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21st Century Children’s Ministry for 21st Century Families
July 19, 2010
Faith Lutheran Church, Bentonville, AR
I love this picture that was posted on the web. There is so much hope in the eyes of the child. There is a sense of discovery in the child’s attempts to push forward into the unknown. This picture captures the reality facing our children today. The world is very different from the world of ten or twenty years past. Consider:
· It is estimated that one-third of all school-aged children are at least one grade level behind in their academic performance.
· 70% of Children born after 1990 will spend at least one year of their life in a non-traditional home.
· An astounding one out of every three (33%) children in America will grow up in a home without a father.
· Children in father-absent homes are five times more likely to be poor.
· Fatherless children are twice as likely to drop out of school.
While the exact numbers in the above statistics might be new, the reality they describe is not new to you or me. The world in its twisted form is consuming our children and our families. Unfortunately, many of our congregations find their children’s ministry to be struggling at the very hour they are needed most. Sunday School attendance is down. Recruitment of volunteers seems to be a never-ending chore.
In response the Mid-South District will host a Children’s ministry seminar for the Lutheran Churches in the Fayetteville circuit and surrounding region on July 19th at Faith Lutheran Church, Bentonville, AR. This seminar presents key learnings and effective models for children’s ministry in our current cultural context.
There is a great deal of information packed into this two hour event. Questions that will be addressed include:
· How are other churches successfully reaching children with the Gospel?
· What are the new models for children’s ministry and how can we know the model that is best for our church?
· How can I be more effective at recruiting volunteers to our children’s ministry?
· How do we deal with discipline issues?
· What curriculum options do we have?
· How can a little church go big in children’s ministry?
We have targeted this event to those who work with children in the congregation. Pastors, Sunday School Superintendants, volunteer teachers, DCEs and children’s ministers are encouraged to attend.
This seminar is being offered in the summer so that congregations will have time to evaluate and retool before the busy Fall. Please plan to attend.
Schedule of Events:
The session will begin at 6:00 p.m. with a working dinner. We will wrap up around 8:00 p.m. All participating congregations will have an opportunity to develop their “next steps” plan to address any desired changes in their children’s ministry.
Register Here by July 16, 2010
Use this link to download a printable flier. |
