Children's Ministry Precautions

First, thank you to everyone for all you do in the Children's Ministry Department. You are helping provide a positive experience for all of the children at Center Pointe. Our goal is to make sure all the kids know the awesome'ness of Christ and get them excited about it! From the smallest to the biggest, we are providing activities and messages with this in mind.

As we continute to grow, one of our most important roles when serving in the Children's Ministry is keeping the children SAFE! While we can control a lot of what goes on once the door has closed, its the outside that raises more concern. What we have been trying to do is keep the kids inside until the parent picks them up but when you have new famiies, not everyone knows everyone else. We want everyone to be comfortable with leaving their children in our care.

First, we would love to have more volunteers to work with the children on a rotation. How can you be volunteer? Glad you asked!!!

The first step is to let Pastor Ray or me know that you are insterested in being a volunteer. Easy enough =)

Once you have made that decision, you will have an interview with Pastor Ray and a background screening. The only steps left are finding out what area you are most interested in and then placing you on the rotation.

This Sunday, November 9, 2008, we will begin to check-in and check-out the children as they enter the children's ministry area. When children arrive, they can go immediately into the children's services area for their own worship service but there will be someone posted to sign them in. What this means is that the parent or custodian of each child will bring them to the check-in table where they will receive stickers that have a number on them. The sticker will be placed on the child and then the parents will receive a matching number sticker.

This number will serve two purposes: 1. When service is over, parents can pick up their children based on the number system. This way each child goes to the appropriate person and we know that they are out of our care and safely into the care of their parents/custodians. 2. If we need the parent during service for any reason - diaper changes, etc., we will flash that number during service on the screen so that the parent knows they are needed.

IMPORTANT: Once the child enters the children's services area, they do not leave until they are checked-out by the same person who checked them in. (We will have assistants available in the ministry for necessary bathroom trips, etc.)

Also, I know that fellowship is a very important part of being in a church family - but it would be nice for the children's ministry volunteers if the parents/guardians could pick up their children promptly after service. The kids get restless knowing that service is over and the volunteers would also like time to fellowship.

In a nutshell: Keeping children safe requires us to take precautions.
**First, children are checked-in with the children's ministry volunteers and can only leave if they are appropriately checked-out.
**Second, only those who have been through the screening process can participate in the classrooms with the children's ministry. Random entry is discouraged because it causes an interruption in momentum and sometimes opens an escape route for the children. These kids are fantastic! But they are kids...so keep in mind that they can lose focus quickly and that they are quite clever!

Thank you again for all you do. You are all awesome!