Because we’re talking about Reactivating the Family today, it’s a good chance to talk about the family experience aspect of using 252Basics.

Six years ago, when I was first hired on at Ada Bible Church, my primary responsibility was to find a creative way to get parents and kids in the same room for a shared, faith experience. At the time we were not using 252 Basics, and in all honesty had never heard of reThink.

That first year, we partnered with a gentleman and developed a series of four events we called “Family Gatherings.” (LAME, I know!) They were decent and received decent attendance and buzz. While they were not exactly what we had envisioned, we learned a few things that we’ve brought into how our family experience has evolved over the past several years.

We learned that the family experience must have a purpose beyond the event itself. It’s great to have a slammin’ event, but the event becomes a catalyst for family growth only when we keep the end in mind. We built our family productions with four aspects of family life:

1. Family Devotions – not in the sit-around-the-table sort of thing, but the sort that embraces the natural messiness and rhythms of family life.
2. Family Service – When we submit to Christ, we take on the fact that he expects us to serve our community and engage our culture to further make his name famous on planet earth. The family plays a HUGE role in that.
3. Family Traditions – Families have celebrations, some of which are given to them on the calendar, others that they’ve discovered for themselves. Are families integrating their faith into these aspects of family life?
4. Family Conversations – How a family communicates with each other in private and public says a lot about that family’s health. Do families have a safe place to practice these conversations?

As we’ve moved to using 252Basics, we’ve continued to bring these ideas into how we program our current experience.

If you haven’t seen it, check out the promo video. It’ll give you some insight into how it all works:

Here’s the rundown of the elements:

Hype: 10 minutes of crowd banter and activity as families are coming into the environment. We’ve done everything from a giant game of telephone (BOMBED!) to a pocket scavenger hunt. Anything to get the crowd warmed up to have fun!

Worship: 2 or 3 songs with motions and excitement. Most often these songs are chosen because they go along with the virtue for the month.

Welcome Sketch: The co-hosts introduce the topic for the month with lots of humor. We will often introduce the Application Tool for the month at this point.

Intro Sketch: The “secular” part of how the virtue gets played out in real-life through several characters that become house-hold names. (My son wanted to invite Gordo to his birthday party last year!)

Rapid Response: We use this as either another chance to share the virtue or advertise the application tool. This section is all about the funny!

Word: This section is what it sounds like. It’s what they Bible has to say about the virtue for the month. Sometimes this is a storyteller with the help of a Bible character. Other times the Word features reoccurring characters such as Sam Shovel who add a nice dose of humor to the story. Regardless of the method, this part is all about God’s Word and what HE has to say.

Family Activity/Verse: Here is where we diverge from the 252Basics’ script. One of the things we learned in our writing attempts several years ago was that we needed to have families interact over the topic at the event itself. We know we gave them tools they can use at home, but we could never be sure they were using those. We wanted to help them start the conversation, work on a quick service project, or begin using the application tool in order for them to see that interacting over faith really isn’t that difficult. We also put motions to our memory verses. We teach this to the crowd, giving them a chance to stretch their legs and get the wiggles out.

Exit Sketch/Wrap Up: This is the conclusion of the intro sketch and a moment for the actors to reemphasize the bottom line for the night.

Closing: A chance for the host to pray and give any announcements we may want to give.

Each month we have a blast staging this event, we pray that it is a catalyst for growth in the lives of those families that come out and support it.

If your ministry puts on a family experience, I’d love to hear what you do! Let me know in the comments!

~ by danscott77 on 19 January, 2010.

Posted in kidmin
Tags: 252basics, ada bible church, children, children's ministry, church life, dan scott, danscott77, dvfx, faith, family activities, family experience, family fun, family ministries, family productions, kid's ministry, kidmin, kidstuf, ministry, orange conference, Orange Family Ministries, Orange Tour, reThink curriculum