“It’s a Crying Shame” --- I Don't Have Anyone to Watch My Kids.
This is by far the top concern heard in churches regarding small groups. The following are a variety of suggestions and solutions we give to groups in this situation:
1. Each family gets its own babysitter.
2. Use the homes of two members who live close to each other. Have your meeting at one home and have child care at the other home provided by a babysitter or rotating group members.
3. Dedicate one room in the house for childcare and bring a babysitter to the meeting place . Each family can contribute money for childcare costs.
4. Rotate two members out of the small group on a weekly basis to provide childcare in another room of the house. In this way there will be no cost to anyone in the group. But never rotate out a married couple; instead send two women or two men so that relationships are built.
5. Make your group a family group where children are allowed to play in the same room as the meeting. This works best when the children are very small and are not likely to catch much of what is said. Or children elementary age and older can participate with the group. The positive side to this is that the families learn together. The negative is that you will need to limit talk about adult issues or use of adult humor.
6. High school students from the church could provide childcare as their ministry project. This is an excellent way to team up with the youth ministry and give teens a chance to serve. Check Provincial laws to ensure your church has no legal liability.
7. Trade childcare with another small group. If your group meets on Tuesday and you know of another small group that meets on Thursday; offer to watch their children while they meet and ask them to do the same for your group. This will remove the burden of cost.
8. For a season you may want to do men one week and women another week and come all together for the third week. The fathers could then watch the child or children on the night the women meet or vice, versa. We have done this for a season in our group and it was helpful for that time of life in our small group.
Personal story from Steve Gladen, author of: Leading Small Groups with Purpose and the small group’s pastor of Saddleback Church:
We had this problem a couple of years ago in my own small group. When we made out our yearly Group Health Plan, we determined that in the area of fellowship we were using childcare as an excuse. This was especially tough on Lisa and me since with a special needs child we were paying thirty to forty dollars a week just for childcare. But we all agreed that if we believe this group matters, then nothing will stop us.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to what is really important to people and is a priority in our lives when it comes to living out life on life with others and experiencing and giving room for authentic community and spiritual growth. “The calling of community is to lure people off the island onto the mainland where connection is possible. Only then do we truly bear the image of the Eternal Community who created us to enjoy connecting”.
~ Larry Crabb.
All information Adapted from the book Leading Small Groups with a purpose: Everything you need to lead a small group by Steve Gladen, Pastor of the small group community, Saddleback Church.
