Orange Week | Elevate Community | Small Groups from 3 – 18
Elevate Community:
Connect everyone to a caring leader and a consistent group of peers
When we call ourselves “a church of small groups” we have a specific idea in mind. In our program, from a time a child is 3 years old to the time she graduates from high school (as long as they remain in our program) she will be connected in a small group. What that looks like on each level is different of course, but the idea is that if a child is in our program we are seeking that she may be part of a community larger than herself. The following goes along with our birth – 18 strategy that I discussed here:
Embrace | Preschool: Children receive consistent care from loving and capable adult and students. Community is something that happens TO your child.
Expect | Elementary: Children see how relationships are an essential part of growing through small groups with the same children and a common small group leader.
Experience | Junior High: Students experience the necessity of relationship in their faith journey. Small group is becoming a way of life.
Express | Senior High: Students continue to grow in small groups, becoming more responsible for identifying and building community within their own life.
Once a child reaches second grade, the expectations for small group leaders start to grow. In our trainings at the beginning of the year we begin with talking about how important it is for a child/student to have another voice speaking truth into their lives.
Knowing the importance of a consistent leader and group of peers, we strongly encourage parents to choose a specific hour and campus to attend. God uses small group leaders to influence positive change in a child’s life. In many ways they are mentors to those kids. Discovery Village is not just child care. The volunteers are committed to the spiritual development of each child whether they are 3, 9, or 15. We truly believe and act knowing that the relationships formed between leaders and children will be pivotal in those kids’ relationship with Jesus.
[...] more on Elevating community check out what Kenny, JC, and Dan have to say. function clicky_gc( name ) { var ca = document.cookie.split(';'); for( var [...]
Orange Week: Elevate Community said this on 20 January, 2010 at 8:12 pm |