How can I get a Story Hour program started at MY church?

I have been asked this question several times now. Thanks for all your suggestions and ideas. Here is the general "path" to follow:

• Get an idea of the interest level in your church. How many parents are interested in this kind of a program? How many children do we have in this age group?
• Talk to your ward elder/minister to gain their support. Let them know what the needs are in the congregation and how those needs can be met. Check what kind of formal permission needs to be obtained before starting.
• The two most important requirements are: a program and a space.
• Choose a Story Hour program that suits your needs. Consider who will be attending, who will be teaching, what kind of time period you have to work with, what you can afford to spend on buying a program; what kind of space you'll have available; what kind of budget you have for supplies, etc
• Find a space in the church for your program. Is there a room or a part of a room availble for you to use? Are there tables and chair for little people? Is there somewhere to store craft supplies? Is there somewhere for you to display completed crafts?
• Once you have permission, a program and a space, you are nearly ready to begin! Collect a few parents who are willing to lead the lessons and arrange a meeting. Review the program and talk about how each lesson will run so that you maintain some consistancy from week to week. Talk about how supplies are going to be collected and where they are going to be stored.
• Notify the church community about your program so that parents of preschool children know that the program is going to start, where it will take place, who is teaching and what is being taught.
• Get rolling! Be patient... many of us have found that it took about a year to get everything up and running smoothly with regular attendance, sufficient resources and good support. And don't be discourage along the way - a story hour program is such a blessing to the little ones who attend (and to their families!)