What Would You Do? Spring 2022

Tuesday, April 26th, 2022

You are a ministry leader at a small church and want to start a children’s program. However, you don’t think you can possibly comply with the best practices set forth in the Safe Gatherings program because you have a very small congregation, very few potential volunteers and small spaces in which to work. What do you do?

If you feel you are in this category, you are not alone! There are many churches and organizations that have challenges when it comes to having enough volunteers and facility space.

Before you decide you either can’t comply or cannot sustain any program, it’s time to get creative. If you don’t have enough volunteers each week, try alternating weeks that you offer programming or see if you can get more parents involved. If you don’t have typical room setups, see how you can modify rooms inexpensively to promote best practices. For example, would partitions help, or using outdoor spaces that are open to view? If your volunteers are getting burned out, can you start a small incentive program or move volunteers around so they can get new experiences? Be confident: There are always ways to make things work when you want to find solutions.