March 1st, 2021
by Allen Coleman
by Allen Coleman
(Read time: 5 minutes)
One sentence? Really? Yes, but more on that in a second because we're planting a church...or have you forgotten? A church in Covlandia to be exact.
And there is one universal, indisputable truth about church planting anywhere: the hardest ministry to launch is kids ministry. We've already moved into the early stages of men's and women's ministry taking shape at Anthem Church. Worship ministry is in the middle of its transition, as well. And while there is much work to do, Anthem Kids is a cornerstone ministry that needs resurrection ASAP.
So much hinges for us as a church being able to return Anthem Kids to our guests and members. More than we realize, but that is another post for another time.
Some of what makes Anthem Kids so challenging is that, in most churches, this ministry hinges its success on a few faithful volunteers because many of us are not "kid people". In reality, we don't want to miss the main attraction, which is the Sunday gathering. But this is a myopic, western view of church life. Anthem Kids is just as much part of our gathering as preaching and worship. Our participation in Anthem Kids IS participating in the gathering. Further troubling, parents come to depend on Anthem Kids, while not supporting the very ministry they (and others) depend on through volunteering.
And then there is COVID. Is it safe? Is it viable? We believe the answer to all of these questions are a resounding YES! If you're interested in the science or data, I would commend this great article from the NY Times. The short of it is this: kids have less receptors in their body, so by God's grace, have a natural built-in mitigation layer comparable to vaccination. And the fact that we intend to do Anthem Kids outdoors is mitigation layer upon mitigation layer. So, yes, we believe it is safe and the risk is low.
So before we get to the one sentence that will save Anthem Kids, here are our goals:
If we all pull together, we can make Anthem Kids a reality for our parents without it being a burdensome ministry. So are you ready for the one sentence that will change it all? Click below.
One sentence? Really? Yes, but more on that in a second because we're planting a church...or have you forgotten? A church in Covlandia to be exact.
And there is one universal, indisputable truth about church planting anywhere: the hardest ministry to launch is kids ministry. We've already moved into the early stages of men's and women's ministry taking shape at Anthem Church. Worship ministry is in the middle of its transition, as well. And while there is much work to do, Anthem Kids is a cornerstone ministry that needs resurrection ASAP.
So much hinges for us as a church being able to return Anthem Kids to our guests and members. More than we realize, but that is another post for another time.
Some of what makes Anthem Kids so challenging is that, in most churches, this ministry hinges its success on a few faithful volunteers because many of us are not "kid people". In reality, we don't want to miss the main attraction, which is the Sunday gathering. But this is a myopic, western view of church life. Anthem Kids is just as much part of our gathering as preaching and worship. Our participation in Anthem Kids IS participating in the gathering. Further troubling, parents come to depend on Anthem Kids, while not supporting the very ministry they (and others) depend on through volunteering.
And then there is COVID. Is it safe? Is it viable? We believe the answer to all of these questions are a resounding YES! If you're interested in the science or data, I would commend this great article from the NY Times. The short of it is this: kids have less receptors in their body, so by God's grace, have a natural built-in mitigation layer comparable to vaccination. And the fact that we intend to do Anthem Kids outdoors is mitigation layer upon mitigation layer. So, yes, we believe it is safe and the risk is low.
So before we get to the one sentence that will save Anthem Kids, here are our goals:
- We want to resurrect Anthem Kids, beginning the Sunday after Easter (pun intended), going forward for toddlers and elementary age kids.
- All parents who utilize Anthem Kids must volunteer in the ministry they utilize, no exceptions.
- We have set an ambitious goal of a no more than 6 Sundays a YEAR, rotation (I know right!). This requires church-wide engagement...especially from members.
If we all pull together, we can make Anthem Kids a reality for our parents without it being a burdensome ministry. So are you ready for the one sentence that will change it all? Click below.
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