This weekend (October 20, 2014) is going to be a really big day!
It’s our first Sunday in the new RidgeKidz hallway! We’re all so excited about this day – it’s been years in the making.
However, we know that CHANGE is never easy. Many will love the new format, some will not. It’s different and sometimes different takes getting used to and learning a few new tricks. If any of the changes are really hard for you, if they put you in a bad spot, or simply need help working through it – please don’t hesitate to reach out. Megan and I would LOVE to walk you through everything.
Hopefully, this guide will help you better prepare. I’m going to try to be as thorough as possible – but I’m sure I’ll miss plenty. Don’t hesitate to ask questions!
PRE-SERVICE HUDDLE
As always, we gather 20-25 minutes before the 9:30 and 11:15 service. For clarity, here are the Huddle Times:
9:30 Service | 9:05 Huddle
11:15 Service | 10:50 Huddle
Our huddles have been filling up – it’s been exciting to see the crowds grow! Please prioritize these huddles – it helps make sure we’re all on the same page. He helps ensure that our team is in sync and ready to go when the doors open! Thank you to everyone who shows up in this way. We’ll continue to huddle up in the same space, but in a few weeks we’ll actually move to a new room because our current room will start remodeling.
INFANTS/TODDLERS
On our existing hallway, we’ll only have two rooms open – Infants and Toddlers (Toddler A). It’s going to be a quiet hallway. Over the coming months, we’ll be remodeling several of the rooms (volunteer room, mom’s lounge, sensory room). For those of you who serve in these two rooms, not much is changing for you. Feel free to read along – but most of what you need to know has already been covered.
PRESCHOOL
On the new hallway, we’ll have THREE rooms dedicated to preschool-aged kids.
- Preschool A (Three Year Olds) – previously Toddler A
- Preschool B (Four + Five Year Olds) – previously Preschool
- Preschool Theater – Where Preschool A & B come for Large Group Worship.
Our two preschool small group rooms are ready to go. In each room, we have two tables and two carpet circles. We no longer have chairs in our preschool rooms. Kids will use the tables for activity centers (arrival and dismissal) and snacks, but most of the time, they’ll sit in their groups at their small group circle.
In each room, we have 3-4 activity center bins. We have new toys, and activities. We recommend only have 2-3 out each weekend and we can rotate through all of them from week to week so the toys always feel fresh and new. Once arrival time is over, kids can help clean up their activity stations and they can be put away for the rest of church.
We’re not officially kicking off Large Group in Preschool for a few more months, but we will actually start a combined “casual” large group this weekend. We’ll use the Preschool Theater, centralized worship, and Bible Story to keep all the kids engaged. It should feel like a fun addition for kids and leaders this weekend!
ELEMENTARY
Elementary may feel the most change this weekend. This is where we move from a classroom model to a small group model. Here’s how this will break down:
Kindergarten & First Grade: Will be meeting in room C7. Right now, Kinder/First will continue to be one group in this room, but in a few months, it will divide into two small groups meeting in the same room.
Second & Third Grade: Previously Second & Third grades have met combined in Room 6. However, we are splitting the group into two separate groups (second grade separate from third) that will meet on either side of the Theater. We have carpet circles in place and we have leaders in place to make this split permanent.
Fourth & Fifth (preteen): Previously, Fourth and Fifth grades have met combined in building 300. However, we are splitting into two separate groups (preteen boys from preteen girls). Exception, we are not yet ready to split the boys from the girls during the 9:30a service, so they’ll meet together for a little longer. We’re excited to create gender-based small group experiences for our preteen kids.
ENVIRONMENTS
The key word is SIMPLE. Everything is cleaner and more simple. Every small group will have a supply cart next to your carpet circle. In your supply cart, you’ll have pencils, markers, crayons, scissors, tape, bibles, etc. All the things you need every week, it’s in your cart. If you need anything extra/special, let us know and we’ll add it to the cart.
Additionally, we’ll also prep a curriculum bin for each small group. It will have your attendance roster/clipboard and any supplies you need for this week’s small group. This week, we’ll have your curriculum boxes ready for you at your carpet circles, but moving forward, you’ll need to grab your curriculum bin from the hallway and put it away before you leave each time you serve.
Lastly, you’ll have a designated circle for your small group. Nope, no tables or chairs. This is a small group, not a classroom. We’re going to prioritize discussion and activity, interaction and conversations. We will provide plenty of clipboards for when kids are doing an activity where it’s helpful to have a hard surface to write/draw on.
PRETEEN EXCEPTION
Pretty quickly, you’ll notice that the 4th and 5th graders have a very different experience. They have some fun activities in their rooms with fun couches and chairs. Yes, this is intentional. One of the biggest drop-offs in church participation happens in the preteen age group. Kids Ministry becomes more “juvenile” for them. We must engage them differently at this age than the way we do for the younger kids. Additionally, a different preteen experience gives the younger kids something exciting to look forward to.
However, we would please ask the Preteen Leaders to emphasize a few things:
- Please respect the new environment
- Please respect the furniture and activities
- Become the leaders and influencers you could/should be
LARGE GROUP
Fifteen minutes into the service, all elementary kids will come into the Kids Theater for Large Group. We don’t have “designated” places to sit, but we can set that up if that becomes an issue. It’s best for groups to sit together, there will often be games/activities where they’ll participate as a small group. We HIGHLY encourage you to sit with your kids and participate in the Large Group experience – setting the example of participation.
Each week, we’ll have a host lead the group in a game or other engaging activity. Each week, we’ll have worship leaders lead the group in songs, worship, and prayer. Each week, we’ll have a storyteller teach the kids a Bible Story. It’s a 20-25 minute experience meant to energize and connect with the kids – helping the Bible Story come to life and help kids connect with Jesus.
Arrival/Dismissal
Small Group leaders, plan to be at your small group circles during arrival. Parents will come into the rooms or to the doorways and drop their kids off in small groups. Once a child sits in your small group, take their sticker and now this child is in your care.
Dismissal is going to take a little practice. Ideally, small group leaders need to stay in their circles with their kids until their parents come to pick them up. However, someone will need to stay at the door and check tags as parents/kids leave. Someone needs to manage this for each of the preteen rooms as well as the first/second grade room. Someone from the Large Group team can probably manage checking tags for the Elementary Theater. If we have enough, we may send Large Group volunteers to help with the other rooms as well.
prove each week. We will make many adjustments each week based on what we learn. Please share feedback – we’re all in this together!
FINAL THOUGHTS
Okay, that’s a lot of things to consider.
Let us know if you have any questions. Again, this is going to be messy. It’s going to take a few weeks to get used to our new spaces and work out all the bugs. Please be patient, but please provide feedback. We want to address all the problem areas as quickly as possible!
Thank you for all your hard work! We’re excited about this new shift, but we’re most excited about serving with you as we pull this thing off!