KidMin Outreach Archives - Page 3 of 6

Wilderness Escape VBS: Day 1 (and a picture of God’s grace)

07/14/201407/14/2014 Kathie Phillips 2 Comments

Today we kicked off our five-day Summer Bible Camp (aka VBS). Here I talked about how we were getting ready.

Yesterday was our set-up day and it was refreshing to see so many volunteers (of all ages) pitching in to transform our church into the wilderness. When the majority of the set-up was complete, I left the church in a very reflective mood. In fact, I was in a reflective mood for much of the day, thinking about the extravagant grace that God has extended to me time and time again.

You see, some Sundays I walk in to church more confident than others – yesterday was a day where I felt pretty good but I just couldn’t shake the feeling of being so thankful for God’s graciousness toward me and the ministry I lead…for the many, many ways that He has provided for our needs, for the awesome privilege it is to be able to share His love with children and seeing it ‘click’ in their eyes and the list goes on. And as only God could orchestrate, one of our SBC volunteers came up to me yesterday, thanking me for being gracious to her (she felt that she was ‘out of the loop’ because of a family issue) but the fact that she still wanted to give us a smidgen of her time, we were thankful to her!

As I stood before the campers and volunteers this morning, my heart was again filled to overflowing. All of our months of planning and preparing had brought us to this point. At that very moment, I was thankful to God for His grace for all of the details that have consumed my thoughts and time for the past few months. I was truly thankful for each and every child, teen, and adult in the room. They were my very first God sighting for the day!

As I walked through the building for the duration of the morning, children were engaged and learning, volunteers were teaching and engaged with the children (I heard, “That was soooo cool!” countless times), team leaders were leading, and everyone was owning their piece of the VBS pie. It was truly a beautiful sight.

Verse for the day:

“God answered, ‘I will be with you.’ “

Exodus 3:12

Here are a few pictures from Day 1:

Day 1's God Sighting Poster - I can't wait to see footprints covering this tomorrow! — Day 1’s God Sighting Poster – I can’t wait to see footprints covering this tomorrow!

A closer view of one side of the stage - I LOVE the color of the mountains! — A closer view of one side of the stage – I LOVE the color of the mountains!

The other side of our stage - our campfire was a big hit with the kids! — The other side of our stage – our campfire was a big hit with the kids!

It’s almost time for VBS!

07/10/201407/10/2014 Kathie Phillips

For the past 5 months, we have been planning for this year’s VBS, which we affectionately refer to as Summer Bible Camp (SBC). Like previous years, we selected Group’s Holy Land VBS, Wilderness Escape. The intensity in prepping has picked up significantly as SBC is close – we kick off on Monday!

Let’s talk numbers for a bit just so that you can get an idea of what’s involved:

17 leadership teams
25 leadership team members
235 campers (rising K – rising 6th Grade)
45 infants, toddlers and preschoolers (children of our volunteers – we provide a scaled-back, age-appropriate SBC for our preschoolers)
>200 volunteers (students & adults)

This week, it’s an all-hands-on-deck approach for the entire church staff:

Our facilities team is prepping the building and helping with take-down, set-up, moving tables and chairs, etc.
Our worship arts department is prepping for our daily ‘Celebration’ times as well as Friday night Celebration Service for volunteers, campers and their families.
Our communications department is printing materials, ordering larger signage, and updating the website and Sunday morning announcements.
Our missions department is helping to coordinate our outreach project for the week.

Our leadership teams are:

Reviewing (and reviewing and reviewing!) notes, shopping lists, supply lists, email, voicemail…lots of details to oversee!
Making last-minute purchases
Gathering supplies
Meeting with team members to review logistics
Conducting rehearsals
Processing last-minute registrations
Reviewing volunteer assignments and making last-minute adjustments as needed
Drawing set-up maps in preparation for Sunday afternoon’s set-up

What about me, the SBC Director? All things considered, I’m relatively calm. (Don’t tell anyone, but I’ve even found time to read for the past few evenings!) This week, my primary concern is being available to my leadership team leaders. I have tried to clear my afternoon schedule to be available for team leaders who need closets unlocked, come in to gather supplies, have questions/concerns/a need for hugs and encouraging words, etc. Our leaders have been working so hard that I get pleasure from supporting them and equipping them to lead well.

Here are just a few pics of what we’ve been up to. We won’t reveal too much now – you’ll have to check back next week for more!

Our mountain backdrop - it looks AMAZING - I can't wait to see it up! — Our mountain backdrop – it looks AMAZING – I can’t wait to see it up!

Who knew that electric Christmas lawn reindeer could become wilderness sheep?

Each camper will receive a bag with these items

We’d surely appreciate your prayers as we serve next week – come back next week for daily updates and more pictures!

What’s Mine to Do?

02/25/201402/25/2014 Kathie Phillips

This past weekend, I attended the Justice Conference at my church, one of the many simulcast sites around the country. This was my first time attending, so I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. I had not heard of many of the speakers but I went with an open mind, ready to receive a word from the Lord. Here are a few takeaways from two speakers at the conference:

Bryan Stevenson, Founder & Director of Equal Justice Initiative

1. We have to commit ourselves to proximity. Proximity will show you things you couldn’t see if you were far away.

2. Change the narrative. There is a story behind every injustice.

3. We have to be hopeful to see change. Hope is at the center of justice.

4. We have to choose to be uncomfortable. Great moments in history occurred because people chose to be uncomfortable.

Lynne Hybels, Author of Nice Girls Don’t Change the World

Important questions to ask when considering what role we’ll play in the fight for justice:

1. “Is there a treadmill I need to step off of to more clearly hear God?”

2. “Is there a suffering that God might be calling me to?”

3. “What is the beauty that only I can be used to restore?”

One one of the key takeaways from Lynne’s talk was the question, “What’s mine to do?” What is my responsibility to advocate for those who need a voice? What is God calling me to do to fight for justice in my community and in the world?

For the past month, our church has been taking a look at ways that we can Live Just. In addition to studying what the scriptures say about justice, we provided resources for adults and children that could help them think more about justice. Here is a picture of the resource we provided for adults & families as well as bracelets that people could wear:

In addition, we provided a resource for children with practical ways that they could learn to Live Just. You can download the resource here.

It is our desire that our recent focus on justice will continue into the months and years to come, becoming a way of life for adults and children alike.

For more ideas on how children (and families) can reach out, take a look at the many resources I’ve pinned on my KidMin – Missions/Outreach Pinterest page.

{Advent & Christmas}: KidMin Service Project for College Students

12/03/201312/03/2013 Kathie Phillips

Last month, a great idea was shared at a workshop that I attended at the Engage Conference. The idea is perfectly suited for the season of Advent & Christmas and will bless your church’s college students. I’ve expanded a bit on the idea but I’m sure you can add your own twist on the project.

December is a time when college students are studying for final exams before heading out for Christmas break. Help make the stressful time more enjoyable by providing the students at your church with care packages that your kidmin (and their families) can contribute to and assemble.

Have kids and families (and your entire congregation for that matter!) donate items such as granola bars, ramen noodles, microwave popcorn, hard candy and chewing gum to help college students survive late-night study sessions. You might even want to have the children/families write encouraging notes that can be attached to the packages. Once all items are collected, have your kidmin arrange the items in fun, creative packaging and distribute to the students.

This idea could be as simple or elaborate as you choose but the impact will be priceless to many students who receive the packages.

If you’re looking for more great ideas for Advent & Christmas, be sure to check out my Advent & Christmas Pinterest board.

What fun ways are you, your ministry or your family serving others this Advent/Christmas? Share your ideas below!