5 QUESTIONS TAKING ATTENDANCE ANSWERS FOR CHILDREN'S MINISTRY LEADERS

What if I told you that taking attendance can give you major insight into your ministry strategy?

Taking attendance is record keeping. Boring, right? Not so fast! Accurate attendance records give leaders some pretty important insights into their ministry: both as it is now and how they should plan in the future, by answering some crucial questions.

Below is a list of questions your attendance records answer about your ministry.

1. How interested are the kids and parents in our children's ministry? If a child likes something: I mean really likes something, and the parents believe it's good for their child, trust me they will make sure they are in attendance. If your attendance is low or inconsistent, you may want to take a survey of the kids and parents to gauge potential issues and blockers.

2. Are there better ways to meet the needs of our children? It makes sense in a church that there are common needs among the children. It is just as common to have different needs across demographics. Are there specific demographics with lower or less consistent attendance? If so, try to learn why and what needs you can meet to help improve their attendance.

3. What resources do we need for our ministry programming and how much? Knowing how many people attend helps you allocate resources effectively. Taking attendance can help you ensure there are enough materials, staff, and space to accommodate everyone comfortably.

4. How effective is our children's ministry programming? Attendance is a basic metric to gauge program effectiveness. High attendance suggests your program is attracting and retaining participants. Low attendance indicates your program is not attracting and may even be repelling participants.

5. Are the church resources being used in the most impactful way? Attendance data helps demonstrate your program's reach and impact, shows program usage, and justifies continued or increased funding or resource allocation. It can lead to the questions, "Are we using our time, people and other resources wisely? Would our efforts be best rewarded if we take a different direction?"

Tracking attendance provides valuable insights for program development, improvement, and overall success. It allows you to understand participation, optimize your program, and demonstrate its value to senior leadership. I have shared my starter attendance sheet. It works best for ministries with 10 to 50 children attending regularly. Please click here and download a copy for your ministry.