At Ministry Solutions Group, we’re pretty vocal about the impact that a healthy childcare program can have on activating a church’s spaces. This underrated building activation strategy uses empty spaces during the week, offsets costs with revenue, and is an effective outreach tool.
It’s also a great way to reach two specific generations who are hurting and often absent from the church conversation right now: Millennials and Generation Z.
A decade ago, Millennial mothers accounted for 82% of U.S. births. Ten years later, that group remains in the thick of parenthood. Gen Z is starting the journey, too.
These groups are famously disinterested in the traditional concept of going to church. They are seeking out spirituality and faith-based community through a sense of personal conviction and a desire for collective support. They crave authenticity and real community, for themselves and their growing families.
This is a huge opportunity for the church. If leaders can build trust with these generations, they can help them find faith, love, and support through Godly community. While this ultimately has to come through God, it starts with trusted connections. That’s why one of the best ways we’re seeing people plug into churches is through childcare programs that genuinely see their needs and desires as a family.
Millennials and Gen Z parents are in the thick of right now. They're starting families and raising the next generation of kids. It's demanding, sacred work that often leads to challenges like:
Parents need support as they tackle the important work of raising a family. While the church can provide this through things like Sunday services and weekly small groups, there are also tangible ways they can show their support — including childcare programs.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, childcare has been a front-line issue for parents across America. Rising costs, fluctuating work hours, and a lack of options have put pressure on parents looking for safe, reliable places to keep their kids while they work.
As parents face a very real and rising need for childcare, the church has stepped up. Our team has worked with many ministries to activate their spaces by setting up childcare centers.
These are weekly programs that don’t interfere with Sunday services. They are also NOT your traditional in-house operations. They are run by qualified third-party operators who know how to stay safe, follow regulations, and turn a profit. This creates an offering that serves your church’s community while also bringing in revenue to offset building costs.
Critically, it also becomes an outreach opportunity. As families engage with your childcare program, it builds trust between them and your church. It also showcases your space as a safe place for their families to engage with others, not just during the week but also as part of your larger church community.
At Ministry Solutions Group, we’ve overseen over $1.4 billion in church projects across the country. Much of this was money invested in highly effective childcare programs, and in that time, we’ve learned that there is a right and a wrong way to do things.
Here are a few things to keep in mind if you’re setting up a program…
Finally, you have to be safe. Safety is the number one item on any childcare list. Don’t compromise with in-house solutions or improperly vet childcare service partners.
This is where having the support of Ministry Solutions Group is helpful. We have the experience and connections to set up robust childcare solutions that can effectively serve both your church and parents from your local community.
We’ve navigated state and local regulations, helped keep each church’s mission in focus, and gone over the financials over and over again. In short, we’ve seen it all.
If you’re aware of the power of a childcare center in building trust with younger generations, but you aren’t sure how to build one, let’s talk. Reach out for our Clear Path Forward solution. Through on-site analysis and expert strategic vision, we can set the stage for your church to engage with Millennial and Gen Z parents as part of a sustainable, practical part of your ministry’s future.