Serving at a local church with multiple buildings on the same campus, I can see first hand that families can get easily frustrated if it takes 15 minutes to drop off all the littles all over campus before Mom and Dad can get where they need to be on Sunday mornings, especially if they are serving. This is why we opened a Kid’s Welcome Center for K5-5th grade. Every event, even Sunday school, will give parents a one-stop location to sign in their children and see their children immediately engaged in games and ‘friendship stations’ to begin the day/event. It also helps our church greeters to direct guest families to one location. And the benefits continue.

Adults engage in fellowship and community over coffee. Little people do the same over a shared game. If their hands are busy, their minds are calm. The Welcome Center is set up with various ‘friendship stations’ so little people can play together. Playing together builds a sense of belonging. Learning to play together well builds connection to our peers and other members of the family of faith. Only a game can encourage even the shyest kids to talk and participate.

We add something new each season and even make a snack station with a water dispenser for those who are hungry and don’t have time to eat before arriving. A container with colored plastic cups is always the building go-to, but these are the latest additions:

Bluetooth DoorBell – After children check in, they ring the doorbell. Everyone looks and waits to see a friend enter and shouts out his/her name. Kinda like our own Cheers moment. (I probably just dated myself.)

A Globe – As we talk about traveling and missionaries and such, having a globe handy is fun for kids to chat through locations. We found ours in a long-lost storage closet.

Head Hoop Basketball Party Game – The older boys are constantly wanting to toss a ball. This satisfies their need to toss a ball and my need to keep some safe space for the others in the room.

Straw Connector Set – I discovered this box of straws and connectors at a kidmin training event where Vanessa Myers was leading. I’ve used them at a Women’s Retreat, as centers at Family VBS, with staff meeting devotionals, and in the Welcome Center. Each box has ALOT making one box easy to split to use on tables and even the floor.

The bonus is for our parents who so faithfully lead a Sunday school class as a small group leader. They can register and drop off their littles, then head to their classroom to review the upcoming lesson or adjust the supplies that are provided…in peace. When Sunday school is scheduled to begin, the small group leader returns to the Welcome Center to gather their students to escort them to large group. When Sunday school is over, the students are returned to the Welcome Center so the small group leader can tidy their spaces (we all share space with other ministries with children) and return unused supplies to their class carts. All I need to do is look down the hallway to see if their class roller carts are outside their doors to know if all the classes are finished.

If you look closely, there is usually a parent, grandparent, or a Sunday school teacher in the mix…chatting and building with Lego bricks (donated by older boys cleaning up their bedrooms), setting up the Giant Jenga game again, playing Otrio or just touching base with a student who offered up a prayer request last week. The Welcome Center system has worked well and serves as an opportunity to extend extravagant hospitality and a sense of belonging. Brittany Nelson of Deeper Kidmin calls this the chips & salsa of Sunday morning. We just use it every time kids are on campus.

What other systems are you using to make for a smoother Sunday morning for your families?

“Lord, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells.” Psalm 26:8

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