Elementary Children's Ministry Essentials . . . Furnishing and Supplies!

We've been talking about the essential elements for our elementary children's ministry classrooms which enable us to have safe ministry and how to create classroom environments on a shoestring; so today I'm going to touch on furnishings and supplies!

• In far too many children's ministry classroom the main thing you see is furniture. Unless your furniture is bolted to the floor, remove tables and chairs. Give your children's ministry the gift of space - space to move, space to be involved in the Bible lesson with dramas and space for small groups to spread out and talk about the important things they are learning from God's Word. Have children sit on the floor - no need for chairs. 
• If you have the space to set up a couple tables in one corner of your room for crafts, do so. Otherwise, keep tables folded and tucked away until they are needed.
• Craft items are essentials - provide the basics such as construction paper, glue sticks, safety scissors, double-sided tape, chenille wire, pom poms, and crayons. Check pricing at warehouse/membership stores in your area or look on-line at S&S World Wide or Oriental Trading. Stack you construction paper by color in letter stackers - this will reduce waste from crumpled paper and will help you be able to easily identify if you are running low of a particular color.
• Check your curriculum before the start of each new quarter and make a list of the supplies you need for the quarter - share your list with the people from your church and ask for donations . . . make slips of paper with each item you need so people may choose a few slips, purchase the items on their slips and donate those items to your children's  ministry.

You can have an amazing elementary children's ministry - on a shoestring! Involve the people in your church and allow them to help you create a space for your children's ministry which is attractive and fun . . . one where children are excited to spend time and most importantly, one where they will be able to learn how to know and walk with Jesus!