Beyond Sunday - Kids Ministry

Dina, Julie, and Maryann explore how Kids Ministry helps children discover they are known, loved, and rooted in the gospel from an early age. They share the vision for creating engaging environments, equipping families, and building a team of volunteers who invest in the next generation.

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Transcript

Welcome And July Ministry Focus

SPEAKER_01 0:04

Welcome to Beyond Sunday, the King of Kings podcast, where usually we are diving a little bit deeper into our message series and seeing what we're taking Beyond Sunday. But for the month of July, we are diving a little bit deeper into different ministries of King of Kings. And today we are talking about kids' ministry. Yeah. I am a kids' ministry person for many, many years in a prior life. My name is Dina Newsome, and I am excited to be here. Go ahead and introduce yourselves, my amazing guests.

SPEAKER_00 0:35

All right. Well, my name is Mary Ann, and I am the current uh director for kids' ministry here at our Millard campus.

SPEAKER_04 0:42

And I'm Julie Easley. I'm the executive director at King of Kings, but I'm also in the central next gen director role. So I'm wearing two hats currently.

SPEAKER_01 0:52

And you started out in kids' ministry. I sure did a long time ago with Pastor Roger. All right. So my question, my starter question for you guys today, it kind of has to do with the kids' topic.

What We Miss About Childhood

SPEAKER_01 1:05

What is the one thing you miss about being a kid? Or if you could, you know, be a kid again, what would be the reason why? Like, what is it that you miss?

SPEAKER_00 1:17

I'll answer this to start. Um, so I remember growing up, the playgrounds used to be like the metal playgrounds. Um, you know, we like they were scorching hot if you touched it. But I remember that as a kid, like I would hang with one knee over the bar and then I would just spin on it over and over and over again. And it just was like a full fun twirl whirl that never ended. And I just I missed being able to do that. So it just was funny. Have you tried it recently? I would totally hurt myself. I was not able to do that.

SPEAKER_04 1:49

So many things about childhood are magical. I remember um catching fireflies and putting them in mayonnaise jars, and the top had my dad would punch holes in them with the nail so that they could breathe. That was super fun. But I was a very much an imagination girl, and my cousins and I all lived in the same town, and we would play Little House on the Prairie, and we would just make up big adventures, and my youngest sister was the dog, and I would be in the starring role.

SPEAKER_05 2:20

Of course. Younger sisters always get the brunt of it. You know what? It's so true. She still is like, you did me dirty.

SPEAKER_01 2:28

That's what you get when you're the baby. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 2:31

But I still look back on that with so much fondness. It's just a great time to be alive. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:37

I think what I miss most about being a kid was the lack of fences in backyards. I can remember we would go out in our backyard, and there was not one house on my whole block had a fence. And they had a fence because they had a big mean dog. And so that was, it was a chain link fence, but you could see all the way down the block and then you just look and see who else was outside, and then you'd go meet up with them and play and you know, whatever, do whatever it was, roam the neighborhood, ride bikes, go to somebody's house and do something. But I just remembered that like going outside and looking all the way down and just finding someone to play with. And my kids didn't grow up with that. Like here, we had a backyard fence, and I feel like everybody had fences, and that just wasn't the way anymore.

SPEAKER_04 3:20

And it was just probably the feeling of freedom, like physical freedom. And then you had the whole day ahead of you to just do whatever. Yeah. Yeah. It's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 3:28

It was fun. Now we have schedules and yeah, you know. I I sometimes I say that the thing I miss most is um no guilt about napping. Oh man, I still have no guilt about napping. I I nap away oftentimes, but I feel guilty about it. Oh, I could have been cleaning this.

SPEAKER_04 3:48

Life's too short. You gotta nap. Yes, you know.

SPEAKER_01 3:52

Um I joke. Um, was it is it Elijah where he ate and took a nap and then felt better when he was struggling with all of his weight? And I'm like, it's in the Bible. It's a wounds now and a nap, and you are gonna feel better. Heal many wounds.

SPEAKER_00 4:08

About 80% of the time that works with my daughters. I'm like, do you need a nap? Do you need a snack? Yep. It's always a yes.

SPEAKER_01 4:15

Yep.

Kids Ministry Basics And Ages

SPEAKER_01 4:16

All right. So we're talking about kids' ministry here at King of Kings. And so let's talk a little bit about kind of what kids ministry involves right now. Like what different pieces of the program do we have? What ages do they hit? For somebody that maybe is a little bit clueless, let's start with the basics.

SPEAKER_04 4:33

So we've got Sunday morning programming that runs for um all the way from our littlest babies in the nursery all the way through to fifth grade. Yes, fifth grade. So that's on Sunday. So there's something for every child when they show up on a Sunday, um, a day designed specifically for them. And then on Wednesday nights during our connect group season, so that's happening fall and winter and spring. Um, we have Wednesday night programming. So while maybe parents or adults are in doing their connect group, we've got something especially for kids. And so what are the ages that that runs for? Yeah. We've got nursery too for that.

SPEAKER_00 5:17

Currently for Wednesday nights, we do have the nursery program as well. Um, and then it goes all the way up to fifth grade. So similar to the Sunday, except those the classes tend to be a little bit smaller and a little more intimate on Wednesday nights.

SPEAKER_04 5:31

But yeah. And then one of the things that we've picked up here at the Millard campus is that we're doing more events, also fun events for kids, um, just so they can get to know each other, have fun. Um, and so that's something that we're gonna be doing more and more of just to develop relationships more.

SPEAKER_01 5:48

So, can you share a couple of those events that we've had recently?

Special Sundays And Fun Events

SPEAKER_00 5:52

Yeah. So currently here at Millard, we have what's called a special Sunday. So every month we have a different theme curriculum. And so it's always based on a Bible story and we really focus in on it, but it comes with a theme. So our past one was we are family, and it was focused on Abraham's family and all of the fun and struggles that they had as they were going through life. And so, what we did for the kids on our last Sunday is we set up a giant board game in our hallway. Um, and kids got to go through this giant board game all the way to their class. And so those are the type of special Sundays that we're trying to create for kids to one, associate the Bible story to life, and then also just to have fun, enjoy friends, and be able to invite people.

SPEAKER_04 6:37

So and then we um had our fourth and fifth graders participate in a sky zone activity where they just got to jump around on trampoline. We've got Kid Olympics coming up this Thursday. We've got a bunch of kids signed up for that. So we're just looking to provide opportunities for kids to first of all get to know and love Jesus, but then get to know and really enjoy the other kids at King of Kings.

SPEAKER_01 7:00

Okay, so that's um encompassing what it happens at Millard.

Campus Differences And Next Steps

SPEAKER_01 7:04

Is this the same at Northwest and Fremont, or what might be some of the differences between campuses?

SPEAKER_04 7:10

So we have kids ministry available um on Sundays at our Northwest and our Fremont campuses as well. And I know that on at the at the Northwest campus, they have Wednesday night activities. I am not positive about I should have I should have brushed up on this a little.

SPEAKER_01 7:29

This is like stump the chump. I think there's no kids' ministry at Fremont, not currently. That's something they're hoping to get to, but right now, yeah. They have student ministry that happens on Wednesday at that's something that happens at Millard and Fremont, but not at Northwest currently.

SPEAKER_04 7:45

That's maybe starting in the fall at Northwest. But currently, we're so blessed at Fremont. The person who is leading kids' ministry at Fremont is a volunteer. I mean, she's absolutely incredible. Shout out, Linda, Linda Watson. If you're listening, we love you. We're so thankful for you. Yes, yes. But it would be a lot to ask someone to do that on Wednesdays as well as a volunteer.

SPEAKER_01 8:07

So if you're a listener and you have questions about what is happening at your campus, reach out to your campus director and they will be able to point you in the right direction. Or if you maybe want to jump in and help start something at your campus, reach out to your campus director. Yes. They will help you.

Renovations And Family Discipleship Plans

SPEAKER_01 8:23

All right. So that's kind of where things are at right now. Like what's just on the horizon? What are some exciting things coming up in the next few months, in the next year? What does that look like?

SPEAKER_00 8:33

Uh well, currently here at Millard, um, I know that we are focusing on improving the spaces for the kids because we want it to be exciting when they walk into the classroom. We want them to be excited to learn about Jesus. Um, and so one of the things that we are doing is we're improving the rooms. We are adding fun graphics, we are adding um more crafts, maybe even some prize buckets if they memorize the memory verse for the month, then they get a chance to kind of see if they can repeat it without looking at the screen. Uh, and so those are a few of the things that we are looking forward to. We're also hoping uh here in the future, in the near future, to be able to provide a space for families uh with children that have special needs. This space would not be covered by volunteers. This would be with the parents in the room, but it would provide them a space with similar families so that they can connect and then hopefully then create connections outside of church as well. Uh, a lot of the things that we are focusing is how do we get the faith to move beyond the walls of King of Kings? And so my team currently is working on things like um the Faith and Family Night at Werner Park. That's something that we recently promoted and we purchased tickets so that families could attend the game free. And then in the near future, we hope to be able to do something similar with um, you know, single parents' uh date night where they all get to go together to a play space with their kids and just connect and just talk about how difficult it's been to walk that life. And so we're just trying to open that door to see like this is where your story is currently. Where is God taking you in that story?

SPEAKER_04 10:15

I think we're also looking into um how can we help encourage and resource family discipleship? So we're we've been given um a wonderful gift. I can't share a lot about this right now, a monetary gift for kids ministry. So we'll be applying some of the money towards that. Um and then also we're also gonna be putting on more events for kids. Um, doing that more outreach types of things. So all of that's coming ahead, and and we're super excited about it. The renovations are gonna make a huge difference. I think anybody who has kids knows that the spaces that they're in just shape their their behavior and their learning readiness. And so um being able to transform some of our spaces is really making a huge difference for us.

SPEAKER_01 11:00

That does make a big difference. I know being in kids' ministry for a long time. You can do kids' ministry in about any space, but the space does influence what you are able to do in that space and how much the kids enjoy it or how much they retain from it.

SPEAKER_04 11:14

Yes.

How Giving Impacts Kids

SPEAKER_04 11:15

And I I just want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who gives to King of Kings. Your money directly impacts children's experiences. And um, really, there's no greater mission than for our children to understand how much Jesus loves them. And although it may seem like a long path from your dollar to that happening, it's not. And so every time you give, you're blessing a child in Jesus' name. And it it's tremendously impactful. So thank you to everyone who gives to King of Kings.

SPEAKER_00 11:49

Yes. Um, and if even if you're not able to give, you know, a monetary donation, even the people that have given up their time to be able to be with the kids on Sundays or Wednesdays, or even any of the special events that we do, it means a lot. The kids they notice when their community is showing up and they notice when their parents are helping, they are watching everything that we do as parents. And um we are very blessed that we have quite a few parents that they they started volunteering and now their kids are volunteering. And so it's a beautiful thing to see just the congregation at King of Kings slowly stepping into that role of I want to serve the next generation.

Volunteers Needed And Where To Serve

SPEAKER_01 12:31

Okay, so that's a good transition into my next question. Let's talk about volunteers and kids' ministry. Kind of where are we at with volunteers? What are the areas that people can serve in? What are some different talents or skills that you're looking for to help the next generation?

SPEAKER_00 12:48

Um, so currently on a given Sunday, here at Millard, just Millard alone, we need about 70 volunteers per hour. And that is to be 7-0. Seven zero folks. Yes. Yes. And um, there is a spot for pretty much everything in the nursery. Essentially, we just need you to be there present with babies and help them feel comforted and loved while their parents are being fed spiritually, and that is such a big deal. And then for our two and three-year-olds, it's just teaching them, hey, this is what God's love looks looks like while having snacks and playing games and doing puppets. Then you go into um our three through five grade or five-year-old room, and that is a little bit more in-depth where we teach them with videos and we do a craft associated to a Bible story, and then we play a game associated to that Bible story to help them connect like the story of God in their life. And then you go into first through fifth grade, and in that area, it really breaks into um a deeper, more um meaningful conversation with the kids. And you are talking about their struggles that they're going through. You're talking about, oh, grandma's been sick for three weeks and mommy's really sad. You're talking about, I've been having a really hard time at school because my friends don't want to play with me anymore. And sometimes all they need is someone to listen. And I think people get scared about serving in kids' ministry because they're like, Well, I don't know anything about the Bible. You might not know the Bible word for word, but you know life. You've experienced life and you can connect with kids on that level. And then you've also experienced Jesus' love, and that's how you can help these children grow. So there is a spot for everybody when it comes to serving in kids' ministry.

SPEAKER_04 14:48

Yeah, we also have a lot of resourcing that goes on. So maybe you're you think, I don't know if serving with kids would be, you know, my bag exactly. But I love to organize things, I love to cut stuff out. Boy, send an email to Mary Ann, Marianne at kingofkings.org, and she will get you hooked up. Yes, I will. I mean, we always have opportunities, like kids ministry has closets. Do we have closets? Closets and closets that, you know, just as you know from home, things drift into chaos if you let it go. So if you love to organize, we've got a spot for you. I think I also just want to encourage people that um lessons are planned out. You're not starting from scratch. If you love to present up front, we would love to have you. If you're comfortable in front of a large group telling a Bible story, engaging kids in that way, hop on board. If you're like, wow, that sounds super scary to me. That whole portion is taken care of. And you're just sitting with your small group of kids, then you go back to and you work on a craft together and again talk about life and how it connects to the Bible story you just heard. Um it's such a blessing to spend time with kids and it's so impactful. And here's the thing many hands make light work. So if you're like, hey, I can only give one Sunday a month, terrific. We'll take it. Um the more people that we have, the more personalized attention children can receive, and it makes it a great experience for both the adults and the kids. So I just want to encourage you, maybe you're on the fence or you think I can't commit to every Sunday. We're not asking for that. We're we don't make it hard.

SPEAKER_01 16:36

Um, you receive We're not gonna argue if you want to come every Sunday. We won't tell you now. Yeah, great, great.

SPEAKER_05 16:43

We're just trying to make the bar as low as possible of them. But if you want to jump over it, you'll be our new best friend.

SPEAKER_04 16:48

Um, but you receive all of the information about the lesson ahead of time. So it's not like you're seeing it for the first time either. All the materials are sitting out for you. So, really, we try to make it as user-friendly as possible, and you've got gifts that you can share with kids. And I remember my Sunday school teachers still, like I'm in my mid-50s and I remember them by name. And I saw something really interesting on Instagram the other day. Someone said that the thing that is most impactful in a child staying connected to Jesus as an adult is what their experience was like in kids' ministry. And if they had a great experience, that faith sticks with them through a lifetime. So, man, if you're looking for some impactful way to serve, this is it.

When Faith Clicks Plus Tech Help

SPEAKER_01 17:40

Well, one of my favorite things that I miss about kids' ministry is when you see the moment that things click in their brain about a certain idea. The when kids are really little, the idea of God is so intangible. You know what I mean? It's very hard to put hands and feet to it for them to understand. They understand the other lessons you're teaching them about being kind or, you know, loving others, that kind of thing. But gosh, I love when that moment clicks and they can retell you the story and the why, or, you know, things like that. It's just an exciting moment to be a part of. The other interesting thing I'm gonna mention is you need tech people too, like people that are good with computers or, you know, sound systems or stuff, they use that back in kids' ministry. And that is not a strong suit for me personally. So I know that I am no help in that area in an emergency. But um if that's an interest for you, it doesn't just have to be on the big stage.

SPEAKER_04 18:36

Absolutely. And we need tech people, right, Marianne?

SPEAKER_00 18:39

We do. And I I think just like you said, you know, even if you're not comfortable in front of a classroom or a big um being in front of the stage and giving the large lesson, uh, you there are several ways to serve in kids' ministry. I mean, at one point we needed help just sorting Legos. Like you wouldn't you wouldn't think that it matters, but we were on a time crunch and we needed as many hands as possible to be able to sort Legos. Um, we have someone that does popcorn every single Sunday. Yeah. And I mean, sometimes I'm like, I wish I could give you a break, but one, I don't really know how to use this machine. And two, I don't really have anyone to help you like and give you some relief. And so there is always a spot for for anybody who's want wanting to just be the hands and feet of Jesus in the church. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 19:25

Yeah, that's amazing.

The Why Gospel Not Behavior

SPEAKER_01 19:27

Um, okay, so we've kind of talked about the what and the who. Tell me the why. Tell me like what it what do you want kids to walk out of kids' ministry, feeling, knowing, learning, and what do you want the parents to experience too? Tell me a little bit of the heart behind things.

SPEAKER_00 19:46

For me, the why is I want kids to know that they matter and that they were created with a purpose. And your age doesn't matter. You can be five, you can be 75, you can still share Jesus, you can still be his hands and feet. And for me to know that you have a purpose in your life, and that is to help others find their way to Christ, I think it's just a beautiful thing for them to understand. And I have seen it in the kids that come to our kids' ministry. They share, oh, this week I got to help a friend, or oh, last week a friend was struggling because you know something happened. And so I told them that I'd be praying for them. Like that is huge.

SPEAKER_04 20:31

Yeah, absolutely. I think we want parents to feel like they're dropping their children off at a safe and fun and friendly place. I think I want them to know that we're longing for them to engage with this ministry in the ways that they are discipling their kids at home. And again, I think so many people feel like they disqualify themselves because they don't have maybe an extensive Bible knowledge or but man, just taking time to pray with your kids, to talk with them about your relationship with Jesus is makes so much of a difference. And so, you know, uh what we don't want to do is feel like parents, um, if you send your kids to church, that it's all uh we need to be a partnership. So we can't take all that responsibility on. We want to be working together as partners. You're doing your part at home, and then we're reinforcing that um when they come to church. And and we would love to have parents, like Marianne said, when kids see their parents involved with kids' ministry, it really speaks to them. I think the thing that I wanted to talk about kids ministry at King of Kings in particular is that what we are not trying to do is to preach um behavior management to kids. So be a good boy or girl. Um do your do your Best, and that's not the way that God is pleased with children. Anybody, He is obviously He's pleased when we're following His will and His way, but that's not the route of salvation. It's in Jesus Christ alone and His work on the cross. And so we're always preaching the gospel to kids at King of Kings. And so, yes, you obey because you want to you want to honor the one who sacrificed so much to you, but your behavior isn't what gets you to heaven or makes you acceptable to God. It's Jesus' sacrifice. And so I think that's what makes um ministry here unique in some ways. So it's not just a message of be good, it's a message of Jesus loves you, Jesus died for you, and Jesus is the one who makes you right with God.

SPEAKER_00 22:50

Yep. And I think to follow on that as well, like you said, it's not just a be good, it's a you can fail, you're going to make mistakes. But guess what? It's all been covered by the blood of Christ.

SPEAKER_04 23:02

Yeah, grace.

SPEAKER_01 23:03

Yeah, amen.

Stories That Show Kids Can Lead

SPEAKER_01 23:05

Um, something you said, Marianne, made me think of a story. And uh, I don't know if you guys have stories you want to share too, but um my family went to Hong Kong for 10 summers and did vacation Bible school there. And my son, who is now 19, was five years old the first time we went. And it was all new experience for him, like all crazy. And we weren't really sure what he was gonna do as far as you know anything other than just being one of the kids attending VBS. Um, and we would do VBS in schools in Hong Kong. And so um we would do a morning session and then there'd be a lunch break, and then we'd do an afternoon session. And during the lunch break, a few of the boys at the school that we were at that were a little bit older than my son were very curious about him. And so they had asked their teacher if they could come in and just kind of hang out with us during our break time. And they would come in and they would share their dried seaweed snacks with my son. That's sweet. I think dried seaweed is gross. I never expected my five-year-old to like it, but he loved it. He still likes it to this day. So he would sit and eat seaweed with these boys, and one of the boys spoke a little bit of English, but they even between there were three boys that would come in and eat with him, and they didn't even speak much English, but they just spent time with my son. And they would play like finger games or they would bounce a ball back together or just sit and share their snack. And like, I don't know, four or five days in, the teacher came and told us that one of the boys was asking her why this boy who looked different from them was here. And so she was able then to explain, well, he's here to teach us about Jesus. And this school was a Christian school that they were enrolled in. But in Hong Kong, a lot of parents would enroll their kids in Christian schools because they would learn English, not necessarily for the faith component. So I don't know what the home life of these boys was. But um, she had said that these boys started asking her questions then about what Christian was here to help teach, just because he was eating seaweed with them. And so we talk about like what are kids empowered to do. Like he was just kind. You know what I mean? He was there and he was kind that then created questions for these. Now, had that happened when he was a little older, maybe they would have been able to ask him what he was there for and he could have answered. And like those situations did happen because he continued to come with us, but just to watch him, I know the adults on that team, we were looking for opportunities and trying to find the right situation where we could integrate with the group. We didn't just sit and offer a snack and then have that open the door to the gospel, you know what I mean? And it's such simple things that if we plant the seeds with our kids, they can really be disciples in a different way than adults can even be because other kids approach them different. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 25:54

I love that.

SPEAKER_01 25:54

Do you guys have any cool stories or or any, you know, this happened recently and it was something fun to share from ministry. I'm sure there's a million, and now I'm putting you on the spot, like, oh, think of one.

SPEAKER_00 26:09

Um, you know, I can't I I'm struggling to come up with one, but I do want to say, I think just I'm thinking of Sam right now. So uh for those of you that don't know, Sam is our um fourth and fifth grade coordinator for kids' ministry as well as our resource person for all the campuses. Um, but I think of him in the in the matter of he started with kids ministry here at King of Kings. And so he what he talks about back in the day when he was in kids' ministry and all of the fun things that they used to do. Um, and to see him now as an adult stepping into kids' ministry and then wanting to share um God's word to the next generation is so fun to see. It is so fun to see just how he connects with the kids and he remembers, you know, oh, let's do this game. And he adds like this component of fun. And I don't know if that's a good idea, but we'll try it to things. Um, and so it's just really cool to see how you know you Julie invested time in him as a mom, bringing him to church and having him be part of that, and to now see him as an adult um filling it in that role.

SPEAKER_03 27:29

So a little bit of mom pride there.

SPEAKER_04 27:32

Well, and really, you know, all glory to God, but I have to say there's nothing better than worshiping with your child and knowing that they love the Lord. It's the greatest heritage you could possibly receive. And so I'm I'm truly grateful and I'm grateful to King of Kings that provided so many wonderful opportunities for him and for my other two sons who also love the Lord to know Jesus. It's it's just a something I'll always be grateful for for sure. Okay, I have one funny story. So this was we do puppets in for two and three year olds now, but this was a time when we were still doing puppets for, you know, kind of first through fourth graders. And I had it, and what we would do is we would tell the Bible story, and then the puppet would come up and kind of we would review the story by having the puppet get the story wrong, and then the children would have to correct the puppet. And I was sitting next to a little guy who's probably in first grade, and the puppet is answering everything wrong for this story, and this child is growing increasingly frustrated next to me. And he turned to me and said, This guy wasn't listening to the Bible story at all.

SPEAKER_05 28:43

Like he was not paying attention.

SPEAKER_03 28:47

This guy just always stuck with me.

SPEAKER_04 28:52

I mean, these kinds of things, right? That we teach them is really landing.

SPEAKER_01 29:01

Yeah. All

Identity Belonging And Purpose For Kids

SPEAKER_01 29:03

right. So as we start to wrap up, what do you want people to know about kids' ministry? What's something that maybe you think people don't know or don't understand? Or maybe it just gets overlooked. What do you want people to know about kids' ministry?

SPEAKER_04 29:22

I think I would say that even though times have changed, and sometimes people, you know, say, Oh, it's better back in the good old days, and kids are different now, they really they really aren't. They're the same in their spirit. They still have the same needs for love and for care and for attentiveness, they have the same sense of of wonder, they still are love to, they still see things through fresh eyes. Um, and they still need to know about their savior who created them. And so, although maybe things are are different to some degree as each generation moves on, children's basic needs are the same. And having loving adults in their lives will always be a blessing.

SPEAKER_00 30:21

Yeah, I think that's a good that's that speaks volumes. Having a loving adult in their lives will be a lifelong blessing. Um there's just so many amazing volunteers currently in kids' ministry that they show up and they are just full of energy and life and they just encourage the kids so much. Um but um I just think of the Bible verse of uh, oh gosh, I'm blanking a little bit, but the labor oh yeah help me. Right, the harvest is plentiful. The harvest is plentiful, but the labor is a few. And I think just remembering that even though you see the same volunteer over and over again, you know, sometimes they also need that break. And what better way to help support your kids' ministry than to step into it and walk that life with them? Um that is one thing. And then the other thing that I just want to reiterate to parents is just remember it's their first time doing life. They're not gonna be perfect. You're not gonna be perfect. If you yelled at your kid that morning, it's your first time dealing with a nine-year-old. You know, maybe it's your second time because they're the middle child, but it's your first time dealing with the middle child nine-year-old. Exactly. And so have some grace with yourself and have some grace with your child.

SPEAKER_01 31:50

Um, something that I want to mention that for people to know about kids' ministry is it isn't all ages that can help serve. You have teenagers back there that are some amazing volunteers. Thank goodness for them, honestly. Yeah, I just hear stories or hear conversations, or I may be walking through there for a reason and hear an interaction. They're amazing volunteers. And I think they get it sometimes as adults. We may forget what it's like to be in that stage of fear or confusion. They're a little bit closer in their memory to it. Yeah. The other thing that I and I tell this to people that I talk to too, I think the kids' ministry here does a really good job of looking at the whole child. So, my whole philosophy when I started in kids' ministry, I had read a book that told me every kid is growing up trying to answer three questions. They're looking for who am I? What's their identity? Where do I go? Where do I belong? They're looking for belonging and then they're looking for purpose. What should I do? Like identity, belonging, and purpose. And I think that the kids' ministry at King of Kings looks at all three of those things. You're really trying to meet kids where they're at and let them identify as a child of God, that God is who created them and they don't have to be like everyone else. Um, that they have they are unique and they are loved. And I love that. But your community and the things that you are creating with that community gives them a sense of belonging. My granddaughter comes here and she is looking for that one friend that is, you know, and if he's not here, it's not going to be a great day. She has other friends, but she is looking for that one friend that, and where are they? And that has been created here, you know. But also you're giving them a purpose, you know, age appropriately. Like we're not to carving that out with the two-year-olds as much. But you're talking with your fourth and fifth graders when you brought them out to greet. They had a serve day at the end of May and they came out to greet, like they were on point and out there greeting people. And again, when they're watching other people serve, they're learning about that. And so it's it's not just that type of serving that is their purpose as a whole, but they're learning what that is and discovering what it is in a safe space. And so you do a really good job of setting that environment up well.

SPEAKER_00 34:00

So and as you mentioned, the fifth grade serving, um, that does happen every fifth Sunday here at King of Kings. So when we have a fifth Sunday, we call it uh fourth and fifth grade serve day. And they're welcome to sign up and we will find a spot for them to either greet and I believe maybe even hand out some offering baskets or even just stand alongside someone at the um here to help desk, just kind of be a presence and let them know, hey, you can serve too.

SPEAKER_01 34:27

There's August. There's a fifth Sunday coming up in August. So if you've got a fourth or fifth grader, sign them up. All

Prayer Requests And Closing Details

SPEAKER_01 34:34

right. Well, thank you so much for being here today. Right before we leave, what's what do you want people to pray for for this ministry? What do you want them to pray for?

SPEAKER_04 34:45

I think I would ask them to pray that for each child that comes through our doors to know how much Jesus loves them and that that and that it sinks in deeply into their hearts for a lifetime.

SPEAKER_00 34:58

Yeah. Um, I would say pray for wisdom for the staff here at King of Kings. That me we may always wish to do God's will and just lead the next generation to follow Him.

SPEAKER_01 35:15

I would ask people to pray for the volunteers that aren't here yet because the people who are serving now will not be serving forever. And so, what seeds are being planted in whether it's younger people or just parents who aren't ready for that right now, or people who haven't stepped up yet to pray for those volunteers that are coming, that he is molding shaping their hearts to be ready for that. So love it. Thank you guys for being here today. And if you want to find out more about kids' ministry at any campus, you can reach out to Julie or Marianne and they'll direct you to the right person.

SPEAKER_04 35:47

Julie at kingofkings.org or Marianne M-A-R-Y-A-N-N. No-e at King of Kingsorg.

SPEAKER_01 35:57

Don't type no E. No. Correct. All right. We are excited to jump into our game on series starting next week. It'll be um fun for all ages, including the kids. Yep. And until then, let's keep living our faith beyond Sunday.