I have a very strong philosophical position on toys in kids’ ministry (and small group activities), and some of that is being expressed in our new facility. If you haven’t heard my position, you might wonder why we’re doing what we’re doing. You may also wonder why some age groups have some toys/games, and others do not. Okay, let me explain.

The “average” church and children’s ministry is loaded with toys, especially in the younger areas. In these environments, a reasonable period is dedicated to free play. Many of these same churches might utilize the playground as well. Many churches use toys and playtime to supplement their time because their curriculum and content won’t fill an entire hour (or perhaps the content doesn’t engage every kid as well as it should). This hits on one of my first convictions. For most kids, we only have an hour with them. Some kids only come 1-2 times a month. Because we have such limited time, I’m very reluctant to supplement very much time for free time. I want our consistent and weekly volunteers to get as much time with their kids as possible. So, my philosophy says that we provide a limited number of toys (in a more “activity centers” approach) for our younger kids, typically during drop-off and pick-up. During most of the service, our kids engage with their leaders through fun, age-appropriate, and play-based activities. This is FAR BETTER than free play. Kids have access to toys all day – I want their time at church to be more intentional and relational. This is why you see fewer toys and less time dedicated to play in our preschool environments.

So what about toys in elementary areas? Why don’t we have any in most of our elementary environments?

This is a great question that ties in with my earlier philosophy and age-level development. Younger kids (in the preschool age) developmentally tend to play with toys individually. Cooperative play is something that develops as they get older. If we have some lag time (during check-in and check-out), it’s way better to provide toys because preschool-age kids generally are not going to engage cooperatively on their own. For these kinds of moments, toys are age-appropriate.

However, once we get to the elementary-age environments, most (if not all) the toys are gone. Elementary-aged kids are more capable of cooperative play and activities (although this will always be a tad more difficult in the kindergarten-age groups because they’re really in that transition time). For elementary, we provide interactive pre-service activities to engage kids before the service begins. This is also the time to engage them more relationally—asking questions, telling stories, and playing simple group-based games in the circle. There is an art to this – and it might involve having some supplemental activities (which we can provide for you) like card games (uno, go fish, old maid) or some other activities that keep everyone engaged without losing control. The solution is not just to bring in toys but it’s to connect/engage with these kids relationally. It involves being highly engaged and leading the kids in activities.

This is true of all elementary ages, and the older the kids get, the easier this is to do. As kids develop, they become more relational and enjoy conversations as much as games and activities. The answer to the question is always the small group leader. I know we probably haven’t equipped you with all the right activities, but we can and will – let us know what you might need that you don’t have – and we’ll get you equipped.

Okay, I’m ready for the big question. I already know what you’re going to ask. What about those preteens? They’ve got a craft table, a basketball game, and other activities. What gives? Why do they get those things and the younger kids don’t?

That’s a great question. It seems like we’re saying one thing and doing something different – and we are… sort of.

Here’s my last philosophical point. I’m ALWAYS going to pull out all the stops for preteen kids. ALWAYS! When a kid hits 10 (plus or minus a year), they’re immediately ready to be a teenager. They want to gravitate to everything teens do and push away from everything kids do. At this age, many kids tell their parents that church is boring and that they don’t want to come anymore. Many parents are afraid that making their kids go to church will cause them to hate God or hate the church. I don’t think it does, but when an 11-year-old is screaming at you that they hate church, that’s a tough place to be. Because of this, we will do everything we can to make preteens LOVE being at church. So that means that we do some things for them that other kids don’t get to do. It’s such a critical age. Helping preteens stay connected to the church and their small group leaders is essential to successfully transitioning them to student ministry once they hit 6th grade.

This is normal, developmental stuff. Older kids get to stay up later. Older kids get special privileges. Older kids have certain perks. It’s fun to look forward to – and it’s fun to get to this age group finally. We want every preteen kid to be so excited about finally being in our preteen environments that they’ll never (or almost never) scream at their parents about attending church.

Hopefully, this helps explain why we have toys in some places and not toys in others and why we spend so much less time with toys and free play. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have additional questions, concerns, or even some ideas/resources. Not having toys is hard at first, but once we get the hang of it, the kids won’t even give it a second thought.

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!

The main benefits of this model are as follows:

• Most volunteers serve in highly relational small group roles. They serve with the same group of kids every week and are even encouraged to move up with their group each school year to reinforce meaningful relationships.
• Volunteers with a gift for teaching, leading worship, and being crazy serve on the Large Group team where their gifts impact all the kids. A strong large group experience impacts every kid.
• Moving back and forth the different environments with highly interactive experiences in large group keeps kids engaged for the entire hour. Kids are less likely to get bored and disconnect.

LARGE GROUP

Large group is fun and exciting. It engages all of the senses, which provide interesting ways to learn/experience biblical content. Large group can create memorable experiences, leaving kids saying, “WOW!” Large group is high energy and invitational – it creates a great first impression. Large group also has the unique ability to get everyone on the same page very quickly.

SMALL GROUP

Small group is personal. Kids want to have fun (which they can in small group as well), but they also want friends. Biblical truth taught from the stage is important, but breaking down the truth for each kid and helping them apply it is vastly more important. The true power of a small group is the relational connection it offers. It becomes the place where kids stay connected and belong.

ELEMENTARY SCHEDULE

SMALL GROUP | 10 Minutes
Social: Providing Time for Fun Interaction

LARGE GROUP | 25 Minutes
STORY: Communicating God’s Truth in Engaging Ways
WORSHIP: Inviting People to Respond to God

SMALL GROUP | 30 Minutes
GROUPS: Creating a Safe Place to Connect

PRESCHOOL SCHEDULE

SMALL GROUP | 15 Minutes
Social: Providing Time for Fun Interaction

LARGE GROUP | 20 Minutes
STORY: Communicating God’s Truth in Engaging Ways
WORSHIP: Inviting People to Respond to God

SMALL GROUP | 30 Minutes
GROUPS: Creating a Safe Place to Connect

ELEMENTARY ENVIRONMENTS

Everyone has to make this mental shift. We are moving AWAY from CLASSROOMS and toward SMALL GROUPS. Instead of having a 30×40 room with 15-20 crazy kids, you’ll have a small group of 8-12 kids (ideally – sometimes they get a little bigger). Some of our new rooms might have more than one small group. Typically, we designate a small group with a circular rug. Your small group will meet in the same room on the same carpet circle every weekend. You and your group all sit on the floor around your carpet circle (we’ll provide alternate seating options for our leaders who can’t sit on the floor for 20 minutes). See the facility map to see where your group is meeting.

PRESCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS

Say these words with me: Clean and Simple. These two words will characterize our new preschool environments. Often, preschool environments can get cluttered with distracting toys and activities. Our new rooms will have specific toys and activities for church’s first and last ten minutes. The toys will be put away for the rest of the time, and leaders will engage kids in fun activities to help them learn and grow. During the middle of the service, all preschool kids will visit the Large Group, where they will worship and learn the day’s Bible Story.

PATIENCE IS KEY

This transition is a massive shift for RidgeKidz. It will have its bumps and frustrations. However, each week will improve as we adjust to the new model, and team members will improve each week. We will make many adjustments each week based on what we learn. Please share feedback – we’re all in this together!