Relaunch, Part 5: The Fabulous Reinvention of Kids' Church
One of my favorite children's ministry resources is a book by Aaron Reynolds called The Fabulous Reinvention of Sunday School. Aaron was a part of the team at Willow Creek, and has some great things to say about transforming Sunday School classes into fun, engaging, transformative environments.
The book came out in 2007, and was really revolutionary in many ways. The whole "large group/small group" thing was just starting to become a thing, thanks to the emergence of curricula like 252 Basics. Aaron's focus on dramatic storytelling, environment, technology & production was cutting edge.
I was leading a 4th/5th grade Sunday School class, and some friends and I were just starting to dream & imagine what a much more engaging church experience for kids might look like. In many ways, Aaron's thoughts scratched right where I itched.
I've walked leaders through parts of this book in 4 different states over the past 11 years. But, the book is now 11 years old. Things change so quickly now. Things that were avant-garde in 2007 are routine in 2018. There is still lots of great material (seriously, if this book isn't on your shelf, spend the $6 and get it today!).
But, while looking at this book recently, I started to think - maybe it's time for a little more reinvention.
But, while looking at this book recently, I started to think - maybe it's time for a little more reinvention.
My team and I have been on a quest to reinvent the Kids' Church in our setting. To create an environment that meets kids right where they were at. Built with "unchurched" kids in mind. One that would be described by kids as "fun". That engaged kids, no matter if they knew a ton or a little about Jesus. That saw transformation. And more and more kids each week.
Wanna know where we landed? You're in the right place.
Let me describe the flow of our "reinvented" Kids' Church, why we've chosen to do what we've done, and how we've adapted curriculum to that process.
A couple notes to start with - our worship service runs between 60-65 minutes, so that's the time frame I'm playing with.
I'm also a big fan of the Hook/Book/Look/Took learning system, originally pioneered by Lawrence Richards, and expanded on by Marlene Lefever. (If you don't have Marlene's book on your shelf, it's totally worth the $20!) You'll see me use this language in my thoughts below.
OK, here goes!
5 minutes - Small Group 1 - Opening Activity (Hook). A simple game that is played as kids are arriving. Creates some excitement and hooks kids into what we've got prepared for the day.
10 minutes - Worship. In my mind, allowing the opportunity for kids to authentically worship our great God is is one of the most important things we can do in Kids' Church. Choosing music that sounds like something they would listen to outside the walls of the church is a must.
10 minutes - Large Group 1 (Hook/Book). A time to engage kids in the experience for the morning and teach them what we want them to know. Opening hook, present the Main Point, and share from the Bible.
7 minutes - Small Group 2 (Look/Took). An activity that reinforces the Main Point and/or Bible lesson, especially focused on what this looks like in everyday life.
5 minutes - Worship. After hearing from the Bible and engaging in a small group, this is a perfect opportunity to allow kids the chance to engage God through music again.
5 minutes - Large Group 2 (Look). A skit that, through humorous situations, helps kids see what living out the Main Point looks like (or, often, doesn't look like). Typically ends on a cliffhanger.
7 minutes - Small Group 3 (Took). An activity that helps kids understand how to live out what they've learned.
7 minutes - Large Group 3 (Took). Time to resolve the skit's cliffhanger, present a memory verse, and land the plane.
5 minutes - Worship. One final chance for the kids to engage God through song. Often something a little more reflective, to close things up.
Dismissed!
Now, you might be thinking - what curriculum is laid out like that?
Uhhhh ... none of them. At least not that I've found.
Going into this reinvention process this summer, we intentionally decided to create a Kids' Church experience that accomplished what we wanted to, and then to search for curriculum that would be most easy to adapt to what we desired.
After searching through lots and lots and lots of curriculum, the one that we chose to adapt is Elevate. It had most of the things that we prioritized as a team. Relevant graphic/video. Gender/racial diversity. Teaching that doesn't assume prior knowledge of the Bible. Regular presentation of the Gospel. Opportunities for kids to respond. And, a large group/small group format that was adaptable.
It definitely takes work to edit and adapt large group lessons, to get in and out of small groups in ways that don't steal time (countdown timers are our friends!), and to plan out 3 individual small group times. But the payoff has been huge.
It definitely takes work to edit and adapt large group lessons, to get in and out of small groups in ways that don't steal time (countdown timers are our friends!), and to plan out 3 individual small group times. But the payoff has been huge.
The kids are engaged. Fewer emergency bathroom breaks. Fewer needs for drinking fountain excursions. Less behavior management. More participation. Boom.
Attendance is growing. Visiting kids are returning at a greater rate. Attendance grew over the summer. More and more kids are hearing the Good News. That's what it's all about.
The team has clear expectations. Large group presenters have a clear game plan. Small group leaders know what they have to accomplish, and how much time they have to do it in. There's no room for ambiguity.
Small group leaders can reset their spaces for each experience. Each one of the 3 small group times may require a different room setup. No problem. They can sneak out during large group and set things up as needed. When kids arrive for small group, things are ready to go. No down time!
Did I mention that the kids are engaged? The pace is fast, and the activities are constantly changing. The hour-long experience feels like it goes by in 10 minutes.
This reinvention probably isn't perfect. I'm confident we'll continue to noodle with it and make adjustments. We'll do something completely different in the summer. And, it might not be perfect for your setting.
But, for us, it infused energy and fun into a stale, using-curriculum-right-out-of-the-box experience. We're engaging kids like we never have before.
And that's the idea. To always be seeking better and better ways to engage kids. To reach kids who don't know Jesus yet. To partner with the Spirit in transforming kids' lives. To never be satisfied with what you're doing now.
So, what are you gonna reinvent?
This reinvention probably isn't perfect. I'm confident we'll continue to noodle with it and make adjustments. We'll do something completely different in the summer. And, it might not be perfect for your setting.
But, for us, it infused energy and fun into a stale, using-curriculum-right-out-of-the-box experience. We're engaging kids like we never have before.
And that's the idea. To always be seeking better and better ways to engage kids. To reach kids who don't know Jesus yet. To partner with the Spirit in transforming kids' lives. To never be satisfied with what you're doing now.
So, what are you gonna reinvent?
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