Your church's kids check-in may seem simply like a tool to get kids registered, and while that's the practical function of the hardware and software (the hard benefits), the soft benefits are so much more than that; your kids check-in station is an opportunity to set the tone for the rest of the experience for both kids and parents.

Often we only focus on the hard benefits of church management or church check-in systems; security, attendance, liability, dependability of the tools or device, etc. but the soft benefits are what the child and parent walk away feeling or remembering about their experience with volunteers and your team.

Consider this about kids check-in:

We started registering kids at church so we can be sure they leave with the right parent and prioritize the child's security. That's a hard benefit. The soft benefit is that the parents have confidence that their children are secure while they're in the care of your ministry. This confidence allows them to focus on their church service without worrying about the safety of their kids.

What about a VBS or Church Summer Camp check in station?

In the case of VBS or summer camp, it allows the parents to leave your facility with the confidence that their child will be safe while they're gone. This requires even more confidence than simply being in the same building.

How can you enhance the "hard benefits" of kids church or VBS registration?

Enhance the hard benefits of check-in by creating the assurance that they are simple and secure:

• Consider having someone from your team type in the information for a new guest - don't make the parents learn a church management software or app or check-in system they've never used before in order to register their children.
• Have clear way-finding signage (or at least one sign visible from the entrance door) so that parents know where to take their children when they walk into your church.
• Have a table, or volunteer blocking the door or hallway to your classrooms to verify that registration or check-in has been completed, and to guide families who missed your registration area.
• Have a spot specifically for new families who are going to have to give a bit more information during registration and separate check-in stations for families that will print their tickets in just a few minutes.
• Have a checklist for your team that includes restocking your label printers, charging your iPad batteries, and checking ink levels to avoid interruptions during registration.
• Give new families a VIP sticker, or free welcome packages (that acts as an indication that they're new), or a lanyard. This will help teachers greet and welcome these kids specifically, ask the child's name, and act as a reminder that they don't know the ropes yet, and might need some extra direction throughout their visit to your children's ministry.
• Be clear about "What's Next?" after someone registers. Do they walk down to their class? Line up to be let into the hallway? Be escorted by a member of your guest services team to meet their teacher?
• Clarify with the parents how and where they'll pick up their students after church. Do they walk into the class? Wait outside? Meet at another location at the end of class? Since this can be a lot of information and a bit of an overwhelming experience for a family who is not used to attending church, have a handout with a map if you have a large facility, a number they can text if they need help finding their children after church, or a location they can meet your team member outside the auditorium where you can walk together to pick up their children.

How can you enhance the "soft benefits" of kids church, summer camp, or VBS registration?

Enhance the soft benefits of children's ministry check-in by creating a welcoming and confidence-building environment.

• Choose team members who can clearly answer parent questions to instill confidence while also connecting with kids on a fun level.
• Have way-finding signage that reflects the personality or theme of your lessons welcoming guests and letting them know where to go next.
• Provide uniforms to your kids check-in team, so they parent knows they are speaking to someone who is trained and authorized to have their information.
• Give the family a free gift that provides value to them, not just value to your kids ministry by asking them to come back. Consider offering a Bible to families who don't have one.
• Train your guest services team with intentional language for consistency and confidence. Are new families "visitors" or "guests" or "VIPs"? Is it Sunday School, Kids Church, or Classes? Is it Summer Camp, VBS, or a specifically branded name for your event?
• Decorate your space for your children's ministry theme, or your specific lesson theme to build anticipation for the guests - not long empty hallways, but immersive environments with signage and decorations.
• Talk with your guests about the ongoing theme. Help them create an expectation that church is a weekly event and talk with them about seeing them next week.

Not sure where to start in enhancing your kids check-in experience?

Send a family from your team to "secret shop" other churches; have them visit a nearby community, or go to a family member's church while on vacation, or stop in at a church while away at a sports tournament over the weekend. Have this family sneak some pictures along the way, and give you feedback on what your volunteers can add to your check-in experience!