Preschool Corner


Preschool Corner Update		Spring 2008

	Your Vision for Preschool Ministry By Jolene Roehlkepartain Children’s Ministry Magazine July/August 2007 Most preschool leaders use quiet summer months to plan ahead for their preschool ministry. I like to use the time to set the vision first – and then plan ahead. Rather than starting with the lessons you want to use or a list of new ideas, begin by creating a vision statement. Ask yourself and your team, “What’s our vision of the ideal preschool ministry?” Focus on possibilities instead of problems. Dream big. Think beyond what you believe is realistic and practical. Ask, “If guests came to our church and asked what we’re doing for preschoolers, what would you say?” Use this question to brainstorm ideas and possibilities with your team. Then sort your list of ideas into themes, such as preschoolers are excited to come, children learn about God, we have a waiting list of volunteers, or preschoolers are making friends. Evaluate if some themes are similar and consider combining them. Write your themes on a whiteboard. Take a vote. Have your team vote on the top five ministry priorities by placing sticky notes next to their favorite themes. Each person can give five points for the first priority, four points for second, three points for third, two points for fourth, and one point for fifth priority. From the rankings, choose three to five themes. Use priorities to create vision. Write a vision statement that captures your prioritized themes. Here are some sample preschool ministry vision statements: The primary aim of First Church’s preschool ministry is to nurture children’s faith and friendships. Preschoolers in First Church’s preschool ministry will learn to live, listen, love, and link with each other as they grow in their faith journey. A vision statement helps guide your ministry’s direction; a plan helps get you there. Vision first, then plan. Your preschool ministry will benefit greatly from this process as you prepare for a new school year.

Cooperation in Learning

Children’s Ministry Magazine March/April 2006

Even preschoolers can have poor self-esteem, which may translate into challenging behaviors. One way you can improve kids’ self-esteem is through interactive learning. Interactive learning benefits children because it creates a peer support for skills, develops interpersonal and small group skills, encourages individual accountability, and creates an environment to practice social skills. The ability to work together is just budding in preschoolers and requires patience and practice.

Here are two ideas to introduce preschoolers to interactive learning.

Turn to Your Neighbor – Have preschoolers sit in a circle as you read from a children’s Bible. Afterward, have kids turn to a partner and take turns retelling the story or brainstorm a question to ask about the story. Listen to kids’ conversations, but don’t interrupt.

Before and After Activities – Before you begin an activity, have kids form pairs to share what they already know about the lesson or story. Have kids tell the group what they discussed with their partner. After the activity, have kids form groups of three or four to share what they liked about the lesson or story.

Your Vision for Preschool Ministry

Cooperation in Learning