Churches are slowly reopening children’s ministries during COVID-19 with mixed results. Some are finding children excited to return and parents eager to rejoin life at in-person church. Others are finding that parents and volunteers are reluctant to return for a variety of reasons.

For many churches, 2021 is a great time for their children’s ministries to make a fresh start, and a key to an effective fresh start is to have everyone on the same page. Training is a great way to achieve that goal and is critical to effective disciple-making.

Why is training so important in this season of ministry?

Ministries will return one day, and we need to be ready to hit the ground teaching and leading with excellence.

Training leads to more effective teaching. Many children have lived life in a spiritual vacuum during this COVID-19 season and will need leaders who can make up for lost opportunities for discipleship.

Every child matters, so more leaders are needed to point them to Jesus. Training will help prepare new volunteers to lead well as they replace those volunteers who may choose to not return to teaching.

Many children have lived life in a spiritual vacuum during this COVID-19 season and will need leaders who can make up for lost opportunities for discipleship.

Churches may need more teachers for a greater number of classrooms that host smaller numbers of children to allow for greater social distancing. And since your church may experience more guests who discovered your church online during COVID-19, the need for more teachers may be even greater.

Offering training to new leaders is a great recruitment tool. It may tip the balance for leaders who want to serve but may be hesitant due to feeling they are not equipped to do so.

So here’s the good news — training provided by the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina is just around the corner for you and your leadership team.

The TELL 2021 children’s ministry training conference is a virtual event scheduled for Saturday, March 20. The event will focus on reimagining all aspects of children’s ministry and will emphasize teaching, equipping, loving and leading well.

The event features keynote speakers and breakout sessions that will address topics such as teaching preschool and children, discipline, classroom management, safety and security, special needs, and more.

Registration is just $10 per person and registrants will have access to all conference content for up to 30 days after the conclusion of the event. To learn more and register visit ncbaptist.org/online-event-2021-tell-conference/.