Watching over and teaching the “littlest of these” in our congregations is an incredible privilege and responsibility. Parents place their children in the care of church staff and volunteers each week, praying they will be safe and learn about God’s love during that time. Church leaders need to place the right people in children’s ministry to earn and keep that trust.

Here are 7 tips on how to find the right people for Kids Ministry:

Tip #1: Must Love Children

This seems obvious, but when children's ministry leaders are desperately looking for more volunteers, it’s easy to overlook key criteria such as “must love kids.” 

Make sure potential volunteers for children's ministry enjoy being around kids and genuinely love small children. After all, kids can be adorable and sweet one minute then loud, demanding, and hard to corral the next.

If a volunteer doesn’t love kids that person will lose patience quickly. The kids (and eventually, their parents) will pick up on a volunteer’s poor attitude soon.

Tip #2: Must be a Church Member

Joining a church indicates a level of commitment. If someone is new to the church, you won’t have a strong sense of that individual’s character, spiritual maturity, or aptitude for working with children. On the other hand, you’ll have a much better sense of who this person is if they’ve joined the church and attended consistently for a year or more.

Tip #3: Must Volunteer in Another Area First

Safety is a core issue when it comes to children's ministry volunteers. You can’t afford to risk putting a new volunteer whom you don’t know very well with children who can't talk or defend themselves in any way.

• Is this person a healthy, well-adjusted adult?
• Does this individual exhibit any suspicious behaviors?
• Have you watched this person successfully handle challenging people or situations?

Your team needs time to see how a volunteer acts in stressful situations, how consistent he/she is in showing up on time, whether this volunteer adheres to church doctrine, etc. That knowledge only comes from serving with someone and developing a relationship with that volunteer.

Consider requiring people to serve in another area of the church for a few months before clearing them to work in children's ministry. This can help you screen out people who aren’t dedicated enough to work with kids or those who aren’t the best fit to be a children's ministry volunteer.

Tip #4: Must Have a Clear Background Check

Most church insurance companies require their clients to conduct background checks on potential children's ministry volunteers.

There are several companies that provide background check services and there are various types of background checks. Find what works best for your church and what satisfies your leadership and the church’s insurance company.

Keep in mind that a clear background check only means that this person didn’t get caught. It doesn’t prove that they’ve never done anything illegal or wouldn’t in the future.

Tip #5: Must Have Experience Caring for or Teaching Kids

Ideally, kids ministry volunteers would be parents, a teacher, or someone with lots of experience as a babysitter or nanny. A teenager who wants to serve in the nursery might do well with supervision from parents or grandparents who’re also working in the nursery at that time.

Tip #6: Must Be Willing to Complete the Training

All approved children’s ministry volunteers should complete training that ensures they understand the policies, procedures, and safety regulations of the church. This may include rules and procedures such as:

• There must be at least two unrelated approved volunteers in a room with children at all times.
• What to do if instructed to evacuate the building during a worship service.
• Who escorts a child to the bathroom and what should the volunteer do until the child is ready to return to the classroom?
• How should volunteers report any injuries or incidents that occur?
• How many volunteers must be in a room with a certain number of kids (what child-to-volunteer ratio do you require)?

You might look at this list and wonder where to look for these people to serve in kids’ ministry. After all, we aren't looking for warm bodies to fill a spot.

We need caring, qualified, and safe people to steward the trust parents place in the church.

Tip #7: Where to Find Children's Ministry Volunteers

Recruiting volunteers involves developing relationships, knowing where to look, and asking lots of church members to help.

• Talk with parents and grandparents to see if they’re interested in serving or if they know of any qualified candidates.
• Ask the youth pastor if he can think of any standout teens who’d do well volunteering with children.
• If your church has a college ministry, talk with those leaders about college students who might be interested in volunteering in children's ministry.
• Talk with current volunteers to see if any are interested in working with kids.

There are several ways to look for new volunteers who’d love to have an impact on the next generation by serving in children's ministry. Building a great volunteer team for your children's ministry isn't easy. However, your church can partner with parents to disciple the next generation of believers.

Investing the time and effort needed to find the best children's ministry volunteers is well worth it.