Thoughts About Keeping Track of It All . . . Notice the Children Who Are Not There!

Yesterday I posted about being sure to notice which children are at your church by taking attendance each and every Sunday. Just as it is important to notice who is at your church, it is also important to notice who is not at your church. Consider the following ideas -

• after your "greeters" finish signing in children, have them take a moment to check your class lists and see who is not there and fill out the address for each absent child on a post card which is then given to each absent child's small group leader.
• have small group leaders and the children in the small group take a moment to write a note and sign their names - be sure this post card is left in the church office so it is mailed on Monday morning.
• if a child has missed two weeks in a row, provide small group leaders the child's name and phone number so they are able to call them before the next Sunday
• if a child misses for a month, send the small group leader and someone from your adult ministry to visit.
• if a child is seriously ill, plan for the small group leader and children's director/pastor to visit - take a craft for the child to work on when they feel up to it (check oriental.com for great, simple craft kits), weekly fliers and signed cards to let them know they have been missed and what the children have been learning. Keep your visit short, but be absolutely sure to visit.

Far too often we do not notice when a child is absent from our ministry. If we want them to really believe we love them and are thankful they are part of our ministry, then when they are absent we need to notice - and take action. What do you do to notice when a child is absent from your ministry?