CentriKid

Planning

Taking Risks in Leadership

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The word “risk” can send shivers up your spine or can invigorate your curiosity. These steps toward “what’s possible” can, at times, feel impossible. Whether it’s a financial investment, a new ministry, or a different model for your team, risks ultimately mean change. In leadership, responsible risk taking looks a lot less like gambling and a lot more like calculated chess moves.

As a leader, you must be willing to guide your people into the unknown. Not on a careless journey, but one with promise to benefit all. Though the path will be new for your footsteps, as the leader, you must be willing to forge the trail. With risk comes both uncertainty and possibility; we must face the risk before us with both hands open wide. As you begin this endeavor, consider the following:

1. Count the cost
Consider the potential benefits and drawbacks of your possibilities. Make a pros/cons list. Sit down for discussion over coffee with people you trust. Consult your mentors and teammates. And most importantly, seek the Lord’s guidance through meditation and prayer.
2. Make your move
Once you’ve decided to move forward on this new road, set your eyes on what lies ahead. Map out a game plan and stay faithful to your calculations. Heed not the words of naysayers and unbelievers. With peace from the Lord, take each stride in confidence.
3. Stay focused
A bare bank account, a tough day, or words of opposition will be discouraging. Resolve to stay resilient. When pursuing the call God has for you, continue to run your race. Face the obstacles as they come and move on to your mountaintop.

Leaders are seldom remembered for simply what they intended to do. Leaders take action. Taking risks will not always mean success, or improvement, or reward. But, without taking that chance, you’ll never know what could have been. Don’t meekly evaluate your choices. Recognize your goal, and take that leap of faith!

4 Things to Look for When Choosing a Camp

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We encounter church leaders and parents looking for the best options for summer camp for their kids – and it is a big deal because camp can have a meaningful impact on the spiritual journey of a child.

Here are 4 things to look for when choosing a camp:

  1. What is their “main thing”?  We emphasize the importance of the Gospel in every aspect of CentriKid, and we are grateful for the trust shown by thousands of church leaders and parents as they give us the opportunity to make the message of Christ clear in the lives of kids through camp.
  2. Is it a safe place?  Many parents and group leaders contact us to ask about dietary concerns and housing options – but we are also concerned with the size of campus, the proximity of main roads to campers walking, the condition of fields for recreation, and even the “climate” or culture of the camp atmosphere.  Camp should be safe for kids on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level.
  3. Do they strive for excellence?  As you learn about a new camp, evaluate the excellence of what you see.  Does the staff respond to you in a professional manner? Do the activities seem haphazard or well-prepared?  Do program elements start on time every time?
  4. Does this camp look fun?  Fun is essential to camp, but don’t solely judge a camp based on the waterfront toys or recreational activities.  Make sure the other elements are in place first, but before you sign up, make sure it looks like something your kids will enjoy being a part of.

At CentriKid, we take each of these aspects seriously (yes, even fun!) because there are a lot of ways to fill up a summer, but camp can be more than just another week on the calendar.  We are passionate about helping make the Gospel real in the lives of kids while they have a great time at camp!

How to Point Everything Back to Scripture

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At CentriKid one of our main promises to the churches who come is that we will always root everything in Scripture. We believe it is important to tie everything back to God’s Word because there is no better place to turn. From Recreation and Bible Study in the morning to Track Times and Worship in the afternoon and evening, everything we do at CentriKid truly points campers back to the gospel and Scripture. We strive to give our activities a purpose, instead of just creating time fillers or fun things to do.Your kids ministry should seek to do this as well.

Plan it out
The best way to make sure you connect all activities back to Scripture is to plan for it. Plan to relate each activity to our relationship with God. In your preparation, whether it be for a regular Sunday morning or once a year event, schedule time to relate the activities you are doing to the Bible, and plan exactly how you will make the connection. This is an active, practical step to making sure you fit it in smoothly and without forcing it. One of our favorite ways to do this at CentriKid is to “debrief” the activity/game.

Debriefing
A “debrief” is a time where we bring the kids together to explain how the activity/game relates back to the Bible and our relationship with Jesus. Here are some tips for debriefing:
–Remove distractions (face the kids away from potential distractions: TVs, other kids playing games, windows they can see out of)
–Be one level removed (if the kids are sitting, you kneel; if they are kneeling, you stand)
–Use objects and personal stories (kids are concrete learners. So, applying spiritual concepts to concrete examples, like objects, helps create a strong connection in the mind of a child)
–Root it in Scripture (read from the Bible… that helps them know it is truth from the Word)
–Make eye contact (if you are outside, remove sunglasses)

I fully believe that fun games and the Bible can go hand-in-hand. So this week, plan out how you are going to relate each of your activities back to the gospel and God’s Word.

Recruiting the Orange Team

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When people ask me who the craziest color team is at camp, most people assume I will say the Blue 5th graders or all of those little Yellow 3rd graders. The Truth- the Orange team! Few teams are more excited for I Can’t Wait, make more noise during their cheer (even if they don’t know ALL the words), or cover me in more shaving cream during OMC. But what happens when you are having trouble finding those adults for your team?

Here are few tips to help you find the Orange Team you are looking for:

Ask them!
I know, it seems simple but this is the best place to start. When I say ask them, I don’t mean putting a slide up during the opening of the service or typing a paragraph in the bulletin. Although these can help, take some time and be very intentional about who you ask to come to camp. Share with them the impact that they can have on the kids and the amazing responsibility that they are given at camp to be a role model to these kids as the Gospel message is preached. By sharing with them that you trust them with this responsibility and the importance of this position, you will be able to find volunteers that share your excitement for sharing the Gospel with these kids in an atmosphere full of fun!
Play OMC!
After a Sunday service, have lunch with your kids, parents, and volunteers and then play a great game of OMC. Let your volunteers play and don’t forget lots of shaving cream, pool noodles, and tasks cards. This is a great way to have fun with the different people who are part of your ministry and also give them ways to interact with the kids outside of the Sunday School room or the Worship Center. At the end, don’t forget to tie it back to the Gospel!
Team Assistants!
Do you have any students in your ministry that love children? If they are a Junior in high school through college, they are able to serve as Team Assistants. Team Assistants give your students a chance to serve alongside you as a chaperone for your kids but they also get to be a part of our camp team for the week. Whether it is helping out at Recreation or Track Times, they will see a glimpse into what it is like to be a camp staffer.

We can’t wait to see you and your group leaders at camp this summer!

Recreating Your Kids Ministry Space

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Have you ever walked into a kids ministry space and wished you were still a kid?
Whether you are repurposing an old space or touching up an existing one, there are a few things you can do to make the area inviting for your kids, parents, and volunteers.

Add Some Color
The first and easiest way to recreate a space is by adding a fresh coat of paint. This will renew the space and give the whole area a clean look. When choosing colors for a kids area, it can be tempting to find the brightest and boldest colors out there and splash them everywhere. Remember that while your children’s area is a place for the kids to have fun, it is also a place for learning. Check out this color palette to create a fun and inviting area for your ministry.

Classic-Blue Custard Scuba-Blue Strawberry-Ice Tangerine

Good Directions
Part of creating a welcoming environment for your ministry area is to be sure that guests and parents can always find their way through the space. Some of the best ministry spaces I have experienced were created through clear signs and directions. Simply updating the signs around your building can give the entire area a new look and become more welcoming to guests.

Engage with the Kids
In your main children’s worship area, having a system that enables you to run sound and video can be a great asset! Simply putting your logo on the screen and playing music as kids walk in will enhance the experience and get the kids excited for the time ahead. During worship, having the words on the screen or using curriculum such as Worship for Life will help engage the kids in worship. When teaching the kids, it is great to have visuals that reinforce your lessons so showing these as you connect the worship to the gospel will help instill the lessons into the kids.

The idea of recreating a children’s space can seem daunting, but giving the area a new look can help give new energy to your ministry and get your kids, parents, and volunteers excited to hear and teach the gospel!