Have you ever asked any of the following questions:

• How do I keep my head above water in my children’s ministry?
• Why am I feeling so burnt out?
• How do I even begin to delegate with everything I have going on right now?
• How do I build essential and effective systems for ministering to kids and their families?
• How do I create a check-in system?
• What’s the best way to communicate information to kids, volunteers, parents, etc.?
• What is a database, and why do I need one?
• How do I build a ministry calendar?
• How do I build a successful volunteer system to recruit and grow my volunteers?

These are just a few of the questions Mark DeVries and Annette Safstrom address in their book, Sustainable Children’s Ministry: From Last-Minute Scrambling to Long-Term Solutions. They have created a valuable tool for children’s ministry, a vitally important area of the church that often lacks resources.

As a children’s pastor, I find the wisdom and practical information in this book invaluable. The message of moving from chaos and frustration to systematic, intentional children’s ministry is powerful. DeVries and Safstrom offer insight and encouragement for navigating some of the greatest challenges children’s pastors face.

The message of moving from chaos and frustration to systematic, intentional children’s ministry is powerful.

The simple practicality of this book gives you the ability to apply it as you read. The authors understand children and the leaders who minister to them. Regardless of the size of your ministry, Sustainable Children’s Ministry will offer solutions you can use.

One of the greatest needs in children’s ministry is improved communication. DeVries and Safstrom write, “Every children’s ministry has some real pearls. But most are lacking the strings that keep every component of the ministry in working order.”

The authors explain that one part of a sustainable children’s ministry is the “communication machine.” This involves posting essential information online, communicating to all the individuals who are in the know, and developing a communication plan. If you want a response, they say, don’t just use a billboard or bulletin. Often, the best way to communicate is by saying the same thing in different ways.

Using these helpful insights has made a significant difference in my team’s ministry. The principles in this book helped us rework our communication strategy, which has resulted in increased adult volunteer participation.

DeVries and Safstrom emphasize the importance of systems. Efficient systems are crucial for tracking attendance, following up with first-time guests, or contacting those who haven’t visited in a while, for instance.

I especially appreciated the information on safety and security. This book addresses the many ways to make your kids’ area a safer place — a topic that’s always of interest to children’s leaders.

This is an essential read for anyone in the ministry of raising up the next generation. Our call is to produce fruit that remains. Building a sustainable children’s ministry will help you do just that.

Book Reviewed

Mark DeVries and Annette Safstrom, Sustainable Children’s Ministry: From Last-Minute Scrambling to Long-Term Solutions (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2018).