HOME Grace Land Kids
GLK
Our mission is to supplement the family in winning children to Jesus Christ, establishing them in their faith, and training them for ministry to the world and leadership in the church.
GLK Vision
Our vision is to enable children to grow to be “complete in Christ” Colossians 1:28, walking as Jesus walked.
GLK Goals
Grace Land Kids Children’s Ministry strives to provide a safe and loving environment where children, from infancy through 6th grade:
· Find and love God
· Explore his Word (the Bible)
· Discover their own God-given uniqueness
· Apply Biblical truth to life experiences
· Build relationships within the church family
· Are trained for age appropriate ministry and leadership
GLK Children’s Ministry
We want your child to feel welcome and a part of our program through the people and activities that God has placed in this ministry.
In addition to Grace Land Kids Sunday School for 2's - 6th grade, September - second week of June, we also have children's church during adult worship services, Grace Land Kids - Real Life. In our Real Life program for ages 4's - 6th grade (age by September), emphasis is made on worship and relational teaching of biblical truths and how that affects children's real lives.
All of our curriculum is Bible based and Christ centered. Infant - 2-3's nurseries are available for all three services as well.
GLK Core Values
1. Children are important and capable, they matter to God.
Grace Land Kids teachers know that God loves each child uniquely; therefore each child will be loved and treated as an individual with differing emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual needs.
Objectives:
· For each child to feel loved and cared for, treated as an individual regardless of learning styles, emotional needs or physical handicaps.
· To care about the “whole” child, not just their spiritual growth and knowledge.
· To provide a safe, inviting environment where children are protected from harm.
Methods:
· Use teaching methods that address all learning styles, emphasizing “learning by doing!”
· Guidelines and policies to prevent sexual abuse and spread of disease.
· Birthday cards, parties and social events.
· Rewards for being new and for good behavior.
· Small group time.
2. Children are not only tomorrow's future, but also today’s leaders who make a difference for Christ in this world.
Children are to be respected, valued and given functional roles and responsibilities. God gifts believers (children included) with a spiritual gift to be used in ministry. Ministry is the glue that cements children to their faith and a lifelong commitment to Christ!
Objectives:
· To provide children with leadership training and opportunities for ministry in the church.
· That children know that they can make a difference for Christ in their world.
· That teachers and parents encourage children to be their highest and best for God.
Methods:
· Kids in leadership.
3. Children are fully capable of making an informed decision about entering into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Grace Land Kids exposes children to Biblical principles which provide them with a foundation of understanding, so that when the Holy Spirit begins to move within the heart of the child, the child is able to make an informed decision about accepting Jesus Christ as Savior. That foundation continues to build as children make decisions about what it means to be a fully devoted follower of Christ.
Objectives:
· To build a foundation to make an informed decision.
· To correctly teach and explain how to become a Christian.
· To dignify that event by making it extremely special.
Methods:
· Teacher training, "Leading a Child to Christ';
· Recording Book
4. Grace Land Kids is child-centered, not adult-centered.
Adults working with children need to gain a child's perspective. Their perspective and teaching methods need to be age-specific.
Objectives:
· For children to feel that their teachers have a desire to understand their world.
· For teachers to make the Bible, which is an adult book, meaningful to children.
Methods:
· Training in age-level characteristics
· Participation in events, etc., that helps gain meaningful perspective.
· Use life examples and questions at their age level and interest.
5. Creativity is critical if children are to be ministered to effectively.
There are many ways to attract and hold the attention of a child, and new ways of expressing the message of the gospel are tried to make it come alive in a child's mind. Fun draws children to the church, and love keeps them.
Objectives:
· To create positive memories of the church.
Methods:
· Learning games, activity centers, puppetry, drama, visuals.
· Hands-on learning activities.
6. It is imperative that adults make the message of Christianity relevant to the life of a child.
Often children are taught Bible stories, yet they do not understand how these stories relate to their lives. Grace Land Kids leaders are dedicated to showing children how the principles taught in the Bible can be applied to everyday life, thus allowing children to discover how they can walk with God and be difference-makers. Effective teaching is only that which results in life change.
Methods:
· "Now what?”
· Small group discussions.
· Age appropriate, contemporary curriculum.
· Age level curriculum for 4th - 6th grade graders.
7. We believe it is important for leaders to be relational, not just informational.
While the leaders within Grace Land Kids strive to creatively provide information that is relevant to a child's life they also realize that building a relationship with a child may be the most effective tool. Children remember adults who were interested in their lives and who cared enough to build relationships with them.
Objectives:
· For each child to know their teacher wants to get to know them.
Methods:
· Prayer request sharing and follow-up.
· Greeting children outside of class.
· Phone calls, notes.
8. All children need to be accepted, not alienated.
Many children who attend are from non-churched homes and don't have any type of spiritual background. For this reason, the weekly lessons are designed to be independent of one another, and children are not expected to have any previous knowledge of the lesson prior to coming to class.
This allows children who have not previously attended to feel more comfortable in unfamiliar surroundings.
Objectives:
· That no child would be put on the spot to answer a questions.
· That each lesson would be completed in one week.
Methods:
· Team games with group questions, volunteer individual questions.
· Small, cooperative learning groups.
9. Children need to learn "how to think" not just "what to think".
If a child discovers a truth on his or her own, that truth or belief is theirs for life. If children are taught "how to think" and "own" the Bible truths they have discovered in scripture they will not be easily influenced by others’ opinions or beliefs in the future.
Objectives:
· To articulate information and give opportunities for children to make constructive choices and decisions in everyday life.
· That children would learn to use the Bible as a measuring stick for belief/values.
· That they would be involved in making personal life application statements of faith.
Methods:
· Relevant 4th – 6th grade curriculum.
· Taught now to use a concordance.
· Emphasis on God's "direction book”.
10. Excellence honors God, and inspires people.
Grace Land Kids wants to provide the highest quality Christian education experience possible, We seek to find what the "cutting edge ideas and methods are and weigh them with Grace’s goals. We seek to plan every lesson to the best of our abilities.
Objectives:
· For the leadership to be attending workshops, networking and being actively involved in professional development.
· For teachers to be given excellent teacher training.
· For lessons, programs to be well planned and thought out.
Methods:
· Conventions
· Regular teacher training opportunities
· Team planning
· Personal growth opportunities and encouragement
· Resources provided
· Prayer encouragement and support
Safety Procedures
Because we strive to provide a safe, secure environment for the children of Grace, we have implemented a security system. Every one of our volunteers has been screened and is required to wear a name tag. Our leadership staff is equipped to handle total care for each age division to ensure your child’s absolute safety and security while in our care. Parent pagers are a part of our security measures for all children under age 4. Our staff will make every endeavor to make sure you and your children feel happy, safe and secure while in our care.
Join Our Ministry Team!
We believe that your child’s spiritual development is an integral part of his/her family life. We are available to assist you by providing the best programs we can offer.
Nan Felt, Children's Ministry Director, nfelt@accessgrace.org or 491-8954 x110.
