For us, this happens in large group.

2nd and 3rd Grade Large Group at North Point

Mandee Young, the UpStreet Director at our North Point Campus shared the following information last week at Drive 2010. She is one of the key developers and influencers of our large group strategy!

Kindergarten and 1st Grade Large Group at Buckhead Church

There are three major components that make up the Large Group segment of the morning.

The host segment is designed to energetically capture the kid’s attention, get them excited about what we want them to know, and make sure that they have FUN!

The worship segment is designed to give everyone an opportunity to worship God for who he is and what he’s done.

The Bible story segment is designed to make the Bible come to life and to teach one key truth from God’s Word.

Kindergarten and 1st Grade Large Group at North Point

In order to make large group everything that it needs to be, we rely on a committed team of volunteers.

The producer directs, provides leadership, and connects relationally to a team of volunteers to ensure the best possible large group experience. He or she is the boss of the room!

The host energetically “emcees” and captures teachable moments at every transition. Recruit the same person for this role every week and tailor the host to the age group.

The worship team leads kids with energy and enthusiasm in worshiping God for who he is and what he’s done. Recruit a team of three to four adults and teenagers. The leader is a constant presence every week. Supporting team members can rotate.

The storyteller communicates the Bible story in a creative way and unveils the bottom line so that it becomes unforgettable to a child. Recruit a team of excellent communicators (men and women) you can place on a rotating schedule.

The tech team enhances the story and worship experience through sound, lights, and video without distracting the audience.

Kindergarten and 1st Grade Large Group at Browns Bridge

We have the most important, life-changing message in our possession. We need to create the kind of environments that kids wake their parents up early on Sundays to attend!

What are the key components to your large group environment?

Today is the big day and I just sat in on a pre-conference session and listened to Billy Phenix unpack a big picture view of our strategy to partner with parents from birth to high school. I won’t be able to highlight all breakouts, but thought you would like a peak into this one!

Here are a few things he shared:

Take advantage of optimal times to partner with parents.

We tend to focus on three times. Creating consistent weekly environments to build relationships, significant milestones to celebrate together, and transitions from one stage of life to the next.

Initiate a partnership with parents during the preschool years.

Most new parents are looking to the church for support. We look to offer them a consistent environment, tools that make it easy to talk about God at home, and a celebration event that reaches out to new parents and establishes that partnership.

Invite elementary parents to play a central role in the spiritual development of their child.

The transition from preschool to elementary can be a doozie! Pay attention and create environments to give parents and kids the information they need. We do this at Kindergarten Konfidential.

We also partner with parents through JumpStart, Family Birthday Celebration, and KidStuf. As you can imagine there was a wealth of insight shared on these topics. I don’t even know where to begin!

Support parents of teenagers as their relationships change and their students become more independent.

Our primary point of communication with parents is from their small group leader. Parents look to small group leaders as another voice who will help their child navigate through these years. We leverage relationships and communication to help parents connect to what we’re talking about with students in small groups.

We also communicate to parents around events and at the beginning of the year. I’ve attended the “Freshman Open House” and enjoyed meeting my daughter’s new small group leader as well as received a CD to listen to after I dropped her off for a weekend camp. This CD was to help me know what she was going to be talking about experiencing while she was away. Both of these were effective for me as a parent!

So, you can see we are off to a great start! If you aren’t at the Drive Conference this year, I hope you will try to join us next year!

What is your plan to partner with parents at every stage of life?

Yesterday was “Meeting Monday!” Every Monday the Waumba Land Directors from each campus meet for the first half of the day and the UpStreet and KidStuf Directors meet for the afternoon. You can read more about our meeting structure here. I thought it might be fun to share what was on our agenda this week.

Evaluate Easter: Several of us were out of town last week due to Spring Break, so today we evaluated our Easter weekend services on each campus. Capturing this information is important to our planning for next year. Here’s what we learned:

* We had more than enough volunteers! Yeah!
* Waumba Land content was great and on target. Kids were highly engaged and learning!
* Preschool Parent take-home was a BIG hit.
* Having a Friday night service caused our Sunday numbers to be lower than we expected.
* Having Easter fall during the week of Spring Break was a challenge.
* UpStreet large group content could have been stronger.
* We probably need to write separate content for kindergarteners on this weekend.
* Wearing biblical costumes in front of 5th graders is NOT cool!

Planning for July 4th: Yes, July 4th falls on a Sunday this year! We know that having enough volunteers will be a struggle. We assume that numbers will be down. (You know what happens when you assume right?) We talked about how we modify programming so that we need fewer volunteers and we will make this an “all-hands-on-deck” kind of day for staff. Still discussing…

New Website for Partnerships: We are working on a new, more user-friendly website for all of our partnerships. This will allow them to access key information like job descriptions, monthly curriculum downloads, and volunteer training pieces. Today we talked about deadlines, what needs to be finished, who will manage the project, etc., with the Waumba Land team.

JumpStart: JumpStart is our salvation presentation for kids and parents. We are changing it. Freshening up our printed pieces. Making our teaching tools super clear and kid-friendly.

We brainstormed the content for a new speaking script and have done some major tweaking. Since we are getting close to a final version, we had one of our staff (who also communicates to kids and parents in this class), do the new version of the presentation for us in our meeting today.

This wasn’t about critiquing her presentation skills (although she was awesome!). This was about fine-tuning the content. We will be presenting the new version of the content during the showcase at the Drive Conference.

Drive Conference Giveaways: We are offering six children’s ministry labs this year along with several main breakouts targeted to children and family ministry. We are giving stuff away. Practical stuff. Like our new volunteer orientation packet and a KidStuf Take-Out.

We narrowed down what we are giving away and then talked through the details of ordering, design, etc. It’s not too late to sign up for the Drive Conference 2010!

Summer Set Design: Every year we change the look and feel of the summer programming for our UpStreet Kids. We typically theme everything out, take over the KidStuf Theater, completely change the set design, add a weekly video series, and several fun elements.

This year our theme is  “The Ultimate Challenge.” We are teaching our kids all about faith and forgiveness. (More about that later.) But a good bit of time in our meeting was spent hashing out the set design ideas and how that would translate to three different campuses with three different stages and existing sets.

It’s going to require a meeting in each KidStuf Theater on each campus with our KidStuf Staff and the UpStreet Director on that campus. The ideas include giant sheets of red and royal blue linoleum hanging from our ceilings all the way down to the floor. It’s a little complicated so on-going discussion is key!

We talked about a few other detail kinds of things like vacation days, budgets, and losing a whole bunch of our stats due to a computer glitch. Not all that interesting.

We are moving into a busy season of ministry. Regular communication and taking the time to hash out the details is so important for our team to be productive and efficient. This is what makes us a team and not just a bunch of leaders doing our own thing!

What is on your agenda this week?

I hope that you make time to stop and reflect and remember what our Savior did to rescue us.

We know there are many great reasons to use an electronic check-in system and when we received a great comment from Clair Maurice, a children’s pastor from Silverwater, Austrailia, we asked her to write and tell us about it.

The name of the software that they use is called Excellerate. They use this software because it is the software that their church was already using. She stresses that if you don’t chose a software that works with your existing database then the whole process is pointless!

Here’s what Clair has to say:

All children’s pastors know there’s nothing more painful than seeing a long line of parents with kids waiting to sign into the program.  Even worse is seeing the same people 10 minutes later in another long line for a different age program!

This was our kid’s ministry a year and a half ago.  It wasn’t working and something had to change.

We decided to use the electronic check in software that plugged into our church’s existing database software; it would speed up the registration process and automatically give us attendance numbers.  It wasn’t until we’d used it for about six months that we realized it could also help us identify how often families were attending (Duh!).  A very useful tool when paired with relationship-focused team members and pastors.

Each of our three age areas has a check-in station and our parents are issued with barcode tags that attach to their key ring.  This is scanned by a team member and then used for printing out name tags, room lists and item tags for bottles/bags etc, depending on the child’s age.

Our team for each room is then at the door to welcome children into the program and connect them into their small group.

Visitors have their own check-in point with separate colored labels, allowing them to be looked after by our ‘Guest Team’ and keeping the check-in points fast for the regulars.  It also makes them feel special to be taken right past the lines straight into the program!

It has taken a while to identify and develop those team members who are best at operating it and I owe the IT department a lifetime supply of chocolate for the hours they’ve spent fixing problems that just ‘appeared’ for no reason.

Overall though, it has kept our waiting line for check-in down to a maximum of 5 people and no more ‘guesstimating’ attendance numbers because team members forgot!  Our kids love showing their new friends how they can get a label with their name printed on it at church!

What you’ll need for an electronic check-in system:

* Check-in system software (most databases designed for churches have a plug-in for this) approx. $300
* Label printer  approx. $450
* Computer/laptop  approx. $2000 but if you have one lying around, just use that!
* Scanner (if you are using tags)
* Card printer and admin. (if you are using tags)
* Tech savvy people to set up, operate, and troubleshoot

Other options instead of key tags are direct entry of the family’s last name or phone number into the check-in system.  This is slower but you can still check in about 40 kids in 10 minutes and you don’t have to worry about producing key tags.

Thanks Clair, for sharing your insight on using an electronic check-in system!

If you’re using an electronic check-in system that you would recommend - please share!

Guest starring…Goliath!

Unforgettable - that’s our goal for any UpStreet Bible story. How can we capture the kids’ attention so they’ll always remember God’s Word? How can we make it come alive before their eyes? More specifically, how can we present a bottom line that will stick in their minds as they face life’s challenges? Simply put, how can we make it unforgettable?

That question drives our large group team as we’re planning curriculum. And each Sunday’s Bible story looks very different. One week we might play an elaborate game show to show how Jesus reinstated Peter. Another week we might tell the story of David and Jonathan by bringing small group leaders up on ladders, then have Jonathan lower himself (literally) to show honor to his friend David.

Recently, we told the story of David and Goliath. All month long, our kids had been learning about honor - treating others as if they are more important than you. On that particular Sunday, we focused on one bottom line: honor God no matter what. We told how David honored God by standing up to a nine-foot giant.

It’s one thing to just tell the story.  But of course…we wanted more. We wanted a “wow” moment. So we were especially excited because Goliath made a special appearance in all three of our large group environments.

He was fierce!

For a moment he ruled the stage!

It wasn’t a complicated idea. It wasn’t even that expensive - we bought a Hercules suit from one of the many costume retailers online (and now we’ll have it for future prop needs as well). We searched our volunteer ranks to find the tallest guys we could think of.  And there we had it - our “wow” moment.  Goliath was a fierce enemy as he entered from the back of the room. A few hearts beat a little faster for just a moment!

The important thing is that we wanted to make a BIG impression. We didn’t want to tell the story in a boring way, or even in a satisfactory way. We want to always push ourselves so that the story is unforgettable. Then, when the kids go back to their small groups, they can talk about what it means to really apply it to their lives. And someday, when they’re facing a nine-foot giant of their own, they might just remember Goliath busting through the doors of their church…and how David was able to stand strong because he honored God no matter what.

For every Sunday - for every Bible truth we want to share - how can we make it unforgettable?

JumpStart is a 30-minute presentation for both kids and parents where we teach children what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This is an important part of our strategy to lead children and parents into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. You can find out more about JumpStart here.

We invite our kids and parents to attend JumpStart in several different ways.

· We have a printed information cards that we give to kids and parents when they ask us about JumpStart.

· We create a special piece to talk to the kids about JumpStart whenever we are sharing the gospel in our curriculum.

· We advertise the dates and times in the bulletin.

· We talk about JumpStart during KidStuf.

· We send out an e-blasts several times a year to all of our UpStreet Parents to keep them aware of upcoming dates.

Here is an example of the email that we sent last week:

UpStreet Parents,

Have your kids been asking questions about faith or how to have a relationship with Christ?  If so, JumpStart is a great place to start.  JumpStart is a unique 30-minute presentation where parents and children (grades K-5th) can learn what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  JumpStart is a prerequisite for a child to participate in Family Birthday Celebration, a special baptism service for children who have made the decision to trust Christ.

Here is a glimpse of what JumpStart and Family Birthday Celebration are all about:

Click here to view the embedded video.

We would love for you and your child to have the opportunity to participate in these special events with us.  Here are our upcoming dates for both events:

JumpStart

March 21

May 16

Family Birthday Celebration

May 16

For more information or if you have any questions, please contact us at jumpstart@northpoint.org.

UpStreet Staff

We believe that it’s important to include parents in the most important decision that their child will ever make.

How do you invite parents into the process of leading their children into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ?

A few weeks ago we talked about some of the policies and procedures that are in place to help keep our kids safe from harm. You can read more about that here.

We’ve found that it’s important to train our volunteers and staff on the exact steps to take when faced with an emergency. One of those emergencies that we’ve faced is a lost child.

Thankfully we have never truly “lost” a child. But there have been a few times where a child has gotten away from their parents in a crowded hallway, or has traveled to KidStuf and gotten in with the wrong group.

Before I share the steps that we follow, I wanted to say that I don’t recommend that you copy our policy and implement it exactly. There are several details and steps in our procedure that are unique to us, to our building, to our staff, and to our volunteer positions.

This is what works for us. But, as with every policy and procedure, you should take the idea and look at it through your own unique lens and decide for yourself what is best for your ministry.

Lost Child Procedure:

Here are some possible reasons for a lost child:

• Snatched child . . . take immediate action. Yell and try to get everyone around you to stop the person.
• Traveled child to another environment and they are now missing.
• Child left your room or parent without supervision or permission.

In all instances – FIRST notify the Coach in charge. If  the Coach is not available, notify a staff person.

If the child is missing from the environment follow these procedures before assuming the worst:

1. Go to all logical locations

* Double-check classrooms

* Check large group environment

* Check KidStuf Theatre

* Check surrounding classrooms and other age group classrooms

* Check bathrooms

* Check Leadership Room

2. Put Host Team members at every exit door.

3. Locate parent and stay with them until the problem is resolved. Be reassuring and calm.

4. If you have looked at all above locations and still cannot locate the child (2-5 minutes) then Director will decide to lock down the wing.

Instructions to lock down wing (Staff is the only one to go to this step!):

1. Assign Host Team members to every door.

Prepare them to explain (calmly) why doors are shut. If this occurs between service times, staff may have to stand on chair, use the mega phone, and ask for attention of those people still on hall. Explain what we are doing and ask for cooperation

2. Do not let any child leave the hall.

3. Notify ALL staff on hall of missing child.

4. Notify all coaches of missing child.

5. Notify facilities and main church host team of missing child.

6. Make sure department director is in connection with someone on leadership team who is helping to guide and implement the next steps.

7. Look in all logical places – again! See list from above.

8. Send note to control room in main service to put a message up on the screen.

9. If child is not found, notify Host Team.

10. Decision to be made by staff that no child leaves the church building.

11. Decision to be made with help of department director, facilities director, or leadership team member whether or not to call the police.

These steps may seem too methodical and time consuming. But in fact, these steps are happening immediately and many times simultaneously. If there is a true emergency, core staff would gather and quickly be making these decisions together either face to face or through the use of radios.

What is the procedure that you have in place in case a child was lost in your building?

How do you celebrate what God is doing in the life of your kids?

One of the best environments that I get to participate in is Family Birthday Celebration. You can see a highlight of what this event looks like right here.

One thing that I love about this event is how we capture on video the kids sharing their own personal story of faith. This video is shown right before they are baptized.

Whether you live in Atlanta, New York, or Mississippi, if you work in children’s ministry it is a privilege to be used by your heavenly father to play a part in the story that God is writing in the lives of our kids. I thought I would share a few stories that we heard this past weekend.

This service paints a picture of a very clear win for me and for everyone on our team. It gives value and significance to the work that God has us doing. I hope that you can find the same connection in stories just like these.

What did you see this week that gave significance and value to the work that you do?

How do you plan for events?

This past weekend we took 2,000 kids bowling with their small group. And YES! They were all returned safely to their parents at the end of the day. It was a great event!

The purpose of KidVenture is to help kids build stronger relationships with each other and with their small group leader by getting them together to have fun outside of Sunday morning. The key to success for this event is FUN TOGETHER! Many small group leaders have told us that this event accelerates their relational connection with their kids. You can read more about our last KidVenture here.

Here are a few things that we’ve learned when planning events for kids:

1. Over Plan.

The best way to do this is to think through every step of the event through the eyes of the kids, parents, and volunteers. And then plan for every scenario. Then revisit evaluation notes from past events, and use what worked well before and improve what didn’t.

An example would be: If you have 300 - 5^th graders showing up to one location to check in for the event, then ask yourself what does your Sunday morning experience tell you about how long it takes to check in this number of kids. Can you really get 300 kids registered in a timely manner? Does this mean you need more people? Does this mean you need a larger check in location?

What needs to change if in the past volunteers were frustrated because they had a hard time keeping up with their kids in an unstructured environment?  Do kids need to wear colored wristbands so they are easily recognizable? Do you need to structure the traveling process from one activity to another?

One word to the wise…if you are not good with details, get someone on your team who is good with details to be a part of this planning process. Failure to plan can ruin a perfectly great event!

2. Over Communicate.

When you are planning a large event, the more people who understand the details, the better. Communicate in advance through email. Have your volunteers arrive early and communicate details in person. Also, give them a printed schedule or important “need to knows” for the day to carry with them.

The more people who understand the plan, the better your event will run. Information empowers your volunteers to make good decisions on their own. It also allows them to lead well with minimal input from you. This frees you up to do your job!

3. Over Recruit

Always have more help than you need. If there is a glitch in the planning, it can almost always be fixed with the help of a well placed volunteer. Having more people to help you lead will alleviate much of the stress on individual leaders.

Extra leaders will also fill in those spots where there are gaps, helping to lighten the burden of those last minute cancellations.  The higher your ratio of adults to kids, the more safe and smooth your event will run. Always have MORE people than you need!

Did I mention fun? For these events to be successful, our kids and leaders have to have fun together. It’s really tough to have fun if you are stressed out because you have a faulty plan or you’ve failed to give your leaders good information. If you want to have fun together, you have to PLAN to have fun together!

Here’s a highlight video that we showed to our kids in UpStreet the following Sunday morning!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Share a great event idea that you’ve done with your kids!