How Do You Measure the "Success" of Your Children's Ministry?

Is your Children's Ministry successful? Are you sure? Do you really know for sure how your Children's Ministry impacts the children and families in your church and community? How do you know?    

If we want our ministries to be genuinely effective and successful, we need to regularly ask questions to help measure where we really are and how effective we truly are. If we do not regularly ask the "hard" questions of everything we do, there isn't a way for us to truly tell how effective we are. Consider the following questions and if you are, or should be, asking them -

Questions for the Children -

• What did you learn last week in Sunday School (or Children's Church or Mid Week)?
• What did you learn last month in Sunday School (or Children's Church or Mid Week)?
• What did you learn last quarter in Sunday School (or Children's Church or Mid Week)?
• Please tell me how what you learned applies to your everyday life.
• How did you live what you learned in your real life this past week?
• What is your favorite part of Sunday School (or Children's Church or Mid Week)?
• Why is this your favorite part?
• What do you "wish" we would do at Sunday School (or Children's Church or Mid Week)?

Questions for the Parents and Grandparents -

• Do you know the vision/purpose of our Children's Ministry?
• Do you know what curriculum we use in Sunday School (or Children's Church or Mid Week)?
• Do you and your children talk about what they learned in Sunday School (or Children's Church or Mid Week)?
• Does your family work together to live what your children learned in Sunday School (or Children's Church or Mid Week)?
• What do you "wish" we would do at Sunday School (or Children's Church or Mid Week)?

Questions for the Volunteers -

• Do you know the vision/purpose of our Children's Ministry?
• How much time do you spend in praying for the children in your group?
• How much time do you spend in preparing for your class?
• Do you focus on living what the children will be learning the week before so you are able to talk with them about how each lesson was "real" in your life?
• What do you enjoy most about serving in Sunday School (or Children's Church or Mid Week)?
• What do you enjoy the least about serving in Sunday School (or Children's Church or Mid Week)?
• What do you "wish" we would do at Sunday School (or Children's Church or Mid Week)?

Questions for Church Leaders - 

• Do you know the vision/purpose of our Children's Ministry?
• Have you ever visited any of our children's ministry classes?
• Have you talked with children, parents and/or volunteers about the children's ministry?

Well, these are just a few questions to get you thinking, but whether you ask these questions, or completely different questions, be sure you are talking to children, parents, grandparents, volunteers, and church leaders and are asking questions each month, or at least once a quarter. Keep track of the answers and if the answers do not show you are realizing your vision/purpose, then take a serious look at what you are doing to find where things are "breaking down" and take the steps necessary for your ministry to be effective and successful.