Retaining Visitors Who Attend Your Children's Ministry Christmas Event

From the small church program to the larger spectacles like a Christmas pageant, chances are you will attract a lot of attention during the holidays, as evidenced by the increase in attendance. It’s nice to see the pews full and the seats taken, isn’t it? Did you know that Christmas attendance doesn’t have to be a fluke? You really can catapult your children’s ministry if you’re willing to do things a little differently this year. I will share with you my three-part program that helps me retain more families each year. Ready to retain visitors?

Collect usable information. You need note-takers, those “C” personality people (I’m referring to the DISC personality profile here), the detail folks at the registration table. You really don’t need the visitors whole life story—just address, age, contact info and ask a few other questions like: “What’s your favorite snack?” and “What’s your favorite movie?” Don’t allow parents to fill out the forms themselves; your team needs to do it to get all the info needed. Get info on the parents too—not just the kids. Then flip the registration form over and write down some notes to help you remember who the person was. An example would be, “Had pink hair,” or “Green shirt—came with Brady.” That will help when you make contact later.

Plan three follow up events. It’s the 2 plus 2 plus 2=membership rule! According to Barna Researchers, if a person attends a church event three times, they are likely to become a member. In order to get them membership-ready, go ahead and plan the events using the 2 rule. Here’s how it works: Plan events for 2 days after the first event, 2 weeks after the first event, and 2 months after the first event. That’s the 2 plus 2 plus 2=membership rule! But don’t overtax yourself. You did just finish a Christmas program. For the next event, choose something easy and fun, something the whole family wants to attend.

1. Taco Night & Pinata Whacking: Parents and kids love this. They’ll get to know you and the people of the ministry.
2. Glow Party & Kids’ Dance Night: Parents and kids can enjoy a glow party.
3. Laser Tag Party: This will keep them coming back!

These are just ideas that families will love attending. Don’t forget to space them out 2 days after the first event, then 2 weeks after the first event and finally two months from the first event. Always give newbies something to look forward to. (You may have to let the regular attendees know that these events are just for families transitioning into the church.)

Assign one volunteer for each family. Now you need one volunteer for each family. They need to be willing to become a friend to the family,  answer questions they may have about the faith or the church. The volunteer will remind the transitioning family about the events and keep them excited about coming.

That’s it! My brilliant (I say laughingly) three part plan to retaining visitors after the Christmas event. Keep them coming back by following each part! You can do it!