult volunteers. I always had a minimum of one adult helper and two or three teen helpers. The Children’s church grew until we had about 25 children.

I continued making weekly calls for adult helpers and posting the schedule for the teen helpers. However, because I didn’t think about putting the adult helpers on the teen schedule, some parents complained to the leadership. They were concerned that I didn’t have any adult helpers—even though I did. As far as I know, those who complained never came to Children’s Church to see what was actually going on.

So if you make a schedule for your ministry helpers, be sure to include everyone who will be helping you—especially the adults. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize there would be a problem because I didn’t have my adult helpers listed on the teen helpers’ schedule.

It seems, no matter how hard you try to think of everything when you’re organizing a new activity or ministry something manages to slip through the cracks. But be encouraged because God is always watching and nothing slips through His loving hand of protection.