Congregations Caring for Children

53.  Create opportunities for congregation and center staff to cooperate in creating Sunday/

  Sabbath morning children's programs.

54.  Publicize a list of needed volunteers; ask congregational members to be resource

  persons.

55.  Dedicate new children's space or equipment during Sunday/Sabbath morning worship

  service.

56.   Send child care newsletter to congregational members inviting them to visit the

  program.

57.   Have annual worship service to celebrate all child care staff and teachers (weekday and

  Sunday/Sabbath).

58.   Provide a weekday children's program at a congregational fellowship supper.

59.   Display children's art work in common building.

60.   Include pictures of children in worship bulletin or newsletter.  Tell their stories.

61.   Include items about the child care program in worship bulletin and items about the

  church in the child care newsletter.

62.   Poll congregation for community helpers (doctors, fire fighters, police officers, etc.) and

  invite them to tell their stories to the children.

63.  Write a history of the congregation's child care ministry.  Explain how and why it

  became a weekday children's program, what legal and financial obligations the

  congregation has assumed, how and why programs have changed over the years.  Use

  this history to orient center parents, congregation and center staff, board members and

  pastors.

Communicating with Denominational and Program Boards

64.  Seek opportunities to address denominational conference/council/synod about child

 care needs and the ministry of child care.

65.  Publicize child care training though district offices.

66.  Offer workshops on child care using the National Council of Churches' Policy

 Statement on Child Day Care.

67.  Offer to write a regular column in the congregational newsletter on  Our Child Care

 Ministry. 

68.  Arrange talk shows/programs on local religious television and radio stations to lift up

 the ministry of child care.

69.  Develop and share resource materials through local judicatories and interfaith councils.

70.  Conduct workshops for congregational child care boards on developmentally

 appropriate early childhood educational practices.

71.  Bring  bigger issues  affecting families with young children into focus by having

 information on legislative trends and public policies available for denominational

 distribution and ecumenical publications.

72.  Hold annual joint meeting of congregation's governing board and child care board.

From More than 50 Nifty Ideas for Improving Relationships Between Religious Congregations and Their

Early Childhood Weekday Program by the Ecumenical Child Care Network. Used with permission.

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