Children's ministries
The focus of Children’s Ministries is to connect children to a lifelong, loving relationship to Jesus and His Church through discipleship, worship, community, service, stewardship and outreach.
The core ministry values include:
- Joy: we want children to celebrate who God is
- Safety: we ensure physical and emotional safety
- Relationships: we are intentional about building relationships
- Sharing: we equip children to share God’s grace
- Engagement: we encourage active learning
- Application: we plan for a changed life
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Pr Kylie Ward Director of Children's & Women's Ministries kylieward@adventist.org.nz |
4th Quarter Mission Offering goes to South Pacific Division:
How great that the children in the South Pacific Division will benefit from the 13th Sabbath mission offering in Quarter 4.
The children's mission news is already on the Adventist mission website and it looks good. www.adventistmission.org Read the stories from Dorcas, Jennifer, Katie, the Abide children and others that we know and love.
The children's project is a set of Flip Charts - size A3 - that illustrate each of the message points, Bible stories, and memory verses of the GraceLink Kindergarten curriculum. There is a page for each Sabbath of the two year cycle - year A and B. These will be given to Kindergarten Sabbath Schools in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands - areas that are greatly lacking resources. Here are some resources to promote this need to your Sabbath schools. For more information contact Julie Weslake on jweslake@adventist.org.au
Children's Ministry Articles
Tiny Disciples, Mighty Servants of God - www.adventistreview.com
Why The Lamb? - Posted 8 April 2009
The Resurgence of the Humble Story - Posted 2 March 2009
Importance of reading - Posted 1 February 2009
Worship Tips for Parents of Young Children - Posted 1 January 2009
How to focus Christmas on Christ - Posted 1 December 2008
Sabbath School
Real Time Faith Bible Study Guides (13-14 years) - www.realtimefaith.net
Power Points Bible Study Guides (10-12 years) - www.realtimefaith.net
Grace Links Bible Study Guides for Beginners (0-2 years), Kindergarten (3-5 years) and Primary (6-9 years) - www.gracelink.net
Book Review
Step by Step
By Jerry D. Thomas
The purpose of this book is to help kids take their first steps in Christian discipleship. It’s to help them understand what it means to be a Christian, to understand how a Christian grows and matures. Based on principles drawn from Ellen White’s classic book Steps to Christ, this book isn’t meant to be comprehensive or deep, but simple and understandable for children.
Formatted like What We Believe for Kids, Step by Step also has teaching tips for parents and teachers. In the back of the book is a selection of quotations from Steps to Christ that form the basis of the teachings of each chapter.
I have written a great deal for children, and in those words I’ve tried to follow the example of Jesus by using simple stories to convey great truths. When you’re trying to teach children great truths, you don’t try to tell them everything—you try to tell them the most important things in words they can understand.
For those who teach, lead, or simply love children, Step by Step is another tool to help show the next generation what it means to be a Christian.
Children Grow with Love and Care
From the time they are born children need to know they are loved, and that people will care for them. Healthy food, warm clothes and a comfortable home are very important to help children grow – but they are not enough in themselves. They also need love and care to grow and thrive. Babies and young children need lots of attention, talking to them or even singing too them really helps. Even though they are children they need to be treated with respect and individuals in their own right. Little people are still people and have their own boundaries, unique likes and dislikes and needs. This also includes respecting a child’s feelings and encouraging children to talk about them and that helps us understand that how they feel is different from how we feel.
How can the church help children grow, I hear you ask? Here are some ways that will help children grow into positive functioning competent adults who contribute to the world and God’s kingdom:
- Be Good examples – adults who show respect for others and for children in their care set an example for children about how to treat others. IF children see hate they will live hate, if they see love they will live love. It takes a village to raise a child and that starts with all of us remembering there are children watching everything we do and say.
- Talk to Children – it seems like the simplest thing, but talking to children shows that we care. There problems are different from our problems but they still matter. The loss of a friend or a teacher or a pet is a big thing in a child’s world and teaches them about how to deal with bigger losses later on. So talk to the children in your church ask them how was school? What’s there favorite subject? What they did on the holidays? It’s amazing the conversations you will have. Asking them about God is always the most amazing discussion as they have amazing faith and amazing insights into God’s Kingdom.
- Include children – ever heard a child pray? Their prayers are heartfelt and beautiful and including them in the church program not only makes children feel valuable, but blesses those who hear it.
- Attend Training- If you want to help children grow, but your just not sure how to build faith, or teach Sabbath school why not attend training. In 2009 the New Zealand Pacific Union is running Children’s Ministry training at Tui Ridge from the 22nd to the 25th of May. Plan to attend with lots of guest speakers and a variety of topics it will help anyone who wants to minister to children.
Children are our future. With love and care they will grow to make a great difference in the world. It isn’t really hard for us as adults to take a little bit of time, to make children feel important.
Exerted from NAPCAN Children Grow with Love and Care – Pr Kylie Ward