Building and Leading your Kids Ministry Team
- Eljoh Hartzer, MTh
- Jun 27
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 30
When it comes to building a Kids ministry team, there is a lot I wish I knew before I started. Kids ministry is a beautiful calling one that happens best when we walk it alongside others. The volunteers you gather aren’t just helpers; they’re part of a family, sharing the joy and responsibility of pointing children to Jesus.
I remember when I became the leader of a Kids Ministry at the young age of 24. I had no idea what I was doing, even though I had years of experience and a degree in Youth Work, I still felt out of my depth at times. Now, years later, I'm writing this post to help others who are in that same position I was in. It doesn't have to be that difficult!
Where to begin building
You might feel like you are building this children's church and a team to serve from the ground up, but that is often not the case:
Meet with your pastor / community leader and ask them 'why' they see a need for a kids programme. This is an important conversation to have for a few reasons: While your individual passion is meaningful, it will not go far without the blessing and approval of your leadership. You need to ask them for the blueprints or building plans, before you go rogue and do your own thing. I've done my best to give you sound advice on how to build a team of committed helpers in the post that follows, but it won't work if it's not submitted to leadership. If you already know leadership's vision for the area of kids ministry, keep reading - but if you are unsure, set up a meeting right now where you can pray together, share your dreams, and get on the same page about what God wants to do in this ministry.
I was involved with establishing a kids ministry for a new church plant, but even then there was something in place already. When Moses was at the burning bush, protesting to God's sending action, God asked him: "What is in your hand?" Moses was holding his shepherd's staff and God used to show Moses something amazing. God is asking you the same thing today. What is already there? Even 5 kids and 1 helper meeting outside under a tree is something... Even the desire or people saying 'We should do something for the kids' is something... So, before you move on to the next point, pause and answer this question: What do you already have?
If you have an existing ministry but you're just facing a lack of help, your approach will look a little bit different. Jesus spoke about the harvest being plentiful but the workers being few - we love to quote this and feel sorry for ourselves and our lack of volunteers. But do you know what the next verse says? Jesus tells us to PRAY and ASK GOD TO SEND HELPERS into the field. Read Matthew 9:35-38 Before I walk you through some practical tips for building a great kids ministry team, we need to stand still here... Get out your diary or phone calendar and set a reminder right now of a weekly or daily time slot when you will pray, asking God to provide people to serve in the kids ministry you're leading.
Finding the Right People
When you begin building your kids ministry team, start by inviting people who have a heart for kids and a desire to serve not necessarily experts, but those willing to grow and learn. Sometimes the best team members are those who simply say, “I want to help.” Be open to parents, young adults, and anyone who feels called. You can read more about different kinds of kids church volunteers in this post.
If you don't know who to ask (parents are busy, other adults don't want to miss the service - everyone has their excuse...) consider inviting young adults to serve! I studied the church commitment of young adults in my Master's Thesis and found the following:
"When asked how often their churches have events that they could attend, 8 participants explained that there’s something almost every day. The participants take their church involvement very seriously. Emerging adults attend things like small groups, one-on-one discipleship, trainings of some sort, prayer meetings, band practice, a type of outreach, and, of course, Sunday service every week. These kinds of activities take up more than 7 hours a week for 14 of the participants... Some of the ones who spend more, as much as 15 hours or 24/7, are doing internship programmes with their churches (D_F_21_A) (A_M_20), but not even all of them are considered interns (like participant A_F_20 who said 14 hours per week and is just seen as one of many very committed volunteers). Some who are doing training schools through the churches are expected to commit to at least 10 hours a week to that."
Training and Encouragement
Training your Sunday School volunteers doesn’t have to be complicated. Think of it as an ongoing conversation: a place to encourage, equip, and remind volunteers why this ministry matters so much. Share simple tools for safety, leading a lesson, or handling a challenging moment, but also listen to their questions and celebrate their gifts.
It can be intimidating to train parents of kids, but you can focus on skills that are relevant in the church-setting. Train them on how to pray the Bible over kids, how to hear the Holy Spirit's voice, and even something as simple as how the flow of a Sunday should go in the children's ministry.
Remind your volunteers that youth can make valuable contributions to what it means to live out faith in the modern world (according to the Journal of Youth and Theology). It's worth it to invest in good materials that are Biblically based, creative, and fun. Serving in kids ministry doesn't have to be an uphill battle! If you believe in what you're doing and the curriculum you're sharing, the right people will find you.
Partnering with Leadership and Setting Clear Expectations
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, your relationship with church leadership matters too. Keep those lines open talk about what you’re dreaming for kids ministry and how it fits into the bigger church family. When everyone pulls together, kids ministry thrives.
Clear roles and gentle boundaries also help volunteers serve confidently. Everyone feels safer and freer when expectations are lovingly laid out because ministry is a place where grace and order walk hand in hand. Your role as Kids Ministry leader is not just to get the job done but also to disciple and effectively lead this team God has entrusted to you.
Want to start now? Consider printing out my very special Bible verse Watercolor artworks or cards and write a note for each volunteer on the back, thanking them for their commitment and love for the kids.
Leading a kids ministry team isn’t always easy (trust me, I get it) but it is ALWAYS worth it. With prayer, patience, and a heart for kids, you’re building a space where little ones can meet Jesus and that is a beautiful thing. Do not be discouraged if your team is not currently big and supportive. Thank God for this mustard-seed beginning and just be faithful with the next step in front of you. He will do the rest!
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