Promotion Sunday is a great opportunity to get parents involved with their kids’ spiritual growth.
(1) Choose a Sunday for kids to move up to the next grade level. Some churches use the first Sunday after school starts. Others wait until the Sunday after Labor Day.
(2) Invite Mom and Dad to come to Sunday School. Jenn Day of Cross Timbers Church in metro Dallas says, “We include a family seating area and kids can decide if they want to sit with their friends or with their parents. This experience allows parents to experience what their kids will experience every Sunday.”
(3) Partner with parents. “When the kids go to small groups,” Day says, “we use this time to talk about our curriculum, supplemental resources, and policies/procedures we follow. It’s also an excellent time to talk about family devotions and regular follow-up on Sunday’s lessons.”
(4) Make it easy to find. Using a different color tape for each grade level, mark paths from the front door to the classrooms, recommends LifeWay’s Jeff Land. Ask teachers to wear their class’s designated color. “It was awesome!” Land says.
(5) Make it fun. Send “Do-nut forget to come to Sunday School” cards. Serve donuts. Or “promotion sundaes.”
– from Children’s Ministry Online and LifeWay.com