Meet Them Where They Are

Today’s  kids live in an ever changing and evolving world as it relates to technology and learning styles. We fully recognize that all kids learn in different ways through multiple forms of intelligences. Because of this fact, we find it very important to bring the Word to kids in many different forms, with the belief that one of those forms will meet each kid right where they are.

During any given weekend, we endeavor to reach out to many of the different senses and styles of learning. We have some use of humor to make a point; we use video as another way to share a story. Kids have the opportunity to engage in interactive games that can be connected back to the information we are trying to share. Praise and Worship songs are used during the weekend to point the focus both horizontally and vertically towards the Lord and to solidify the main topic of the weekend. Live action dramas show the story in another way so kids can see an entire story unfold. And of course we go straight to the Bible for direction by sharing what the Bible has to say about a topic and then having a kid relevant short sermon.

We fully recognize that kids learn in different ways and truly set out to give every child the same chance to get it!

Shon

Do What God's Dudes Do

Recently we hosted an event called Dude-A-Palooza. This event was designed for boys and their dads or other adult male role models to spend time together as men. We had a great time playing games and eating all things bacon. I also had the chance to share 3 things that God’s dudes do.

A.     Godly Dudes Honor their parents. Ephesians 6:2-3

“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: ³ “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”

B.      Godly Dudes Love God they are men after His own Heart. Matthew 22:37

 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

Pray

Read the Bible

Defend the Word – Jude 1:3

Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

Love Others  (God, family, friends, neighbors, enemies) Matthew 5:44

But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you

C.      Godly Dudes train their children. Ephesians 6:4,

And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it



Shon

Kid's Ministry Through the Eyes of an EPIC Student

At Valley Family Church we have a school of ministry called EPIC. EPIC students are required to do a certain number of practicum in varies areas of the church. One area that the students must do practicum is in kid’s ministry. We recently had a student come in and serve in one of preschool classrooms and his observations were encouraging and spot on. I thought for today’s blog I would share how he saw preschool ministry.

My Observations by: Rex Shultz 

During my time today in the very busy and active pre-school children’s room (which may need to be called the 'Thank you for serving in here' room), I have special appreciation or the people who are serving in this child care ministry. The ladies and gentlemen here really have a loving heart for these preschoolers. They have immeasurable patience, understanding, joy, and love, and it shines so bright. The kids just love to be a part of all that is offered in this room.

I was amazed at the details of moving the kids throughout the room into different areas and doing different activities every 15-20 minutes which really seemed to keep the kids from being bored and possibly becoming a little restless. All the volunteers seem to have a special gift in communicating and showing their love to these young ones. I was probably more amazed of the attention given to the message and how Miss Aggie got the kids involved in the message.

The Lord showed me today the importance of sharing God’s Word to all, no matter how young they may be. I seen the kids participate and believe the message was able to be understood by nearly all the kids. It made me see that it is so important to start early sharing God’s love and showing our children what joy He brings to each one of us if we trust in Him. I truly feel that we must do all that we can, starting with kids early in their lives, and with as many people as we can, to share our testimonies and to be a reflection of Jesus, so that young and old can feel the love of our Lord.

As you can see, kid’s ministry volunteers are making a difference in the lives of young children and the families and volunteers all around them. I hope this encourages you to keep up the great work as kid’s ministry volunteers! God is keeping great records of your faithful and serving hearts! We love and appreciate all of our kid’s ministry volunteers at VFC!!!

Loanership

There is an obvious difference between ownership and a loan. When someone owns something, it is their's to do with it what they will. They don't need to check with anyone on any changes made or discuss with anyone what they want to do with it. When you have something on loan (money, a car, a home, ect...) it is not yours to do whatever you want with it. You need to check with the owner first before making changes. You need to respect their position as the owner of the property. So, how does this play out in kids ministry? Let's take a look...

I have been blessed to work with a team of people that are committed to excellence. They understand that every week we have an opportunity to minister the gospel of Jesus Christ to hundreds of kids. I have awesome Pastors who allow us to facilitate this ministry to the kids. One truth I have always tried to maintain is that this is not my kids ministry, it's my Pastors. I do not own the rights to this ministry to do what I want without first checking with the owner. The way God intended for a kids ministry to function is under the umbrella of the church's vision.

That's where loanership comes in. You need to care for your ministry like you own it. You need to have an ownership mindset in your approach to the ministry. But, you also need to understand that the ministry is on loan, entrusted to you by the owner. This mindset blesses everyone involved because there is no place for rouge leaders. Have a loanership mindset with what you've been entrusted with and watch God's blessings flow.


Tim

Kids Ministry Survival Kit

There is no doubt that you can spell ministry W-O-R-K. Because of that fact, sometimes it is necessary to have some little reminders of why we do what we do. I shared the following survival kit with the Service Team Leaders here at Valley Family Church to help them remember the value they are. Jesus loved children and we do too, so lets remember to give them our best. I actually give people each one of the items and a bag to make their survival kit. I hope you enjoy.

Ministry Survival Kit

Toothpick: To remind you to pick out the good qualities in others. (Matthew 7:1)

Rubber Band: To remind you to be flexible, things might not always go the way you want, but it will all work out. “We All Scream Green” (Romans 8:28)

Button: To remind you to close your mouth and think before you speak. “We Don’t Trash Talk” (Proverbs 18:21)

Band-Aid: To remind you to heal hurt feelings, yours or someone else’s. (Colossians 3:12-14)

Pencil: To remind you to list your blessings every day. (Ephesians 1:3)

Eraser: To remind you that everyone makes mistakes and it is ok. “We Don’t Know Everything” (Genesis 50:15-21)

Chewing Gum: To remind you to stick with it and you can accomplish anything with Jesus. (Philippians 4:13)

Mint: To remind you that you are worth a mint to your Pastors and students. (John 3:16-17)

Life Saver: To remind you that you are a life saver to many of the volunteers and kids that walk through the doors of your church. You may be the first or only Jesus they have ever seen. (John 15:13)

Tissue: To remind you to dry someone’s tears. (Revelations 21:4)

Sticker: To remind you to stick together and help each other out. (Job 41:17, Proverbs 18:24)

Penny: To remind you that no matter how small you are, we are all valuable to each other and to the Lord. (Luke 12:7)


Shon

Things Kids Ministry Leaders Need to Know

As a Kids Ministry leader, you are in a unique category. You often work in an area of ministry where the people you are ministering to do not know how to communicate their gratitude to you. You need to know a few things:


 Most parents are truly grateful for the positive influence you are in their childs’ life. They may not say anything and may seem to take it for granted, but deep down they are nothing short of grateful. You also need to know that most kids DO hear what you say and are listening and are letting it all sink in, gaining knowledge and wisdom from what you impart. You are in a position of influence of some of the most precious commodities in the entire universe, someone’s child. Further, those kids you invest in are invaluable to not only their parents but also to the King of kings. The time that you faithfully spend changing diapers and wiping noses is sewing directly into the Kingdom of heaven and are done for His purposes. Every chance you have to touch the life of a child is a seed planted into their heart and a huge impression on their future.


Remember the Lord keeps good records and you are earning your rewards in heaven. Thank you for all you do, Kids Ministry Leader.


Shon

The Why Behind the When - Order of Service

Planning the order of your service can be a challenging part of Kids Ministry. Keeping a child’s attention for upwards of 60-70 minutes can sometimes be very difficult. Here at VFC, we believe that with some strategic planning you can not only keep a child’s attention, but engage their mind as well! The first thing you need to establish is the maximum amount of time you will assign to one segment of your service. We have decided that we don’t want any segment going longer than 12 minutes. This allows for the kids' attention to be held and for us to communicate the topic in many fun and different ways. 

It is also very important to make sure that your service is balanced. It's important that your service has a flow and that there is a reason for each segment that is placed. For example, we don’t place our game early in the service because the kids are still engaged and haven’t been sitting for very long. Instead, we have placed our game after the worship and the message portion. We realize that at that point we’ve had some more docile activities and this allows the kids to burn some energy and reconnect.

We have opted to split our worship into segments, having two praise (upbeat, up-tempo songs) and a separate worship (slower, softer) song. The heart behind this is to help the kids understand the difference in worship styles. We feel that it may be difficult for a child to differentiate between the energetic, upbeat songs and the more somber, serious moments in worship. By dividing our worship into segments we are better able to teach the children the different styles of worship and what they mean.

Whatever you decide to do, the important thing is to determine how you want your service to flow. You need to decide what the goal for your service is and make sure that your programming schedule compliments and fulfills that goal. 

Tim

Tim Hoult