00_small_vs_bigTwo days ago I published this post about small being the new big. Honestly, after I wrote it, i didn’t love it. However, I got some feedback and my wife even encouraged me to continue the idea, specifically expressing what this looks like in kidmin. That’s easy enough.

When it comes to elementary ministry, smaller is better. Before I say anything else, I will preface that there’s nothing like a huge rooms totally packed with elementary kids. The energy is unbelievable and I seek building these kinds of environments. However, it’s necessity for me to sandwich this large group environment with a small group experience. When parents drop their kids off, it’s usually best if they can get dropped off in a small group. New kids feel more welcome when getting the attention of a small group of peers and an adult leader as opposed to feeling lost in a huge crowd in a big room. In addition, ministry is so much more personal in that small group.

When it comes to early childhood, smaller is better, but that’s a no brainer, right? When I got to my current church, 50 five-year olds and kindergartners were all in one room. Bad idea. Try it and you’ll see.

When we organize leaders and volunteers, with go with a small span of care. For instance, a staff member may oversee a ministry and really only lead 3-4 people, service coordinators. Those service coordinators might oversee 6-8 volunteers. The entire ministry is led by people who only lead a few people. It’s great for leaders caring for leaders in their lives. In this model, the children’s pastor may not get all the lime light, but that’s distributed to other staff and volunteers who have a more direct relationship with the kids.

These are just a few examples of how small is better in church.