During our recent trip to Theodore Roosevelt National Park I caught this little guy on video chirping away at me and my family as we sat safely in our van and oohed and aahed over him and his many friends. He was either pretty upset that we were near or very excited and wanted to say hi and welcome to his prairie dog town!

He got me thinking of how kids might feel when they visit our churches. We have visited so many on our trip and we have seen the gambit in terms of a welcoming spirit. My kids have gotten pretty accustomed to  walking into any church now, but at first they were a bit overwhelmed with a new class every week!

Welcoming kids can be a hard thing to do. Your group may seem to a visitor like this little prairie dog – is he friendly or giving me a warning to stay away? Making your children’s ministry a welcoming place for visitors is really away to honor God. He asks us to welcome the visitor to our meetings in a way that will help them see God’s love for them. How do you welcome kids and families to your children’s ministry?