Leading Small to Yield God-Sized Results

"If we want to influence what kids believe about God, themselves, and the rest of the world, we need to give them somewhere to belong." Reggie Joiner

Mavis' Art Class

Kreek Kids has recently made a decision to 'Lead Small' while looking for God-sized results! What does this mean in actual practice?

1. In order to impact the next generation, we are creating intentional small group experiences where kids can have fun learning and where relationships can grow.
   
   
2. For us, this means Sunday morning breakout groups have started for our 4th & 5th graders where kids may explore the arts, learn something new or review what they've learned in their large group time for the day in a creative way. 
     
3. Starting in October, we are opening a weekly small group, for 1st & 2nd-grade girls, during Sunday morning 10:30am services with Miss Dea! Dea currently teaches our preschool class once-a-month on our Saturday team and wants to do more to impact the next generation of heroes at AC3. This group of girls will meet in our Orange Room which we love! Why? We believe the Orange strategy of partnering with parents and caring adults is a winner and we have attended the Orange Tour the last three years! What a great room to start this weekly group!
   

Below is an email from Miss Dea to our parents. Feeling the nudge?  This can be your invitation to 'Lead Small' with us. Enjoy!

Choosing to Lead Small

Dear Parents, 

For those of you who don't know me my name is Deanna Braaten. Many of you may know me as Miss Dea.

My husband and I have been long-time supporters of Kreek Kids and our adult children have all been part of children's ministry in one way or another. Our youngest daughter is currently a Kreek Kid.

I have been praying about where God is leading me in Kreek Kids. Over the last few years, several key things have taken place in my life. 

First, with my own daughter beginning elementary school, I see the need for strong faith conversations in this developmental age range. Secondly, attending the annual Orange conference reinforces my belief in partnering with families to build a strong faith foundation. And finally, I have a deep desire to serve in ministries that promote legacy.

With all that said, I'm joining Twila in the development of Kreek Kids breakouts and small group leader implemented lessons.

Your child is invited to join me and Michelle Daniels on Sundays in the orange room for small group lessons and activities. Your child will begin in 'big' church as usual and be dismissed during the service. They will meet in the blue room for the big idea and the large group time. We then will bring our small group to the orange room (Prepare the Way Classroom) for our lesson. You are able to pick up your child from us there at 11:45. This small group time is set aside specifically for 1st and 2nd-grade girls.

We are very excited to see how this small group builds strong faith foundations and positive and encouraging relationships. The idea that each child grows and develops a sense of identity, belonging and purpose in Christ is at the forefront of our approach to children's ministry.

Our initial plan is to implement our breakouts and small groups each Sunday from October to May.

Please let me or Twila know if you have any questions. You may also be thinking this sounds like something you may be interested in joining too! Come talk with us. We'd love to chat over coffee or tea.

Thank you,
Most Sincerely
Miss Dea

AC3 + Kreek Kids Parents = A Great Partnership

Video Blog Option

As we head into one of the biggest KidMin seasons ever, I'd like to share a couple of reasons why partnering with Kreek Kids is a great idea, and hopefully, in a way, you may have never thought about before. Because when we combine the LIGHT of the church with the LOVE of the home*, we create real opportunities to help entire families grow in their faith!

When someone chooses to help in Kreek Kids, they help fulfill AC3's #1 mission…to create a SAFE place for seekers to become fully devoted followers of Christ. And yes! That includes our littlest seekers at AC3.

Now I know not everyone feels they have what it takes to work with kids, but one of the best ways you can help support our kids is to support those who do; our parents, teachers, and helpers. Kreek Kids, A Co-op Ministry.

So when you help in Kreek Kids, you provide parent support. Helping as little as just once-a-month, you help provide SAFE staffing ratios in Kreek Kids, giving our visiting parents, the confidence that their child will be SAFE with us! And when parents feel their kids are SAFE and having fun, they can relax and soak in the weekend’s message.

And when you help in Kreek Kids, you provide teacher support. Our teaching teams need and deserve a healthy support system. Even the most committed Kreek Kids volunteers are sometimes left feeling alone and wondering if what they do matters. When you choose to serve along-side of them as little as once-a-month, you can encourage them (be there cheerleader when needed) helping them feel valued and supported. When you do, they will become better at what they do and be reassured that they are making a difference and are part of the bigger picture at AC3!

Now, I’ve saved the best reason for partnering with Kreek Kids for last…This next year we are projecting to have our biggest group of 1-5th graders ever in one room; Saturday or Sunday depending on when families choose to attend. So we are actively looking for age-level teachers or something new we're calling Breakout Buddies for our 1&2 or 3-5th graders; boys, girls or both. An example of a Breakout Buddy’s day would look something like this: You would start in the main classroom with our 1-5th graders for about 20 min. during large group teaching time. You would then be dismissed with your small group of kids (5-6) to another room for a craft, carpentry project, baking or game time, sewing project, science experiment, music, dance or another activity of the Breakout Buddy’s choice!

So if you like to bake for example, and we’re talking about the Israelite's eating Manna, you can become a Baking Breakout Buddy for the day and help the kids bake a yummy cookie to help them remember their lesson.

And did I said you can serve as little as once-a-month in Kreek Kids? 😉

So during July, pick up your copy of our Kreek Kids Entry Level Positions at the Info Desk and let's chat about options over coffee! Just sign up to have coffee with me this month and you'll be able to ASK ANYTHING about Kreek Kids!

Our Kreek Kids Team looks forward to partnering with YOU,
Twila  360-659-7335 EXT. 202

AC3 + Kreek Kids Parents = A Great Partnership   

*https://thinkorange.com

Celebrating a '10' Year Partnership!

With Legacy in mind, the Kreek Kids ministry team along with insights from AC3 families and leadership, officially became a cooperative partnership ministry in the 2009/2010 ministry year! 

At that time we understood and believed two things to be true. First, that parents really are the number one influencers in their child's life. Secondly, that a traditional Sunday School model would not continue to work for us and who we were as a church.

Knowing we could no longer effectively do children’s ministry or provide safe staffing ratios without the support of both AC3ers and Kreek Kids parents working together, AC3's Kreek Kids Co-op Ministry was born!

When we serve together and with Legacy in mind, we have the ability to create environments where kids feel welcome, have fun while learning Biblical truths creatively and we become a SAFE place for visiting parents to drop off their kids with confidence during weekend services. Our Kreek Kids partnership and co-op format is the key to what we call the BEST HOUR in every family's week!

AC3 is still passionate today about leaving a legacy of faith for the next generation and currently uses C.A.R.L. as a filter to help ensure that we are meeting  our Compassion, Alignment, Relationship and Legacy objectives. Because AC3 wants to continue to be relevant to seekers of all ages in our local community, a new Direction Team is being organized. This team will use a similar process that was used during our Five Year Planning Initiative in which C.A.R.L. was formed. They'll be collecting fresh data about our growing neighborhoods, how we currently invite our friends to church and much more. This team will be under the direction of our Pastoral Team and Elder Board.

As AC3's Kreek Kids Director, it's always hard to do the BIG ASK and let others know there are needs in our ministry and we do have a few. So if leaving a legacy of faith with the next generation of faith is important to you but you're not sure you have what it takes, let's chat over a latte! It's not as scary as you think:) 

The Church + Home = Greater Impact

Light (yellow) + Love (red) = Orange

Help Us Celebrate '10'!

Choose to do just ONE thing, a ONE time serve option to help support our Kreek Kids in the coming year. Looking for a total of 10+ serving opportunities filled by someone NOT currently serving in Kreek Kids. What a great way to tell our parents and volunteers 'I see you and I support you' in the coming ministry year 2019-2020. 

A few Celebrate '10' one-time serve opportunities include:

• Behind-the-scenes cleaning, organizing and classroom prep options
• Provide childcare during one of our Kreek Kids Team Training
• Provide childcare during a Child Dedication class or team meeting
• Be a substitute classroom or nursery helper  
• KK Entry-Level Positions PDF

Call me with any questions you might have. I look forward to celebrating the NEXT '10' years of partnership with you!

Twila & Kreek Kids Team

360-659-7335 EXT. 202

LIKE US on Facebook to keep in the Legacy info loop...

Kreek Kids Mission: Partnering with Parents to Raise Up the next generation of Heroes in the Faith!  

From a Teacher's Point of View

By Guest Blogger: Wayne Clinton

During our Popcorn and Parable Series (November 2015), our Kreek Kids classes studied two stories called parables found in the Book of Luke chapter15. 

During Saturday's teaching time with our K-5th grades,  we had ten hidden cut out sheep in the room that the kids had to find.  They also had four silver coins that they had to find. These activities lined up with the "looking for lost things" in the parable stories; Lost Sheep/Lost Coin. Once they had found them all, we decided to celebrate just like they did in each parable. We made invitations to hand out and invite individuals in our lobby to come up and celebrate with us. During the dinner break, before worship, our chaperoned students went down and invited six middle schoolers to come up and join us at our party. 

We had chocolate milk, sparkling cider, chips, pretzels, gummy worms and chocolate chip cookies along with our main dish, chicken noodle soup. What a celebration! And the music...it was a good gathering!

We learned that the true meaning behind the parables Jesus told were really about people, and not coins and sheep. And that people truly matter to Jesus. The kids, both K-5th and our middle schoolers had a great time! In fact, our guests went down and brought up other middle school guests and then the pre-K kids came and joined in. It was a great night!

So if your looking to help make Kreek Kids a safe place where kids can come, learn, have fun in a variety of creative ways, all while learning the truths in God's word, check out Kreek Kids Saturday nights or Sunday mornings. It's always a joy to see new faces:)

Wayne Clinton 

One of Kreek Kids Saturday Night Teachers

SPECIAL INVITE!  January 16 & 17, 2016: THIS weekend, during our Enter the Worship Circle Series, don't miss Wayne's creativity in action in the auditorium during each service; Saturday 6pm, Sunday 9 and 10:30am!  Directions to AC3 ~Allen Creek Community Church

Want to get connected to Kreek Kids? Contact: Trina (SAT) or Alicia & Twila (SUN)