Kid Venture - Children's Ministry

Fact: There are only 940 weekends from Birth to HS graduation.

Question: How do we help spiritually guide and train our children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces?

Concept:

At Kidventure we utilize 252Basics: a unique approach to teaching and training your children in the Lord as well as empowering families to continue spiritual training throughout the week. It is built around three Basic Truths every child should embrace according to what Jesus modeled in Luke 2:52 … and Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with god and man.

I need to make the wise choice.

I can trust God no matter what.

I should treat others the way I want to be treated.

Each Basic Truth is amplified by a weekly key concept and systematically taught over a three-year track. The curriculum includes 150 Bible stories and is based on a Core Virtue and Memory Verse as the framework for each month.

What We Teach:

At Kidventure, 252 Basics is more than a curriculum, it's a strategy. Our strategy engages kids in applying and experiencing what they learn. We don't want to encourage kids to come to church just to take in information, but for them to apply truths so they can go out and be the church.

The Master Plan- "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind," This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself" Matthew 22: 37-39.  We believe in this verse so much that we have connected every set of age-group materials and resource to three key relationships: Wonder, Discovery, Passion.

Each of the relationships that Jesus highlighted has a different level of relevance to the stages of a child's development. Imagine the concepts of Wonder, Discovery, Passion as three dials.

Wonder is the most natural dial to turn during the formative years. We spin our content around truths that teach young children about God as a loving Father and Creator. We want them to know that God is big enough to handle whatever they will face and learn to trust a loving, powerful Father. We will help them know that:

God made me

God loves me

Jesus wants to be my friend forever.

During the elementary years, we add the Discovery dial and turn up our content to help them see how His truths should be the compass for their decision making. We also begin turning up the passion dial, encouraging older elementary-aged kids to serve and challenging them to make others a priority. I would like to see every child’s identity determined by a personal relationship with Christ and the Holy Spirit. So they can reflect God's character and impact their world. Our hope would be that every child would embrace a personal relationship with Jesus Christ by the time they the leave elementary environment.

When kids move into the teenage years, the Passion dial is turned up.

Monthly Core Virtue

The curriculum includes 150 Bible stories and is based on a Core Virtue and Memory Verse as the framework for each month.

One virtue is presented for an entire month with weekly bottom lines that illustrate different Biblical illustrations. Each lesson includes an engaging presentation of basic truths as well as an illustration of how God built His character in people. Worship is included so kids experience and learn how to celebrate who God is and what He's done for them. Small Group activities include a variety of games and experiences meant to promote discussion and life application of the lesson, development of faith skills, and most importantly build relationships among the leader and friends in the group. Check out these amazing virtues to be weaved into your children’s lives.

Month: Virtue: Definition:

JANUARY Discipline doing what you need to do now so you can grow stronger

FEBRUARY Honor letting someone know you see how valuable they really are

MARCH Honesty choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do

APRIL Friendship spending time with someone you trust and enjoy

MAY Patience waiting until later for what you want now

JUNE Responsibility proving you can be trusted with what is expected of you

JULY Service ending a hand to help someone else

AUGUST Peace proving that you care more about others than winning an argument

Home Based

Each week, children are sent home with a set of materials: God Time Cards and Refrigerator Door Cards. There are 4 God Time Cards each week with a devotional scripture, journaling and activities that reinforce each weeks lesson, memory verse and monthly virtue. The activities are intended to have your child(ren) apply the monthly virtue. The Refrigerator Door helps you, as parents, to stay in touch and in the loop about what your son(s) or daughter(s) are doing. It provides you with tools, questions and insights on how you can guide and train your child during the week.

Incentive Store

1) Children receive 3 tickets for each service they attend.

2) Ten (5) tickets for returning their God Time Cards signed by parents or by bringing the assignments in completed.

3) First time children receive a visitor gift.

Family Time Empowerment

There is something you can do to help train up your child at home. I am sure that you want to raise children with good character and values. You want to talk to your kids about God and His plan for their lives. But where do you start? What do you say? How do you find the time?

FamilyTimes™ is designed to equip parents with easy-to-use tools to make the most of a family’s everyday moments together. These tools are based on a biblical model in Deuteronomy 6 that teaches that children can learn about God at home during the everyday rhythm of their lives.

And the best part is that FamilyTimes doesn’t require any extra time from parents! It simply helps them be intentional 20 minutes per week doing what they already do.

What’s Included:

MorningTime Cards

Small notecards to serve as a reminder to write words of encouragement to your child each week.

MealTime Notes

Cool conversation starters and questions to get your family talking about the virtue and it’s application in your lives—works as well for Mom’s homemade dishes, as it does for drive-thrus.

BedTime Cards

One story each week that helps parents and kids discover more about God’s big story and how it can be relevant to their lives.

DriveTime CD

This upbeat radio program is something kids and parents can enjoy together on the road. And when the kids aren’t around, there’s even a section that speaks about the many challenges of parenting.

If you have questions or need to talk, give me a call.

Building our kids lives together,

Dave Marrujo

Pastor of Children’s Ministries

Led by Dave Marrujo.