Kids, InC Parents,
In the Fall of 2007, we began a journey that started with a vision for taking the Kids,InC Ministry to the next level. Since then, this vision has blossomed into something greater than I could have ever imagined. To help us achieve this vision, we’ve assembled a team to help evaluate our current ministry and come up with a plan to make improvements.
So, where do we need to make improvements?
1. We want to give our kids ONE lesson with a bottom line that they can go home and work on throughout the week. We want to partner better with parents on things they can do at home with their kids to continue the lesson learned.
2. We want to provide our volunteers a better opportunity to build relationships with kids. We want to take the pressure of “teaching” off of our volunteers so they can really focus on the needs of the kids.
3. We want to spruce up our environment so that it’s welcoming and kid-friendly.
What is the new plan?
We are focusing all of our energy on developing a small group ministry for our elementary kids. These groups will meet with the same kids and adult leader during the same hour every week. Life change can happen in a small group, and we want our kids to grow to know one another and develop a relationship with their adult leaders.
We will be offering a worship service for both the younger and older elementary age groups at the same time beginning Sunday, September 7th. Our new worship rooms will be called “HighGear”. Kindergarten through 3rd grade will worship downstairs in the current Board Room and 4th through 6th graders will worship upstairs in a new finished area just for kids. It’s going to be awesome! As a parent, you will make a commitment to bring your child to the same worship service each Sunday. Once you decide which hour you want your child to worship, they will then be placed in a small group. You will want to bring your child to that hour every Sunday so they can have the benefit of participating in their small group. The small group leader will worship with their group, listen to the large group lesson and then spend time helping the kids in their group apply the daily lesson to their life. I have seen the difference a small group leader can make in a child’s life and you won’t want your child to miss out on this wonderful opportunity!
What does my child do when they are not worshipping with their small group?
We are starting something that no other church has done before!!! Beginning September 7th, kids will begin using an enrichment room called “OverDrive”. We will offer an OverDrive session for the K- 3rd graders and one for the 4th- 6th graders. In these sessions, our kids will have the opportunity to choose activity stations that focus more on the weekly lesson – similar to SNL. We will begin incorporating LCC’s “wheel” (Seek, Study, Serve, Share) into our activities. Kids will have the opportunity to focus on missions, serving and studying the Bible. They will also be able take some time to build relationship at some of our cool gaming stations! We will no longer have Sunday School classes for our kids but a place to do hands-on, center-based activities where kids can continue to grow in their faith.
How do I get my child signed up for this new ministry?
We will begin taking sign up’s on Sunday, March 30th, where we will be explaining more about our new plan for the Fall in our FAMILY WORSHIP SERVICE. You must fill out a form in order to have your child placed in a small group. We are allowing each child to write down the name of one person that they would like to be in a group with. We will do our best to honor these requests but will not guarantee placement. Having a familiar face in each group is nice, but we want our kids to foster new friendships and widen their circle of friends. Our small groups will have a maximum of ten kids and one leader. Once the group is full, the group will be closed. We want to protect the integrity of each group. If you have to come to a different hour on a Sunday due to life’s activities – your child will still be in a group that day but not with their leader or same group of children. This is why it is so important to commit to a certain hour and always come during that time.
What about the nursery and preschool departments?
These 2 departments will be staying the same next year.
What curriculum will you be using?
We are going to be using a small group curriculum called 252 Basics. This curriculum takes one virtue and focuses on it for an entire month. We will learn how the Bible can help us live out that virtue. There are 36 virtues and children will study about each virtue twice during their time in the elementary program. This curriculum teaches 3 basic truths that we want our kids to embrace before moving into Junior High:
1. I can trust God no matter what. (FAITH)
2. I will treat others the way I want to be treated. (FRIENDSHIP)
3. I must make wise choices. (WISDOM)
When will these changes start?
We want to kick off our new program on Sunday, September 7th. You will soon begin to see things like painting and other building changes happening.
How can I help?
The first thing we want all parents and partners of our church family to do is to pray for our small group ministry. I firmly believe that we are going to see so much growth and life change, not only for our kids but for our leaders as well. Secondly, we will need lots of help in preparing our building for the Fall. There will be painting of hallways and classrooms. We will be tearing down some walls between the classrooms and we will be building some stage sets and sprucing up our environment where our kids will feel valued! Let me know if you have any time or experience to help us in these areas.
Overwhelmed with info?
Come to Family worship on March 30th to hear more and have your questions answered. If you are out of town that day, come on April 27th between services in Room 218 and I will be available to talk about our Fall programming and answer questions.
Sundays are going to be about helping our kids learn to love God and others in a real way. Through participation in a small group and experiences in large group worship, our kids will be challenged each week to begin to live out their faith. They are going to experience friendships in community where they can be known, love and be loved, and celebrate and be celebrated. Relationships are going to be built that will last a lifetime! I can’t wait to see God work in the lives of our kids through our small groups!
Please don’t hesitate to call me if you have any questions or want more info on how you can become a small group leader next fall.
Serving Him along with you,
Tammy