The simplest form of promotion begins in the church. If your church has a bulletin, use inserts to notify parents of up-coming lesson series, activities and events. Informed parents are more likely to make sure their kids are in class if they are aware of what is being taught. It assures them that the time is being used well for the benefit of their children. All children's ministers would like to have the full support of the parents; informing bulletin inserts will help.

Another in church promotion you can use is a short power point presentation. One that worked well for me included pictures of the students in class, smiling and being actively involved. It was set to the song "Friends" by Michael W. Smith. After every couple of student pictures I included a slide with a verse on friendship or children. The last slide Stated "Kidz J.A.M., Where Friends become Friends Forever." then asked "Are Your Children Missing Out?". Again, if you are not familiar with making power point presentations, ask around your church.

Send out postcards! Nothing excites a child more then receiving mail. Send postcards for any reason you can find. Birthdays, Missing You, Get well, Hope to See You Soon, are just some of the cards you can find at your local Christian bookstore or online in my resource links below. Be sure to include the next big event date on each postcard.

Banners and fliers.
An eye catching banner or flier will grab the attention of children and adults alike. Use banners to get recognition of your ministry name. I use Kidz J.A.M. in big colorful letters. Use the fliers to further promote what you've put on the large banner. Be specific and creative. If you don't know how to use computer software to create banners and fliers; ask around your church. There are always people with knowledge ready to help, if you only ask for it. Your church secretary may be able to assist you in this area as well.
Fliers can be put up in many places. Local restaurants and stores usually have bulletin boards designated for community events. Your students can hand out fliers too. If you choose to hand out fliers in a public area, be sure to get the permission of the owner or manager.

Use community events to get the word out. A good event to have is a Fall Festival held on Halloween night. Always set up a registration table at the front of any event and give motivation to register such as a prize drawling from all completed registration cards. This will help you create a mailing list. You can use these events to hand out fliers too. Have plenty of banners and pictures of your class in view. You can use short skits by people or puppets to promote your children's ministry. The possibilities are endless for ways to promote through events. A well put together program will give a great first impression of what your church has to offer children.

Create a mailing list. Always get addresses! 1st time visitors are a prime source; have parents fill out registration cards for their children. Get addresses at all your community events. Never pass up the opportunity to get a new address. Ask your church members to give addresses of their neighbors that have children. Once you have a mailing list, look for reasons to send out fliers and postcards. Remember, kids love to receive mail. Don't forget your current students.

Use the media. Radio, Tv, News Papers, Community Calendars, they all offer some amount of exposure. This step can demand a large budget but the return could be very high as well. If you do not have the budget there are some things you can still do. Most newspapers will accept articles that are well written with a black and white photo. Write your article about an event that the church has done for the children and how it had a positive affect on the children and the community. If you get published it is more likely the newspaper will publish other articles of yours in the future. If you are not a writer, ask your church family for help, more then likely there is a writer among you.
Community Calendars are also free. Some run on local cable community access channels. Most Christian radio stations will announce your event for free. Because they are non profit, they can not sell commercial time. Check the stations website for their announcement board and post your event or call the station to give them the information they will need.