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

The Idea Filter

Being a in Kids Ministry always requires lots of creativity! It may be trying to think of an object lesson or a new element of your service that you think could really enhance spiritual development. We are always coming up with ideas and we should. However, not every good idea should be implemented. Every idea that we have should be run through the “idea filter.” The idea filter is something that keeps us from implementing ideas too quickly or ideas that doesn’t really fit our vision. If an idea doesn’t fit the vision of the church and is implemented anyway, then soon the vision becomes blurred and is not as clear as it should be. Let’s take a look at the different filters we need to run our ideas through.

Vision – You won’t be able to pass it through this filter if you don’t know the vision first. Our Pastors have done such a great job at identifying what the vision of the church is and making it clear and plain. Make sure that the vision for the kids ministry of your church lines up with the vision for the church as a whole. You cannot compete visions. Some good ideas have to be discarded because they don’t fit the vision. God would not give you an idea that collides with your Pastors vision for the church.

Resources – This is a pretty pragmatic filter, but one that needs to be focused on. Simply put, can we pull it off? Do we have the human resources or financial resources for the idea to work? If not, then the idea must go… God will not lead you where He will not provide.

God – Obviously making sure that it’s an idea inspired by God is the most important of all filters. If an idea does not have approval from the Lord, then it’s going to be futile to move ahead with it. God has plenty of great ideas for you; He’s not trying to hide them!

So, don’t get upset if every good idea isn’t approved or doesn’t pass through the filter. You’ll save yourself a lot of time/resources/confusion by not implementing ideas that really don’t fit the culture.

 Tim

On Time for Go Time

In a fast-paced, growing church there are few things more important than timing. It is crucial that people are punctual in order for services to run as smooth as possible and to bring the most honor and glory to the Lord. In Kids Ministry this is no different. Many things happen behind the scenes before the first child enters a room on Sunday morning. Here at VFC, we ask our Service Squad Leaders and Lead Teachers to arrive 1 hour and 15 minutes before service begins. At this time, the SQL's lead the LT's in what we call a huddle meeting. In this meeting any announcements or changes relative to service are shared and then together as a team they share praises and prayer requests. After things are shared, the group prays for and over the service and each one of the kids that will walk in the door that morning. Once they are prayed up, the LT's are dismissed to their classrooms.

Kids Ministry volunteers at VFC are asked to arrive 45 minutes prior to the start of service. At this time the Lead Teacher leads a huddle of their own with their classroom volunteers. Updates are given as well as assignments for the day. Praises and prayer requests are shared and again the classroom and the kids that will attend are prayed over and for. It is so important when working with kids to have your spiritual tank full. There is nothing that accomplishes this quite like prayer.

When people are not prompt and these prayers don't take place, there is a noticeable difference in the classroom. Prayer is where the power lies and the ministry begins. For the best ministry to take place, be sure everyone is present, on-time and praying; pray and pray some more. You will be amazed the difference it makes and the ministry that can then take place for all ages.

- Shon

What's a Teen Worth

One of the greatest things that I have seen in working with kids ministry volunteers is the undeniable value of teen volunteers. There is something about the passion they have and seeing their own Christian life being walked out and glorifying the Lord. 1 Timothy 4:12 says “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” Our teenage volunteers at Valley Family Church do exactly that. They get down on the level of the kids they are serving and meet them where they are. They get in the game and are certainly not spectators. The let their love of the Lord shine through all of the things they do. I would go as far as to say some of the greatest volunteers and even leaders in Kids Ministry here at VFC are teens. Their hearts are right and they "get it!" In return they help the kids to get it! If you are not using teens you certainly need to tap into this priceless resource. You won’t regret it!

-Shon

The Big D Word

The Big D word; it’s the word no child wants to hear, but the word more and more are hearing every day: Divorce. It happened to my parents when I was 4 years old and it had a negative effect on my life. Before the divorce, I was a daddy’s girl. I loved spending time with my dad, and he was my hero. After the divorce, he became an ‘every other weekend dad’, and wasn’t available as often. In many ways, my mom became my mom and dad. But because my mom was busy working and supporting her family of 4 children, there was not often time for church. Thankfully our next door neighbors started taking us to church. While at church, seeds of life were planted in my life and even though I have gone through many ups and downs in my faith, the seeds that were planted and watered long ago by church volunteers have remained. The Bible says, in proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Because there were volunteers from church in my life that trained me up in the way I should go, as I got older, I did not depart from it, I grew closer to God. I may have strayed along the way, but in the end, I came back to the only truth that mattered in my life.

So what does my story have to do with you as a volunteer? Well here at VFC, we exist so people get it! People include the children we serve! We want to see children ‘get’ that God loves them! Whether you volunteer at Valley Family Church or you are volunteering at another church, every time you serve you are coming into contact with kids just like I was. Most of the kids we are serving are lost and hurting, they are looking for love and acceptance, and they may be acting out for attention.  As a volunteer we may never know what each child’s home life is like. So many children are living in a single parent home, and they need seeds of life planted in their life. As volunteers we get to do that every time we serve. We get to be the love of Jesus to each child that comes into our classrooms. You don’t have to be the volunteer giving the message or Bible Story to plant a seed; all you have to do is be the love of Jesus! Every time you serve and you take the time to talk to a child, play with a child or just give them that welcoming hug, you are sharing God’s love with them. You are training them in the way they should go, and when they are older, they will not depart from it! Be encouraged knowing that every time you serve in a kid’s classroom you are planting seeds and showing children how much God loves them no matter what is happening at home!

- Jodi

Raising the Bar

In kids ministry, we endeavor to reach kids with the love of Jesus Christ. As leaders, it is easy to get in the rut of thinking that we need to do this on our own. It is time to raise the bar and teach our kids to be the leaders and evangelists God calls them to be. We have the responsibility to equip them for the mission field.

Proverbs 22:6 says "train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart." The Word says that they will not depart and it does not say they can't use the training while they are still young. It is our vision to teach kids how to love others, serve others and give back to the Lord and others. When the kids get it, they are able to minister to their friends and help grow the Kingdom, taking the pressure off of the adult leaders to reach kids on their own. Instead, we form a team by feeding the sheep and together sharing the love of Christ!

Shon

We're Not Church as Usual

Change is never easy, but it is always required for growth. Throughout history, nothing has ever stayed the same other than the Lord. This is also true in our approach to kids ministry. There have been some great ideas to minister to kids, from flannel graphs to father Abraham. These tools were successful in communicating the gospel of Jesus in their season.

Mark 2:18-22 talks about the old and new wine skins. Simply put, it doesn't make sense to put the new wine into the old skins; they won't work. The old wine skins were successful in their season, but in order to receive the new wine, you need skins capable of holding it. We are currently taking a look at the methods we are using that could, metaphorically speaking, use new wine skins. This can sometimes require you to abandon ideas that you're personally attached to and transition to something new.

This generation of kids has only known one thing: technology. I'm fairly young, but I can still remember writing papers on an electric typewriter. That is not where these kids come from, so our approach in ministering to them needs to change as well. I'm excited about the opportunity to challenge what I've known with what could be. We are working diligently to incorporate new, fresh, culturally relevant elements into our kids ministry in order to not be kids church as usual.

Reflect What You Expect

We’ve all heard it said before “inspect what you expect.” That leadership principal has rang true for me for many years in many situations. I cannot argue with that principal nor do I intend to. As a leader, we are to follow up on the tasks that we delegate to others to ensure that the task is being carried out as requested. I’ve always felt that there was another step to be taken, that simply 'inspecting' is not enough.

Without reflecting what you expect you could create a mindset that you’re “too good” to do what you’re asking your volunteers or staff to do. I believe that there is power in those that are under your leadership seeing that not only are you inspecting to ensure excellence, but that you’re reflecting the same excellence you ask of others in your own daily life. This mindset creates and breeds productivity. Managers inspect, leaders inspect AND reflect.

For example, when asking a volunteer to greet all of the parents with a smile, I don’t walk around with a sour look on my face. I am communicating that I’m not too important to do what I’ve asked others to do. There is also the reality that I will need people on my team who can do things that I am not gifted to do. In these situations, I am sure to communicate that I am asking them to do something because it is a weakness of mine. Some leaders try to hide their weaknesses. However, I believe that we lead through our strengths but connect through our weaknesses.


Tim

Valley Training

With the ever-changing culture of the world and maintaining a culturally relevant church, it is essential to keep everyone informed and updated on the way we do church. One of the best ways to be sure everyone is up to speed is by training up our leaders. The Bible says to train up leaders according to 2 Timothy 2:1-2. “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

Here at Valley Family Church, we have Valley Training on the second Wednesday evening of every month. During Valley Training, we have the opportunity for all of our Leadership to spend some time with Pastors Jeff and Beth, where they can impart wisdom and vision with the group. From there, volunteers break off into their individual departments and gain insight and training that is more specific to their area of ministry. Valley Training also includes a time of eating and fellowship. When everyone is together moving in the same direction, work gets done for the Kingdom! At VFC we call that “Screaming Green.” We put our personal preferences aside to run with the vision of the house. Valley Trainings offer a great way to accomplish this task.

Shon

Important Guests

I have been working at VFC for a little over 7 years. In the past 7 years I have had a variety of different responsibilities in Preschool Ministry. However, my main focus has always been ensuring the preschool classrooms are ready for the weekend services. Ensuring the classrooms are ready means each room has enough supplies to get through each service, all the toys are safe and working properly, and finally, walking through each classroom to ensure that each toy is placed in its proper place and is placed with excellence. 


One day last spring as I walking through a classroom, I had two questions cross my mind. I asked myself, does it really matter if every item in the classroom is placed with excellence?  Does anyone really care if a toy is haphazardly placed on shelf? That is when the Lord spoke to me and gave me an example to show me the importance of setting up the rooms with excellence.

This is what He said: Think of this…when someone of importance, like a mother-in-law or a government official comes to a person’s house for dinner, what do they do to prepare for their important guest? What they do is walk through each room and make sure each item is in its proper place and placed with excellence. They take the time to ensure that when their guest walks into the house what they see is excellence. They want to put their best foot forward and they want their important guest to know that they took time to prepare for them. It is the same each week at VFC. We live by the code and one part of our VFC code is “the queen of Sheba inspires us.”  We understand that a spirit of excellence glorifies God and leaves people breathless. So, we give God our best in all that we do. 


Each week, we prepare the classrooms, the bathrooms, the atrium, and the parking lot for very important guests who we want to leave breathless. We are taking the time to ensure that when a visitor or guest walks in the door, they know that they are home and that we care about them. The guest can be an infant or an adult; each guest is important. Each week during our services, young children come and hear about God for the first time, scripture is spoken into their lives, and their lives are forever changed.  As a parent checks in their child for the first time or the 100^th time, they see the room and know that we have taken the time to ensure that their child is going to be safe and happy and they are going to learn about God. God taught me that day that walking through each room and ensuring that the room is set up with excellence does matter to Him and to each child and adult who comes into the room because they are God’s very important guest!


Jodi

Kid's Safety First

In Kids Ministry we are very aware of how precious children are. They are a special gift sent to us straight from Heaven. Because we know we are working with your little angels, we do everything we can to ensure that they are safe and sound so you can rest easy and engage in worship and service, gleaning everything that the Lord has for you.

All of our Kids Ministry rooms are equipped with safety features, from smoke alarms and door locks to band aids. We ensure safety in the bathrooms by only allowing adult females to change diapers and monitor the bathrooms. But there may be nothing we do that is more important than our drop off and pick procedures. Here at Valley Family Church we want you to feel comfortable and safe. We have a check in procedure where our smiling volunteers greet each family and record their pick up number from the Parent Pick up Receipt (PPR). This number is used if the parent is needed to come to the room at any time during the service. If a parent is needed, their number will be displayed on the screens in all of our service areas.

When it comes time to check out, every parent needs to show their PPR and a volunteer ensures that the numbers match on the PPR and the child’s name tag. There is no exception to this. If a Pastor or staff member comes to pick up their children, they must show their PPR. If a volunteer’s spouse or best friend picks up a child, they too must show their PPR. We do this to ensure that people who are watching from the halls and may not know they are friends or employees can see this check being made. Kids are God’s gift and we endeavor not only to come along side in teaching them, but to first and foremost ensure that they are safe.


Shon

Reward What You Want Repeated

One of the most popular aspects of our Games Room is the Kids Cash Counter. After every service, the Cash Counter is the place to be, because that is where the kids get to spend the 'kids cash' that they earned during service. Using this system has allowed us to reward the good behavior that the children demonstrate that we would like to see repeated in the future. Instead of constantly saying "no" or "don't do that," this method allows us to encourage children in their accomplishments and highlight their good behavior.


There are many ways that the children can earn this 'kids cash'. Kids cash can be administered for the following reasons:
-Coming to church
-Bringing their Bible
-Memorizing their memory verse
-Completing the at-home assignments
-Bringing a friend to church as a first time visitor
-Displaying good behavior
-Being a first time visitor
-Birthdays


By offering a reward for positive behavior, children are encouraged to repeat the behavior again in the future. This also teaches the children the Biblical principle that God takes pleasure in rewarding us for the positive things that we do. 1 Corinthians 3:8 and Revelation 22:12 tell us that God is interested in rewarding us when we make good decisions, and we want the children to understand this as well. By rewarding them for positive behavior, we shift our focus to what the kids are doing right rather than what they are doing wrong. By praising the positive things they do, we encourage the children to build up those traits.


The key to having success with this method is to have prizes that are 'worth it.' When the reward is desirable, the children will be more likely to strive towards good behavior in order to receive the reward. Our success with this method stems from our willingness to put the time and resources into supplying quality prizes.


The success that we have had by using this tool is a testament to our Pastors and leadership and their belief in this next generation. Using this method has allowed us to better disciple the children and encourage them in their spiritual and personal growth!


Tim

The Importance of Child Dedication

Have you ever wondered what the importance of a Child Dedication is? Psalm 127:3 says ^“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.” Children are truly a gift from God, so one reason for a child dedication is to recognize, honor and celebrate their lives. Children are worth getting excited about!

However, Child Dedication isn’t only for the child – it’s for the parents too! This is an opportunity for parents to step out in faith and publically acknowledge their intention to care for and raise their child in a Christian home according to Proverbs 22:6 - “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” Essentially, parents are stating they will train up their child, but in doing so, are also asking for the support of their church family.

This is another reason why we have Child Dedication, so that we, as a church family, can pledge our support and willingness to actively take a role in the caring, nurturing and training of the child. At VFC, we don’t just provide childcare for kids of all ages; we minister to kids so that their life may be transformed. Therefore, we make sure that our Child Dedication services are conducted with excellence because we recognize the importance of this moment for families. After all, we are Valley Family Church and our focus is on the family!

There are many ways to host a Child Dedication, but at VFC, we hold a special ceremony following our last Sunday morning service for families to invite their friends and extended family to. During Child Dedication, families are welcomed and Pastors Jeff and Beth share a word of encouragement about raising kids in Christian homes. Then each family is individually prayed over by Pastors Jeff and Beth and a photograph is taken for families to remember this special moment. Each family also receives a certificate that announces their child’s dedication to the Lord. Afterwards, Pastors offer closing remarks and pray for the children collectively. Directly following the ceremony, we hold a small reception with cookies and punch to celebrate what has taken place and to give families the opportunity to connect with one another!

There’s nothing like seeing a family attending church and growing in faith together! Therefore, we provide as many opportunities as possible for parents and kids alike to develop a healthy and vibrant relationship with the Lord and to get plugged in to our church family. While Child Dedication is only one of the many opportunities we have available, there’s something so special about this time for families to make a public declaration about their dedication to raise their children in a Christian home!

Shon

Monkey Hear, Monkey Say

Have you ever felt like you are talking to brick wall? Have you ever felt like when you are in front of a group of preschool or elementary kids that none of them are listening to you or watching what you are doing? Well, you are not alone! There are many times throughout my day where I feel as though I am talking to myself. But I have good news! Even if it feels like you are only talking to yourself, the children are always watching and listening to what you are saying, but it may not necessarily look like it!

Here are few examples from my preschool classroom:

In my weekday community preschool class, I teach some of the children who attend VFC on the weekends. During class, as we were talking about Jesus and how He was a little boy and had to grow up just like preschoolers do, I asked them what other stories they knew about Jesus. Many responded with how Jesus was in a manger, but the same little boy talked about how Jesus put mud on someone’s eyes so he could see. This was the same story being taught the previous weekend! He remembered what was being taught to him, even though it may not have appeared like he was listening!

Recently, I had a child say a not so nice word and a volunteer in my classroom told the child that is was a bad word and we don’t say bad words at school. Right after she told him that, he said, “I know another bad word,” and said an even worse swear word. This goes to show you that kids are listening and they know the difference between good words and bad words. We need to be cognizant that the words we are speaking, they are hearing!

Here is another example of the positive effects of words: In our community preschool, we have a time designated each day called “Circle Time” and during this time, we share a devotional with the preschool kids. During our daily devotional, there is a short story, a Bible verse and then a prayer. I always close the prayer by saying, “in Jesus Name, Amen”. Well, one Friday morning, my student teacher was doing the devotional with a group of kids and as she concluded the prayer she simply said “Amen.” One of the kids piped up and told her that her prayer was wrong because we have to say “In Jesus name, Amen.”  It was a great example to me of how they are always listening even when you don’t think they are!

Children pick up on things you say and do and they will repeat it! It’s important for us as volunteers and Kids Ministry staff members to remember that kids are always listening and that we should only speak words of life. We need to remember that even on those mornings when it seems like the children only want to do talk to their neighbor, that they are listening and watching your every move! Here at VFC one of our codes is “We reach youth – we honor age.” When we remember to speak words of life and love into each child, we are reaching the youth and the next generation!

Jodi

5 Traits of a Great Volunteer

We are so blessed to have what I would consider one of the best volunteer teams in the country. Each week hundreds of volunteers come out just to serve the kids of Valley Family Church. I’ve compiled a list of what I believe to be the top 5 traits of a great volunteer. There are obviously more traits than this but these are some key traits that volunteers can really use that will bless your leader.

1.       They get that it’s not about “I”

Great volunteers understand that it’s not about their preference or what they want. They understand that there’s a vision for the church and that ultimately the vision comes from the Lord. Around here we call it “screaming green.” To define screaming green is basically to scream the same thing that the entire church is screaming. If the church is streaming green, you shouldn’t be screaming purple.

2.       They serve with excellence

Great volunteers understand that the details are what separate good Kids Ministries from great ones. They know that no detail is too small to pay attention to. A story that we focus on here at Valley Family Church is the story of the Queen of Sheba. The Queen of Sheba understood the importance of how things looked and the importance of sweating in preparation so you don’t bleed in battle. Great volunteers serve with excellence!

3.       They are humble

A key to being great in anything, including being a Kids Ministry volunteer, is being humble. Everyone brings something to the table that can benefit the team, but having the mindset that you can learn from everyone will take you far. Having a mindset of “I don’t know everything” will really help your team not rely on what worked in the past but move towards what can work better now.

4.       They like being asked to do big things

Another key to being a great volunteer is the desire to be asked to do something big. When you’re asked to do something that seems impossible, are you caught up in what can’t be done or are you excited to exercise your faith? Being a volunteer like this will really bless your leader because they will feel the freedom to dream knowing that you’re behind them 100% ready to accomplish the impossible with God!

5.       They have fun!

This is really simple but something that is needed. Great volunteers understand that life is short and church should be fun. Sure sometimes things get stressful, and some things don’t go according to plan. In the end, having an attitude of fun makes any situation better. I truly believe that fun is just that, an attitude. Having a predisposition that you are going to have fun will make even the most difficult situation laughable.

Tim

The Importance of Events

Have you ever wondered why churches host so many events? After all, isn’t it really about the weekend service and the message being taught? The answer is yes, the weekend service is essential for a growing and vibrant relationship with the Lord, but there’s more to being planted in the church than just attending service every Sunday morning.

The weekend service is about spreading the message of Jesus Christ; it’s about helping visitors connect and regular attendees grow in their faith. But beyond growing in their faith, parents and kids alike are looking for a relational experience where they can connect with others. Parents specifically aren’t simply bringing their kids to church to learn about God, but in the hope that their children will establish relationships with other kids and other families that share the same values.

On the weekends, we intentionally spend a lot of time helping kids connect with a God that is real and a forever friend. We spend time in worship and in the Word. However, during the duration of the service, there isn’t always the time and the opportunity for kids to interact with one another and establish friendships and relationships. This is where events come into play.

At Valley Family Church we offer a wide variety of events for kids. Some of these events are for kids of a specific age group, others are geared toward boys or girls and some are focused on the entire family. The goal behind each one of these events is to connect kids with kids or families with families. 1 Corinthians 15:33 tells us that “bad company corrupts good morals” or good character. We want each and every child that comes through the doors to have an opportunity to be in good company and have an outstanding set of morals and character. In the end, we endeavor to have kids who love God and have friends who help and support them in sharing the love of God with others. We see kids who live out Proverbs 27:17 “as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

Events are an essential way to help kids and families form these relationships. In an effort to provide these opportunities to kids and families on a regular basis, we endeavor to host at least one Kids ministry event per month. While our events range in price, we try to keep the cost as low as possible so that all families can participate.

Here are some examples of the more popular Kids Ministry events we host at Valley Family Church:

·         Pizza/Movie Nights

·         Glow Bowling

·         Princess Tea Party

·         Sporting Events

Events are a lot of work; there is a lot of planning and promoting that goes into a well-run event. However, they are essential to a healthy ministry! I hope you feel inspired and motivated to evaluate your events and look for areas you can improve.  

Shon

Keep Engagement, Not Attention

One of the main challenges in Kids Ministry is making sure that your ministry doesn't put kids to sleep. This is becoming even more of a challenge today as kids are growing up with more media than ever before. The approach we take really determines whether their attention will be captured or released. Obviously the programming, talent and environment play a large part in this. However, I think that there's a systemic issue that we need to take a deeper look at. Are you trying to keep their attention or engage them?

Don't compete for a child's attention; you'll lose the majority of the time. There are so many things constantly competing for a child's attention: TV, video games, homework, sports, dancing, YouTube, etc... The point I'm trying to make is that attention doesn't translate to transformation. Attention only means "the act or faculty of attending, especially by directing the mind to an object." When you have a child’s attention, you only get their mind. But to see transformation, you need more than just the mind, you need to capture a child’s heart! To engage, however, is to take ownership of something, to be involved with it. That is precisely what we need more of in Kids Ministry, to have the kids take ownership, not just to pay attention.

So you're saying, "Ok, I get it...now what?" Truly, it's more of a philosophy change but there are some pragmatic, simple steps that you can take to capture and engage kids and not just get their attention.

1. "The younger kids follow the older kids, the older kids want to lead." By the time a child has reached 4th or 5th grade, they have heard the vast majority of the Bible stories many times. They have seen the object lessons and they have watched all the cool videos you can throw at them. Those things are good and definitely have a place in Kids Ministry, however, at this age, the kids are beginning to feel a sense of wanting to give back, to take the knowledge they have gained and do something with it. We are doing them an injustice if we are teaching them for years and not giving them an avenue to purse these goals. One thing we have done here at Valley Family Church is called "Kidamazoo UP." It's a discipleship program for 4th and 5th graders that allows those who have this desire to lead and further develop their knowledge in the Word, to do so. We take one week out of the summer and the kids come for a full day and spend three hours on biblical teaching each day. We also provide various workshops on how to serve in Kids Ministry and interactive team building activities. Once a child has completed this program, they have full access to assist with serving in Kids Ministry whether it is helping a younger kid find a Bible verse or showing a first time visitor around the environment. It has increased our level of interaction during worship and during times of teaching. This is the model we have used, but you can modify it to what works best with you and your ministry.

2. "Cheap laughs are pricey." Fun is a part of Kids Ministry, hands down! If you don't make kids laugh and enjoy the service, it'll be tough to keep them coming back. However, if you gauge your attention level by the laughs and jokes, than transformation may be eluding you. They are kids and want to have fun, but they are also people and want to be challenged and encouraged. Just because we’re teaching kids doesn't mean we need to water down the gospel; we just need to communicate it in a way that is understood by their vocabulary. Simply put, kids don't speak "Christianese." Instead of saying we are righteous, say that we are clean in God's eyes...that He sees us as perfect because Jesus passed the test for us.

Grab their engagement and not their attention and you'll see results. You'll always have some kids that don't pay attention and you have to also be okay with that. Remember that behind every so called "problem child" there is a troubled story that explains the way they are. Take time to listen and you'll be surprised at what you find.

Tim

Life Lessons from Little Ones

Have you ever thought about how simple, yet profound, the mind of a child can be? Working in Kids Ministry or with kids in any capacity is an absolute blessing from God. Even as adults, our human minds are incapable of knowing everything. But have you ever considered that you could even learn from a child?

In my years of working with kids, it has happened to me time and time again. With a Bachelors and Masters Degree, I would consider myself to be a fairly educated individual. However, some of the greatest lessons I have learned in life haven’t come from a classroom setting, they have come from the mouths of the little ones that I am trying to teach. I distinctly remember one incidence when I was teaching a lesson about pride and I was using the example of a lion. I quickly drew a picture of a lion on the board to help demonstrate my point. After the class, one of my students came up to me and said “I know an easier way to draw a lion.” She proceeded to write the number 5 on the board a quickly transform it into a lion. It was amazing!

1 Timothy 4:12 in The Message Bible says, “Get the word out. Teach all these things. And don't let anyone put you down because you're young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity.” The Bible clearly says that even the young can teach us with their life. I challenge you to channel your inner child, let down your guard, get down and play with the kids you are ministering to. When they see you having fun, they will have fun too!  And don’t be surprised if you learn something from them along the way.  I trust you will be blessed beyond measure.

Shon

Changing Diapers; Changing Lives!

Did you know that as a Kids Ministry volunteer, one of the most rewarding roles you can have is to change a child’s diaper? At VFC, we change every child’s diaper during the service to ensure that the child is properly cared for. Most of the time, when asked to be on diaper duty, a person might want to say no, complain, or feel like they have the worst assignment for the morning. However, that is not the case! Changing diapers is an opportunity to spend some one-on-one time with each child and plant seeds into their young life.

It's important that when a volunteer changes a child’s diaper they take the opportunity to speak two to three Bible verses over that child. Sometimes those two or three verses will be the only scripture that is ever spoken into that child’s life. Many children who come to our classrooms during the weekend services have parents who are new to the Lord and their parents don’t know that they can speak life, or have the authority to speak life, into their child using the Word of God! Instead, those children often times have parents who are just learning what the Word says, that the Word is alive and active, or are just learning that they can speak the Word in their own life, let alone their child’s life!

As a volunteer, how sobering is it to realize that you have this amazing opportunity to add life to a child, but because there may be a dirty diaper, you choose another role for the day?! Changing diapers is an amazing opportunity and an honor to spend that one-on-one time with the child and speak the Word of God into their life! One of our VFC codes is: We live by faith. Don’t let dirty diapers get in your way of speaking into a young child’s life! By speaking the Word of God into a child’s life as you change their diaper, you are teaching them to live by faith. Volunteer to change diapers and change a child’s life!

Here are some of the verses that we speak over each child in our Birth-12 Month classroom all the way up to our three-year-old classroom.

“You can do all things through Christ, who strengthens you!” Philippians 4:13

 “You are created in God’s image.” Genesis 1:26

 “You are fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14

 “You have the mind of Christ” 1 Corinthians 2:16

 “You abide in God and His Words abide in you.” John 15:7

 “God is always with you and will never leave you.” Hebrews 13:5

 “You have angels all around you, wherever you go.” Psalm 91:11

 By Jesus’ stripes you are healed.” 1 Peter 2:24

 “You hear the voice of Jesus and a stranger you will not follow.” John 10:4

 “You walk by faith and not by what you can see.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

 “You can have what you say when you pray, in Jesus’ name.” Mark 11:24 

Jodi