Ep. 026 | Revitalizing Children’s Ministry
Essential Strategies for Churches Ready to Welcome Families
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Podcasts
A Step-by-Step Guide to Safety Protocols, Volunteer Recruitment, and Ministry Leadership
July 15, 2025
Episode Description
In this comprehensive episode of the Revitalize My Church Podcast, host Bart Blair sits down with Lisa Rowland, a seasoned children's ministry leader and consultant with Life Catalyst Consulting. Lisa shares her unique journey from corporate business management to children's ministry leadership, offering practical insights for churches looking to build or revitalize their children's programs.
Whether your church has been without children for years or you're preparing for growth, this episode provides actionable strategies to create a welcoming, safe, and effective children's ministry that partners with families in discipleship.
Key Topics Covered
Building Foundation for Children's Ministry Growth:
How to prepare your church space for welcoming new families with children
Essential safety and security protocols every church needs to implement
Creating effective check-in and check-out systems without expensive technology
Making children's spaces clean, updated, and inviting to newcomers
Leadership and Team Development:
Transitioning from corporate career to children's ministry leadership
Key leadership skills needed to oversee children's ministry vs. classroom teaching
Building sustainable children's ministry teams in small church settings
Personal invitation strategies that actually work for volunteer recruitment
Curriculum and Programming Solutions:
Choosing age-appropriate curriculum that fits your budget and volunteer capacity
Balancing character development with Christ-centered biblical teaching
Free resources and creative alternatives for churches with limited budgets
Family-integrated worship models and children's church timing strategies
Partnership Between Church and Family:
Modern trends in family discipleship and church-home partnerships
Practical ways to equip parents as primary spiritual influencers
Simple tools for reinforcing Sunday lessons throughout the week
Addressing the challenge of busy family schedules and competing priorities
Guest Background
Lisa Rowland brings over 20 years of children's ministry experience, currently serving at Bridgeway Church in North Texas while consulting with churches nationwide through Life Catalyst Consulting. Her unique background includes corporate business management with Associated Credit Card Company (Citigroup), giving her valuable organizational and leadership skills that translate powerfully to ministry settings.
Lisa's ministry journey began when she volunteered in children's ministry and discovered her calling through a divine encounter with a teacher who had impacted her own childhood faith formation. She has served churches ranging from large congregations with 280+ volunteers to church plants operating "out of a trunk."
Practical Takeaways
For Churches Without Current Children's Ministry:
Designate and prepare clean, safe, age-appropriate spaces
Implement basic check-in systems (clipboards work!)
Conduct background checks on all volunteers (non-negotiable)
Create welcome materials and signage showing children are valued
Prepare emergency supplies like "pizza box activity kits" for unexpected visitors
For Volunteer Recruitment:
Make personal invitations rather than general announcements
Set daily goals (3-5 recruiting calls per day)
Match volunteers' gifts to specific roles (storytellers, craft leaders, organizers)
Focus on building teams rather than finding solo teachers
Emphasize serving once monthly rather than every week commitments
For Ministry Leadership:
Develop organizational and adult leadership skills alongside child-focused abilities
Create systems that function without the primary leader present
Focus Sunday mornings on serving volunteers and meeting new families
Balance hands-on teaching with team development and recruitment
Always be training potential successors
Resources Mentioned
Life Catalyst Consulting: https://lifecatalystconsulting.com/
Church Management Software: Planning Center, CCB (Church Community Builder)
Design Tools: Canva for creating signage and materials
Background Check Services: Available through various providers (contact host for recommendations)
Curriculum Resources: Free options through social media, Etsy, and various online platforms
Memorable Quotes
"We don't know when God's going to call us into ministry, but I truly can say I know that's what he wanted me to do and he was just prepping me for it through all the other things I was doing." - Lisa Rowland
"What happens in that Sunday morning classroom is a fraction of what that child is going to get from a discipling standpoint. The vast majority of the discipling is going to have to happen in the home." - Bart Blair
"My job on a Sunday, honestly, is to serve my volunteers... I'm trying to be like Jesus in that moment. I just want to make sure they have everything they need." - Lisa Rowland
Connect with Our Guest
Lisa Rowland
Life Catalyst Consulting
Website: https://lifecatalystconsulting.com/
Specializing in children's ministry consulting for churches of all sizes
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Next Episode Preview: Stay tuned for more practical ministry insights and transformation stories from churches successfully reaching new families and growing younger.
This episode is perfect for: Church planters, pastors of aging congregations, children's ministry volunteers, church revitalization teams, and anyone interested in effective family ministry strategies.