CHILDREN'S CHURCH: Vision Statements

Keep your children’s church vision clearly in mind as you prepare from week-to-week.

If you have not yet written down your vision, perhaps these ideas below will help you:


“Our vision for children’s church is to see our children receiving Christ and growing in Him and developing an intimate relationship with God through prayer, reading God's word, worship and learning to serve Him. We involve children in evangelism and church ministry through music, puppets, drama, Scripture memorization and games. Our future vision is: to touch the future generations; reach out to other children beyond our local church; train the children to evangelize; and to involve the children through participation in children's rallies and outreach.” (Gateway Community)

“Through being sensitive to the Holy Spirit, the teachers and helpers of the Children's Church will endeavor to teach the Word of God to the children so that they will have a strong foundation and their relationship with God will grow, and so that, as we teach the children, they may apply it to every aspect of their lives, both at home and at school. We will nurture and develop their love for God and each other, as well as for the Scriptures. They will also be given the opportunity to develop their prayer life. Every new child will be given the opportunity to ask Jesus into their life as their Lord and Savior” (Living Word Baptist Church)

Sunday School Offering Incentives

Giving, as well as everything which happens in Sunday School, should be fun! Here are some ideas you might want to try!

A QUARTER FOR EVERY . . .

Bring in a quarter for every beanie baby you have, for every pillow in your house, for every window in your house, for every pet you own, for every pair of shoes you have.

BANK

A bank with moving parts motivates children, and adults, to give.

BOZO CIRCUS GAME

Place several buckets in a row and play a type of Bozo circus game.

MILE OF PENNIES CAMPAIGN

Requires 84,440 pennies, laid edge to edge, to stretch a mile. The "Mile of Pennies" campaign is a great theme for a special campaign for children.

OFFERING CONTAINERS

Make different, creative offering containers each week to correlate with the lesson that Sunday. This makes giving fun!

QUARTER FOLDERS

Send home quarter folders that hold $10.00 when full. Have contests to see who can fill theirs the fastest, who can fill the most, etc.


SCALES

Have someone make a balance - an upright piece of wood with a piece of wood screwed across (about 2 inches from the top). Attach buckets to each side of the cross piece. It will lower to whichever side had the most money in the bucket. The kids quickly learned to bring change and not dollars!

TO ENCOURAGE YOU: "From the Good Shepherd"

FROM THE GOOD SHEPHERD
by Sherri Langton
(Used by permission)

To the sheep with the heavy heart
Who wets pillows with your tears;
I have arms to wrap around you,
I have strength and listening ears.

To the sheep with the empty eyes
Bruised and battered from the fight;
I have hours of compassion
To soothe you through the night.

To the sheep with the trembling voice
Who wonders which way to go;
I have eyes that see the valleys
Where the tattered breezes blow.

To the sheep with the weary soul
Who can hardly more endure;
I have quiet flowing rivers
With water tasting pure.

I have pockets full of sunshine
When your autumn turns to brown;
In your winter I will hold you
And in My pastures lay you down.

PEW PARTNERS - CHILDREN'S CHURCH ALTERNATIVE

If your church does not have children’s church yet ministers to children whose parent’s do not attend, you may want to organize a “Pew Partners”program.

Secure volunteers in your congregation who are willing to sit with one or more children.

This will maintain a semblance of order in the church, as well as provide these children with loving “faith models” with whom they can relate.