If you’ve watched the number of children in worship shrink year after year, you’re not alone. But renewal is possible. Laura Heikes gives us four practical, joyful steps that helped one church go from “no kids this week” to a vibrant, diverse, growing group of children who are now woven into the life of the congregation.
I remember Sundays at a previous church when I’d wonder—when I invited children to come forward—if anyone would come. At the first service, I could count on my son. But the second? There were weekends when I’d call, and nobody came. Have you been there? Would you like it to change?
Here’s how, in just a few years, our church went from a precious few kids to the most we’d seen in years.
Give kids worship that is designed for them.
Our former Sunday model had Sunday School wedged between two services. During worship, childcare was offered only for kids aged birth to three. Every other child stayed in the sanctuary with parents. A few families found this helpful, but the rest visited once and didn’t return. It’s hard for kids to stay quiet and engaged for an entire hour—no matter how creative your worship packets are.
We also realized the service wasn’t designed with children in mind. It touched the hearts of adults decades older, but kids weren’t eager to come, and they certainly weren’t begging their parents to bring them.
So we began offering Children’s Worship after the children’s message, inviting kids to leave the sanctuary service for age-appropriate worship and teaching. Almost immediately, worship became more meaningful for kids—and far less stressful for parents. Everyone was learning about God on their level.
Make children’s time intentional and joyful.
Choose the person who connects best with kids—whether that’s the pastor, children’s director, a gifted layperson, or a high schooler. You need someone unafraid of unpredictability and ready to share a simple, memorable lesson.
This is not a throwaway moment. Plan it. Be creative.
Have fun! If the sermon is on the prodigal son’s older brother, grab Groucho noses and show how silly we look when we look down on others. If you’re talking about forgiveness, let someone whack you with a pool noodle so the kids can help you forgive them. Hide tiny stuffed animals around the altar to remind them that God’s love is hidden everywhere if we just pay attention.
Don’t stand and lecture—sit down with them. And let them speak. Their insights can become the most powerful moment of the entire service. Recently, in a sermon on inheritance, an 8-year-old stretched his arms wide and declared, “Our inheritance is that Jesus is with us everywhere we go!” People talked about that for weeks.
Make children’s time something everyone—young and old—looks forward to.
Greet kids with intention.
As worship begins, don’t just greet adults. Greet kids. Get down on their level. Notice what they’re wearing. Ask about a stuffed animal they brought. Or simply say hello.
Learn names whenever you can—I often prioritize the kids’ names before the parents’. When parents see you connecting with their children, trust follows naturally.
If you have kids of your own, introduce them. Connect new families to others with children of similar ages. Don’t just point—walk them over and make the introductions. Ask your established folks to help show them around.
Go where kids already are.
Our church had rec fields where soccer, football, and baseball teams practiced every night of the week. But in 20 years, no pastor had ever gone out to say hello. So we went. At first people were confused—they assumed something was wrong. But it didn’t take long for them to realize we were their biggest fans. Eventually, they gifted nets for our goals, lights for the fields, and even created videos for special events to thank us.
When a drone pilot started practicing there, we introduced ourselves and eventually asked if he’d come show the kids his planes after worship. He agreed! We filmed it so kids who weren’t there could still enjoy it.
Don’t underestimate how meaningful school volunteering can be. You don’t have to be a parent. Ask the nearest school what they need—crossing guards, reading buddies, lunch monitors. My girls’ favorite person in elementary school was Papa Tom, a grandpa from our church who volunteered two days a week in the cafeteria. He drew ketchup smiley faces on burgers, opened juice boxes, and made kids laugh. And he went to our church. What a gift to the school—and what a beautiful connection to the community.
Welcoming children doesn’t require reinventing the church. It begins with small, intentional choices: worship they can understand, leaders who get on their level, and a congregation that shows up in the places where kids already are. Over time, those simple practices change a church’s culture.
If you’ve ever wondered whether any children would come forward on a Sunday, take heart. With steady, purposeful effort, your church can become a place where kids feel seen, parents feel supported, and the sound of little feet running down the aisle becomes a sign of new life in your community.
Related Resources:
- Good Youth Ministry by Kristin Franke — Watch the Leading Ideas Talks podcast video | Listen to the podcast audio version | Read the transcript
- Why Making Your Church Multigenerational is Worth the Effort by Chuck Lawless
- 6 Suggestions to Promote Healthy Intergenerational Worship by David W. Manner
- 50 Ways to Strengthen Ministry with Children, a free Lewis Center resource
- Strong Youth Ministry and the Call to Ministry by Robert Schnase
- Engaging Local Schools, a Lewis Center video tool kit resource
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