Monday Makeover: Kids Pointe, Tupelo, Mississippi

Where: 
Cross Pointe Ministries, Tupelo, Mississippi

Who:  
Children's Minister, Jeremy White, and the Kids Pointe team.

What I love about this:
These guys had a lot of real estate to cover.  Just look at the sheer amount of square footage this team flipped for their kids.  Jeremy said they got a lot of mileage out of an old, broken down fence they salvaged because it was already rough and worn looking and covered a lot of space.

No professional theming companies were used, just volunteers and a boatload of creativity and sweat. This team took a simple space, and with some hard work, made it kid-friendly and cool.

How Much:

• $1,200 building supplies
• $500 paint/stain
• $250 antiques (shovels, buckets, barrels, shutters, etc)

Big Ticket Item:

• $3,000 80 inch TV (the cheapest "big" TV they could find to work in a really bright room)

Miscellaneous supplies:

• Burlap (donated) 
• Rope and barrels (found at garage sales)
• Old broken down fence (found)
• Mining cave made from a repurposed Easter prop the church had in the garage.

What's left?

• Water tower finishing touches
• Entrance sign with logo

Check out these before and after shots:

Back of Room

Stage Area 

Stage Area, House Right

Here are some detailed shots of the welcome desk, entrance and the rest of the  new space. 

Way to go, Kids Pointe!  You guys created the kind of space that builds excitement, engages kids' imaginations and reminds them kids matter at Cross Pointe.

Kidmin Make-Over: Fountaintown Christian Church

When it comes to effective Children's Ministry, facilities aren't everything.  They're no substitute for passionate, empowered leaders, transformational teaching or helping parents to get excited about discipling their kids at home.

But, let's be honest, awesome decor sure can make a difference.  It shows kids that they're so special you've designed a place just for them.  It shows parents you take the care of their kids seriously.  And it shows prospective leaders that Children's Ministry is a fun, exciting place to serve.

That doesn't mean, however, that you have a have a huge building or million dollar budget to make it happen.  It just means you need to be intentional.  You have to make a decision that you're going to make the most of the space you have, and will make the most compelling case possible to your leaders to invest strategic dollars in your rooms.

Here's a great example.   My friends Josh and Debbie Hahn lead Fountaintown Christian Church near Indianapolis.  The church averages around 120 people on a Sunday, but they are serious about reaching kids and families.

A few years ago, I got to hang out with their kidmin team and talk about possibilities of what they could do with their space.  And guess what?  They did it.  They renovated this youth area into a really cool Children's Ministry room.

It's amazing the difference some paint, carpet and a vinyl graphic can make (not to mention ditching old furniture).

In the picture below you'll see that by removing this kitchen area, the Fountaintown team was able to capture a great corner for children's worship, complete with stage and flatscreen TV.

So how about you?  Even if you can't afford the TV or the carpet, can you throw away old furniture, clean out the clutter and get some fun colors on the wall?  How about a vinyl graphic?  They're much sharper and easier to maintain than murals or paintings.

Whatever you can do, whatever space you have, whatever your budget, just take a step.  Follow Fountaintown's example and make your kidmin space a priority.

Decor isn't everything, but when done right, it communicates that Children's Ministry is an awesome place to be.