We have an awesome group of teens here at CCV. I recently met with a core group of them who have been involved in serving in our Childrens Ministry. They are the crew of folks that I know I can count on especially when I see them in the hallways before service and need help in the classrooms. They are willing to lend a hand wherever needed; drama, small group leader, tech, whatever and do it with an enthusiam that can not be matched by any adult.
I am looking to forward to seeing this core group (the V-Squad) grow as a ministry team in our children's ministry. I will keep you posted on all the great stuff they will be doing over the coming months!
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Easter Eggstravaganza
We really hope you'll join us for our Easter Eggstravaganza on Saturday, March 15th from 10am-12pm. It will a fun morning of facepainting, inflatables, games, crafts, a petting zoo, refreshments, and 10,000 Easter Eggs to discover! Bring your family and friends for a relaxing morning together at our building.
Friday, February 29, 2008
The Good Shepherd
We spent the past month talking to our elementary age kids about how Jesus is our Good Shepherd using curriclum from Promiseland. During this portion of the lesson we presented the salvation message through a creative use of props and drama. It is amazing how something as simple as a few tables, fabric, a stuffed animal and a wooden cross can have such an impact in capturing the attention of kids.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Children's Ministry Connections
We’re looking forward to meeting leaders at the first Children’s Ministry Connections meeting. CMC is a great time to fellowship with colleagues in ministry and be renewed and refreshed!
Velvet Lozada, Christian Education Consultant at Standard Publishing, will be speaking to us about the value of making connections in Children’s Ministry.
We will also be brainstorming future topics and meeting dates.
Continental Breakfast will be provided.
Date: Thursday, February 28th
Time: 9:30 - 11:00
Location: Christ’s Church of the Valley
1560 Yeager Road
Royersford, PA 19468
For more information go to moviechurch and click on “calendar”, or for directions click on “map and directions”.
Velvet Lozada, Christian Education Consultant at Standard Publishing, will be speaking to us about the value of making connections in Children’s Ministry.
We will also be brainstorming future topics and meeting dates.
Continental Breakfast will be provided.
Date: Thursday, February 28th
Time: 9:30 - 11:00
Location: Christ’s Church of the Valley
1560 Yeager Road
Royersford, PA 19468
For more information go to moviechurch and click on “calendar”, or for directions click on “map and directions”.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Executive Pastors Online
Check out this new resource for Pastors!
Executive Pastor Online is a resource for church leaders who have the need to develop organizational infrastructure without the ability to hire an Executive Pastor. In short, Executive Pastor Online is a "virtual" Executive Pastor, including valuable information and resources covering the typical duties and responsibilities of today's Executive Pastor. It is our hope that Executive Pastor Online will be your primary resource as you answer your calling to build and grow your church.
Executive Pastor Online is a resource for church leaders who have the need to develop organizational infrastructure without the ability to hire an Executive Pastor. In short, Executive Pastor Online is a "virtual" Executive Pastor, including valuable information and resources covering the typical duties and responsibilities of today's Executive Pastor. It is our hope that Executive Pastor Online will be your primary resource as you answer your calling to build and grow your church.
Friday, February 8, 2008
CCV Worship Experience
If you are part of our CCV family, please take a moment to fill out our survey and give us your thoughts on our Sunday morning services. Thanks for your feedback in helping us make Sunday meaningful, relevant and fresh.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Take Care of Yourself
Where has the first month of 2008 gone? I amazed by how time slips by us so quickly sometimes. Take a moment to thank all of those you serve with for the time they put into preparing for the Sunday they serve and also, the time they invest getting to know the kids and the others on your team. But most importantly, take some time and make sure that you and your team are taking care of yourself and growing in your own relationship with God. The kids and the team will grow if we each do our part to stay spiritually healthy. With the start of the New Year encourage your team to chronologically read through the Bible together. Read at your own pace, it is only about ten minutes a day, and use that time to spend getting to know God’s voice. Our ministry to kids will only continue to grow if we make sure to keep ourselves healthy and instep with God.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Know That You Make A Difference
Here is an article from a recent issue of Christian Standard Magazine. Although you may not nessacarily lead a group of fourth grade boys I hope you find this article as inspiring as I did.
Mentoring Fourth-Grade Boys!
Andy Hansen
1/13/2008
Have I told you I’m an assistant teacher for fourth-grade boys on Wednesday nights?
Those who know me realize my skill set is much more in line with the junior high and senior high level. I’m much more comfortable with that age group. So . . . why fourth-grade boys?
A Problem in Our SocietyIn a recent article in Newsweek (September 17, 2007, page 44), a 24-year-old male teacher told how numerous fellow teachers and even parents asked him to be a “buddy” and mentor to certain at-risk students. Josh Holt quickly realized why. “The principal is the only other guy in the school. Some of these kids don’t have any men in their lives, and they really need a male role model.”
The article said the number of male teachers is at a 40-year low. The problem is especially acute in elementary schools, where only 9 percent of the teachers are male (down from 18 percent in 1981). Most children’s ministry coordinators would tell you this trend is reflected in the local church! Where are the male role models?
More and more, boys are demonstrating more difficulties with reading and writing—they are giving up, dropping out, and falling behind the girls in graduation rates. So what happens to these thousands of boys nationwide? What does their future hold if they don’t receive the encouragement to stick with school, to succeed in society, to work toward a purpose, to put in the sweat equity to achieve a dream? What happens to our society if the next generation of men exhibits such low self-esteem, lack of drive, and expectations of leadership (especially spiritual)?
Reg Weaver, president of the National Education Association, identifies a downward spiral: as boys continue to see no male teachers, they conclude that teaching is only for females. William Pollack, author of Real Boys, says most elementary and middle schools have a dearth of male teachers. This sends an early and faulty message to our boys—that education and learning are primarily for girls and women. I wonder what elementary boys think about the church when they encounter no male teachers year after year?
A Solution in the Church?Where in the church are the mature, spiritual men who could mentor elementary-aged young men?
How many men will be sitting in Sunday school class this week, just as they have been for the past 20 to 30 years? There is nothing wrong with seeking more knowledge of God’s Word; as a matter of fact, I highly recommend it. However . . . what about graduating from the student’s chair and heading to an elementary classroom as a teacher?
Even if you are not comfortable being the lead teacher, you can read Scripture, help students find the proper chapter and verse in their Bibles, take attendance, assist with discipline, and talk to the students before and after class. Show an interest when Josh tells you he is going to get contact lenses, when Austin tells you he will be visiting a doctor for asthma treatment this week, and when Todd tells how he recovered a fumble in his football game.
Praise them when they ask good questions or work hard on their student pages, help organize game time, and pass out snacks (squirt the Cheez Whiz on the crackers—the higher you can make the orange pile the more the boys love it). By doing so you are building relationships with young men who are begging for positive male role models and mentors.
It was a typical Sunday when the announcement on stage included a plea for someone to please volunteer to teach the late elementary boys class! This had been going on for some weeks, but the tone was becoming more desperate. Most people knew the reputation of “that class of wild boys” and remained distant and unaffected by the appeals.
Mr. Shepherd never considered himself a teacher, but he couldn’t stand the pleading announcements any longer. Though in his 70s, he decided to volunteer. Mr. Shepherd had no teaching skills. His hands were so arthritic he couldn’t write on the chalkboard. His voice was monotone, and any hands-on style of teaching was totally foreign to him.
The 15 boys were quick to lose attention, fidget, talk, and outright scrap with each other while Mr. Shepherd attempted to teach. That any boy caught any depth of biblical truth was almost certainly an outright miraculous work of the Holy Spirit.
But Mr. Shepherd never gave up. He was the first to arrive in class and the last to leave. He would station himself in the narrow hallway outside the classroom, hook every young man as he went by with his arthritic hand, and let him know that he was praying for him, that he was so glad he had come to class, that God had a purpose and plan for his life.
It almost became a game to see if anyone could scoot by Mr. Shepherd and not be pulled into his grasp. It was a game never to be won, and Mr. Shepherd continued to tell these boys Jesus cared for them despite how they had so rudely conducted themselves in class.
Is it any wonder that almost all 15 of these boys, who are now grown men, are active in their churches and spiritual leaders in their families? Many are also serving in vocational ministry, approximately 40 years after experiencing Mr. Shepherd’s class. I’m so glad he was in my life and chose to mentor us with his consistent classroom presence and love!
Did I tell you I’m an assistant teacher for fourth-grade boys on Wednesday night? Did I tell you there are typically 15 boys who attend? I can’t help but wonder what influence Ben, Walker, Brayden, Kale, Cade, Evan, Josh, Hunter, Devon, Logan, Jeremiah, Westley, Byron, Jacob, and Austin could have with their lives and potentially do for the Lord in the next 40 years!
A Need We Can MeetBoys are four times more likely to drop out of school and to commit suicide. They are twice as likely to be labeled as “slow learners” and assigned to “special-education” classes. Boys murder 10 times more frequently than girls. Though such statistics may not describe most young men in America, the figures are disturbing.
Michael Gurian, a family therapist who has studied some 30 cultures, concludes that American boys are noticeably slighted in two key areas. First, American boys have the least emotional bonding (with mom, dad, grandparents, uncles, etc.) than any other boys in the world. Second, boys are increasingly enamored by exposure to television, computer games, and the Internet. This causes a separation from parents and other important adults, which creates a vacuum of moral development and spiritual value that only comes from relationships.
Are there spiritual men out there who see and catch the missional opportunity to share life with third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade boys? What would Jesus choose to do in today’s church? Would he stay in the auditorium or would he choose to serve during Sunday school or on Wednesday night?
George Barna makes the following bold statement, “Ministry to children is the single most strategic ministry in God’s kingdom. There are many viable ways to use your gifts, talents, and resources. However, if you want to have the greatest possible impact (i.e., to achieve a lasting legacy of spiritual dividends), then consider employing those resources in ministry to young people.”
Mentoring Fourth-Grade Boys!
Andy Hansen
1/13/2008
Have I told you I’m an assistant teacher for fourth-grade boys on Wednesday nights?
Those who know me realize my skill set is much more in line with the junior high and senior high level. I’m much more comfortable with that age group. So . . . why fourth-grade boys?
A Problem in Our SocietyIn a recent article in Newsweek (September 17, 2007, page 44), a 24-year-old male teacher told how numerous fellow teachers and even parents asked him to be a “buddy” and mentor to certain at-risk students. Josh Holt quickly realized why. “The principal is the only other guy in the school. Some of these kids don’t have any men in their lives, and they really need a male role model.”
The article said the number of male teachers is at a 40-year low. The problem is especially acute in elementary schools, where only 9 percent of the teachers are male (down from 18 percent in 1981). Most children’s ministry coordinators would tell you this trend is reflected in the local church! Where are the male role models?
More and more, boys are demonstrating more difficulties with reading and writing—they are giving up, dropping out, and falling behind the girls in graduation rates. So what happens to these thousands of boys nationwide? What does their future hold if they don’t receive the encouragement to stick with school, to succeed in society, to work toward a purpose, to put in the sweat equity to achieve a dream? What happens to our society if the next generation of men exhibits such low self-esteem, lack of drive, and expectations of leadership (especially spiritual)?
Reg Weaver, president of the National Education Association, identifies a downward spiral: as boys continue to see no male teachers, they conclude that teaching is only for females. William Pollack, author of Real Boys, says most elementary and middle schools have a dearth of male teachers. This sends an early and faulty message to our boys—that education and learning are primarily for girls and women. I wonder what elementary boys think about the church when they encounter no male teachers year after year?
A Solution in the Church?Where in the church are the mature, spiritual men who could mentor elementary-aged young men?
How many men will be sitting in Sunday school class this week, just as they have been for the past 20 to 30 years? There is nothing wrong with seeking more knowledge of God’s Word; as a matter of fact, I highly recommend it. However . . . what about graduating from the student’s chair and heading to an elementary classroom as a teacher?
Even if you are not comfortable being the lead teacher, you can read Scripture, help students find the proper chapter and verse in their Bibles, take attendance, assist with discipline, and talk to the students before and after class. Show an interest when Josh tells you he is going to get contact lenses, when Austin tells you he will be visiting a doctor for asthma treatment this week, and when Todd tells how he recovered a fumble in his football game.
Praise them when they ask good questions or work hard on their student pages, help organize game time, and pass out snacks (squirt the Cheez Whiz on the crackers—the higher you can make the orange pile the more the boys love it). By doing so you are building relationships with young men who are begging for positive male role models and mentors.
It was a typical Sunday when the announcement on stage included a plea for someone to please volunteer to teach the late elementary boys class! This had been going on for some weeks, but the tone was becoming more desperate. Most people knew the reputation of “that class of wild boys” and remained distant and unaffected by the appeals.
Mr. Shepherd never considered himself a teacher, but he couldn’t stand the pleading announcements any longer. Though in his 70s, he decided to volunteer. Mr. Shepherd had no teaching skills. His hands were so arthritic he couldn’t write on the chalkboard. His voice was monotone, and any hands-on style of teaching was totally foreign to him.
The 15 boys were quick to lose attention, fidget, talk, and outright scrap with each other while Mr. Shepherd attempted to teach. That any boy caught any depth of biblical truth was almost certainly an outright miraculous work of the Holy Spirit.
But Mr. Shepherd never gave up. He was the first to arrive in class and the last to leave. He would station himself in the narrow hallway outside the classroom, hook every young man as he went by with his arthritic hand, and let him know that he was praying for him, that he was so glad he had come to class, that God had a purpose and plan for his life.
It almost became a game to see if anyone could scoot by Mr. Shepherd and not be pulled into his grasp. It was a game never to be won, and Mr. Shepherd continued to tell these boys Jesus cared for them despite how they had so rudely conducted themselves in class.
Is it any wonder that almost all 15 of these boys, who are now grown men, are active in their churches and spiritual leaders in their families? Many are also serving in vocational ministry, approximately 40 years after experiencing Mr. Shepherd’s class. I’m so glad he was in my life and chose to mentor us with his consistent classroom presence and love!
Did I tell you I’m an assistant teacher for fourth-grade boys on Wednesday night? Did I tell you there are typically 15 boys who attend? I can’t help but wonder what influence Ben, Walker, Brayden, Kale, Cade, Evan, Josh, Hunter, Devon, Logan, Jeremiah, Westley, Byron, Jacob, and Austin could have with their lives and potentially do for the Lord in the next 40 years!
A Need We Can MeetBoys are four times more likely to drop out of school and to commit suicide. They are twice as likely to be labeled as “slow learners” and assigned to “special-education” classes. Boys murder 10 times more frequently than girls. Though such statistics may not describe most young men in America, the figures are disturbing.
Michael Gurian, a family therapist who has studied some 30 cultures, concludes that American boys are noticeably slighted in two key areas. First, American boys have the least emotional bonding (with mom, dad, grandparents, uncles, etc.) than any other boys in the world. Second, boys are increasingly enamored by exposure to television, computer games, and the Internet. This causes a separation from parents and other important adults, which creates a vacuum of moral development and spiritual value that only comes from relationships.
Are there spiritual men out there who see and catch the missional opportunity to share life with third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade boys? What would Jesus choose to do in today’s church? Would he stay in the auditorium or would he choose to serve during Sunday school or on Wednesday night?
George Barna makes the following bold statement, “Ministry to children is the single most strategic ministry in God’s kingdom. There are many viable ways to use your gifts, talents, and resources. However, if you want to have the greatest possible impact (i.e., to achieve a lasting legacy of spiritual dividends), then consider employing those resources in ministry to young people.”
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