I have always been proud to be part of the kidmin community. There are many reasons I feel that way but one is that I believe kidmin leaders are some of the most creative and innovative leaders on the planet. We know how to stretch budgets, recycle and repurpose common items and think up some pretty amazing (and sometimes crazy) ideas.
COVID-19 Realities
Then 2020 rolled in and ministry (and the world as we knew it) changed. During all stages of the pandemic to the current day, words and phrases such as ‘unprecedented’, ‘pivoting’, and ‘new normal’ became part of almost every piece of communication sent to those in our ministries.
Those phrases, while accurate on many levels, also described how ministry to kids and families operated. Kids ministry leaders all around the world adapted to ministry during a time when everything around us changed. My fellow kidmin leaders worked tirelessly to keep kids, families and volunteers engaged during this historic time. It was important for leaders to keep some sense of normalcy and familiarity to the kids when so much around them had been taken away.
Through it all, I was reminded of a few things that are true about kidmin leaders.
Kidmin leaders are flexible.
On Thursday, March 12, 2020, our governor announced that group gatherings exceeding 250 people would not be permitted. That meant my church would not be able to meet that upcoming Sunday – just three days away. That was also true of countless churches around the country.
I remember seeing my social media feeds being filled with posts from frantic leaders about what to do next. Leaders like myself raced to come up with a plan and communicate that plan to family and volunteers. This plan included uploading curriculum content to websites, sending downloadable pages to families to do at home and coming up with a plan for the weeks moving forward.
Kidmin leaders are learners.
Much of COVID-19 kidmin has been technology-driven, which means that leaders had to (quickly) learn how to create, film, edit and upload content, teach families how to find and utilize the content, and navigate social media and other tools to help get the Word of God into the homes of families in their ministry. This was in addition to keeping up with health metrics to make wise choices in regards to regathering in person.
Kidmin leaders are passionate about sharing the love of Jesus, no matter what it takes.
Drive-through events, virtual gatherings, monthly activity bags, live videos, social media story times…these are just a few things that ministry leaders did to keep ministry going despite being apart. For ministries that met in person, editing curriculum activities to allow for physical distancing and adopting new health and safety protocols became top priorities. Why? Because sharing the love of Jesus no matter what it takes was of utmost importance.
To all of my fellow kidmin leaders, thank you for persevering. You’ve weathered a very difficult storm. Thank you for all of your hard work and prayers on behalf of your ministries. Thank you for being committed to the spiritual development of kids and families no matter what. I am proud to be part of this community. Your heart and passion for ministry keep me inspired.
